KPMG International - Interpersonal Communication - Case Study Example

COMMUNICATION AUDIT by (Name) Institutional Affiliation Table of Contents Communication Audit 3 Introduction 3 Interpersonal Communication 3 Internal Communication 4 Organization Communication Process 6 Internal Formal Communication 6 Face to Face Communication within the organization 8 Mobile Communication in the Organization 9 Electronic and written form of communication 10 Print Media 10 Communicating with the customers 11 Technology and communication 12 Effect of technology and interpersonal communication 15 Conclusion 17 References 19 Communication Audit Introduction Communication in an organization helps in coordinating the company operations, promoting the culture of integrity and at the same time in building the public trust. With this in mind, communication helps in promoting employees motivation, avail information to various stakeholders, changing people opinions of attitudes towards a company, educating various personnel's, socializing purposes and in ensuring that the operations of the company are controlled in the right manner. KPMG International helps in promoting transparency and improving the public trust across the globe towards the company's operations, and therefore communication is a critical aspect to the company success. KPMG International is governed by either the global management team, Global board or the Global Council and this lays the foundation of the communication process across the organization. Furthermore, there are various committees that support the management teams across the globe and for the operation to be successful all the operations must be fully coordinated. Interpersonal Communication Relationships are crucial for the operations of the company to succeed. In the modern world and the multicultural environment, the organization often face communication challenges and therefore a platform must be established to make it possible for the organization operations to be carried out. The Interpersonal communication is important in the organization even with the evolution of modern technology (Jackson, 2007). The interpersonal communication entails monitoring of the employee's habits, managing different personalities, value along with the employee's emotions. If they are managed in the right manner, then the organization can achieve efficiency in the long run. Customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders rely on the information provided by the company, but it is the way that such information is delivered to them that determines the impact that such has in the long run (Ruben, and Gigliotti, 2017). However, for the interpersonal communication to be successful, both parties must develop better listening skills given that through this social bond is formed in the process. Social cognitive theory shows that people can gain insightful knowledge from interacting with others within the organization. Therefore, promoting the interpersonal skills within the organization helps in the learning process given that people can form the social bond. Internal Communication Organizations often use formal, informal and unofficial communication to communicate with the employees. All these platforms are used to offer directions, communicate policies as well as the objectives of the company (Sharma, and Mann, 2016). Information flow between the employees and the management is important for its long-term success of the company. The manager in the company acts a linkage between the employees and the executive and therefore they hold an important position in the communication chain in the organization. With this in mind, even the divisional or subdivision manager acts as a link to the employees and through this, they can gather the response they need to help in the decision-making process (Guffey, and Loewy, 2010). The internal form of communication is essential if the company is to prosper particularly given that the strategies keeps changing and hereafter they must be communicated to the employees. As technology changes, the method of communication changes. An organization will settle for one form of communication depending on the bearing that it is likely to have on the employees. The communication within the organization often takes the top down and vice versa. However, in most cases, the information ordinarily flow while following the top down approach given that the employees normally make the decisions. Nevertheless, the feedback process takes both ways given that both employees and the management. There is often peer to peer communication within the organization which takes a different form of communication depending on the nature and sensitivity of the information (Guffey, and Loewy, 2012). The direction along with the decisions flow from the executives to the employees at the subdivision level and on the other hand the reports, as well as, the feedback from the subdivisions to the management in the company. Consequently, the communication flow takes both the top down and the upward approach depending on the nature of information. However, the decisions are either made by the individuals or the committees within the organization that has been formed to run certain facets within the organization. It also takes different standpoints given that it upsurges the interface between the managers at the departmental levels in the organization especially in a state where one department output relies on the output of the other department to execute its activities. The written form of communication is the most effective and act as the reminder to other on certain obligations that they are supposed to attend to along with the time they are required to fulfill them (Cheney, Christensen, Zorn Jr, and Ganesh, 2010). Therefore, all form of formal communication must take the written platform whether through notices or email to the employees. Even though this is the case, the employees may seek for directions on the individual levels from the departmental managers or through their peers through various forms of the communication, and this has led to the success of the decision-making process and making the organization successful in the long run. Organization Communication Process The communication process comprises of the sender, the receiver and the form of communication used in the communication process. In the organization, for the communication process to be complete, feedback is important. The platform used to communicate with the employees should have the ability to understand the content of the message if the feedback process is to be successful. Internal Formal Communication The