Communication 1

ORGANIZATONAL BEHAVIOR
COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANIZATION
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Communication
• The imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or
information by speech, writing, or signs.
• Something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted
• A document or message imparting news, views, information etc.
"Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person
information about that person's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or
affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve
conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or nonlinguistic forms,
and may occur through spoken or other modes."
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Organizational Communication
“Organizational communication is the process by
which activities of an organization are collected and coordinated to
reach the goals of both individuals and the organization”
“In simple terms it is the information flow that
happens in an organization but the flow of information has got a
structure , direction and process.”
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Types of business communication
1. Internal communication: This is the communication that
takes place within an organization. In addition to the usual
face to face, telephone, fax or mail; modern organizations
may use technology to communicate internally. Technology
may be used for e-mails or a linked internal communication.
2. External communication: Communication between the
organization and those outside the organization. The
communicate with other businesses can be through
telephone, fax ,internet etc.
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External communication
• Letters
• Fax
• Direct mail
• Internet
• Video
• Telephones
• Advertising
• websites
Internal
communication
• Team briefing
• Notices
• Reports
• Memos
• Face to face
• E-mail
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Investors
Customers
Prospects
Press/Analysts
Partners
Employees
Potential Employees
Influencers
Competitors

Types of communication in an organization.
 Formal Communication
Chain of command
Written word
Representative system
 Informal Communication
Gossips
Grape vine talks
Chit chats
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The Structure and mode of organizational communication
• Horizontal / Lateral Communication
The exchanges between and among agencies and
personnel on the same level of the organization chart.
Horizontal communication aims at:
– Task coordination: (Inter Personal & Departmental)
– Problem solving: (Discussion & Brainstorming)
– Information sharing: (Inter Personal & Departmental)
– Conflict resolution: (Inter Personal & Departmental)
• Vertical Communication
» Upward Communication
» Downward Communication
• Diagonal Communication
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Upward communication
Upward communication -the process whereby the
ideas, feelings, and perceptions of lower-level employee are
communicated to those at higher levels in the organization.
Functions:
• It provides management with needed information for decision
making
• It helps employees relieve the pressures and frustrations of the
work situation.
• It enhances employees’ sense of participation in the enterprise.
• It serves as a measure of the effectiveness of downward
communication.
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Downward communication
Such communication is initiated by the organization’s
upper management and then filters downward through the “chain of
command”.
• People are limited as to the amount of information they can
effectively absorb and react to.
• Therefore, management must, of necessity, restrict what it
communicates to subordinates.
• Organization implies some restriction of communication. Without
restrictions on communication, any organizational member could
be buried under an avalanche of incoming messages from all the
other members.
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Diagonal Communication
• This occurs when communication occurs between workers in a
different section of the organization where one worker is on a
higher level.
• For example diagonal communication will occur when a
department manager converses with an employee in another
department.
• It allows cross communication between departments
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Importance and advantages of communication in an
organization
• Help individuals to understand and pursue organizational
objectives.
• Cover every management function.
• Organizational culture depends on communications.
• Improve both organizational and individual performance
• Better the communication better the performance
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Modern era – Boundary less organizations
Organization in which there are no barriers to
information flow ideas and information move to where they are most
needed.
In this modern era people have the facility to work in
their home and report it their superiors, there are employees who
report to their superiors in another country
• Concept promoted and implemented by General Electric ( Jack
Welch)
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Designing communication mechanism for an organization
• An organization can be structured in many different ways, depending on
their objectives. The structure of an organization will determine the
ways in which it operates, performs and communicates.
• Communication in an organization also depends on the leadership style.
• Classical organizations supported information flow only through the
chain of command, but this leads to the missing of information during
the flow.
• There are organizations in which every official communication should
be in a written form, especially in a bureaucratic set up.
• Organizations should keep a track of the communication between
employees
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Contd..,
• One single method of communication process might not work well
for an organization.
• So it will be better to have a communication process which is
structured – vertical along with horizontal communication.
• The system should flexible where in decisions are to be made fast,
or when the organization is facing problems – that is diagonal and
by-pass communication should be allowed in important situations.
• As proposed by Jack Welch information should flow to where it is
needed and not to unnecessary designations.
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Communication helping growth of an organization
1. Conservative and structured
The communication process should be vertical for a
conservative and structured organization. Horizontal communication can be
allowed for better coordination between different departments.
Relationship of an organization with its customers is
very important, so the employees should be properly trained for the process.
Better the communication better the performance of any company.
Better communication helps in better interpersonal
relationships, less conflicts, better understanding, solving problems and helps
discussions which can lead to new ideas which will help the organization grow
better.
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2. Multinational company
• In a multinational company an employee might have to report to his superior
who might be from another country or to a superior who might be in another
country.
• So there will be cultural differences across the different units and
subsidiaries of the same organization in different countries.
• Horizontal communication should be allowed between the units of the
organization in different countries to keep a track on the work and its
progress.
• Employees must be trained properly to communicate keeping in mind the
cultural differences in different countries.
• The information should be allowed to reach where it is necessary.
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Contd..,
• Due to the fact that there is no single communication mechanism that
is best fit in managing large and complex organization, a number of
communication mechanisms are put into practice so that the MNC can
efficiently communicate.
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Communication 1

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Communication 1