Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Final 2
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
1.1 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………1
Chapter 2
Literature Review…………………………………………………………………………….9
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….31
CHAPTER 3
1
3.4 Reliability and Validity of the Instruments………………………………………….33
Summary……………………………………………………………………………………38
References…………………………………………………………………………………40
CHAPTER 1
1.1 Abstract
Over the last decade, organisational communication has attracted growing academic
interest. Focuses on organizational communication within multi-unit organisations in
order to understand better the strategy implementation process from a communication
perspective. Anyone tired of disciplinary fragmentation, sick of partisan bickering, and
exhausted by an endless eclecticism probably desires a more comprehensive
framework, a more integral vision. To integrate means “to bring together, to join, to link,
to embrace. Not in the sense of uniformity, and not in the sense of ironing out all the
wonderful differences, colors, zigs and zags of a rainbow-hued humanity, but in the
sense of unity in-diversity, shared commonalties along with our wonderful differences”
(Wilber, 2000,p. 2). An integral vision would orient the cornucopia of theories and
methods, would inform purposeful action, would facilitate dialogue among academic
disciplines, and would offer insight into the very consciousness holding the vision.
Articulating such a vision is the integral project. Applying it to communication is integral
communication. Communication might be thought of as mutual understanding with in a
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shared inters subjective space. Or, perhaps communication is a transmission of
information bits from a source to a receiver. What theoretical map embraces them both?
The inside of communication could be studied qualitatively. Or, the outside of
communication could be studied quantitatively. What paradigm includes them both? The
integral project offers some clues to these enigmas.
1.2 Introduction
This has been done by establishing permanent interfaces between subsidiaries and
divisions, with managers meeting regularly to share ideas, customer information, and
discuss other issues. This type of open communication fosters a spirit of ownership
because people are involved in determining the strategic direction of the business. This
approach also fosters a feeling of participation in the affairs of the company. Some
organisations enjoy vertical communication and some enjoy lateral communication while
most of the organisations inculcate both types of communication. To further facilitate
open communication, the business is structured to eradicate competition between
divisions, thus removing the reluctance to share information while enforcing the
strategic plan.
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communicating business products and services in order to ensure implementation of
company strategic initiatives.
Although formulating a consistent strategy is a difficult task for any management team,
making that strategy work – implementing it throughout the organization – is even more
difficult (Hrebiniak, 2006). A myriad of factors can potentially affect the process by
which strategic plans are turned into organizational action. Unlike strategy formulation,
strategy implementation is often seen as something of a craft, rather than a science,
and its research history has previously been described as fragmented and eclectic
(Noble, 1999b). It is thus not surprising that, after a comprehensive strategy or single
strategic decision has been formulated, significant difficulties usually arise during the
subsequent implementation process. The best-formulated strategies may fail to produce
superior performance for the firm if they are not successfully implemented, as Noble (1
notes.
1.5.1Strategy
1.5.5 COMMUNICATION
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thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication
requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality.
The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the sender
1.5.6 Organization
The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) was established on the 10 th October
1989 to provide retirement and auxiliary benefits to employees in the service of the
Namibian Government as well as institutions established by Acts of Parliament. GIPF is
subject to the provisions of the Pension Funds Act of 1956.
The communication climate of GIPF is very porous and characterized by the fact that
none of the department in the organization have a regular monthly management
meeting in order to discuss pertinent issues or projects. The absence of these
meetings hinders effective flow of information with the organization , as a result
employees are denied of vital information which are necessary in the execution of
various projects in the organization.
5
During the formulation of the business strategy the organisation does not
consult operational staff, who might contribute in the strategy formulation. This
exclusion leads to omission of critical projects in strategic plan. Some of those
projects are quite pertinent to the organization, as they are challenged by
threats from the external environment and they can jeopardize the effectiveness
performance of the pension fund.
Communication problem has been the major setback that hinders the organization
optimal performance. These can be classified into six dimensions.
The current strategic plan has not been socialized and communicated to all the
employees , as a result the majority of employees does not understand the strategy
expectation and the acceptable performance standard required for their level of
operations in order to achieve the implementation of the strategic plan.
These derail the quality of productivity from various projects and make the
organization loose its focus on strategic initiatives. The organisation lose substantial
resources as problems on the project will only be identified later , while the project
incur excessive expenses.
The organisation does not have a formal procedure for filtering information to all
employees. Critical information discussed at the executive management does
not reach all employees. Major delays on the implementation of projects are
experienced across the organization because of ineffective communication from the
top management to the non-management staff.
