Management Communications with Technology Tools - Literature review Example

The mayhem in supervisor-subordinate communication Shelly Parker BUS600: Management Communications with Technology Tools Patricia White 11-20-2011 Introduction Supervisors and their subordinates engage in a lot of conflicts that result in reduced productivity in many organizations. The conflicts may be as a result supervisors been untrained on how to handle issues that create problems with the communication of the supervisor and subordinates, this promotes low esteem. Supervisors may also lack good communication skills which lead to frustration. The supervisors may at times also be abusive; this may cause the subordinates to also act in an abusive manner, especially when they are not of the reason behind the supervisor’s abusive behavior. Therefore, there is a need to find the cause of the supervisor-subordinate problems as well as provide solutions so as to increase productivity. This paper looks at some of the causes of the communication conflicts between supervisors and subordinates. The paper then proposes some of the things that might be done to avert this situation. The content of the paper will mainly be based on previous studies by various scholars who have researched on the issue with a view to provide a solution. Various authors and scholars have addressed supervisor-subordinate problems. Elangovan & Xle carried out a study which demonstrated that perceived power from supervisors was more robustly associated to an increase in motivation and a decrease in stress for subordinates with low self-esteem than for the ones with high self-esteem” (Elangovan & Xle, 1999). In an attempt to solve this problem, Herbert Blake came up with the DIRECT approach (Blake, 2004). In this approach, each letter has a meaning; D-Develop, meaning that supervisors should help their subordinates develop whatever is required of them in carrying out their duty. I-Involve, meaning that supervisors should involve their subordinates in decisions referring to them. R-Recognize, meaning that supervisors should recognize their subordinates efforts and contribution to the organization. E-Emphasize, meaning that supervisors should emphasize on what is expected from the subordinates and also, the right thing towards the organization. C-Communication, meaning that supervisors should maintain positive communication with their subordinates and also, the subordinates should feel free to communicate with their supervisors. T-Trust, meaning that supervisors and subordinates should trust each other to ensure smooth running of the organization (Blake, 2004).According to Blake, the DIRECT approach would solve the problems in the communication between subordinates and supervisors if followed. Kutz and Kahn (1978) worked together in an attempt to provide a solution to the communication problem. The pair divided communication into five parts. The first part is job instructions, this where the supervisor gives an explanation on what is expected to be done by the subordinates. This promotes good relations between supervisors and subordinates as it minimizes possible lack of fulfilling the requirements. The second part of communication is the information rationale; this is where the supervisor explains to the subordinate why a certain job should be done in a particular way. This promotes good understanding to the subordinate and leads to increased productivity in the organization. The third part of communication is procedures and practices; this is where the supervisor informs the subordinates the general manner in which jobs are accomplished within an organization. This promotes good working relations between the supervisors and subordinates and increases their productivity. The fourth part of communication according to Kutz and Kahn is feedback; this is where the supervisor gets back to the subordinates in relations with their performance in the organization. The feedback motivates the subordinates to keep on improving in doing their job and as a result improving the organization’s productivity. The last part of communication according to the Kutz and Kahn is the indoctrination goals; this is where the supervisors convey information to subordinates that making them feel like part of the organization. This helps the subordinates to adapt fully to the organization (Kutz & Kahn, 1978). According to Kutz and Kahn the communication types should be observed to solve the supervisor-subordinate problems and increase the organizations productivity. The five phases are geared towards assuring smooth flow of instructions from the supervisors to the subordinates. The study by Huseman, Hatfield & Gatewood (1978) demonstrated that supervisor-subordinate communication is important, and can affect the subordinate either positively or negatively depending on how it is done. According to them, it affects the subordinates in four ways. The first way is through provision of the necessary job data. The performance of subordinates increases when they are provided with right information. However, it can lead to decrease in performance if supervisors do not give the right information to the subordinates. The second way is by provision of feedback. Feedback helps subordinates measure their effectiveness in the company making them improve. When the feedback is not available, the subordinates will feel discouraged to work hard towards increased productivity. The third way is reinforcement of the desired behavior of the subordinates. By doing this, the supervisors will encourage the subordinates to continue being result oriented and motivated. This will help the subordinate never to let the good traits go and therefore work to maintain them. The fourth way is the development and maintenance of good interpersonal relationship between the subordinates and supervisors. This will help them have a good working relation which will result in better performance of the organization (Huseman, Hatfield & Gatewood 1978). According to the two authors, the above four ways can improve the supervisor-subordinate relationship when followed. These result in increased productivity of the organization Kacmer, Wayne and Wright introduced the expression management research approach. This is where the supervisors use impression tactics towards their subordinates. For example, when a supervisor wants a subordinate to do a certain task, he asks for it as a favor. This helps improve the impression subordinates portray towards the supervisor. To them, this will increase the support the subordinates have towards the supervisors. The impression method has a target group because