ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF JOURNALISM AND

COMMUNICATIONS BROADCAST DEPARTMENT

Organizational Communication

The Case of Ethio-telecom

By Asfaw Gedamu
6/3/2015

Submitted to:

Getaneh Mekuaninte
 Abstract
Communication is the Process of exchanging meaning between people by using a common
system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Communication is the cement of social life where by
relationships are built and maintained. People organize to accomplish individual and
organizational goals through joint actions.

Organizational communication is a combination of internal and external communication. Hence,

internal communication refers to communication that takes place among employees of the
company. It includes formal and informal, vertical and horizontal communication.

The research was to determine whether or not there is an internal communication gap among
lower employees, supervisors, frontline managers and higher management in Ethio-telecom. To
accomplish the above general and specific objectives a six page questionnaire with 17 single
answer questions was distributed among 252 Ethio-telecom employees who work in central
Addis Ababa, specifically Legehar, Head office, TPO and Microwave through face-to-face
contact. Generally, the response rate was 77%, even if the rate of individual questions differs.

The research result shows that Ethio-telecom employees are adequately informed and they have
the information they need to do their job. Moreover, they have trust on the information they
receive from their immediate supervisors (managers) and upper management. The supervisors
communicate openly, skillfully and consistently.

Therefore, the researcher found that there is no internal communication gap among Ethio-
telecom employees, supervisors, frontline managers and higher management. But the
communication approach of Ethiotelecom lies under Classical Approach.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Unlike any year in my life, I was chocked for lack of time. At home, as a father I had to give
time for my family. At work, in addition to my daily operational activities I had to participate in
system tests, trainings and weekly meetings.

Therefore, had it not been for your understanding and unwavering patience, my advisor (I would
rather say my mentor) Getaneh Mekuaninte, this paper wouldn’t have been finished. I found
your mentorship exceptional, all your comments and advises were highly constructive. Thank
you so much is all I can say.

My life partner, Desta, thank you for encouraging me to push on the paper, thank for
your invaluable support and immense love.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .........................................................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................................................3
CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................6
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.....................................................................................................6
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................6
1.1 Statement of the Problem ...........................................................................................................7
1.2 Objectives.................................................................................................................................9
1.3 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................................10
1.4 Significance of the Study .........................................................................................................10
1.5 Scope of the Study...................................................................................................................11
1.6 Limitation of the Study ............................................................................................................11
1.7 Organization of the Paper.........................................................................................................11
CHAPTER TWO.............................................................................................................................. 12
LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................................................................12
2. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 12
2.1 Definition of Internal Communication ...................................................................................... 13
2.2 The Necessity of Communication in organizations.....................................................................15
2.3 Background of Internal Communication....................................................................................19
2.4 Barriers of Communication ......................................................................................................23
2.5 Communication Competence ...................................................................................................25
CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................... 27
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................27
3. Research Design ....................................................................................................................... 27
3.1 Target Population ....................................................................................................................27
3.2 Sampling Method ....................................................................................................................27
3.3 Data Collecting and Recording .................................................................................................28
CHAPTER FOUR............................................................................................................................ 29
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS .....................................................................................29 4.
Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 29
4. 1 Presentation and Analysis .......................................................................................................30
CHAPTER FIVE.............................................................................................................................. 40

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 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................40
5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 40
5.1 Recommendations ...................................................................................................................41
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 42
Appendix 1 ......................................................................................................................................47
Appendix 2 ......................................................................................................................................54

List of Figures
Figure 1, transactional communication model (Adler & Rodman, 2006:15). .........................................24
Figure 2, the background information of respondents. .........................................................................30
Figure 3, which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? ................31
Figure 4, what do you think of the information you receive?................................................................ 31
Figure 5, I have the information I need to do my job. ..........................................................................32
Figure 6, how would you rate your supervisor’s (manager’s) communication skills? ............................. 33
Figure 7, from which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of your information
about what is going on in the company? ......................................................................................................34
Figure 8, from which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of your information
about what is going on in the company? ......................................................................................................34
Figure 9, There are opportunities available to me to express my ideas to upper management..................35
Figure 10, There is good communication between people in different branches of the company. ............36
Figure 11, I am kept well informed by upper management on what is going on in the company (such as
company plans and progress).............................................................................................................36
Figure 12, Overall, how satisfied are you with the communication within Ethio-telecom? .....................37
Figure 13, I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. .................................37
Figure 14, whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor ......................................38
Figure 15, the information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information I receive
from other supervisors. .....................................................................................................................38
Figure 16, How much of a typical company e-mail (flash info) do you read? ........................................39
Figure 17, what is your overall evaluation of the e-mail (flash info)?....................................................39

