BBA 202 – ORGANIZATION THEORY

TOPIC 5: COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

Communication
Communication may be understood as an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or
emotions by two or more persons. It means the process of passing information and
understanding from one person to another.

If the information is not understood by the receiver in the same meaning in which
its sender wants him/her to understand it, the purpose of communication is
defeated.

Communication is derived from Latin word “communis” which means common.

Communication stands for strictly sharing information in common. It is transmission
of message, ideas, methods, skills and thoughts between two or more persons.
Organizational communication is a process through which organizations are created
and in-turn create and shape events. Communication is a mutual exchange of facts,
thoughts, opinions or emotions by use of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs
and so on. It is a chain of understanding which permeates an organization from top
to bottom, from bottom to top and from side to side, and which moves the
organization ahead towards its objectives. It is a cohesive force which holds a group
together.

Why study Organizational Communication?

• Organizational communication provides the basis for understanding virtually every

human process that occurs in organizations.

• To be aware of communication skills that you as a college graduate should

possess in order to meet organizational expectation.

• May start you down the path to a career as a communication professional in an

organization or as an academic scholar in the field.

PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION TO AN ORGANISATION

1. Recruitment Process

Potential employees could be persuaded of the merits of working for the enterprise.
Recruits could be told about the firm’s structure, policies and practices.

2. Orientation

This enables employees to be acquainted with their peers, supervisors and with the
company’s rules and regulations.

3. Work Performance
Employee need to perform their functions effectively and know the relationship and
importance of their jobs for the overall operation. They can then identify with the
organization’s mission.

4. Evaluation of performance

Employees need to be acquainted with the evaluation of their contribution to

enterprise activities and goals.

5. Image

Communication is critical in projecting the image of an enterprise in the society.

6. Co-ordination

In a large organization, working on the basis of division of labour and specialization,

there is need for co-ordination among component parts. A good communication
system is the basis of all inter- dependent activities being carried out in different
departments of organization.

7. Management Efficiency

The success of a manager may well depend on his/her ability to communicate.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

• Formal

• Informal

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

This is the communication that takes place within the formal structures of an
organization. It flows through formally established channels and is concerned with
work related matters.

Formal communication flows in three directions.

a. Downward Communication

This is communication that flows from superiors to subordinates. Superior directs

subordinates. Superior defines the goals of the firm, and admonishes rewards and
punishments.

b. Upward Communication

This flows from subordinates to superiors and generally acts as a feedback. It

enables superiors to know how far their communication has been understood or
carried out.

c. Horizontal Communication
Also known as lateral communication and refer to communication among people
working on the same level of the organization.

INFOMAL COMMUNICATION

This is also known as the ‘grapevine.’ It is a structure less network of informal

interaction. People communicate informally in the organization because they know
one another personally.

The Grapevine may carry both work related information and non-work-related
information. It thrives because of the limitations of the formal channels of
communication. Information may be obtained from grapevine because of the
absence of the flow of information in the formal channels.

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

These include:

• Verbal communication

• Non-verbal communication

• Written communication

• Listening

• Visual communication

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is when we use the spoken word to communicate with

others. This can be face to face with another person or group of people, or over the
telephone or video call, for example Skype or Zoom. Face-to-face verbal
communication is usually the preferred method of communication; however, it is not
always realistic due to time constraints or the location of people.

During the Covid-19 pandemic people had to adapt in the way they communicate,
and a lot of verbal communication moved online via video calls and video
conferences.

Verbal communication can be informal, for example casually chatting with a friend,
or it can be a more formal process such as a work meeting, interview, conferences,
lectures or oral presentation. How effective the oral communication is will depend
upon the receptiveness of the receiver, speed, volume and pitch of the words and
clarity of speech.

Non-verbal communications are also an important part in aiding verbal

communication such as visual cues and body language. In the workplace you need
strong verbal communication skills. Using speech to communicate is an efficient
way to share information with others.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication helps you get a sense of how others are feeling and
what they may be thinking. Non-verbal communication includes facial expressions,
eye contact, hand movements, touch and posture.