6
The lack of an internal communication strategy contributes to poor dissemination
of information within the organization. As a result communication is ineffective thereby
inhibiting the implementation of strategic plans. The grape vine becomes a source of
information and critical information is first made available in the external media.
The organisation does not have a formal procedure of how different departments in
the organisation must provide feedback to each other , despite various processing of
services that are interlinked across various department in the organisation. These
contribute to major delays in the processing of claims across the process flow of the
value chain.
The result of which make employees not to value the importance of the organisation
climate survey and they develop ill feeling toward surveys that are conducted in
the organisation. The employee participation in recent surveys shows a significant
decline of 35 %.
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6. Performance Management
All departments have signed performance metrics standards on which they are to
be assessed quarterly. Although the organisation department finalized the
performance reviews timely, the outcome is might be communicated very later to
the organisation and some time not. Hence departmental performance is hindered.
The research work on the role of communication in the implementation of strategy will
assist various departments in the organisation by exploring the recommendations on
good communication practices as a catalyst for the implementation of the
business strategy.
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1.6 Statement of the problem
Even though the General Managers and Supervisors are provided with continuous
training on strategic implementation, this has nonetheless failed to achieve the desired
objectives. As seen above, the various departments have failed to reach the desired
targets a clear indication to the fact that the training program could ineffective.
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To assess the impact of employee communication in the company’s
implementation of strategic initiatives. Improve on the shortcomings on poor
communication. To give communication the importance that it deserves- budget
allocation, training, and other resources.
To assess the possible consequences of ineffective communication in strategy
implementation. See how the negative consequences can be avoided and how
the positive one can be achieved through communication.
To determine if employee communication contributes to effective or ineffective
service delivery and efficiency. See how effective communication can improve
employee and organisational performance.
To determine if effective communication integrates employees in the decision
making process. How effective communication can facilitate consultation of
employees before critical decisions are made. This would enable the employess
to personalize or own the decision.
To explore and describe the communication factors which influence strategic
implementation at GIPF. This is vital because unless you know these factors you
cannot know how communication drives strategy implementation.
To come up with recommendations to improve communication on strategic
initiatives. This is important because without recommendations, the entire study
would be meaningless and the problems cannot be addressed.
1.9 Thesis
In view of the above, the thesis of the research is that effective communication is
a condition without which an organisation cannot fully implement its strategic
initiatives. In other words for an organisation to fully implement its strategic
initiatives, its employees have to communicate effectively with each other. Poor
communication lead to misunderstanding and conflict and this derail the
implementation of strategic initiatives.
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Delineations and limitations
The study focus on the internal communication , which is communication within the
organisation. The study does not focus on how the organisation communicates with the external
world, as various strategic iniatives are internally managed and implemented within the
organisation. Secondly, due to financial constrains, the study only focuses only at GiPF Head
office. However, given that 77% of all the employees of the GIPF are located at the head office,
the results are representative of the total population of the GIPF.
Research questions
Assumptions.
Other than communication, there are other factors that have an impact on the
implementation of strategic initiaives. Most employees are not aware of the various
facets of communication and hence they may not appreciate the value of
communication or give fair responses to questionnaire.
That most people at the work place are willing to interact freely with each other and that
they may confuse interacting with communication. However, communicating is broader
than interacting and hence employees may take it for granted that there is effective
communication in the organisation. This is left, as an assumption because the
questionnaire outlined the facets of communication.
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This is the first study of its kind in as far as the GIPF is concerned. As a
consequence, the study pioneers the way for other studies in this particular area. By
specifically focusing its attention on the GIPF, the study differs from other studies in
the field of communication. As a result, the findings of this study will be of
indispensible value to the GIPF’s communication strategies.
The study will also generate information on how GIPF will be able to identify the
various factors that impact on the implementation of its strategic initiatives and
possible measures on how to facilitate employees’ communication.
The study will further identify various strategies that can be used in communicating
the business strategies to GIPF employees.
The results of the finding will provide recommendations on various platforms that
can be explored to discuss strategic initiatives.
The results of this study will also used to identify and analyze different
communication tools which are appropriate in communicating different strategic
initiatives.
Chapter Overview.
Chapter One provides an introduction to the subject matter and outlines the problem
statement, objectives, research questions, thesis, limitations and the significance of the
study.
Chapter Two goes into detail and offers the literature review of the research.
Chapter Three: is a presentation of the data, analysis and findings. It covers the
method that will be used in collecting and analyzing the data.