communication in an organization comprises the communication of the overall organization which communicates the information relating to the organization goals, departmental level, as well as, the individual level. The top level management communicates directly all the employees as well as the management at the departmental level on all the general information. However, the departmental, as well as the technical information, comprises of the interaction between the departmental managers and the employees as well as forming the basis of the feedback process (Tourish, and Hargie, 2004). Lastly, the individual level of communication is the interaction at the individual level where they are provided with the platform to communicate with the management and at the same time forward the individual reports to them through the existing internal organization. Formal communication in the organization takes two different perspectives either through the oral or written form which may use the different medium of communications. Formal communication within a company takes different perspectives given that the management may communicate to the employees either through the print media especially through notices or through the emails which are the most used platform across the globe by different corporations. However, every company has a unique email platform where all employees are integrated into the process and gives them easy access to information as well as to the directions that may be passed over by the company management from time to time (Gimenez, 2000). Given that every employee has full access to the email platform then it is easier to ensure that the communication between the company management and employees in carried out effectively. In fact, the corporate email platform gives the employee's ability to enquire given that it is not often restricted and it also acts as a reminder to them. In addition to this, through the email platform, the organization management can convey certain information to large group of people at a short period. The formal communication in the organization may also be structured in a way that it meets the middle-level business manager's needs. The middle-level managers through the email platform can disseminate the information that is needed to ensure that they can carry out their activities in the right mode. Divisions and subdivisions form of communication help in guaranteeing that information is circulated in the right routine particularly in cases that the existing divisions plays diverse roles and have exceptional operations. As a result, unless the information distributed is general, the communication within the organization is principally structured within the departmental levels. Information at departmental level depends on the of the reports to be transmitted, various memorandums depending on their intention, instructions, strategies as well as the organization policies that has been set. Furthermore, the reviews are also transmitted through the email platform and this the upward form of communication can also be used to guarantee that the goals set at the departmental level match the inclusive goals of the company. Furthermore, it also helps in communicating the changes that may have occurred at a certain period and the ways the departments are supposed to realign their policies to meet the market demands. Face to Face Communication within the organization Face to face communication is the hoariest form of communication within the organization but it is still one of the most in effect forms of internal communication. Through this form of communication the management can communicate with the employees and at the same time seek the direct feedback from the employees. However, this is the most operational during the departmental meetings, as well as, during the annual meetings where all employees are supposed to be present. Face to face communication forms a personal relationship with the organization which is one of the most vital concepts if the organization is to prosper (Guffey, and Loewy, 2012). It gives the administration or the speaker then to establish whether the employees who in this case are the recipient are engaged through their participation as well as the emotions portrayed by the recipients. Besides, in case the recipients do not understand the involvedness of the information provided given that they can pursue elucidation. The management can establish whether the employees totally understands through the emotions they depict in the process. Occasionally the messages communicated to the employees may be vague and may take a long time to comprehend and through this platform the participants are allowed to ask questions after the message has been communicated to them. Interactions and the ability to form the personal relation between the speakers and the employees makes this method the most effective especially in cases where technical information is transmitted to the employees. Mobile Communication in the Organization Every organization has a mobile communication in place that is usually meant for individuals or small groups in case they are manageable. Urgent, technical, as well as, the personal information, is communicated through the mobile communication. Therefore, it helps the people involved in interpreting the information in the right and in making sure that the information delivered is attended to immediately. Furthermore, through this form of communication, the management can ensure that the information is received by the person intended to and at the same time it also gives the participants the ability to evaluate the tone of the information provided. One of the similarities between the face to face communication and the mobile communication within the organization is that it helps in improving the interaction between the parties involved in the communication process. Gimenez, (2000) indicates that it can also be used as a substitute for face to face communication in cases where the distance is one of the main hindrances for the meeting to take place. Electronic and written form of communication This is the most used form of communication within the organization given that it is fast, efficient and to the large group of people. However, in most cases, this form of communication in the company do not require interaction or even the participation of individuals. However, it may either be one way of communication or two-way form of communication where an individual may be required to respond to the information communicated. The electronic form of communication comprises of the company intranet, internet platform, email, and lately the