Communication in Organizations: Networks and the Employees - Term Paper Example

Running head: COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATION Communication in Organizations ] Introduction: Communication in an organization is a means by which information is passed across all the employees of the organization. There are many modes of communication through which official information is dispersed among the employees. An organization is formed with a network of people. In order to carry out important tasks effective organizational communication is required. Communications in the organization includes both the official and familiar information, passed through and across the system of managers and employees. This mode if canalized effectively can serve important purposes like improving client relationships, increase employee satisfaction and also act as a channel for knowledge sharing. Communications channels within an organization must successfully function so as to contribute positively on the development of the organization (Jhonson, n.d). In this article we try and focus on the effectiveness of communication networks in the presence of multiplicity of workforce in the organization. In organizations it often happens that authorities fail to ensure that subordinates tell each other what they wish or need to know, which leads to miscommunications and disruptions. Although authorities can give instructions for the formation of a smooth and clear pathway of communication, they cannot dictate anything on this issue. A well-run management can always influence the process of communication within the organization. They can act as complementary link to the communication chain and help in passing on of the information. John Connor says, "There is no more valuable asset in business life than the ability to express ones thoughts with clarity and precision." (Communicating within the organization, n.d). With the inset of globalization, most of the organizations are looking forward to make a mark in the global market. To understand and meet the needs of the global market it is very important for an organization to incorporate and encourage diversity among the workforce. “A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e.g. languages, cultural understanding) allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis” (Greenberg n.d). Diversity brings in the problem of communication due to different languages, cultures and ideas of the workforce. Communication is very important at the organizational level to maintain smooth functioning of the organization. The companies willing to prosper have to incorporate the policy of diversity in the employees and to maintain smooth functioning of the day-to-day activities, it is very important to keep the networks of communication open and accessible for the people both inside and outside the organization. Purpose of communication in an organization – networks and the employees Communication helps in looking for and getting information required for control, selling and encouragement of the employees. It also helps in formation of opinions in the meetings and proposals. The network of communication depends upon the relationship between the people in the organization. These relationships help to uncover the pattern of official and casual communication within the organization. Organizations with an effective communication network have employees who have a greater exposure and control over information. The network analysis of the patterns of communication in the organizations leads to identification of roles of Employees (connected to communication), in the organization; it also leads to distinguishing of groups. One might observe in this context, “Characteristics that could, in principle, be investigated using network analysis techniques are the communication load as perceived by employees, the communication styles used, and the effectiveness of the information flows.” (Network theory and analysis in the organizations, 2004). Organizational communication can be both external and internal. The external communication is the communication with the stakeholders of the organization. There exist essentially two channels of communication in an organization, official and unofficial. Both such channels of communication are important in the transmitting of information and messages. These messages can be ‘conflicting’ or ‘reinforcing’ in nature. The channels set up by the authorities in the organizations are the formal channels. It is basically a three way communication process and transmits information’s in all directions. For the effective communication all the channels need to be unblocked and uninterrupted. The downward and upward messages are the ones carried out on daily basis for carrying out effective work. These are between the hierarchal structures of the organization and follow the specified path always. The sideways communication is between different departments of the organization to facilitate work. There are strict rules about these official channels. The people having common interests and thoughts form informal channels. These channels are often also formed by social relationships among the employees of the organization. The information passed on through informal channels are some times distorted, these are more free forms of communication and come at rescue when the formal channels of communication are blocked. External communication is the one, which is between the organization and its customers, dealers and service providers. The external channels are extremely important for the organizations. These channels help to bring in business, maintain goodwill and carry out business in a smooth and effective manner. These channels sometimes bring in feedback and responses, which are extremely important for the organization and often, become a vital part in the strategy and policy formation of the organization. There are various industries and corporate houses that are very media friendly. This is also a form of external communication, which entails reaching to clients and customers through media. Companies have hired experts to be there as their spokesperson in the public so as to handle all matters diplomatically and effectively. The network analysis of the communication networks provides a lot of information about the employees of the system and their roles in the process of communication. It further helps the planners and the researchers in the field of communication to understand the properties of the network, for instance the connectedness, the openness and the integration etc. (Purpose of effective communication in organization, 2008). Communication networks and channels within the organization: Effective means of communications, both inside and outside the organization is required, to solve the increasing complexity within the structure and technology of the organization. Effective communication ensures greater efficiency in the economic and market conditions. It helps in the better interpretation of policies and their implications for the organization. Information needs to be shared between two individuals directly rather than being pushed up and down the pipelines of hierarchy, for instant action on important issues. Communication in the organization helps in one more important function, which is coordination. With the information being available timely, and to all the concerned groups, there is better coordination among the working partners, thus bringing in better results, with the help of feedback and instant corrections. The communication process involves these basic elements, a correspondent of the message, one who channelises the message and one receiver. This network requires a medium of feedback to back it up. Establishment of clear communication channels is required for messages to be processed rapidly and visibly, with minimum distortions. Regardless of the source of the message, the person who channelises the message would inject his perceptions in the message. He is also the person who will determine the channel of flow of the message and the recipient of the message. In most cases the Manager is the channeliser of the message inside the organization and thus his attitude influences the translation of the message. “To be effective, a manager must have the ability to listen and to read, and the ability