Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the development of internal communication in Norway between 1960 and 1990. It also seeks to provide a plausible explanation for why internal communication became important during this period. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data have been collected from archival sources and media outlets. These data are interpreted through the lens of Peter Wagner's theory of successive modernities and Anthony Giddens' conceptualisation of late modernity. Findings The increased need for internal communication can largely be attributed to economic liberalisation, institutional reflexivity, individualisation, the democratisation of the workplace and a growing emphasis on motivation and trust within organisations. These are factors that reflect the shift from organised modernity in the 1960s to extended liberal modernity in the 1980s – and into what Anthony Giddens terms late modernity. Research limitations/implications This article offers a novel approach to studying the development of internal communication by drawing on sociological theory, while also revealing the interconnectedness of social, economic and cultural transformations. Similar tendencies and explanatory variables are likely to be observed in other European contexts, albeit unfolding along different temporal trajectories. Practical implications The findings provide a thorough explanation and background for why internal communication remains important in organisations today. Originality/value This article offers a distinctive theoretical account of why internal communication gained significance during the 1970 and 1980s. It also contributes original empirical insight into the development of internal communication in a Scandinavian context, thus extending the literature beyond the dominant focus on the United States and the United Kingdom.
Øystein Pedersen Dahlen (2026) studied this question.