Chapter Five provides the summary of: findings, conclusion, contributions and
suggestions for further research and recommendation for implementation.
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Chapter 2
Literature Review
This study first reviews communication and management control literatures that identify
attributes of effective communication in implementation of strategy.
Homburg (2001) contends that good communication has a positive influence on the
better understanding of the process of change which catalyzes the effective
implementation of strategic plans.
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A variety of formats and media channels will be used in spreading
Information related to an organization reform implementation strategy
Dooley et al (2000) stated that interactive digital media channels (e.g., Internet Web
sites, newsgroups, CDROMs) enhances and promote the implementation of strategic
initiatives. These media allow communicators to deliver highly tailored messages and
receive feedback from the intended audience. These channels are capable of producing
both mass communication and interpersonal interaction. This invariably leads to job
satisfaction of the employees. Therefore, this can create a conducive environment for
efficiency and effectiveness of employees thereby promoting the implementation of
strategy. These channels are capable of producing both mass communication and
interpersonal interaction for effective implementation of strategy.
These are the different modes multimedia channels of communicating strategy.
CD-ROMs—Computer disks that can contain an enormous amount of
information, including sound and video clips and interactive devices could contain
company strategy which could be disseminated electronically.
Electronic mail (e-mail)—A technology that allows users to send and receive
messages to one or more individuals on a computer via the Internet, can also
catalyze the dissemination of strategic implementation among employees.
According to Slater (2001), communication planning is one of the most neglected areas
of corporate planning. Communication with customers and the media and with
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employees is essential for long term success. Therefore generating feedback constantly
from clients is the best strategy for the success of a business.
Wernham (2005) state that, "by articulating the outcomes the organization desires as
well as the drivers of those outcomes, senior executives can channel the energies, the
abilities, and the specific knowledge held by people throughout the organization towards
achieving the business's long-term goals." Thus, Wernham (2005) assert that not only
does the communication help create organizational strategy and knowledge, but also
the communication itself effectively communicates strategy and knowledge.
Schmidt (2006) stressed that, individuals use and rely on communication if its
processes and messages are perceived as understandable and trustworthy. He further
stated that other characteristics of effective organizational communication processes
are routineness, predictability, reliability, and completeness. Communication also is
more effective if it uses concise messages and clearly defined terms (Schmidt:2006).
Furthermore, an effective communication system precludes suppression of truth or
misstatement of performance. There should be no ambiguity regarding the differences
between truthfulness and "looking good" or integrity with winning. The effective
communication system and its users will be intolerant of "spin, deniability, and truth by
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assertion" (Schmidt:2006). Therefore, organizational communication will be effective if
processes and messages are valid representations of performance.
Sashittal (2005) argue that communication also can be an instrument of cultural and
strategic change. Consistent with his observations of change processes, many
organisations may facilitate change by effectively creating and communicating a
credible vision of and method for achieving change.
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Akan eta al (2006) argue that communication and performance measures should
motivate behavior leading to continuous improvement in key areas of competition, such
as customer satisfaction, flexibility, and productivity. That is, they should reflect cause
and effect between operational behavior and strategic outcomes (Akan et al:2006)
Furthermore, as an organization identifies new strategic objectives, it also may realize a
need for new communication measures that encourage and monitor new actions (Beer
et al. 2000). Thus, organizations sensibly and perhaps optimally may use a diverse set
of communication measures to reflect the diversity of management decisions and efforts
(Akan et al: 2006 )
Hrebiniak (2006) have arranged multiple communication measures into the Balanced
Scorecard, which is a logical expression of most models of Western business
management. Indeed, some organisations may have spread widely throughout the
world on the strength of its intuition and internal logic communication system. Hrebiniak
(2006) claim that organizations may offer two significant improvements in
communication over traditional financial or even nonfinancial measures of performance.
First, Hrebiniak et at (2006) identifies four related areas of activity that may be critical to
nearly all organizations and all levels within organizations in relationship to
communication:
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such as improvements in all four areas of organizational activity, which include
administrative activities and methods of communication.
Nilson et al (2004) stress its alignment of critical communication measures with strategy
and links of the communication measures to valued outcomes. In addition, the
management control identifies other characteristics of control systems that may be
critical to the successful implementation of strategy and should apply to many
organizations. To be effective, mode of communication should be accurate, objective,
and verifiable. Otherwise, communication measures will not reflect performance and
may be manipulated, or managers could in good faith achieve good measured
performance but cause the organization harm. If managers can achieve good measured
performance by cheating, then the system quickly will lose credibility and desired
motivational effect.