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 CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1. Introduction
Communication is the building block of social life – the cement that brings humans together. The
quality and strength, and hence the durability of any modern building is hard to envision without
the quality of cement that joins together the whole building materials. The same is true of
communication and social life. The success or failure of social relations, community life, team
work and organizational excellence is highly dependent up on the success or failure of
communication among the interacting parties. Whereas Ineffective communication is the main
cause of most organizational problems, effective communication is the key solution, therefore; at
the heart of organizational success (Kilbride, 2010).

Whenever any baby is born, it is immediately surrounded by a group of people. It grows up

learning the language, culture, social values and norms of the group or community and of itself
through communication. By communicating with others, the baby in the long run, identifies
itself as an individual with unique world outlooks. It is through continues communications,
otherwise socialization, that we all identify ourselves as humans that are highly related to others.
Human existence is unthinkable without group work. Humans work in groups, learn in groups,
have fun in groups, grieve in groups, in groups they attack and in groups they defend themselves
– all in all, they live in groups. The history of human civilization, therefore, is the history of
organizing. Without communication, however; the process of organizing is hardly fruitful. Once
an organization is formed, its continuity and advancement is achieved through organizational
communication (Eisenberg et al, 2010).

Every society needs organization. People of similar needs and values organize themselves to
achieve a common goal that might be impossible to realize individually. Organizations are the
results of popular or group cooperation to accomplish shared goals through joint actions.
Organizational communication, hence, focuses on how mutual cooperation is established and
organizational structure is attained (Littlejohn & Foss, 2011). In fact, all of us belong to one or
more organizations be it intentionally or unintentionally (Pearson et al, 2011).

6
Communication contributes a critical part in the success of any organization. Effective
communication skills increase productivity whereas poor communication skills decrease
productivity (Northup, 2006).

In Ethiopia, the introduction of telecommunications service stretches back to the reign of

Emperor MENELIK II. He firstly introduced it in his compound in 1890 A.D. and then it
became public in 1903 E.C. under the ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone. In 1945 E.C.
by the proclamation of 131/45, the telecom operator once again became under the government of
Ethiopia telecommunication Board. For the third time, Ethiopian Telecommunications
Corporations was formed in 1989 E.C. by proclamation No. 10/1989. Finally, France telecom
overtook the management role of Ethiopian telecom operator for two years in order to enhance
services and infrastructure by boosting knowledge transfer. Then the current “Ethio-Telecom”
replaced the former Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation by Proclamation No. 691/2010 (
Gebreyesus, 2013).

The world is changing in a blink of an eye and the abruptness and fine advancement of the
“digital world” is highly visible in the telecommunications sector. As a result, the Ethiopian
government has to expand the telecommunications services continuously in order to satisfy the
demands of the growing number of subscribers and the emergence of economic growth. The
telecommunications sector has been in a turbulent change for the last ten years. Currently, an
ambitious overall telecom expansion is underway at Ethio-telecom. However, both internal and
external customers don’t seem we l informed about the changes and plans to be accomplished.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

Communication is the glue that connects every society together. Every society is an assortment
of organizations such as educational institutions, religious organizations, business organizations,
and so on. Ethio-telecom is a business organization that focuses on telecom service deliveries. It
is a merger of internal and external customers and stakeholders, solely the government of
Ethiopia. In this case, effective communication among such crucial entities is paramount for
organizational success.The success or failure of any company critically depends on how it is
perceived by key stakeholders such as shareholders and investors, customers and consumers,
employees and members of the community in which the company resides (Cornelissen, 2004).

7
Studies have repeatedly showed that the secret of highly successful companies is effective
communication with customers and employees. Effective employee communication and superior
organizational success are highly correlated. Top performing companies differentiate themselves
from low performing companies by making sure that employees understand how their actions
can really affect their customers. They engage their employees in doing business by focusing on
the value of daily contacts between frontline managers, supervisors and employees. They also,
plan and manage changes by vividly communicating their employees. Highly successful
companies strongly believe in and regularly measure the impact of communication on business
parameters such as retention of critical talent, employee productivity, employee engagement and
business performance (Trahant, 2008).

