Introduction to Organizational

Communication

Communication is important for the internal

functioning of the organization and for interaction with the
external environment. Communication is the transfer of
information from a sender to a receiver, with the information
being understood by the receiver. The communication process
begin with the sender to encodes an idea that is sent in oral,
written, visual, or some other form to the receiver. The receiver
decodes the message and gains and understanding of what the
sender want to communicate. This is turn may result in some
change or action. But the communication process may be
interrupted by `noise’ which is anything that hinders
communication.

In an organization, managers should have the

information necessary for doing a good job. The information may
flow not only downward or upward in the organization structure
but also horizontally or diagonally. Communication can be in
returns form, but more information is communicated orally. In
addition people communicate through gesture and facial
expressions. A great variety of communication methods are
available.

For example: Technology may use for wired and wireless

telephone, fax, voice & E-mail as well as teleconferences and
video conferences.
Types of Communication

1. Verbal Communication

• Oral Communication:
A great deal of information is communicated
orally . It occurs through the spoken word. It occurs in a face-
to-face meeting of two people or in a manager’s
presentations to a large audience, it can be formal or
informal, and it can be planned or accidental.

For eg: conversations, telephone talks, interviews,

presentations and meetings etc. Can be effectively
communicated by oral communication .

• Written Communication:
It is often resorted to by the management for
messages that are lengthy and have to be made permanent.

For eg: policy matters, service conditions, secret orders,

instructions etc. Can be effectively communicated by written
communication .

1. Non Verbal Communication

• Facial Expression:
Facial expressions usually communicate emotions. The
expressions tell the attitudes of the communicator.
 Researchers have discovered that certain facial areas reveal
our emotional state better than others.
For example, the eyes tend to reveal happiness or sadness,
and even surprise. The lower face also can reveal happiness
or surprise;

For example, the smile can communicate friendliness and

cooperation. The lower face, brows, and forehead can also
reveal anger.

• Eye Contact:
Eye contact is a direct and powerful form of non-verbal
communication. The superior in the organization generally
maintains eye contact longer than the subordinate. The
direct stare of the sender of the message conveys candor
and openness. It elicits a feeling of trust. Downward glances
are generally associated with modesty. Eyes rolled upward
are associated with fatigue.

• Gestures:
One of the most frequently observed, but least understood,
cues is a hand movement. Most people use hand movements
regularly when talking. While some gestures (e.g., a
clenched fist) have universal meanings, most of the others
are individually learned and idiosyncratic.

Importance of Communication

• Information: Management can keep the employees well

informed about company’s plans and programmes. Effective
communication is required to convey information to the
employees. By sharing information , management can
develop loyalty in the employees.
• Management-Labour Relations: Effective communication is
required to build good management –labour relations .
Communication is required to solve disputes and
misunderstanding between management and labour.

• Team Work: Communication is vital in developing team work

in the organization . The managers can develop a good team
, managers should respect subordinates , invite suggestions
and create a good environment where workers feel and
comfortable with their work and organization.

• Motivation: Communication is a basic tool to motivate and

improve morale of the employees. Management can
understand the motives of the employees and accordingly
frame incentive plans. The incentive plans can be effectively
communicated to the employees.

• Higher Efficiency: Effective communication is required to

achieve higher efficiency in the organization . Managers at
all level need to communicate well, so that employees
achieve higher returns at the lower cost.

• Training and Development: Communication is vital in

training and development of the personnel. Trainers should
be effective communicators. Good communication on the
part of the trainers helps the trainees to understand easily
the concepts and the other matter.

• Clarifications: Through effective communication,

management can clarify certain matters or issues with the
employees. At times employees may raise queries on plans
and policies of the firms. The management can answer to
such queries through effective communication. The
 management can also sort out clarifications with outsiders
such as customers, suppliers, etc.

• Better Performance: Effective communication facilitates

clear information to the employees. Thus , the employees
understand their job better and feel more involve in them.
This encourages better performance and job satisfaction.

• Social Interaction: Communication is a primary source of

social interactions. It helps people to express their feelings
and emotions. Communication of moods and emotions help
to understand organizational members and thus the goals of
the group and organization can be achieve effectively.

Others:

• Communication encourages innovation.

• Effective communication enhances corporate image.

• Communication results in reduction of absenteeism an

employee turn over.

• Effective communication ensures optimum utilization of

resources .

The Purpose of Communication

Communication is essential for the internal functioning of

enterprises because it integrates the managerial functions.

Especially, communication is needed

1) To establish & disseminate the goals of an enterprise.

2) To develop plans for their achievement.
3) To organize human & other resources in the most effective &
efficient way.
4) To select, develop, & appraise members of the organization.
5) To lead, direct, motivate, & create a climate in which people
want to contribute.
6) To control performance.

Figure graphically shows not only that communication

facilities the managerial functions but also that
communication relates an enterprise to its external
environment.
It is through communication that any organization becomes
an open system interacting with its environment.

The Communication Process

Communication process includes the following steps:

1) The sender formulates the message which he wants to
convey to other.
2) The sender will translate the message into words,
symbols, or some other form that would be well-
understood by the receiver. This is known as encoding of
message.
3) The encoded message is transmitted to the receiver with
the help of certain methods. The sender may use spoken
or written words for this purpose.
4) The message is received by the receiver.
5) The receiver of message decodes the message & draws
meanings from the message.
6) The receiver will take the necessary action & will send his
response to the sender of the message. This is known as
 feedback. When the feedback is received, the
communication process is said to be completed.

