Interpersonal Communication Under Operational Pressure: A Qualitative Study of Coordination in a Creative Production Workplace

Interpersonal communication at Percetakan Partner, a printing-service firm in Kendari, Indonesia, operates across interdependent administrative, design, production, and finishing tasks. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and organizational documentation. Analysis involved data reduction, data display, comparison across organizational roles, and conclusion development, with DeVito’s five humanistic qualities serving as analytical reference points. Four patterns emerged from the data. Openness appeared in employees’ clarification of incomplete customer specifications and early reporting of production defects. Empathy took the form of preparing print-ready design files to prevent avoidable technical problems for production operators. Employees also combined face-to-face conversations, written order notes, WhatsApp messages, and non-verbal cues to confirm specifications, communicate revisions, and address urgent production issues. Morning briefings and repeated confirmation helped clarify priorities and responsibilities. However, machine noise, information overload, fatigue, deadline pressure, and differences in technical vocabulary interfered with message accuracy. These findings show how interpersonal practices, communication channels, and working conditions jointly shape coordination in a small production workplace. The relational–media–environment framework developed from these findings connects communication quality with channel selection and the operational conditions that affect information exchange across production stages.