Ethiopia is the most populous country in Africa next to Nigeria. Yet, telecom penetration is
lower than any country in the continent except that of Eritrea (the lowest). Ethiopia is also the
only nation in Africa where telecom sector remains under government monopoly (Baron, 2010).
This means that any business activity in Ethiopia is at the mercy of the success or failure of the
sole telecom operator – Ethio-telecom. In fact, Baron (2010:50) showed that 90% out of 98
companies expressed their discomfort of telecom services. As a result, the telecom company is
negatively affecting the turnover, profitability and efficiency of business companies in Ethiopia.
It is also affecting the GDP (gross domestic product) of the country.

Yonas Wodajo(2012:67) also showed that customer satisfaction of mobile telecommunications

service of Ethio-telecom is very low. He confidently concluded that 95% of the customers are
dissatisfied. On May 2013, a survey conducted by Addis Ababa University Faculty of
Business and Economics, Economics Department showed that the overall satisfaction of
customers regarding commercial communication of Ethio-telecom is very low (Addis Ababa
University, 2013).

In 2013, members of parliament strongly criticized the minister of Communication and

Information Technology, Debretsion Gebremichael (Ph.D.) who presented the 10-month work
performance claiming that Ethio-telecom has achieved successful telecom service.

8
The member of parliaments rejected his claims saying that Ethio-telecom was providing poor
quality service and iterated that there was “an almost no mobile service”, adding that the
public was “severely complaining about the poor service.”(Yonas Abiye, 2013).

It is disgusting to have communication problems, Langford-Wood and Salter (2002) noted, but
the worst problem is that most people don’t think they have one. The researcher, who has been
working for the company for seven years, suspects that this is especially true when it comes to
Ethio-telecom. The company’s poor performance might be highly related to its ineffective
communication. The fact that customers are highly dissatisfied, that Ethiopia stands 162nd out of
166 countries surveyed by International Telecommunication Union(ITU), based on mobile phone
and internet use, according to the report in Information and Communication Technology
Development Index (IDI) on October 24, 2014 may be symptoms of poor communication in the
company(Addis fortune, 2014).

2. Objectives
The general objective is:
To determine whether or not there is an internal communication gap among lower employees,
supervisors, frontline managers and higher management in Ethio-telecom.
The specific objectives are:
 To assess the impact of organizational communication in the company.
 Determine the employee’s perception of their immediate supervisors or managers
communication skills.
 Identify the ways in which employees communicate to accomplish daily
activities and
 Suggest best practice communication competency that contribute to the success of
organizational goals.

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3. Definition of Terms
Organizational communication: can be defined as the ways in which groups of people both
maintain structure and order through their symbolic interactions and allow individual actors the
freedom to accomplish their goals.(Pearson et al,2011) .
Internal communication: is the process of sharing information among members of an
organization.
External communication: includes those communications between organizational members and
external parties such as customers, manufacturers, shareholders, investors and the general public.
Employee Engagement: is a set of properties that enhance job satisfaction, commitment,
productivity and so on that create strong relationship between an organization and its employees.
Effective communication: Entails that the sender of the message and the receiver of
the message have grasped equal meaning of the message being shared between them.
Learning Organizations : are organizations where people continually expand their
capacity to
create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are
nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning
how to learn together (Senge,1990:8).

4. Significance of the Study

This paper may help the human resource division, the three levels of management (lower,
middle
and top), and generally all employees of Ethio-telecom. Some of the main significances of
the paper are:
 It helps the corporate communications division to prepare organizational communication
framework so that information can flow horizontally, downwards and upwards by
identifying and minimizing communication barriers.
 It helps the board of directors to create effective communication channels, formulate
organizational communication policies and/or standards and then effectively
communicate organizational goals of Ethio-telecom to all employees. Furthermore, it
enables all divisions, departments and sections of the company to play a cohesive
role through effective communication.
 It can also serve as a reference for additional studies within Ethio-telecom and
other organizations that primarily focus on advantages of competent organizational
communication for the success and progress
10
of any organization.
  Finally, this paper may as well highlight the importance of communication in any
business sector, institutional and organizational interactions.

5. Scope of the Study

This paper primarily focuses on Ethio-telecom internal communication in central Addis
Ababa,
specifically Legehar, Head Office, TPO and Microwave.