Communication Flow in the Organization

In an effective organization, communication flows in various

directions: downward, upward, & crosswise. Traditionally,
downward communication was emphasized, but there is ample
evidence that problems will develop if communication flows only
downward.

In fact, one could argue that effective communication has to start

with the subordinate, & this means primarily upward
communication. Communication also flows horizontally &
diagonally. The different kinds of information flows are diagramed
in figure.

Downward Communication

Downward communication flows from people at higher levels

to those at lower levels in the organizational hierarchy. This
kind of communication exists especially in organizations with
an authoritarian atmosphere. Downward communication
include instructions, speeches, loudspeakers, examples of
written downward communication are letters, handbooks,
policy statement.
Unfortunately, information is often lost or distorted as it
comes down the chain of command.
Downward flow of information through the different levels of
the organization is time-consuming. Indeed, delays may be
so frustrating that some top managers insist that information
be sent directly to the person or group requiring it.
 Upward Communication

Upward communication travels from subordinates to

superiors & continues up the organization hierarchy.
Unfortunately, this flow is often hindered by managers in the
communication chain, who filter the messages & do not
transmit all the information, especially unfavorable news, to
their bosses.
Upward communication is primarily nondirective & is usually
found in participative & democratic organizational
environments.
The concept of the ombudsperson was used relatively little
in the united states until recently.
U.S. companies have established a position for a person who
investigates employees concerns.
Companies have found that the ombudsperson can provide a
valuable upward communication link. Effective upward
communication requires an environment in which
subordinates feel free to communicate.

Crosswise Communication

Crosswise communication includes the horizontal flow of

information, among people on the same or similar
organizational levels, & the diagonal flow, among persons at
different levels who have no direct reporting relationships
with one another.
The enterprise environment provides many occasions for
oral communication.
They range from informal meetings of the company bowling
team & lunch hours employees spend together to more
 formal conferences & committee & board meetings. This
kind of communication also occurs when members of
different departments form task teams or project groups.
In addition written forms of communication keep people
informed about the enterprise. These written forms include
the company newspapers or magazine & bulletin board
notices. Modern enterprise use many kinds of oral & written
crosswise communication patterns to supplement the
vertical flow of information.

Barriers and Breakdowns in Communication

Specific communication barriers are discussed below.

Lack of Planning - Good communication seldom happens by

chance. Too often, people start talking and writing first thinking,
planning and starting the purpose of the message .yet giving the
reasons for a directive, selecting the most appropriate channel,
and choosing proper timing can greatly improve understanding
and reduce resistance to change.

Unclear Assumptions - Often overlooked, yet very important,

are the uncommunicated assumptions that underlie messages. A
customer may send a note stating that she will visit a vendor’s
plant .then she may assume that the vendor will meet her at the
airport, reserve a hotel room, arrange for transportation, and set
up a full scale review of the program at the plant. But the vendor
may assume that the customer is coming to town mainly to
attend a wedding and will make just a routine call at the plant.
These unclarified assumptions in both instances may result in
confusion and the loss of goodwill.

Semantic Distortion - Another barrier to effective

communication is semantic distortion, which can be deliberate or
accidental. An advertisement that states “we sell for less” is
deliberately ambiguous, begging the question: less than what?
Words may evoke different responses. To some people, the word
government may mean interference or deficit spending; to others,
the same word may mean help equalization, and justice.

Poorly Expressed Messages - No matter how clear the idea is

in the mind of the sender of communication, the message may
still be marked by poorly chosen words, omissions, lack of
coherence, awkward sentence structure, platitudes, unnecessary
jargon, and a failure to clarify its implications. This lack of clarity
and precision, which can be costly, can be avoided through
greater care in encoding the message.

Guidelines for Improving Communication

The following guidelines can help overcome the barriers to

communication:

1. Clarify the Purpose of Message - One of first steps in

communicating is to clarify the purpose of the message and to
make a plan to achieve the intended end.

2. Use Intelligible Encoding - Effective communication requires

that encoding and decoding is done with symbols that are similar
to both the sender and the receiver of the message. Thus, the
manager (and especially the staff specialist) should avoid
unnecessary technical jargon, which is intelligible only to experts
in their particular field.

3. Consult Others Views - The planning of the communication

should not be done in a vacuum. Instead, other people should be
consulted be encouraged to participate: to collect the facts,
analyze the message, and to select the appropriate message.

4. Consider Receiver’s Needs - It is important to consider the

needs of the receivers of the information. Whenever appropriate,
one should communicate something that is of value to them, in
the short run as well as in the more distant future. At times,
unpopular actions that effect employees in the short run may be
more easily accepted if they are beneficial to them in the long
run.

5. Use Appropriate Tone and Language and Ensure

Credibility - There is a saying that the tone makes the music.
Similarly in the communication, the tone of voice, the choice of
language and the congruency between what is said and how it is
said influence the reaction of the receiver of the message.

6. Get Feedback - Communication is complete only when the

message is understood by the receiver. And the sender never
knows whether or not the message is understood unless he or she
gets feedback.

7. Consider Receivers Emotions and Motivations - The

function of communication is more than transmitting in
formation .It also deals with emotions ,which are very important
in interpersonal relationships between superiors ,subordinates ,
and colleagues in an organization. Furthermore, communication is
vital for creating an environment in which people are motivated
to work toward the goals of the enterprise while they achieve
their personal aims.

8. Listen - Effective communicating is the responsibility not only

of the sender but also of the receiver of the information. Thus,
listening is an aspect that needs additional comment.