the subordinates are different. In this method, the supervisors manipulate the information they give to the subordinates on which they want to base their impression. Supervisors tend to think that when their subordinates respect and admire them, they will enjoy more freedom when they want their subordinates carry out needed tasks. According to Kacmer, Wayne and Wright, subordinates who receive supervisors’ impression tactic will be more positive and motivated when it comes to performance appraisal tests than those subordinates who did not receive the impression tactic. They also view that those subordinates who received the impression management tactic will perceive the supervisor more positively than those who did not receive the tactic. In their argument, they also introduce the method of feedback, this is information received by the subordinate from the supervisor with regards to their efficiency at performing their duties. To them, individuals who receive information that they are above the organization’s required level indicate high levels of satisfaction and work towards improving even more than those who received information that they performed below the organizations set standards (Kacmer, Wayne & Wright, 2009). According to Mc Cormack (1997), supervisors present themselves to their superiors as very good people who have never done anything wrong in the organization. The supervisors will then be abusive to the subordinates. This is a result frustration received form the superiors and which they end up releasing on the subordinates. This makes the subordinates to have a negative opinion of the supervisor and leads to reduction of productivity of the subordinates leading to an overall reduction of the organization’s productivity. The subordinates also start doing things the supervisors are doing, meaning things in the organization are never done the right way. To him supervisors should do the vice-versa, which is, being hard on their superiors and nicer to those below them (subordinates) (Mc Cormack, 1997). The success of the above solutions can be measured to know if implemented what impact they can create. Huseman, Hatfield & Gatewood(1980) carried out a research on the method to use to measure the success of the solution, they came up with seven methods. The first one is direction. This is where the information in regards to the task performance is all available to the subordinate and he or she can use it freely in carrying out his or her duties in the organization. If such a thing is happening in an organization there is good working relations between supervisors and the subordinate, this will lead to increased productivity in the organization. The second method of measuring success is information. This is the method of using neutral messages which are not directly related to work but help in doing it. When such information is availed by the supervisors to the subordinates they will work hard towards increasing productivity because they have good working relations within the organization. The third method is the rationale; here, the subordinate is made to understand why he or she is required to carry out a certain duty in a certain manner, this makes them to be satisfied while carrying out their duties and thus tend to perfect them and increase productivity. The fourth method is feedback. Not all supervisors evaluate their subordinates. Therefore, to solve the problem of communication, evaluation of feedback is important and also, to get back to the subordinates so that they can improve their performance. The fifth method is positive expression. This is where the supervisor engages his or her subordinates in social communication. This will make the subordinates free with supervisor and work towards better performance of the organization. The sixth method is the negative expression; this where the subordinates are criticized by supervisors, when such a scenario happens there is good work relation. Therefore, the supervisors should not criticize their subordinates in the way they carry out their duties but rather should commend them, so as to motivate them work harder. The last method they use is the participation; this is where the supervisor involves the subordinates in making decisions involving them and carrying out their duties. This will make them feel part of the organization and work towards the organization growth and expansion (Huseman, Hatfield & Gatewood, 1980). In conclusion, the supervisor-subordinate communication has adverse effects on the productivity of an organization. It is a situation that has been known to lower the productivity of an organization and should thus be dealt with effectively. The methods discussed above are some of the causes and solutions to the problems that affect the supervisor-subordinate communication process. All the different authors agree on better communication and good working relations between supervisors and their subordinates. Therefore, if the all recommendations are put in place by the supervisors their subordinates will feel part of the organization and will work towards its growth and development. Also, this will promote good interpersonal skills between supervisors and their subordinates. All necessary means should therefore be taken to ensure smooth flow of the supervisor-subordinate communication process. REFERENCES Blake, H. (2004). The DIRECT Approach. Law & Order, 52(8), 126. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from Career and Technical Education. (Document ID: 689283831). Chen, K. A. (2000). The effect of supervisor-subordinate communication on supervisor- subordinate relationship. A study of MACAU. Retrieved from http://www.iceb.nccu.edu.tw/../P-008.pdf. Elangovan, A. R., & Xie, J. L. (1999). Effects of perceived power of supervisor on subordinate stress and motivation: The moderating role of subordinate characteristics. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20(3), 359-373. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:42252191). Johnson, R. R. (2004). Corrective Interaction. Law & Order, 52 (8), 97-98,100. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from Career and Technical Education. (Document ID: 689283851). Kacmar, K., Wayne, S., & Wright, P. (2009). Subordinate Reactions to the Use of Impression Management Tactics and Feedback by the Supervisor*[dagger]. Journal of Managerial Issues, 21(4), 498-517,444. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1973038881). McCormack, M. (1997). Be nicer to those below you, tougher on those above. Management, 44(6), 16. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 13216852). Read More