Noble (2005) reviews that positive communication impact induces managers to exert
effort to achieve organizational goals. While informative but not controllable
performance measures may be important, positive communication requires that at least
some of the organization corporate cultures should reflect managers' actions. For
example, relative performance evaluation, which can identify "influenceable" but not
completely controllable outcomes, may be an important component of an organization
(Noble:2005), but it may not be sufficient by itself Extensive goal-setting confirms that
performance should be keyed to challenging but attainable targets through effective
communication (Noble :2005). Without such explicit organisation targets, performance
likely would be lower than could be reasonably achieved. Finally to build goal
commitment, the organisation should be linked with prompt and well-understood
feedback of information. Feedback that are delayed, uncertain, or ambiguous may be
ineffective in implementation of strategic plans
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explained that organizations should insist that they segment the diverse and often
multilingual and multicultural audiences in planning the communications campaign. The
communications professionals will then be properly prepared to begin to tailor your
messages, and the medium, to the unique needs of each of your many internal and
external audiences.
He stated that organizations should design their messages thoughtfully, then employ
every affordable medium early, daily, tenaciously, and tirelessly. Include town meetings,
videos, interactive Web sites and CDs, letters, small and large group briefings,
discussion groups, one-on-one meals, and off-hour get-togethers.
initially communicated.
.
According to Viseras (2005) words alone are not sufficient to effectively communicate
complex strategic and organization changes to diverse sets of stakeholders. People will
interpret words and create subjective visions about what they mean. Inevitably, different
people will have different ideas of what the future holds. Whether a picture, storyboard,
or physical model, the visual representation of the current state and end result is a tool
that can be used to communicate progress and value. Through a tool we call Concept
Visualization, changes are depicted in a context of time and budget, linking the present
state with the future state.
It will be important for all stakeholders to be able to see where they are depicted in
the visualization and to understand their role in implementing change.
White (2006) elaborated that the choice of our communications “basket” (medium)
depends squarely on the type and content of message to deliver, our available
resources, and also most crucially on how the audience likes to receive information.
What newspaper do they read? What radio station do they listen to? Where do they
gather? How can we marry scientific content with the right dissemination channel?
A communications “basket,” however, can go well beyond policy briefs, take-home
messages and peer-reviewed papers. Especially when targeting decision-makers, we
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cannot discount the tremendous value of face-to-face meetings. There is no substitute
for them. As we know, such meetings can take the form of phone calls, seminars,
workshops, focus groups, conferences, and so on.
According to Schaap (2006) all strategies must start with an understanding of
objectives. Communications can be expensive in resources and time, so the
more precisely we can state our reasons for communicating, the better we’ll be able to
spend those precious resources. Many organizations might state their principal
communications goal as:
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that; this situation can be avoided if new strategies are clearly and concisely
broadcasted to the work force.
Communicating vision and the mission of the organisation play a pivotal role in
driving the strategic initiatives indirectly, due the fact that all the strategic
initiatives are crafted from the vision and the mission of the organisation. By
communicating the vision and the mission of the organisation, communication drives
the implementation of strategic initiatives simultaneously.
A clear definition of communication objectives will assist the organisation to draft a clear
communication strategy tailored to communicate a specific strategic initiative. E.g. a
communication program aimed on creating a positive organisation culture.
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Changes on the strategy must be communicated timely and accurate so that the
team members can get this critical information and align their functions in
accordance with the changes that are done on the strategic initiatives by the
executives. Providing Feedback and evaluation of what has been achieved on
strategic initiatives is a critical element of communication in the implementation of
strategic initiatives. If there is no feedback the organisation will not be able to
monitor their progress on various strategic initiatives band remedial actions on
improving short coming cannot be undertaken. The aspect of feedback loop in
the communication practices signifies the importance of communication in the
implementation of the strategic initiatives in any organisation.
Jake and Green 2001 further elaborated that organisations need to understand
communication channels chosen to communicate a strategic initiative in the
organisation. According to jack and green the channel must mach to the desired
level of interactions and feedback needed in the implementation of the specific
strategic initiatives.
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reinforce corporate culture required, to support the implementation of strategic
initiatives and avoid pandering to the lowest common denominator and instead
challenging laggards to catch up with high performers.
Crafting visibility plan for all strategic initiatives is crucially in the implementation of
strategic initiatives as the visibility plan will make it clear how various strategic
initiatives will look like and how they will be implemented. Employees will also be
enthused and exert considerable effort in implementing strategic initiatives as they are
clearly displayed on notice boards in respective departments.
