1

Letter of Transmittal
To: Miss Fareeha Zaheer
From: Ahmed Zafar, Hamza Yousaf, M. Hamza.

University Of Engineering and Technology Taxila

As our course and project study, our group has prepared a report examining the communication system of
organization. The purpose of this report is to present the findings based upon research and to provide
recommendations

concerning

how

best

to

proceed

in

the

future.

The findings of the report demonstrate that constantly refining and modifying strategies and
procedures to effective communication within the workplace organization ads value and works toward
compliance and streamlining work activities.
We would like to acknowledge the assistance of the General Manager of Askari Cement private limited Wah.
Mr. Muhammad Shahryar Khan in making of this report.
Finally, we would like to thank you for the opportunity this report gave us to familiarize ourselves with the
communication environment, and to develop our research skills, which will be valuable for future projects.
Hope so you would be happy to accept this report.

Yours Truly,
Electronics Engineering Students Group.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report is made on the communication system of Askari Cement private limited Wah. This report is
based on the data gathered through the interview and questionnaire filled in our visit to the companys
general manager. This study examined how employees of a small to medium company communicate and
exchange information internally and externally. The exact strategies employed to achieve effective internal
communication as well as the role it plays in accomplishing goals and objectives the organization were
particularly focused on. The company has a broad communication system internally and externally. Both
external and internal communication of the company is discussed in this report also the problems in
communication. This report is finalized to completely discuss all the aspects of communication in the
organization.
We tried our best to make this report complete with the knowledge and data we collected through our visit
in the company based only on communication system study.
Through this report one can easily study the communication system of Askari Cement private limited
Wah. Every effort is made to make this report solid, genuine and broad in all perspectives.

Table of Contents

Letter of Transmittal.................................................................................................................................................i
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................ii
Table of Contents....................................................................................................................................................iii
1 Introduction:.........................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Business Communication:.............................................................................................................................1
1.2 Organization...................................................................................................................................................1
1.2.1 Building Block of an Organization:........................................................................................................1
1.2.1.1 Builds and maintains relationships......................................................................................................2
1.2.1.2 Facilitates innovation...........................................................................................................................2
1.2.1.3 Builds an effective team......................................................................................................................2
1.2.1.4 Managing employees...........................................................................................................................2
1.2.1.5 Contributes to growth of the company................................................................................................2
1.2.1.6 Ensures transparency...........................................................................................................................3
1.3 Objective of the Study...................................................................................................................................3
1.4 Purpose of Report..........................................................................................................................................3
1.5 Introduction to Company:..............................................................................................................................4
1.5.1 Corporate Social Responsibility of the Company..................................................................................5
1.6 Method of Report...........................................................................................................................................5
2 Findings and Discussions.....................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................6
2.2 Companys Communication System..............................................................................................................6
2.3 What Internal Communication Practices Exist in A.C Ltd and how Effective are they?..............................7
2.4 What Challenges are Associated with Internal Communication and Information Exchange in A.C Ltd?....7
2.5 What Specific Strategies Enabled Effective Communication in A.C Ltd?....................................................8
2.6 Does Effective Communication Between Members of A.C Help in the Achievement of Organizational
Goals And Objectives?........................................................................................................................................9
2.7 What is Significance of and Strategies Employed for External Communication?........................................9

4
3 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION................................................11
3.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................................................11
3.2 Summary Of Findings..................................................................................................................................11
3.3 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................13
3.4 Recommendations........................................................................................................................................13

1 Introduction:
George Terry defines communication:
Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions and emotions between two or more people.
Keith Davis defines communication:
The process of passing information and understandings from one person to another.

1.1 Business Communication:

The sharing of information between employees within an organization or with other organizations that is
performed for the benefit of the organization. In addition, business communication can also refer to how a
company

shares

information

to

promote

its

product

or

services

to

potential

consumers.

In business communication, message is conveyed through various channels of communication.

1.2 Organization
The organization is social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective
goals. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between the different
activities and the members, and subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out
different tasks. Organizations are open systems--they affect and are affected by their environment.
1.2.1 Building Block of an Organization:
Communication is the building block of the organization. An organization cannot meet its goals unless the
communication system is effective. Communication plays a fundamental role in all facets of business. It is
therefore very important that both internal communication within organization as well as the communication
skills of employees are effective. The following six reasons will explain why effective communication should
be a focus in business:

