Organization and Communication in a Business Setting - Literature review Example

Organization and Communication in a Business Setting Organization and Communication in a Business Setting Introduction Communication is an integral part of all organizations irrespective of their size. In any organization, business practices are formed by deep-seated cultural practices towards work, authority, loyalty, and communication. The reason why communication is critical in an organization is because a business is not just the function of one individual but it is a collective venture by all the individuals. Goods and services are developed and disseminated through a tight association of many people, at times within the same locality while at other times it is done across international distances. Such nature of a business environment calls for well-established communication. The complex nature of product requirements as well as product programs that are needed for the effective running of businesses must be equally comprehended, and the intricate operations between business partners must be agreed upon. Given the importance of communication in an organization, efficient organizational communication is therefore essential for any organization committed to last in the face of constantly transforming operating climate and this cannot be gotten unless one comprehends the different processes that characterize effectual communication (Dessein, 2002). The objective of this research paper is to delineate effective communication norms in a business setting as well as examine the function of interpersonal communication for both managers and the employees. The paper also seeks to express both the verbal and non-verbal management communication as well as examine the efficient means of conflict resolution mostly in a group setting (Winbow, 2002). Effective Communication Norms Communication is an all-encompassing process, which begins the moment that communicators send out messages to the receivers. Despite whether the message is written or oral, a good communicator always treats those receiving the message as his customers. What this implies is that the communicator should try as much as possible to construct a message that the person receiving is comfortable with. This in itself demands that the communicator should create the message in a manner that the receiver can identify with. Each receiver in all likelihood becomes a consumer whose needs and wants require to be communicated to the sender just as it happens in a normal business setting (Baack, 2012). A business oriented individual searches for the ideal expressions and words from personal jargon based on one’s education, background, skills, and knowledge. In the same manner, the receiver consists of an individual mental filter that develops through one’s process of learning, knowledge and exposure. In order to ensure that the message is understood well, he structures the message into words and phrases that he can relate to. An effective speaker should have the ability to decipher the responses of his audiences based on the gestures, sounds, and expressions of the people he is communicating with. What this implies is that communication is a process and until every chain in this process fits in, the process of communication cannot be said to be complete (Baack, 2012). As noted earlier, communication is a complex activity that involves words, body language, among many other things that involve other participants in the deliberation. Communication is termed as interpersonal when it is in a group setting and where more than one party takes rotations being the receiver and the speaker. According to researchers, the biggest problem with interpersonal communication in organizations is that the parties do not get equal time to listen and speak, as it would normally be the case in a deliberation. Often time, the issue in discussion determines the amount of time that each contributor spends on each task. In essence, within the organizational setting, the manager gives direction and guidelines while the employee takes the listening role. The moment the manager finishes and opens the floor for people to ask questions, the manager becomes the listener while the employee becomes the speaker. Although partial, the interpersonal communication in this instance is crucial. Despite the fact that the amount of time that each party utilizes speaking and listening is clearly not the same, it is without a doubt ideal for the situation. The manager’s effort to understand the questions posed by the employee and answer them effectively makes the difference between an effective interpersonal interaction and one that is not ineffective (Winbow, 2002). A perfect illustration of the effectiveness of interpersonal communication in an organization can be seen from the case of a persona assistant to the CEO of an organization with branches all over the world. Tasked with overseeing various branches of the company all over the world, the CEO is forever busy and therefore he has very little time left to engage in any meaningful conversation with the employees. As the person tasked with maintaining the manager’s diary, the personal assistant has to ensure that he is forever alert since the CEO can sometimes give casual instructions but which would have great negative implications for the company if they are not implemented as intended. As the person in charge, the personal assistant has to ensure that these messages are communicated to the relevant parties for implementation. This example shows that even employees have an important role to play in organizational communication especially on the area of listening (Baack, 2012). Role of Intercultural Communication International considerations have a great effect on the day-to-day running of both small organizations and multinationals. In order to be successful in the every transforming marketplace, there is need for organizations to ensure that their employees are competent in communicating with people from other cultures. In the past, most international managers depended on universal cultural guidelines for carrying out intercultural deliberations. However, the sharp rise in international business has given rise to incorporated cultural interactions, rendering the traditional, superficial overviews inaccurate. One effect of boosting intercultural interactions is a transformation in homogenous cultures or, indeed, countries. Each passing day brings about a new culture and it is therefore critical for organizations to come up with effective communication strategies to cater for these emerging cultures (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2012). Acquiring the right intercultural competency is critical since it allows the speaker to communicate with individuals in a socially sensitive manner so as not to offend the other party. In every culture, there are socially constructed symbols and meanings that are used to explain and interpret intercultural communication. It is therefore critical to consider the norms, rules and expectations wherever an individual is communicating on the international context and how these are influenced by the concentration of culture regional or subculture)as well as organizational culture (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2012). Acquiring the right interpersonal and intercultural communication skills is also critical since it helps in the anxiety and uncertainty reductions. In most cases, people become uncertain and anxious any time that they are called upon to predict or explain the behavior of a stranger. Uncertainty in most cases hinders both the quality and quantity of communication and it is therefore important for the speaker to get the right intercultural skills to be able to communicate with people from different cultures. Intercultural communication competency is also significant in that it helps those responsible to negotiate deals on behalf of their organizations in the global context (Jameson, 2007). When addressing the issue of communication in organizations, it is always critical to choose the appropriate communication channel for greater effectiveness. There are two types of communication that feature in business, which include verbal and non-verbal communication channels. Verbal