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Gaylo (2011) continue explain that communicating progress in the achievement of
strategic objectives encourages high performers to work very hard as their
achievements are communicated to the rest of the organisation, at the same time
discourage poor performers to improve as they will not tolerate poor performance
reports to be send across the organisation.
Due to that communication serve as a greatest motivators for all employees in the
organisation. Regular and comprehensive progress report will assist the organisations
to obtain a clear picture of progress on the implementation of strategic initiatives and
intervene urgently to overcome various huddles’ that are impeding the implementation
of various strategic initiatives in organisations. Communicating expectations standard
to be achieved on strategic initiatives encourages project owners to modify their
projects during the execution in line with the expectations standard, this will enable
them to achieve what has been expected within a certain time frame. I f the
organisation is communicating progress in the implementation of strategic initiatives to
all employees , this encourages a sense of ownership for strategic initiatives among
the work force band encourage a excellent relationships between various departments
in the execution of various projects.
Failure to informs other teams on what is being done on the strategic initiatives
significantly derail the impacts of various strategic initiatives as some projects will
be successfully implemented however due to the fact that , this has never been
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communicated to the rest of the organisation, the interventions will not be viewed by
other departments as a success. Due to this kind of behavior, employees develop
negative perception towards departments and this affect how employees interact
and relate with one another.
Gaylo (2011) also clarified that, it’s important to communicate the detail of the plan
and get people involved and buy in the strategic initiatives. He further explained
that, buy in is the recognition that your strategic initiatives make sense and
stakeholders have important role in the implementation of the strategic initiatives.
A strategic initiative is more likely to succeed if all various stakeholders buy in the
project and understand that their role is very important and their contributions are
valued for the successful implementation of specific strategic initiatives.
This most popular category of Motivation and Personal Ownership contains responses
focused on the question, "What's in it for me?" This is not to imply that we're all selfish,
greedy, self-serving individuals, although recent headlines could certainly make that
case successfully it's really that people are looking for the meaning in what they do. In
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other words, they want to show up for more than just a paycheck. People want to build
something, make a difference. "Don't understand the purpose, goal is minimized, vision
disappears. No enthusiasm to make it happen. The bottom line, how will it affect ME?"
Extra effort is needed to help people understand how getting behind the company's
goals can support their personal goals. "The I/me mentality is so prevalent today. If it
works for me -- it works for me! Let everyone else deal with it." If employees understand
what is in for them they will have the desire or necessary will to implement the plan. If
there is no buyer for specific initiative normally it fails because the people responsible
for implementing it are not convinced of its value."
If employees are not motivated and held accountable for personal ownership on
initiative, the hurdles on implementation of strategic initiatives are more likely to be
"Employee resistance." "Lack or no sense of urgency." "Inability of individuals to
view strategic projects an important and exciting part of their job." "Lack of
employees' support." Lack of better sales efforts. "Lack of initiative at the lower levels
of implementation, the 'front lines'." "Lack of ability to arouse enthusiasm." In summary
is this prediction: "The project will never succeed if there is no emotion or passion
involved."
Gaylo (2011) emphasis that , there should be one primary owner for each strategic
initiatives , who will follow through , keep it alive and keep things going . Enlisting
and engaging other is a part of their leadership role as the primary owner of the
initiative. There should be responsibility and accountability relationship.
This means that organisations need to communicate clearly who is responsible for
the implementation of strategic initiatives and ensure that the owners accept their
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responsibility. There must be adequate feedback on progress achieved on
strategic initiative and they must work hard overcome challenges’ in implementing
specific strategic initiatives. The primary owner of the project must be communicated
to all the stakeholders and serve as project leader for specific initiatives.
Johson (2002) explained that lack of communications routinely allows plans to die out
after their launch and this can be addressed through. "regular internal press, better
marketing efforts." This will create momentum, keep the fire burning and avoid the
quietness that goes like a mausoleum after the entertainment goes home. These
assist organisations to become introverted in their communication strategies, whether
the group is a large company or a small team." This kind of communication culture is a
heath culture in which in which creative initiatives will be nurtured and blossomed.
Communication is also much more than words and pictures. Communication is also
delivered through demonstration. "The management team does not follow the strategy
themselves." We all know about the hypocritical "do as I say, not as I do" admonition.
27
What does that scream about the value of the strategy? That behavior will raise
eyebrows faster than a cook who won't eat his own cooking!