social media. It forms Print Media This follows the written communication platform where the organization uses the memos and other written forms of communications. Organizations in this case normally used the traditional or manual form of communication by publishing announcements or even notices which are then pinned in strategic places in the organizations which have been identified to serve certain purposes such as departmental notice boards among others. However, this platform does not require direct feedback, and it is used as a channel to inform the public on certain issues such as changes in strategies, policies, and periodic notices. Nevertheless, it also gives the employees an opportunity to respond to various issues highlighted in the announcements or notices in case they are required to. Communicating with the customers Communication between a company and the customers takes a different dimension given that an organization must be vigilance of the information that is availed to the public. However, the communication, in this case, is guided by the products and services, marketing techniques, ethics, and integrity as well as the type of information to be availed to the public. Even though a company should avail important information to the customers, it is important for a company to ensure that the form of communication used to manage public relations can achieve the set targets. Companies often use the marketing channel to communicate with the employees by making sure that the right information is availed the customers, they are aware of the current products in the market, and also to help in promoting positive brand image (Jameson, 2007). It through different communication channels that a company can help in equipping the public with a wide range of knowledge and at the same time engaging in activities that help to improve the company social position in the market. This can be through the online and the print media depending on the type of information given that newsletters are another form of communication that is often used by the Technology and communication Technology has mainly impacted the costs as well as the speed of the communication process. Being the most important concept in a company and forms the basis for the success of the company, communication is important to the operational of the company. Companies often work to ensure that they minimize the cost of operations and at the same time improve the quality of communication. The use of the modern form of communication has further modernized face to face communication given that video teleconferencing help in maintaining interpersonal communication between individuals. Even though this can only apply to a small group of people, it is cheaper and one of the most effective form of communication (Mesquita, 2011). Emails have revolutionized organizational communication given that it has provided companies with an opportunity to communicate with different stakeholders across the globe. Changes in technology have affected the operations of the company. In this case, technology has changed the ways organization communicate across the globe. To companies such as KPMG International, communication is the basis for its success due to company scale of the operations. KPMG is responsible for auditing companies across the globe, promoting public trusts and cultivating the culture of integrity across the globe and therefore communication is an important element for its success. Changes in technology have affected the quality of communication, accessibility, as well as, the overall cost of the communication process. There has been the evolution of communication methods especially with the current use of social networking sites, email communication, online chat, the use of internal communication intranet, and the video conferencing (Cheney, Christensen, Zorn Jr, and Ganesh, 2010). Organization can nowadays structure their method of communication to meet their needs whether it is used internally or externally as long as their meet their short term and long term needs. The changes in technology have promoted the quality and the efficiency of the communication process. The communication between the company and the public takes a different perspective given that companies can use blogs to promote their operations. Companies such as KMPG International often use the various method of communication to ensure that the right message is delivered to the customers by sponsoring certain events, writing certain articles and availing them to the public which has improved the performance of the company. According to Jackson, (2007), the use of video teleconferencing has become an important concept to most companies especially those organizations with different subsidiaries or multinationals, and this applies to KPMG International. With regional or global operations, there is often communication between the management of the subsidiaries and the top management of the company who communicate from time to time while giving the update of the international operations. Social media is one of the most used concept in the 21st century by most companies. Even though the internet has been utilized for the last few decades, social media has mainly been applied across different platforms depending on the nature of information availed to the public or other stakeholders. For instance, companies now often use various platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, as well as WhatsApp. However, in most cases, platforms such as Facebook helps in promoting the engagements between the customers and the company gave that the customers and other stakeholders can air their opinions through the platform provided. On the other hand, the WhatsApp platform has provided an opportunity for most corporations, especially to the subdivisions, existing in the company. Some of the information can be passed over through this platform since it is efficient and a person can easily establish whether all members understand the information through their participation. Text messaging is one of the concepts that is now being utilized by most corporation especially in communicating to the public (Wellington, 2010). Millions of text messages are sent by various corporations to their consumers to notify them of the changes in operations which is one of the most effective form of communication especially while communicating to the consumers. However, while communicating to the stakeholders, KPMG International convey confidential information and therefore this must be done in a discrete manner. Teleconferencing and the use of Skype have been one of the modern ways of communication