Effective Organizational Communication || Importance of Effective Communication in Organization || Organizational Structure and Communication Process

Effective organisational communication

Let us see what could possibly happen if no one communicated in the organisation

• The employees would not know the organisation’s objectives and would not work towards any goals

•      They would not know their daily roles and responsibilities

•  There would be no skill enhancement as managers would not impart training

•  The organisation would not be aware of their competitors’ activities

Importance of Effective Communication in Organisation

Effective communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits. It is a vital means of addressing organisational concerns and grievances.

•        Informative Dissemination

The objective of an organisation is to inform, which means to transfer knowledge from one person or group to another person or group. In earlier days, the amount of information available was directly proportionate to the worker’s power within an organisation. Various formal and informal channels are important communication tools for information dissemination.

•        Employee Engagement

In any organisation, when workers feel motivated and engaged, they work willingly and often without supervision. This can be done formally by preparing a written statement, clearly outlining the relationship between company objectives and personal objectives and integrating the interest of the two and also informally in several face-to-face meetings and discussions between senior leadership and employees.

•        Increase in Productivity

Effective communication helps maintain good human relations in the organisation and by encouraging ideas or suggestions from employees or workers and implementing them whenever possible, an increase in production at low cost is also possible.

•        Building Relationship

It helps to build and maintain relationships. However effective communication in organisations depends on organisational structure and communication climate.

Organisational Structure and Communication Process

•    Communication processes run parallel to the structural frameworks and impact organisational life.

•  Several factors like division of labour, unity of command, the span of control, centralisation vs. decentralisation climate of that organisation.

•  The Scientific Management school of thought emerged primarily due to the contributions of Fredrick Taylor, Max Weber, and Henri Fayol.

•  Productivity can be increased by efficiency, work design and measurement.

•  The Human Behaviour school of thought that came into existence primarily because of the works of Elton Mayo, Douglas McGregor and Renis Likert believe that it is people who make any organisation successful.

• The Integrated Perspective approach represents the latest management principles being followed by modern-day organisations. work teams with group autonomy, individual decision making with creativity and innovation are some of the characteristics of these organisations.

•  The Boundaryless Organisation seeks to eliminate vertical and horizontal boundaries. Cross hierarchical teams consisting of top executives, middle managers, supervisors and operative employees, participative decision making and use of 360- degree performance appraisals are some of the features of this type of organisation.

•   A desire to create a flexible organisation has given rise to the vertical organisation. A vertical organisation works on networks of relationships that allow it to outsource any business function for which management feels that others can do better or more cheaply.

Understanding Communication Styles

Merrill and Reid have identified four styles based on two parameters- assertiveness and responsiveness.

•    Driving style: - they are strong, make their own decisions and dislike being told what to do.

•    Expressive style: - they are full of energy, enthusiasm, and persuasive capacity. However, in certain situations, they can be overpowering and unrealistic.

•      Amiable style: - they are quite friendly. They believe in relationship building.

•      Analytical style: - They are intellectually inclined are good in systematic planning but slow in decision making.

Improving communication climate in the organisation

•        Ease structural barrier: - to overcome structural barriers, offer opportunities for communicating upward, downward, and horizontally. Try to reduce hierarchical levels, increase coordination between departments and encourage two-way communication.

•    Overcome status barrier: - subordinates may be a little cautious when sending messages to managers and may talk only about subjects they think the manager is interested in. Therefore, to overcome the status barriers, it is important to keep managers and colleagues well informed.

•  Build an Environment of Trust: - for communication to be successful, organisations must create an atmosphere of trust. To develop trust between seniors and subordinates, be visible and accessible.

Communication patterns in the organisation

•  Gibb has identified the following six defensive and six supportive communication patterns in the organisation.

•   Defensive patterns are associated with a closed communication environment and supportive with open ones.

• Evaluation vs Description

• Control vs Problem Orientation

• Strategy vs Spontaneity

• Neutrality vs Empathy

• Superiority vs Equality

• Certainty vs Provisional

• Evaluation vs Description: - evaluation is associated with “you” language and tries to evaluate or judge the other person’s worth or merit. Description involves “I” language and tries to see merit in the ideas of the person.

• Control vs Problem Orientation: - if you start controlling others, they may get defensive. Using a problem approach is more effective as it helps the person in identifying the best solution to the problem

• Strategy vs Spontaneity: - people may use strategies to manipulate and control others too may adopt an open and persuasive approach to convince others.

• Neutrality vs Empathy: - people can show an indifferent attitude towards their peers and subordinates or they can show their concerns and be empathic towards others.

• Superiority vs Equality: - an attitude of superiority encourages a defensive approach while equality helps in creating a supportive climate.

• Certainty vs Provisionalism: - when people develop the attitude “I know it all” they try to prove the other person wrong. The provisional approach makes people listen to others and adapt themselves according to the situation.

Communication load

The communication load can be measured by:

•   The number and difficulty of decisions to be made

•        The available time duration

• The extent and quality of information processing require 

The predictability of the input information

Corporate communication

• Organisational communication includes communication with external parties like clients, customers, suppliers, community, societal groups, and any other organisation that either competes or cooperates.

For developing a corporate communication perspective, it is necessary: -

• To lay down effective centralised procedures to facilitate decision making in matters concerning external communication

•  To create the profile of the company behind the brand

• To minimise gaps between the desired identity and brand features

• To mobilise internal and external support for projecting a positive image to the outside world

Corporate Communication Methods

Organisations may adopt various methods for brand building and communicating their image with end-users. While advertising for products, brand building can be a direct form of communication with the external world, a few other more subtle methods include the following:

• Vision and Mission Statements

• Packaging

• Logos

• Livery

• Straplines or Taglines

• Endorsements