Johson (2002) further explained that organisations can learn that, its very important for
leaders to demonstrate and walk the talk on strategic initiatives they are
communicating, employees can only be influenced by leaders that demonstrate, what
they communicate for the purpose of implementation of various strategic initiatives.
Bacal (2005) explained that organizations use their common culture as a strategic
advantage, create a culture through the use of strategic, coordinated communication
strategies. They use multiple methods and consistent. Their training supports their
cultural goals and written communication (eg. newsletters, billboards, slogans, etc). The
management communicates consistently in common messages to a number of forums
(eg. performance management, department or sub-organization meetings, award and
recognition programs, etc). And perhaps most importantly, management behaviour is
consistent with the messages echoed via other communication methodologies.
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Identify the common culture needed/wanted and make the distinction between what
is needed and what is wanted because the culture we seek to create should somehow
enable the organization to better achieve the goals, role and mission it has designated
for itself. The parallel here is to the visioning process that occurs in strategic initiatives,
except it answers the question: "What values, principles, procedures and behaviours
must we create so that we can achieve our mission?" In practical terms, this step can
result in a set of goals.
Bacal added that after the identification you need to match the tools at your
disposal with the goals that we identified in Step 1. Some tools are best suited to certain
types of goals and not to others. In general, though we want to aim all of the available
communication tools at the achievement of strategic initiative.
Develop a description of how each tool will be used. People "in charge" of the
communication tools need to know the generally and specifically tool and how they fits
into larger context. For example, managers need to understand the tone and approach
to writing internal memos that will be consistent with the "internal communication" goals
matched to the tool. Or more obviously, a corporate newsletter editor must be aware of
the primary values, and information that needs to be conveyed to staff so the newsletter
supports the creation of the desired culture.
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differently. That may mean we will need to help people develop the skills needed to
fulfill these new expectations. For example, a manager might need to learn how to
rephrase memos, or conduct cooperative performance appraisals so as to be consistent
with the desired culture.
Plan for implementation, at this point we should know what we need to communicate,
how we are going to do it, etc. We may want to flesh this out a bit by determining who
will do what, and when it will be done. Let's remember that this is not a project, but an
ongoing process, we want to change communication approaches over the long term.
He further stressed that for many employees, their work group is a primary source for
interaction. The communication that takes place within the group is a fundamental
mechanism by which members show their frustrations and feelings of job satisfaction.
Communication therefore provides a release for the emotional expression of feelings
and for fulfilment of social needs. Therefore communication facilitates decision making
which enhances strategic initiatives. This is done through information needed
30
individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data to identify and
evaluate alternative choice.
No one of these functions should be seen as been important than the others. For
groups to perform effectively in organisation, they need to maintain some form of control
over members, stimulate members to perform, provide a means for emotional
expression, and make decision choices. Therefore, it can be assumed that almost every
communication interaction that takes place in an organisation performs one or more of
these functions.
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feedback about performance. Though, in some organisation the downward
communication does not necessarily need to be oral or face-to-face contact. The
means of communication could either be by dispatch of letters, memo or via e-mail
from the team leader. This method can provide a good metric for feedback and
evaluation of strategy
Upward: Upward communication flows to a higher level in the in the organisation. It’s
used to provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress toward goals and relay
current problem. This system is used by the lower management staff to communicate
with the middle management staff and the senior management staff in an organisation.
The lower management staff updates the middle management staff and the senior
management staff about the flow of their subordinate staff jobs, and the organisation in
general. Through this process the senior management rely on the middle management
level for ideas on how things can be improved in an organisation. Example of upward
communication in an organisation are where performance reports being prepared by the
lower management staff and reviewed by the middle management and senior
management staff, suggestion boxes, employees attitude surveys, grievance
procedures, superior-subordinate discussions, and informal “gripe’ sessions in which
employees have the opportunity to discuss with their boss or representative (team
leader) at management meeting. This is appropriate for higher levels of strategic
development.
Lateral: This is a type of communication that takes place among members of the
same work group, management level or among any horizontally equivalent
personnel. The effectiveness for lateral or horizontal communications is that it
saves time and facilitates coordination among staff. Most of the time, this type of
communication short-circuit action and expedite action this invariably catalyses the
implementation of strategy
.