2
1.2.1.1 Builds and maintains relationships
Relationships are built and can be maintained by positive encounters with others. Communication will be key to
this process without effective skills, it will be difficult to properly construct and foster productive
relationships.
1.2.1.2 Facilitates innovation
When employees feel comfortable in openly communicating new ideas, cooperation and innovation will be at
an all-time high. In addition, if staff are unable to convey their ideas due to limited communication skills, it is
likely that the idea will not be implemented to its full potential.
1.2.1.3 Builds an effective team
If open communication within a workplace is encouraged, a more cohesive and effective team will emerge.
Good communication within a team also tends to boost employee morale. When employees feel that they are
well informed of the companys direction and vision, they will feel more secure within their role. Regular
internal communication can also lead to an improved work ethic if staff are reminded of achievements and feel
that they are working towards a common goal.
1.2.1.4 Managing employees
When managers are effective communicators, they are more able to inform staff adequately of their
responsibilities and what is expected from them. Good communication skills also helps managers to provide
constructive feedback to their staff, build better relationships, and understand personal goals that staff may wish
to work towards.
1.2.1.5 Contributes to growth of the company
A lack of communication can lead to the collapse of any organization. Whilst that is a bold statement without
proper marketing collateral and communication internally and externally, most organizations will struggle to
survive. Communication can also lead to productivity and helps to avoid unnecessary delays in the
implementation of policies.

3
1.2.1.6 Ensures transparency
When regularly communicating both internally and externally, organizations remain more transparent. This is
important in building trust in your brand, in your services and also internally when it comes to the trust that
employees have in higher management. Tony Declawed from Examiner adds that when tough decisions need to
be made, transparent leaders will have an easier time explaining why.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The main objective of this research is to communication and information exchange within the industry and how
these contribute to the attainment of organizational goals and objectives.
The specific objectives are to:
1. Assess the existing communication practices and their effectiveness within the industry Askari cement
Limited (A.C Ltd).
2. Identify and explore the existing challenges associated with communication and information exchange within
A.C Ltd.
3. Determine the specific strategies that promote effective communication.
4. Determine whether effective internal communication contribute to the achievement of organizational goals
and objectives.

1.4 Purpose of Report

This main purpose of this report is to study the communication system of Askari Cement Private Limited Wah.
The report is written to communicate information regarding communication system of the organization through
our research and analysis of data and of issue. This report covers wide aspect of communication system of the
company. This report focuses on the effectiveness and the cause of effectiveness also the hurdles and the
reasons of hurdles while communicating in the company. Communication is such a fundamental part of
managing today that without it, virtually nothing can be accomplished. Management in achieving this ought to

4
communicate this vision and the mission to employees as well as generate buy-in for the organizations
objectives and strategies. No matter how brilliant the business strategy is, it must reach and win employees to
achieve optimum effectiveness.
Employees want to know where their organization is headed and how they contribute to achieving the vision.
This is the main reason why this study is of immense relevance, as it contributed to knowledge in this area. Also
the study is important because according to Kitchen (1997), internal communication in the organizational
context would help companies to create a more democratic and a harmony oriented organization. Thus
communication strategies can be developed well and utilized strategically so that workers are more comfortable,
well-motivated and informed to maximize productivity and minimize unrests; as these counterproductive acts
may delay projects, increase costs and inconvenience the society.

1.5 Introduction to Company:

Askari Cement Ltd is one of the leading manufacturers of Cement in Pakistan. It originated way back in 1921
and since then has progressed very effectively and gained the trust of millions of people around the globe.
Askari Cement responds to the Worlds demands for housing and infrastructure. It is driven by the needs of its
customers, shareholders, local communities and architects. We extract resources from the heart of the Earth
bringing materials to life.
At present Askari Cement has two plants in operation one is located in Wah, Punjab Pakistan and the other in
Nizampur (Khyber PakhtunKhwa), with a combined production capacity of 8,925 tons per day.
These plants have been designed by the worlds best global engineering companies like
FL Smidth of Denmark
M/s Holder Bank Consultants of Switzerland
M/s Tianjin Cement Design & Research institute, China
M/s China Building Material Industrial Corporation (CBMC)

5
Askari Cement has an excellent reputation in the global market and hence we export cement to different
countries like India, South Africa, Sudan, Dubai and Afghanistan etc.
Due to the high quality standards we maintain for our products we have gained a number of prestigious
international certifications. Askari Cement is an ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 certified company. It is also certified in
Bureau of Indian Standards and a Bureau VERITAS Certification. Further it plans of more enhancement and
progress in the International and local market in future times to come.
1.5.1 Corporate Social Responsibility of the Company
Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives so as to provide commitment of the management to formulate and
implement such policies which shall include, but not be limited to, corporate philanthropy, energy conservation,
environmental protection measures, community investment and welfare schemes, consumer protection
measures, welfare spending for under-privileged classes, industrial relations, employment of special persons,
occupational safety and health, business ethics and anti-corruption measures, national-cause donations,
contribution to national exchequer, rural development programs and any other such activity which can be
deemed as part of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Company. ACL has established Askari Cement
Education Trust (ACET) in 1994 which is run by a Governing Body. The Trust runs two High Schools (Boys &
Girls) in which children (1300) of employees as well as non-employees are studying. As part of CSR, ACL also
donates too many educational institutions/NGOs/NPOs

1.6 Method of Report

This report is the mirror of our data collected from the visit of the company. We had an interview with the
General Manager of Wah plant. We took a questionnaire to fill in. We discussed about the communication
system of the company. This report is then made which is based on the observations and data collected from that
discussion

2 Findings and Discussions

2.1 Introduction
This chapter contains the results of the interview conducted, with responses and findings discussed. Themes,
presented and discussed with reference to the questions asked. The themes included the major objectives set for
the research which were: understanding. Communication, how communication occurred in A.C Ltd, specific
strategies that promoted effective communication in A.C Ltd, effective communication and the achievement of
organizational goals and objectives, knowledge on company policies and goals.

2.2 Companys Communication System

The companys system hierarchy is illustrated below:

7
The Askari Cement limited Wah Plant hierarchy is illustrated below:

2.3 What Internal Communication Practices Exist in A.C Ltd and how Effective are they?
It was quite clear that generally the informants understood what internal communication worth. Although
different definitions for internal communication were presented, the idea of internal communication being the
communication within the organization was brought forth. It was basically passing of information to employees
within the company from management to staff, and among the workers in the organization who make up the
internal public. It was realized from the response of General Manager that internal communication was seen to
be key to every living organization that without it workers would not be well informed to perform effectively.
The practice of internal communication manifested itself mainly in two ways within A.C Ltd. the formal
which was documented, occurred mainly between managers while the informal which was by word of mouth
was usually top-down; thus from managers to staff. Formal communications also occurred from managers to
staff by means of memos on notice boards.

2.4 What Challenges are Associated with Internal Communication and Information
Exchange in A.C Ltd?
The choice of communication channel used for transmitting a message plays a significant role in maintaining
the quality of the original message in its passage from the sender to receiver. The sender, given the opportunity

8
to weigh the merits of using an oral or written communication, or a combination of the two, selects the most
effective for the situation. Regardless of the communication channel selected, the sender will encounter
obstacle. Technology was another major hindrance to communication. This was because respondents used
emails a lot but this sometimes wasnt effective because of the inconsistent nature of the internet, so when the
server was down and mails could not be assessed and as such urgent information could not get to one on time.
One of the challenges that hinder effective internal communication was the surprise element encountered
sometimes. Colleagues and employees dont take responsibility for ensuring that information gets to intended
audience by following through with communication. They do not always communicate what is happening on
the floor to their superiors.

2.5 What Specific Strategies Enabled Effective Communication in A.C Ltd?

When asked about the specific strategies employed by A.C Ltd to enhance their communication, it became clear
that there wasnt a conscious effort to put together a simple and clear communication strategy. An effective
communication strategy should first of all, incorporate clear goals for what the internal communication is to
achieve in order to engage and align the employees with the organizations business goals. It was evident that
there wasnt a strategy that took its source from the overall vision of the company, and then broken down to
the level of employees. This would have indicated where the company was, where they wished to go and how to
get there in terms of communication. It would have then been backed by a detailed action plan among which the
key stakeholders, key messages, the channels to be used and the resources available would have been outlined.
However, though there wasnt a documented strategy, different managers employed different approaches to
promote effective internal communication within A.C Ltd. These largely depended on how soon the recipient
had to get the information and also who the recipient was as well as what kind of work they did. Also, media
such us Short Messaging Service (SMS) and cell phone communication was encouraged as part of the channels
used. The strategy is to utilize a combination of communications simultaneously, whether formal and informal,
written and non-written or verbal and non-verbal. This means a combination of any of the following: face-toface interpersonal communication, telephone conversations, emails, memos etc. are used together depending

9
what is being communicated, the target audience, the urgency attached and the feedback required. Through the
strategies, they believed staff would be good ambassadors of the organization as well maximize productivity
since they were at the center of the communications strategy.

