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Organizational Communication
Organizational Communication
Dayna Edwards
Siena Heights University
LDR 621: Organizational Psychology
Dr. Pat McDonald
October 1, 2013
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Organizational Communication
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Identifying Forms of Organizational Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Importance of Effective Interpersonal Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Art of Active Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
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Introduction
According to the authors of the book, Leadership, the word communication is
defined as “the process of conveying information and meaning” (Lussier, Achua, 2007,
p. 198). When applying the term within an organization, they further state, “At all
organizational levels, it has been estimated that at least 75 percent of each workday is
consumed in communication” (Lussier, Achua, 2007, p. 198). This percentage is an
illustration of how essential effective communication is to the success of any
organization.
In this paper, I will outline the four different types of organizational
communication, explain the importance of interpersonal communication within an
organization and discuss the benefits of active listening and its significance to
organizational profitability.
Identifying Forms of Organizational Communication
According to Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus in the book, Leaders,
“Communication creates meaning for people. Or should. It’s the only way any group,
small or large can become aligned behind the over arching goals of an organization”
(Bennis, Nanus, 2007, p. 40). However, in order to create meaning, there must be an
understanding of the basic forms of communication. Our text states that “Most
communication in organizations can be classified into four types: upward
communication, downward communication, business communication, and informal
communication” (Aamodt, 2013, p. 396). To begin, upward communication is
communication that flows from employees to managers; basically starting from the
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bottom and flowing up the different leadership levels. Examples of this type of
communication include surveys, suggestion boxes, and exit interviews.
Next, downward communication travels in the opposite direction, flowing from
management to employee. This type of communication consists of bulletin boards,
newsletters and company intranets. The third form, business communication, utilizes
the methods of telephone calls, memos, and email to convey business related
information and is distributed among employees, management and customers. Finally,
informal communication includes only the employees and is communication which is
unrelated to the organizational task. As this is categorized as unofficial communication,
it is often considered gossip because of how distorted it becomes as it travels through a
method called the grapevine. Taking the initiative to become familiar with these four
types of communication is crucial for any employee or manager, as these are the
elements that set the foundation of any organizational communication.
The Importance of Effective Interpersonal Communication
Our text states, “The interpersonal communication process begins with a sender
encoding and transmitting a message across a communication channel (e.g., by memo,
orally, nonverbally) and ends with another person (the receiver) receiving and decoding
the message” (Aamodt, 2013, p. 408). This appears to be nothing more than the simple
process of a conversation. However, miscommunication is a common occurrence
among employees within an organization and if not recognized and properly handled, it
has the potential to ignite conflict and affect organizational profitability.
Our text indicates, “There are three solutions to this problem: thinking about
what you want to communicate, practicing what you want to communicate, and learning
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better communication” (Aamodt, 2012, p. 408). However, it is important to understand
that the communication channel also has an effect on the message being transmitted.
This means, “The same message can be interpreted in different ways based on the
channel used to communicate it” (Aamodt, 2012, p. 411). Whether a message is sent
orally, nonverbally or is written, it is important to understand the different channels that
can affect the intended message. Factors such as the amount of information to
process, noise, body language, paralanguage and artifacts can play major roles in how
a person receives the message. According to a famous body language study conducted
at UCLA by Dr. Albert Mehrabian “7 percent of the emotional meaning of a message is
composed of the actual words we use; 38 percent is communicated through the tone of
voice and inflection; and 55% comes through our body language”(du Plessis & du
Plessis, 2008). Self awareness is a key component in becoming more effective in
transmitting the intended message. However, the listening and receiving aspects are
another challenge.
The Art of Active Listening
According to the article, “Are you really listening? The benefit of effective intraorganizational listening, by Marilyn Helms and Paula Haynes, “Active listening creates
an organizational climate responsive to the needs and motivations of employees. Such
an organizational climate is conducive to employee involvement and increased
productivity” (Helms & Haynes, 1992).
However, in order to elevate our listening skills, there has to be an understanding
of these six main listening styles; leisure, inclusive, stylistic, technical, empathic, and
nonconforming. Our text outlines them well by stating, “A good instructor will provide
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jokes and humorous stories for leisure listeners, use an outline format and provide main
points for inclusive listeners, provide specific facts and details for technical listeners,
discuss her feelings about the topic for empathic listeners, have good speaking skill and
appropriate dress for stylistic listeners, and be confident and accurate for
nonconforming listeners” (Aamodt, 2013, p. 421). When a leader is aware and
exercises consideration of the many styles of employee listening, it not only proves
beneficial for the team and project at hand, it can produce favorable results for the
organization. An article by Marilyn Helms and Paula Haynes states, “Listening is
fundamental to organizational functioning. Failure to listen can result in letters having to
be retyped, orders returned, appointments rescheduled, timetables revised – lost
productivity and profits” (Helms & Haynes, 1992). This clearly demonstrates the
connection of organizational communication to organizational profitability and the
importance of making it a business priority.
Conclusion
The role organizational communication plays within the walls of any business,
corporation or institution is significant. Training workshops on interpersonal
communication and active listening provide an opportunity for employees to become
more valuable to the organization and should be considered an asset worth the
investment. For the leaders of an organization it should be a must. Effective
organizational communication is powerful. It has the ability to create a climate of
employee motivation and the potential to reduce conflict, enhance productivity and
increase profitability. However, because effective communication is heavily dependent
upon the skills of both the sender and the receiver of a message, it remains a constant
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challenge even to the best of organizations; a challenge that is clearly well worth the
effort.
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References
Aamodt, Michael. (2013). Industrial / Organizational Psychology. Belmont
California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Bennis, Warren., Nanus, Burt. (2007). LEADERS. New
York, New York: HarperCollins.
du Plessis, A. & du Plessis, H. (2008). A Different Language Called
Kinesics. Accountancy SA, pg. 23. Retrieved from
http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu:2048/pqdweb?did=1492
97 9091&sid=8&Fmt=3&clientId=40401&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Helms, Marilyn; Haynes, Paula. (1992). Are you really listening? The benefit of
effective intra-organizational listening. Journal of Managerial Psychology,
7 (6), 17. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/195600668?accountid=28644
Lussier, Robert; Achua, Christopher. (2007). Leadership. Canada:
South-Western Cengage Learning.
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