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According to Sutton (2003), effective communication enhances organisational core
competencies required for a business to compete successfully. This can only take
place, if a purpose, expressed as a message to be conveyed, is needed. It passes
between a sender and a receiver. Leadership in today's marketplace requires
communication (Sutton:2003). By communication, we mean talk that is honest, clear,
and sensitive to the moment in implementing the strategic plans of the organisation. In
addition, today's realities require an organizational environment in which straight talk is
not only encouraged but valued.. According to Berlo (2001), the result is transference of
meaning from one person to another. The process below depicts the communication
process:
In this process (channel), the sender initiates a message by encoding a thought which
helps to elevate the growth and strategy of the organisation. . The message is the
actual physical product from the sender’s encoding. When we speak, the speech is the
message. When we write, the writing is the message. When we gesture, the movement
of our arms and the expression on our faces are the message. The channel is the
medium through which the message travels. All these It is selected by the sender, who
must determine whether to use a formal or informal channel of relaying a message to
the employees. Formal channels are established by the organisation and transmit
messages that are related to the professional activities of members. They traditionally
follow the authority chain within the organisation. The final link in the communication
process is a feedback loop. Feedback is the check on how successful we have been in
transferring our initiatives as originally intended. It determines whether understanding
has been achieved for the way forward of the company.
McCrosky stated that there are three basic methods of how group members transfer
meaning between and among each other for the implementation of strategy plan. These
are: oral, written and non-verbal communication.
33
Oral communication: The chief means of conveying messages among employees is
oral communication. Speeches could be formal or informal. Formal is one-on-one
and group discussions, while informal is rumour or grapevine. These are forms of
oral communication which enhances the implementation of strategy initiatives. One
of the advantages of oral communication is speed and feedback. A verbal message
can be conveyed and a response received in a minimal amount of time. If the
employer is unsure of the message, rapid feedback allows for early detection by the
management and, hence, allows for early correction before the implementation of
the strategy. This system of communication is popular in corporate organisation.
Messages for strategy are communicated to different hierarchy in an organisation
very fast telephonically and the response is always immediate. Though there could
be error in the feedback but this could be detected and corrected very early before
implementation.
34
instance, a stare, a smile, a frown, and a provocative body movement all convey
meaning. This may influence job performance which may also invariably affect
strategic initiative of an organisation. As such no discussion of communication would
be complete without consideration of non verbal communication which include body
movements, the intonations or emphasis we give to words, facial expressions and
the physical distance between the sender and the receiver. Body language adds to,
and often complicates, verbal communication. A body position or movement does
not by itself have a precise or universal meaning, but when it is linked with spoken
language. It gives a better meaning to a sender’s message. Though this is not a
formal form of communication at high profile organisation, but it is basically used by
individual that like to gesture especially when reading verbatim minutes of a
meeting.
Mittner (2004) elaborated that companies with good internal communication are
likely to have happier and more loyal staff. Mitner (2004) further stressed that
internal morale is at an all-time low in many organisations. He says that ‘yet few
companies have managed the current climate of fear with clear vision of where the
company’s strategy is headed and how each individual can continue to play a
significant role in its ongoing achievements’. Mittner (2004) further stressed that
internal communication campaigns include staff morale, employee turnover and
absenteeism, mans hours or days gained activity, increased productivity, and a
decline in accidents in the workplace along with the savings this gives. All these
enhance the strategic plan of an organisation. Though, communication function is
usually allocated to a company Public relation, marketing, or human resources
division, but Mittner (2004) insists the onus for creating a motivated and productive
workforce lies squarely on the shoulder sof the CE. Not only does the CE need to be
seen as the chief communicator within the organisation, but he also needs to ensure
the management team replicates his example and maintains an open line of
communication between the head and the body of the company at all times for the
effective implementation of the strategy initiatives
Conclusion
35
In summary, effective organizational communication devices should possess the
observable attributes of:
CHAPTER 3
36
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter clarifies the methods used to analyse the questionnaires filled by the
respondents
The study will use quantitative and qualitative methods through the use of
questionnaires. Oyedele (2000) has defined the qualitative method as a loosely
defined category of research design which is field focused and deals with subjective
data in descriptive form like note, recording or other descriptions. Though, it is also
referred to as interpretative, naturalistic and descriptive research, involving small
groups of data. Quantitative research according to Oyedele (2000) is hypothetical,
particularistic, impersonal, experimental and stable. It is the outsider’s perspective
view of the problem and it is unbiased. Usually, quantitative data is collected under
controlled or rather monitored situations in order to manipulate the variables. The
researcher supposes that these methods are effective because he will be able to
collect the best results, if he manipulates the data them efficiently and effectively.
