Importance Of Organizational Communication

1) INTRODUCTION:

Before we look into organizational communication, let’s get the concept of communication right. According to Hybels and Weaver (2001), communication is a process of sharing ideas, information and feelings that involves speech, writing, behavior and body language. In short, communication is whatever reaction that offers meaning to a message. On the other hand, an organization is a social group of people that is well thought-out and managed to meet a need or to achieve collective goals. Consequently, organizational communication is also known as communication in an organization. Many experts have provided a range of views on the meaning of organizational communication but we are going to have a look at the definitions

c) Organizational communication is the communication that involves people, attitude, feeling, relation and the skill they possess.

Therefore, the definition of organizational communication can be summarized as the way language is used to create different kinds of social structures, for instance relationships, teams, and networks. In order to establish an ideal organization, organizational communication is significant. Some of the importance of organizational communication is listed below:

i) Information flow is an asset in the various levels of organizational management. ii) Helps improve quality of work and productivity. iii) Helps achieving management objectives. iv) Helps in understanding the pattern and network of effective communication process in organization.

This communication focuses on formal information, which consists of four types that are downward communication, upward communication, horizontal communication, cross-channel communication and informal information which consist of one type that is grapevine that flows in organizational contexts. The five types of communication will be discussed in the following

Message delivery begins from an interaction between staff on a secret that is mutually shared and discussed. Message is spread rapidly but the truth of the content is hard to ascertain (Pace & Faules, 1989). The advantage of grapevine is it is a rapid form of communication. Miss-information or rumors transmits very fast to others in organization. In addition, it can present grievance. Employees tend to reveal their needs and emotion to others without hesitation. However, grapevine has its disadvantage too which is impossible to maintain secrecy. This is because in informal communication, messages are made by open discussion. Additionally, it provides room for misunderstanding. Generally, employees do not comply with the formal authorization system thus developing misunderstanding between two people. Example of grapevine communication that happened in the finance department is the spreading of profit information. The amount of profit made by the hospital is known and calculated by the finance department but due to grapevine done by some staffs rumors was spread that this much of profit had been made and thus bonus is declared. Another example is the finance manager who belongs to a group of women that go to lunch together and also a group of managers in different department that talk about common interest outside of work. The manager is likely passing information,