to speak and to write. Managers need skill in getting their thinking across to other people”, says Peter Drucker, a noted exponent of Good Management practices, London. (Communicating within the organization, n.d) The communication channels do not guarantee the quality of the transmitted message. The sender often encounters obstacles while communicating and chooses only the channel he thinks would guarantee the transfer of the essence of the message avoiding distortions. To maintain the quality and essence of the transmitted message, the channel of transmission should be selected very carefully. The channel plays a very important role in maintaining the quality of the message during its transmission from the sender to the user. An ideal piece of message carrying important information should not be cluttered and should have the capability of attracting the attention of the receiver. Many organizations practice a method of sending repetitive messages, transmitted via more than a single channel to avoid distortions and miscommunications. Howard Blauvelt said, "Business needs skilled communicators." (Communicating within the organization, n.d) The technology has played a vital role in revolutionizing the communication process both within and outside the organization. Business houses are gaining a lot from the developments in the fields of technology. It has enabled all business houses, situated at any corner of the world to become global. The companies can easily communicate externally through posting on its websites. Even internal communications have facilitated a lot from the technological advancements. Most companies have software, which help the employees to get in direct touch of their managers for feedback and progress reports. There are softwares, which maintain anonymity of the employee, thus, encouraging in the flow of constructive criticisms and feedback in case of dissatisfaction at the employees end. Technology has made it possible for the companies to be in constant touch of their outsourced partners and receive regular reports on work related developments. The quality of information transmitted is very important. The effectiveness in the operation of an organization would increase if the flow of messages both from internal and external sources increases. However due to certain constraints, there is a limit to the amount of messages a company can receive and handle. It is important for different organizations to filter the information received in the form of messages, as the selection process requires much attention and time. Organizations having effective communication networks often face the problem of communication overload. Different methods of dealing with the communication overload situations are, filtering important messages, filtering messages in accordance to their priorities, decentralization of the process so that the messages are sent to multiple executives, selecting and eliminating messages found to be inaccurate and unreliable etc. (Communicating within the organization, n.d) For an organization to be successful it is very important to develop an information-processing department to avoid breakdown of the communication networks due to overloading. Cultural diversity in the workforce: The environment in the organizations has become very turbulent in the recent years. To respond to the increasing challenges the organizations need to be very lively and active. Theories suggest that an organization hiring people of different cultures, and backgrounds have a better understandability of the demographics of the market. The companies with diverse workforce are better equipped to prosper in marketplace than companies with non-diverse workforce. Grimes and Richard (2003) observe, “According to one view of organizational diversity, members of diverse decision-making groups have different experiences, values, attitudes, and cognitive approaches.” With the commencement of globalization, understanding cultural diversity is extremely important. This awareness will help in effective communication and would help to create productive and optimistic work environment. Diversity in the organization contributes positively to the system; moreover it helps in creating an environment that helps to maximize the working potential of all employees thus resulting in increased productivity. Diversity helps in stimulating innovations and creativity. In this context it may be noted, “Without an understanding of cultural differences, it’s easy for offence to be caused and misunderstandings to occur.” (Khilay, n.d). Managing diversity at the workplace requires developing skills, changing policies and conduct for the employees. Two people of diverse backgrounds in the organization may interpret the same messages differently. It is necessary for the organization to develop better techniques of communication to address this problem. To support the organizational workforce diversity effectively several important elements need to be monitored. They are cultural training, administrative support, continuous and regular evaluations and support from the senior management in the form of analysis and information. In The organization with diversity the managers are responsible for leading and coordinating to develop communicating strategies. They need to ensure that the developed strategies are in accordance with the goals of the company. They would be responsible for understanding the loop holes in the communication process and recommend strategies for effective inclusion of the diverse workforce in the process of flow of information. The communication networks should be free and unbiased for the diverse workforce. Even the employees need to develop tolerance towards all to bring in effective flow of information. Freedom of communication comes along with the ethics to be followed during accessing the communication networks in an organization. The topics related to the ethics of communication have been ignored so far; recently questions regarding the ethics of communication in the organization have started receiving attention. As communication is a method of expression it is very important to identify between “right- wrong, good- bad, desirable and undesirable”. The ethics related to communication in the organization are completely vested on the values of responsibility and accountability. According to Seeger (1997), Johannesen (1990) and Werhane (1985), “Ethicists argue that accountability is necessary for an ethical judgment and for maintaining an ethical climate in social structures, including organizations” (Seeger, 2001). The organizations have issued a code of conduct for communication among the employees in the organization, it provides with a set of rules to be followed when communicating with one another in the premises of the system. This helps to avoid the use of explicit terms and words in the office so as to keep the environment friendly and peaceful. Conclusion: Communication is a widely accepted business tool. These skills are used to solve the business related problems. The goal of effective communication focuses on business outcomes. The communication channels require enthusiastic participation of all employees in the process. The communications between all groups and staff members should be managed well, despite of diversity to bring in positive results. Though many organizations have a well set up communication network, but most of them fail to draw the full potential out of it. It is very important for the organizations to communicate within the structure, as it will help in boosting teamwork and goodwill. Effective planning is very important for the set up and maintenance of the communication channels. The success of an organization depends upon how it utilizes the benefits of diversity. To actively handle diversity implementing clear networks of communication is very important. Effective communication networks can easily overcome the barriers of diversity in the workforce. If the communication networks were free, the diverse workforce would feel comfortable in communicating ideas and experiences, which would lead to effective execution of business strategies. 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American Communication Journal, 5(1), Available at: http://www.acjournal.org/holdings/vol5/iss1/special/seeger.htm (Accessed on May 22, 2010) Read More