Quantitative method will be used to show similarities and differences on the
response provided by the participants. Qualitative data will be gathered through the
use of closed-ended questions which will make provision for the collection of
quantifiable information. Questionnaires will be distributed among GIPF employees.
Respondents will answer the questionnaires and will share more light on the nature
and state of employees communication at GIPF.
37
Population
A target population is a group of people in which the researcher has interest in. Such a
group should share a given set of characteristics, about which the researcher wishes to
draw conclusions (Cardwel:2004). The focus population in this research will be the total
employees working at GIPF which is about 100 .
Sample
Usually, the population is too large for the researcher to attempt to survey all of its
members. A small, but carefully chosen sample can be used to represent the
population. The sample reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is
drawn (StatPac: 2009).
Sampling
38
3.3.Research Instruments
. The researcher will make use of a questionnaire. The choice of using questionnaire is
mainly because large number of respondents will be used and to get a quantitative data
from the sample. Information will be solicited through the structured interviews.
Observations also will be used to get information and quantitative data.
Questionnaire: The structured questionnaire for GIPF employees will be designed and
it will be divided into two main sections. Section A will relate to the respondents'
demographic data and it will consist mainly of closed-ended questions about the
respondents' demography and the subject under study. This section will enable the
researcher to gather quantitative data.
Section B elicit respondents' views on the roles and impact of employee communication
in implementation of strategic initiatives. This section consists mainly of the closed-
ended questions that will allow respondents to provide their personal views, opinions,
perceptions and experiences on the issue under study. This part will enable the
researcher to collect reliable qualitative data (Patton: 2000)
According to Maree (2007) reliability of an instrument means that if the same instrument
is used at different times or administered to different subjects from the same population,
the findings should be the same. In other words, reliability is the extent to which a
measuring instrument is repeatable and consistent. Therefore the questionnaires that
will be administered for the role of employees in implementation in strategic initiative will
be checked by the supervisor for validity and reliability
In this research an internal reliability will be used, where as the researcher will see to it
that the questions prepared for the respondents correlates with each other. This type of
reliability is also called internal consistency. When a number of items are formulated to
39
measure a certain construct, there should be a high degree of similarity among them
since they are supposed to measure one common construct. A measure of this degree
of similarity is an indication of the internal consistency of the instrument (Maree:2007)
The researcher will administer the questionnaire with the help of two assistants and
permission will be sort from relevant authorities before conducting this study. The
researcher will be solely responsible to conduct structured interviews.
The responses will be manually transcribed and the qualitative content analysis will be
used to analyze the quantitative methods. Descriptive statistics will be used whereby
data will be displayed using frequency tables and percentages. Qualitative data will be
coded first and then analyzed using identified themes.
Tables will be used to illustrate how many respondents support or do not support a
particular view on the role of communication. This will be used to compare whether
there is any significant differences or similarities between the views held by values
such as age, gender and departments.
Time constraints and lack of financial resources to obtain responses from significant
numbers of GIPF staff will present a limitation.
It will be problematic to elicit the desired information from key informants at Government
Institution Pension Fund due to the sensitive nature of the information.
40
Lastly, due to confidentiality some information and data will be difficult to access and
caution will be taken not to generalise information, because this is a study applicable to
only one organisation.
3.7.Research Ethics
Informed consent
The researcher will obtain consent from prospective participants as to whether they are
willing to participate in the discussions. This will mean, informing them about what the
study is all about in order for them to be able to make a rational decision whether they
want to be part of the study or not.
Permission will be obtained from the relevant authorities before conducting the study.
Confidentiality
Information which will be obtained from the participants during the study will remain
confidential and can only be shared with others if prior agreement was made with
respondents. According to Bless & Higson-Smith (1995:103) the researcher must
assure the participants that data will only be used for the stated purpose of the research
41
and that no other person will have access to the information. It is of importance that the
researcher must accept responsibility of protecting the participants.
3.8.Summary
This chapter explained the general method of collating the data and how the responses
of the participants determines the role of communication in strategic implementation at
GIPF. The research design, methods and questionnaires were discussed.
Budget Plan
Draft budget*
Item Details Approximate cost (N$)
Production of research material, 1 000.00
stationery, administration and
procurement of literature material
Data coding, entry, analysis and 200.00
report writing
5% contingency for inflation 60.00
Total expenses 1 260.00
Timeline
Month Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
>>>>
Action Actors
42
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV VVVVVVV
V VVV
4.Development of * Israel
interview guide
43
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