especially in cases where distance is a hindrance to the effective communication. Companies such as KPMG International requires the coordination of resources and various departments for the operations to be successful and therefore the use of modern communication is important. The success of auditing requires the cooperation of various stakeholders and this can only be achieved through the communication process, and the modern communication has provided a platform which has improved the efficiency and quality of communication. Effect of technology and interpersonal communication Attitude, as well as emotions, are some of the most critical aspects while determining whether the communication is effective or not. Through the emotions portrayed by individuals as well as their attitudes, once can easily identify how the participants respond to certain aspects of the communication process. However, the modern communication platform has provided the opportunity to the participants to engage on the personal level even when distance is a major hindrance to the communication process. Even though the use of teleconferencing has been effective in the past the use of video teleconferencing and the use of Skype has further simplified the communication process. Interpersonal communication is important for the organization success, and the use of Skype and Video telecommunication has helped in promoting the modern face to face communication. Relationship are important in the communication process given that it helps in the formation of relationships which is significant for the success of the company. Relationship helps in building the element of trust in the organization, and this may foster intrinsic motivation among the employees. According to Gimenez, (2000) motivation is one of the driving factor for the company success and therefore it is important for a company to ensure that employees are well motivated if they are to execute their daily activities. Nevertheless, employees' motivation can also be affected by the way the information is communicated to them. Unless the employees can decode the information communicated, their motivation may be affected thereby delaying the decision-making process (Monica-Ariana, and Anamaria-Mirabela, 2015). However, technology has given various stakeholders an opportunity to convey certain information and at the same time, a person can provide clarifications to others through the modern technology platform. Information may be construed differently depending on the technicality, the moods, the perception, as well as ambiguity. With this in mind, the modern technology provides the opportunity for various stakeholders to form the relationship which helps in forming relationships which are critical elements while building trusts and promoting integrity. Through the video conferencing as well as Skype, international communication within the company can be facilitated thereby eliminating the distance barrier. Lasswell's model provides a platform where communication can be carried out in different format while determining the recipients, the channel to be used in the communication process and the effect that such information is likely to have on the recipients. However, before coming up with the channel of communication, a person must have the ability to survey both the internal and external environment before making decisions. In this case, cultural aspects among other factors must be considered along with the content as well as the target group (Chaudhri, 2014). The confidentiality of information is an important aspect in determining the channel of communication as well as the recipients. Being one of the guiding factors to the companies such as KPMG International, Confidentiality can be used to promote the communication within the organization. The social marketing theory outlines various elements that are important in the communication process such as awareness, establishing the target audience, reinforcing the message or the information communicated, managing attitudes and impressions, stimulating interests from various stakeholders and in making sure that the desired result is achieved in the long run. Conclusion From my past experiences in KPMG International, communication is the most important aspect of the organization. The communication can only be successful if the receiver can decode the message. One of the major problems facing companies in regards to the communication process is the lack of interpersonal relationships especially with the evolution of modern technology and failure to conduct face to face meetings. In most cases, the communication is normally done through the emails or phone calls and therefore, people rarely meet especially when distance is one of the major hindrances. However, with the introduction of the modern methods of communication such as video teleconferencing and the use of social media, communicating with various stakeholders has become more effective. The success of an organization results from the coordination of various stakeholders including the human resources, suppliers, customers, governments among other stakeholders who relies on the communication that has been structured by a company. However, due to the flow of information, sensitivity, urgency, cost, location as well as the demographics associated with various stakeholders' different communication platforms are used to ensure that information is passed over to the right group of people at a given time. Organization comprises of different groups of people ranging from the executive and the employees which are further divided into various divisions and subdivisions. In most cases, different divisions of subdivisions undertake entirely different tasks and therefore may utilize certain information and such may not be needed by other groups. Furthermore, passing over some sensitive information regarding company operations requires some discrete forms of communication channels given that leakage of certain information regarding company operation may compromise its operations in the long run. Karanges, (2014) uses both the digital, online and social media communication to communicate to various stakeholders. Even though these methods of communication are efficient, at times they may cause delays and also they may not have the impact which may be needed. References Chaudhri, V., 2014. Corporate Social Responsibility and the Communication Imperative Perspectives From CSR Managers. International Journal of Business Communication, p.2329488414525469. Cheney, G., Christensen, L.T., Zorn Jr, T.E. and Ganesh, S., 2010. 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