IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the basic
functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling.

Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication serves as a
foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in -
turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also requires effective
communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as managers must communicate
effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team goals. Controlling is not possible without
written and oral communication.

Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote approximately 6
hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or telephonic communication
with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers. Managers also use Written
Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral communication is not feasible.

Thus, we can say that “effective communication is a building block of successful organizations”. In other
words, communication acts as organizational blood.

The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows:

Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the task to be
done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their performance if it is not up to
the mark.

Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making process

as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions.

Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well-informed
individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual. Organizational magazines, journals,
meetings and various other forms of oral and written communication help in moulding employee’s
attitudes.

Communication also helps in socializing. In today’s life the only presence of another individual fosters
communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without communication.

As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps controlling

organizational member’s behaviour in various ways. There are various levels of hierarchy and certain
principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an organization. They mu st comply with
organizational policies, perform their job role efficiently and communicate any work problem and
grievance to their superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling function of management.

An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering and
receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication, analyze the reasons
for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the primary responsibility
of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication system in the organization.
In practice, the following points can illustrate the importance of communication in human resource
management:

1. Base for Action:

Communication acts as a base for any action. Starting of any activity begins with communication which
brings information necessary to begin with.

2. Planning Becomes Easy:

Communication facilitates planning. Planning is made easy by communication. Any type of information
regarding the human resource requirement of each department of the organisation with their
qualifications, the type and kinds of job etc. can be collected through communication which helps in
human resource planning. Policies and programmes for their acquisition can be prepared and
implemented. In the entire process communication plays a vital role, it also facilitates managerial
planning of the organisation.

3. Means of Coordination:
Communication is an important tool for coordinating the efforts of various people at work in the
organisation.

4. Aids in Decision-Making:
The information collected through communication aids in decision-making. Communication facilitates
access to the vital information required to take decisions.

5. Provides Effective Leadership:

A communication skill bring manager near to his subordinates and exchange ideas and submits
appropriate proposals, knows their opinions, seeks advices and make decisions. This enables a manager
to win confidence of his subordinates through constantly communicating with them and removing
probable misunderstandings. In this way he leads his people to accomplish the organisational goal.

6. Boosts Morale and Motivation:

An effective communication system instills confidence among subordinates and workers ensuring
change in their attitude and behaviour. The main cause of conflict and dissatisfaction is
misunderstanding which can be removed through communication skills. The removal of
misunderstanding makes manager and his subordinates understand each other and create good
industrial relations. This boosts up the morale of the people and motivates them to work harder.

References:
https://managementstudyguide.com/importance-of-communication.htm

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/management/communication/communication-meaning-purpose-importance-and-
principles/60291