communication relies on spoken or written words while non-verbal communication relies on things such as body language. These two types of communication are both critical in that they can bring positive or negative results in an organization depending on how they are used. When choosing the channel to use to communicate, it is significant for the manager or employee to determine the prevailing conditions. For example, an individual can use face-to-face communication in cases that need emotions to be transmitted or when immediate feedback is required and use written communication when the nature of information to be communicated is graphical in nature. The person sending the message should also examine the information richness as well as the symbolic meanings of the messages to be transmitted. In the event that the wrong channel is used, it leads to waste of time and brings about even more misinterpretation of the intended message (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2012). If there is an area that both an employees and managers should approach keenly is the area of written communication. This reason why this is so is because written communication has an effect on nearly every area of the organization. This includes the aptitude to effectively bond with the workers as well as make a lasting impression on clients. Effective written communication is applicable to all promotion materials as well on all types of business-related correspondence (Jameson, 2007). According to experts, an effective written communication should use a professional tone. This is customers develop opinions concerning the company based on the style as well as the tone that is used in the writing. It is therefore critical for organizations to develop a professional tone in their written communication and this can be achieved by using a simple and direct message that gets the message across to the intended audience. In addition to this, it is also advisable for whoever is drafting the message to know his audience since the level of understanding as well as interpretation of the messages might vary. Effective written communication also calls for the organization of ones thoughts so that the communication can be read easily and understood without any problem. In most cases, correspondence is written quickly without there being an editor to review the content. In most cases, this leads to the likelihood of making numerous mistakes that might discredit both the person making the communication as well as the entire organization (Jameson, 2007). Approaches for Engaging an Audience during Presentation Making a presentation in the workplace is one of the things that most communicators get wrong. Unlike other forms of communication, making a presentation puts an individual on open display. Wherever a person is given an opportunity to make a presentation, one thing that they should commit to memory is that the speaker not only listens to his ideas but they also respond to their body language. This fact means that the speaker needs more than a well drafted presentation to make an impact. It is also critical that the person making the presentation does so in a dynamic flexible and exciting way (Reynolds, 2011). In order to ensure that the presentation grabs the attention of the listeners, it is always important for the presenter to focus on brief and concise messages to pass to the listeners. For this to be possible, the presenter needs to take time and get familiar with the material since this motivates the listener’s trust and confidence. During the presentation, it is also advisable to be assertive by assuming the right posture. In most cases, different postures evoke differing moods and the presenter must therefore assume a posture that will create either a formal or an informal environment depending on the intention of the presentation (Reynolds, 2011). Conflict Resolution Conflict arises anytime that two or a group of people disagrees in an organization. If the disagreeing parties do not communicate in an effective manner, a small dispute might soon develop into a major disagreement that might have negative effects on the organization. Wherever a conflict arises in an organization, the best way to solve it would be engaging the art of listening. This means that one should allow the other party to utter their feelings and decisions. Once they are finished, the other party should then state their case by first affirming that they heard and understood all that the other party had to say. This should be done in a calm way and always ensure that the opinions of the other party are taken into consideration in trying to reach a middle ground (Ramsbotham, Miall & Woodhouse, 2011). Leading Teams The notion of teams being an effective way to organize has been around for quite some time. While some analysts see teams as an ideal way of increasing workplace democracy by claiming that teams should be accorded a chance to make a contribution on the decisions that affect their lives. Others argue that the best thing about teams is that they bring about economic benefits since organizations that incorporate the input of teams acquire a competitive edge over their competitors. Despite these two varying observations, the thing about teams is that their existence have brought about face to face interactions in organizations and therefore leaders should have the right communication skills to avoid conflict within the teams (Bovée, Thill, & Schatzman, 2003). Given that teams are interdependent, a group leader should have the right communication skills to ensure that the group is focused on a certain area and that each group member is concerned about the wellbeing of the other group members and the team in general. This can only be achieved through involving all the team members in the decision making process and this means that interpersonal communication features prominently in groups (Reynolds, 2011). Conclusion Communication is a significant tool that can lead to the success or failure of an organization. In the changing business environment, a business leader needs to come up with effective leadership techniques in order to ensure that the right business processes are communicated to the employees. Given that more businesses are setting up their operations in the global scene, there is need for international and intercultural interpersonal communications competency to ensure that understandable messages are passed across these cultures. It is also critical to understand the various communication channels that are available and how organizations can know, which channel to use to communicate in different situations. It is also critical top realize that conflict resolution has everything to do with communication and therefore the need to discuss the various methods of conflict resolution. Lastly this paper has examined the various techniques for leading teams and the role that is played by communication in this endeavor. Given the importance of communication in organizational success, it is apparent that effective communication is indispensable for any business entity committed to remain in operation in the face of changing environmental climate. However, this cannot be attained unless one understands the various processes that define effective communication in an organization. References Baack, D. (2012). Management Communication. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Bovée, C. L., Thill, J. V., & Schatzman, B. E. (2003). New Jersey: Business communication today. Prentice Hall. Dessein, W. (2002). Authority and communication in organizations. The Review of Economic Studies, 69(4), 811-838. Jameson, D. A. (2007). Reconceptualizing cultural identity and its role in intercultural business communication. Journal of Business Communication, 44(3), 199-235. Reynolds, G. (2011). Presentation Zen: Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery. Indianapolis: New Riders. Ramsbotham, O., Miall, H., & Woodhouse, T. (2011). Contemporary conflict resolution. Cambridge, UK: Polity. Ting-Toomey, S., & Chung, L. C. (2012). Understanding intercultural communication. New York: Oxford University Press. Winbow, A. (2002). The importance of effective communication. Maritime Faculty, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey. Read More