Organizational Communication- Definitional

Humans spend a great deal of time working as parts of a whole. We tend to assume that organizational communication can only be most effectively used in a business field when in fact; it is used in sororities, fraternities, extra-curricular clubs, and schools. Organization communication is defined as, “human communication that occurs within the context of organizations.”(468) It is imperative that we realize that we live in a culture that involves a great amount of organizational communication.
As soon as we are hired for a position, we tend to pick up on verbal and non verbal cues that allude to the norms of the business. This can include clothing, timing, and the use of space. Deal and Kennedy state that there are four types of culture, and four leadership styles that are identified with each. A tough-guy-macho culture deals with high risk situations that involve matters of life or death (i.e. surgeons, police men, and firemen.) Organizations that define themselves as having a work-hard-play-hard culture are very focused on sales, and customer approval. If a company must put themselves in a high risk situation with slower feedback it is considered a bet-your-company culture. A process culture is purely concerned with evolvement of how something is completed. Because we have had such great changes in demographics, the assessment of good organizational communication is incredibly important.
Research has showed a huge parallel between communication and employee productivity. When asked how much time they spend communicating during a work day, many employees answered around 90 percent. In fact, when companies are hiring, the first thing they look for in a person is great, “communication and interpersonal skills”, followed by, “ability to work well in teams.”(472) Most companies understand the need for their employees to work well together, and they have significantly increased their teamwork. Other companies have also realized that works should feel empowered to make decisions, and are therefore given slightly more flexibility. Fisher defines empowerment as- (authority x resources x information and accountability). Communication seems to perform three specific functions in an organization. The first is the command function, which states that people will be given directions so that they may offer feedback. The second function of communication is the relation function. This function serves to use communication as a means to create relationships that will affect job performance. If people develop great relationships with those that they work with, their satisfaction with their job increases. The third function is called ambiguity management. Many times in large or small companies, there will be a lot of people working together who have different characteristics, ideas, and ways of completing tasks. In this way, communication gets everyone “on the same page.”
Anyone who serves as supervisor in an organization has an incredibly significant role. Everyone who works under them has so constantly know what is being asked of them. A supervisor should use a great deal of supportive communication. They should help an employee problem solve and develop new skills. They also should not be afraid to praise a job well done, and they should encourage their workers to speak up and make decisions. No employ wants a supervisor constantly breathing down their neck. For this reason, a supervisor should use non controlling communication. A non controlling supervisor doesn’t force employees to accomplish tasks in the same way the supervisor would. This communication allows employees to complete the task in his or her own way. Trust between a supervisor and an employee can affect productivity. Trusting someone is based on two components- one is rational (cognitive) and the other is emotional (effective). In a relationship with a supervisor, cognitive trust will be established if the person is professional, reliable, and they have a good track record. Affective trust occurs when people can share feelings and emotions. There two people can also talk freely and they can share their problems with each other. Five important qualities that help supervisors establish trust are behavioral consistency, behavioral integrity, sharing and delegation of control, communication, and lastly, demonstration of concern.
Second in importance to supervisory communication is the idea of downward communication. In downward communication, communication is, “initiated by the organization’s upper management and then filters downward through the chain of command.”(478) Employees will hear about news, tasks and other important information via many different channels. These channels include email, voice mail, department meetings, telephone calls, speeches, and memos. In many cases, workers are so busy, that the contacting them is very difficult. When it comes to keeping up with an excess of new material, people usually adapt to the information in seven different ways. Some people will omit the information all together which means they fail to handle the task. Other people can “error” which means they ignore the information. Those that prefer “queuing” tend to let the information build up. If a person ranks the task in importance they are usually “filtering”. And if an employee accomplishes the task, but not thoroughly, they are said to be doing an “approximation.” And lastly, if a person fails to handle the information at all, it is called an “escape”. The effectiveness of downward communication can be assessed in a number of ways. Most have found that when relaying information, a channel that combines oral and written messages is most effective. If a message is sent more than once using different channels it is considered redundancy. This redundancy helps busy people remember their tasks more. Though, if a person receives too many messages and memos they will likely become too busy to finish all their tasks. This is why the law of diminishing terms is important- it states that, “more is better, up to a point.”(480) In downward communication, the use of power usually comes into play. Researchers have identified five types of power. Three of the types (legitimate, reward, and coercive power) are used by the supervisor. Legitimate power is the power a person has simply by being in their position. Reward power is the ability to give rewards such as bonuses or time off. Coercive power is, “the ability to influence individuals by withholding rewards.”(282) The other two types of power are for personal means. Expert power gives a person the ability to influence another through his or her knowledge. A person will use referent power when they wish to be parallel with the “higher” powered source. The selective use of objective criteria, forming coalitions, and cooptation are as used as power tactics. A use of objective criteria gives people the ability to make only certain decisions based on what they need. Because a there is power in numbers, people have found it successful to influence others with the use of a coalition. A cooptation tactic is used to gain something by asking the person in higher power to become a partner.