These things usually provide reinforcement to verbal communication. Non-verbal

communication is not usually used on its own without verbal communication except
when a person is using sign language.

Physical non-verbal communication consists of body posture, eye contact, facial

expressions, touch, and overall movements of the body and tone of voice. All non-
verbal communication helps to convey a message to the person or people you are
communicating with.

If you want to make a good impression, for example in a work meeting or a job
interview, it is important to consider your non-verbal communication style. This
involves being aware of things like your movements, gestures, eye contact, and the
way you stand or sit.

You should also consider whether you cross your arms as this can make you appear
closed off or angry, and fidgeting can be distracting for the person you are
communicating with.

You should make good eye contact but you should avoid staring or rolling your eyes.
One of the most important aspects of non-verbal communication is facial
expressions as these can be the most useful in telling the person you are
communicating with how you are feeling.

For example, a smile can make it clear that you are happy and a frown can suggest
that you are unhappy. Good non-verbal communication can determine whether you
get a job offer or not.

Non-verbal communication is also about the way something is said. This consists of
style of speaking, tone, pitch and voice quality. This is known as paralanguage.
Being an affective communicator means considering tone of voice, facial
expressions and body language as well as the words you speak.
Written Communication

Written communication might be a letter, email, a report, or a message on social

media. Written communication should aim to get your message across in a clear
and concise manner.

Too much written information that may be repetitive or unnecessary will likely lose
the engagement of the reader and may not get your point across in the best way
possible.

How effective the written communication is will depend upon the style of writing,
grammar, vocabulary, and the clarity. Written communication is useful for
something requiring detailed instructions, or when someone is too far away or they
are not available for you to talk to them.

Written communication in the form of emails can be convenient in that you do not
need to wait for someone to become available. You can send the email and they can
read and respond when they are available to do so.

When thinking about communicating in writing, it is important to remember that in

the digital age, your piece of writing is likely to be there for people to see for a long
time after you have written it. It is therefore important to ensure that the spelling
and grammar is correct and that you are happy with the content.

In the workplace, it is important to be able to communicate in writing. This may be

to colleagues, managers or customer. Being able to communicate well in writing is
important in order to do well in a business setting.

Written communication also provides evidence for you that a conversation has
taken place. This may be because you are raising concerns about something or you
may be simply requesting some feedback or informing someone of a task you have
completed.

Listening

Actively listening is one of the most important parts of communication, as if we

actively listen we can truly engage with the person talking to us. If you do not listen
during a conversation or a team meeting, for example, then you cannot engage or
respond appropriately.

Sometimes it can be difficult to sit and listen for long periods of time when you are
not expected to engage or where there is no opportunity to engage. This may be in
a lecture or a training session. Some people choose to record the session in these
instances, if this is allowed.

Visual Communication
Visual communication can take place with the help of visual aids. This can include
things like: drawing, graphic design, illustration, colour. typography, signs, and
other electronic resources. Visual communication such as graphs and charts can be
useful in written communication and sometimes can replace it completely. Visual
communication can be a very powerful way of getting a message across and can be
more powerful than verbal and non-verbal communication. Visual communication is
much easier and more varied now due to the developments in technology. This also
means that visual communication can be much more creative. Visual
communication is all around us whether that be on the television, social media or
advertising campaigns. Advertisers use it to sell products or give us a certain
message.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. Badly expressed messages

People may talk too fast/slow, may lack coherence or may organize their ideas
poorly and so may omit certain essential details.

2. Faulty organization

In a large organization, the chain of command may be too long or the span of
control may be too large. This affects effective proper communication.

3. Distrust of Communicator

Employees may lose confidence in their superior and yet others may distort original
communication thereby hindering effective communication.

4. Poor Retention

Only some of what has been communicated may be retained thereby defeating the
purpose of communication.

5. In-group-languages

Often occupational, peer or social groups develop their own terminology or in group
language. ‘Outsiders’ may then experience a communication breakdown.

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. Clarity of the objective of communication.

2. Information contained in the communication process should be understandable.

3. The communication should be adequate and complete.

4. The medium of communication should be carefully selected depending on the

subject matter.

5. The need of the receiver should be considered i.e. value of the information to the
receiver.