2.6 Does Effective Communication Between Members of A.C Help in the Achievement of
Organizational Goals And Objectives?
Clear, concise and consistent communication educated employees, enabled them to appreciate the value of their
organizations vision, programs or projects and was a significant element in engaging the employees keeping
them focused, productive and committed. The contribution that clear and effective channels of communication
provides to an organization is substantial, not least in enlisting employees' support for business objectives,
aligning everyones activities and providing some motivation to raise performance levels. Employees of A.C,
especially those in the production department were told clearly what the standards and targets were (in terms of
Product specifications, quantities and durations) and the associated rewards. Armed with this information,
employees coordinated and encouraged each other to work towards the achievement of these targets so as to
partake in the rewards. Work was done in an organized and orderly manner so that there was hardly any delay. A
conducive work environment, an informed workforce that was motivated and passionate about what they did,
inevitably contributed to performance and productivity at the A.C to a very large extent. The notion held by the
workers is that A.C is synonymous to quality. The company recognized the role of staff in growing the company
or otherwise and as such managers as much as possible kept staff informed. Thus the consequence of
uniformed workers was appreciated. These included the difficulty for workers to be conversant with their job
description and as such became less knowledgeable, not knowing what they were supposed to do, and in turn
worked poorly. This would not promote the achievement of the cooperate objective.

2.7 What is Significance of and Strategies Employed for External Communication?

In the study of the external communication we were concerned with the following issues:
a) the collaboration of the organizations with other organizations
b) The promotion of the organization and of its activities (i.e. the external communication media).

10
In regard to the question asked the General Manager replied that external communication is a very important
corporate communication element. He said that it. Is crucial for creating brand

image and

Existing and potential customers have perceptions towards the corporate brand based on the
external brand

identity,
organizations

related communication activities, such as being exposed to the companys

advertising and interacting with customer facing-staff, particularly in the service sector. Small level external
deals and managements are managed by the plant general manager which include day to day dealings of low
level. However the business class high level dealings of the company are managed through director of the
company. There are different types of external dealings and interaction of the company with other companies
such as sales, marketing, productivity, quality, query, social and instrumental which are dealt by the general
managers of the concerned department. The main medium of the external communication is written as well as
electronic which includes fax and email. The general manager replied that our external communication focuses
on audiences outside the

organization as consumers, investors,regulatory

bodies etc. Examples of

tactics by external communication include factsheets, press, newsletters, magazines, brochures, news releases
and annual reports. Also tactics as conferences, open houses
directed

public projects include

to external audiences. According to General Manager external

tactics

communication

activities significantly contribute to company's earnings and even though director of the company

identify

these activities
As vital to the companys success, they are not able to identify their impact Explanation for this trend may be
that effectiveness of communication activities has been measured exclusively to

the extent to which they meet

communication goals. The general manager replied that company believes that good business habits drive good
external communication. This means, that companies begin to develop habits of excellence, a corresponding
desire and need for good communication also increases. He also admits that company have already integrated
communication programs in organizational strategic planning and goal setting. He enlisted that the companies is
in good external communication activities and it exhibit traits and characteristics of visionary to those who are
innovators, showing consistent improvements in market share, profitability and stakeholder concern with the

11
same exceeding comparison company in variables as publicity, philanthropy, lobbying activity and public
information.

3 Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendation

3.1 Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings of the study, draws conclusions and offers recommendations. The various
issues analyzed in the have provided critical insights into the communication practices and strategies of Askari
Cement pvt. Limited and how these promote the achievement of their goals and objectives. This insight has
informed the recommendations of the study.

3.2 Summary of Findings

The study established that generally workers of A.C have an understanding as to what Internal Communication
is. According to the general manager internal communication is how information is transmitted and circulated in
the company and by the company. A variety of practices (written and verbal) exist for communicating but the
choice utilized depends on the position and level of education of the sender. From the responses, whether an
employee of A.C preferred written or verbal communication largely depended on whether he was a manager or
not. Managers who are well educated were bias towards written forms like emails and memos while nonmanagers and other skilled workers preferred verbal communication. The internal communication practices that
exist however are not effective enough. This is because the message communicated is focused mainly on
production and engineering issues only. The practice is to send messages on targets such quantities of products
to produce within a specific time frame and their specifications, project duration, equipment functioning etc. the
Soft issues which has to do with attitudes, emotions, welfare, working relations etc. are relegated to the
background. The paradox here however was the general consensus that the different internal communication
practices within A.C Ltd were effective. General manager were himself of the opinion that the practices in
place enabled them to communicate targets, rewards, policies and disciplinary issues to subordinates clearly and
on time, while non-managers concurred because information got to them on time and they could ask follow up