Upward communication is defined as, “the process whereby the ideas, feelings, and perceptions of lower-level employees are communicated to those at higher levels in the organization.”(484) Upward communication has five important functions. It will provide management with information in order to make decisions. It will allow employees to relive the stress they deal with in the work situation. There will be a larger sense of participation. It will be used to determine how effective the company’s downward communication is, and it could suggest other better uses of downward communication. Some companies don’t use upward communication as much as they should. A boss should have a large upward receptivity which is, “the willingness to receive messages from subordinates.”(485) A type of upward communication is ingratiation which is an attempt made my employees, “increase their attractiveness in the eyes of others.”(286) There are three psychological barriers that can alter upward communication. If an employee believes that disclosing something will not allow them to complete a personal goal, they will not share the information. If a supervisor rewards the disclosure of feelings, employees will most likely feel better about sharing. Also, if a supervisor tends to be open, his employees will often share their feelings. For an employee to create change using downward communication they must package their ideas in a professional manor. This can include the use of statistics, graphs, charts, and visual aids. If there is a need for a specific changes, employees should get involved on committees, task forces, and teams. It is imperative though, to understand that change is a process and it will not come about in a second.
Horizontal communication is the messages relayed between people on the same level of an organization. The four functions of this type of communication are task coordination, problem solving, information sharing, and conflict resolution. The linking-pin function serves as a means to overlap organizations and groups in order communicate information upwards, downwards, and across the system. For this type of communication to be effective, barriers have to be reduced. Four different tactics have been used to reduce barriers. A good way to reduce barriers is to encourage each department to be successful in order to make the whole operation successful. If a company is highly interactive and is in frequent communication, information will be processed more easily. The rotation of people in positions will increase people’s empathy. If a company avoids a win-lose situation they will offer rewards to everyone, pool resources, and they will not put departments in competition. Organizations use team building activities to increase the relationships between employees.
Effective communication is imperative for change to occur within an organization. Organizational change can sometimes be difficult because of the need for cultural change. An evolving organization is seen as a web of relationships. Sometimes chaos can actually mean that an organization’s order is decreasing. Little things that occur within an organization can actually create huge problems.
Within an organization, many different informal channels are used. Rumors will usually develop, and three variables contribute to them- importance, ambiguity, and critical sense. For instance, rumors become larger if the information being said is not clear. As messages are passed from person to person they undergo three changes. If a message is leveled, certain details are left out. When the message is sharpened, it is exaggerated. If a person assimilates a message they will alter it in order to go along with their own ideas. People usually hear messages via the “grapevine.” Researchers have found this to be the fastest way that messages travel, and oddly, it is considered 80-90 percent effective. Alternatives to the grapevine are informal conversations, social activities, and companywide meetings. Information is mostly relayed via a person’s supervisor though.
As I learned more and more about organizational communication I realized how much I experience it in my life. Many times I have worked in a position as a subordinate, or as a leader. It is crucial that humans learn how to be most effective in the work place. Especially at this time of financial crisis, people must keep their jobs by being productive.
Bibliography:
Tubbs, Stewart, & Moss, Sylvia (1974). Human Communication. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill .