HHC 1013 Human Communication

Organizational Communication

What Is Organization
Organization is a systematic arrangement of

people to accomplish some specific purpose. Every organization is composed of three elements i.e. people, goals and system. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationship between the different activities and the members, and subdivides and assign roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out different tasks.

Types of Message Sent in Organization

a) Internal - operational communication

Communication between department or section inside organization. b) External operational communication Communication between organization with customers, government agency, suppliers. c) Personal communication Communication between individual within organization.

CHANNELS
Channels or media can be used to convey

messages within or outside organizations. i. Memo ii. Phone iii. Emails iv. Interpersonal Communication v. Most mediated

Formal and Informal Communication

a) Formal communication

Formal communication is organized

and managed information that is shared with relevant individuals in order to secure coordinated action throughout the organization. a) Informal communication Grapevine or so called gossip.

Centralized Communication
Information must pass through a central

communication. Quick and have few errors. Problem could be overload. 3 types i. Y ii. Chain iii. Wheel

Decentralized Communication
The information is generally passed around to all

party members. Used for complex problem. 2 types i. The circle ii. All channels

Flows of Organizational Communication

i.

Upward communication Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. Leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels.

ii. Downward communication

Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a lower level. Used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers.

iii. Lateral / Horizontal Communication

Communication that takes place at same levels

of hierarchy in an organization. iv. Diagonal Communication Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of other workgroups. To design a training module a training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform their task.

Informal Communication
How It Works Some organizational theorists feel that some

informal or grapevine communication is needed in organizational life.

Person 2 Person 6

Person 1
Person 5 Person 3

Person 4

Person 7

Reason why people gossips

1) People fear the unknown. If people dont

have information that they want, they fear the unknown and will try to garner it from others especially if that information appears to be hidden.
2) People want to belong and be included. If

people believe they dont have information that others have, they will feel excluded and on the outside of the inner circle. Information is power. Everyone wants to be part of the team, to be included and the easiest way to identify those who are part of a tribe are those who are in the

 3) People crave intimacy and a sense of

connection. Gossip is one of the quickest and easiest ways to connect with another human being.

Gossip Type
Bogey/anxiety

Background
Primarily driven by fear - create unease among recipients

Example
Move towards privatization Merger of a company The prospect of layoffs

Anticipatory

Often precipitated by situations of ambiguity

Will a new chief executive officer come from within the organization or be appointed from elsewhere?

Aggressive

May damage reputation of individuals

Are nurses in an hospital ward romantically involved with doctors so that they can advance careers?

Pipe dream/wish fulfillment

Express the hopes of those who circulate them

-Possible solution to a work problem that an employee wants changed - Bonus

Advantage of Grapevine
The first advantage of a grapevine communication is

the fact that information through this channel is extremely fast. Many have said of grapevine communication to be one of the fastest forms of communication. Tends to bring a sense of unity among employees of an organization when they meet to share and discuss certain issues. Experts say that because of the nature of grapevine communication, it enhances group cohesiveness in many organizations all over the world. In organizations or establishments where formal communications do not function properly, grapevine communication comes to the rescue. Information through grapevine ends up being the only way

Disadvantages of Grapevine
Grapevine information since it is largely based on

rumors tends to carry along with it partial information which ends up not giving the real state of affairs in an organization. It can damage an organizations goodwill. For instance imagine a situation where lower ranking employees of an organization begin peddling false information about people at the top. Employees become unproductive thanks to grapevine. Grapevine communication can make organizations lose a lot of money because thanks to grapevine employees spend work hours talking about the latest rumor circulating around them. The organization pays dearly