12
questions to get further clarification. They believed without effective internal communication work will not get
done efficiently and on time. More often than not there is little communication on issues other than those
associated with production, projects and engineering. Workers at the lower ends of the organisational structure
of A.C Ltd therefore tend to seek information from workers who are considered to be close to some senior
managers and very often what they get are half-truths at best and wild speculations and lies at worst. This fuels
suspicion and antagonism which can be counterproductive. Findings from the study again revealed that there
wasnt a documented strategy with its source from the overall vision of the company. The value of creating a
formal communications plan to outline the companys overall internal communication objectives and to provide
a framework of activities that measures whether the tactics used are really making a difference are overlooked.
The focus of management was mostly on production, projects and engineering issues where tangible output is
obtainable. Managers of A.C communicate the targets required to enable their idea of the vision to be achieved
to the staff in their own way. This meant that the short-term objectives of the company were what influenced
their internal communication strategy. Effective internal communication between members of an organisation
contributes enormously in the achievement of the companys goals and objectives. When communication
friendly environment was created, it was evident that work was coordinated in a way that encouraged
productivity and reduced delays. Prior to finalizing an order/contract, the sales team would communicate the
requirement of the customer/prospect to the production team who would give a feedback on available standards
and duration. Upon securing the order, the sales team communicates this to the production team. The carpenters
will begin with their formwork and immediately after that the masons come in to cast concrete. Messages on
these processes are sent and feedback received continuously till contract is executed. When the needed
information was given to workers on time, set objectives and goals of the company were achieved. Interpersonal
communication is the preferred choice for sending and receiving information because it provides interaction and
immediate feedback and is more trustworthy. Hearing information first-hand from top management gave
employees a sense of importance. Inter management communication usually employed the use of emails due to

13
its evidential nature while non-managers preferred verbal communication because it was simple, understandable
and offered them an instant means of providing feedback. Finally, it was realized that the communication
strategies employed are varied with time.

3.3 Conclusion
On the basis of the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn. For communication to have
taken place both the sender and the receiver must understand what is said and the appropriate feedback
received; thus information is not the same as communication. There was the tendency for managers to confuse
effective communication with one-way information overload. The preference for face-to-face communication
however was consistent. Foster a sense of community and that employees sought a sense of community at some
level in the organization. Also existing Communication Strategies were not up to the mark in the sense that they
considered only short-term objectives. There was the propensity to only concentrate on the tangible production
and engineering objectives and overlook the intangibles although this is also very critical. On the whole,
effective internal communication contributed greatly to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives,
as it created a conducive work environment and generated buy-in from employees to work towards a common
goal. Workers however were of the view that, although every aspect of internal communication seemed to be
working perfectly for them, there was always room for improvement as new ideas sprung.

3.4 Recommendations
The following are recommendations as a way of developing effective communications strategies and generating
resources from employees so as to achieve organizational goals and objectives. There is the need for a strong
focus on the external communication system because to a very large extent if people will understand the
organization, and appreciate the kind of values that the organization stands for, a lot depends on what the
internal audience communicate outside of the work environment. This is not just what they say about the
organization but also how they promote themselves outside. Again, their understanding of the industry also
comes to play and so external communication strategy is very critical in managing an organizations image and
reputation.

Management should monitor the grapevine it is a major challenge to effective internal

14
communication but cannot be wished away. Rather it can be utilized in promoting effective communication.
There can be a system in place where management can consciously feed certain information and policies that
affect the workforce through the grapevine. So long as this is consistent with the actual communication from
other formal channels within the company, it will foster trust and togetherness to work towards set objectives.
Reward systems should be implemented where employees can communicate ideas with the management and if
their idea is implemented as a business model, they may receive a sum of money or some of the companys
products. Such systems of internal communication that form a link between the grass root level employee and
the tie-suit clad executive are vital to the success of any company or business. All communication strategies
should originate from the overall vision of the company. Where the company is, where it hopes to be and how it
intends to get there should be very clear to all employees. The stakeholders, key messages and media as well as
resources should be outlined and communicated to all. Goals and actions of the organization and its senior
leadership should be made very clear to workers by communicating key activities, issues and developments to
employees and developing policies that facilitate transparency and openness. The other organizations should be
dealt to overcome companys problems and only in the companys objective weather long term or short term
benefit. This will promote productivity and minimize the antagonism that is common in the industry.
Management should have a mechanism in place that constantly monitors and audits the communication
practices and strategies. Surveys should be conducted regularly to solicit employees feedback on these
strategies. While companies may be tempted to communicate to their employees their massive growth figures,
profitability and other business jargon, the management should understand that the masses are probably more
interested in communication that affects them, directly. This may include things like changes in policies that
affect all employees directly, critical changes in company rules that employees are expected to follow, important
announcements that affect the entire workforce, etc. Surveys should also be conducted from other organizations
on the basis of the accessibility the company and to know that to how much extent they are satisfied with the
companys external relations policy.
incorporated into future strategies.

The invaluable information obtained from these surveys can then be