6. Limitation of the Study

Due to lack of time and finance the research does not cover all branches of the Ethio-
telecom.
Moreover, external communication is not included here in this paper.

7. Organization of the Paper

The paper is organized into five chapters. Chapter One, Introduces background of the
study,
describes the problem statement, sets objectives of the paper, and presents definitio ns of some
key terms, and briefs significance and scope of the study. Chapter Two, is all about literature
review, which deeply studies related literature. Chapter Three, endorses and briefly explains the
research methodology to be followed on this paper. Chapter Four, deals with data presentation
and analysis. Finally, Chapter Five provides the conclusions and recommendation of this study.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2. Introduction
Communication, though a basic ingredient of human life, doesn’t have a universally accepted
definition. Different scholars define communication differently. However, communication as a
process seems widely accepted (Alder & Rodman, 2006:4). Communication is the Process of
exchanging meaning between people by using a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior
(Pearson et al, 2011:10). The word process, here, indicates the dynamic and continuous nature of
communication. This definition seems to emanate from the transaction model, where by
communication is perceived as a two-way interaction that involves feedback, a nonstop
engagement, and a relational activity (Alder & Rodman, 2006:15-16). Here again, what is being
exchanged between the communicating parties are not only words, symbols, signs and behaviors
individually, rather what all of them collectively, in a specific context, can convey, which is the
shared meaning(Pearson et al, 2011:11).

Researchers use organizational communication, workplace communication, employee

communication, internal relations and/or internal communication interchangeably and mostly in
a confusing way. Pearson et al (2011:188) used the phrase workplace communication, without
reference whether they meant internal, external or both. Whereas, Littlejohn and Foss
(2011:293), Richmond et al (2005) and many more others used organizational communication,
yet in what sense they used the phrase is not clear. On the other hand, Berger (2011) used
internal communication, employee communication and organizational communication
interchangeably to mean and refer to internal communication with the same context.
Gurnig(2011) used organizational communication to mean both internal and external
communication in a similar meaning to the phrase corporate communication.

Kim(2005:48-49) observed that besides to the multitude definitions of internal

communication, the fact that several terms are being used at the same time hinder clarity,
however; he preferred 12
internal communication over employee communication and organizational communication to
mean and refer to communication that occurs within an organization.

Welch and Jackson (2007:178) observed that “corporate communication theorists” favor the term
internal communication. As a result, they preferred internal communication throughout their
paper but cautioned researchers to consider the alternative phrases mindfully. However, they
maintained that, though internal communication is very crucial for workplace efficiency, it is not
well studied.

Organizational communication can conventionally be perceived as communication that happens

within an organization. Here organization takes the metaphor of a container whereas
communication is a kind of liquid substance that follows within the container. In this
perspective, communication is highly affected by the shape (organizational structure) of the
container – organization. On the other hand, communication can as well be perceived as a
complex process that forms and shapes the organization (Koschmann, 2012).

In this paper, organizational communication is a combination of internal and external

communication. Hence, internal communication here refers to communication that takes place
among employees of the company. It includes formal and informal, vertical and horizontal
communication.

2.1 Definition of Internal Communication

Internal communication as a domain has a lot of definitions and understandings. Katz and
Kahn
(1966, as cited by Kim, 2005:47) defined internal communication as “the flow of
information (the exchange of information and the transmission of meaning) within an
organization”.
Internal communication as defined by Kim (2005:7) “is a specialized sub-discipline of
communication that examines how people communicate in organizations and the nature of
effective communication systems in organizations.” For communication to be effective, internal
communication sha l be symmetrical which is conducted through “dialogue, negotiation,
listening, and conflict management rather than through persuasion, manipulation, and the giving
of orders”. On the other hand, asymmetrical communication is mainly vertical that happens in
13
highly restrictive, authoritarian cultures of organizations, like that of classical approach.
It is meant to increase and maintain power control of the top management by curving
employee behavior to the advantage of those in power (Kim, 2005:55-56).

Goldhaber (1999) observed vast definitions, approaches to, and conceptions of internal
communication. Internal communication can understandably mean and refer to different things
for different authors. However, Goldhaber(1999) pinpointed three propositions out of various
concepts and viewpoints:
1. Internal communication occurs within a complex open system that
is influenced by and influences its environment.
2. Internal communication involves messages, their flow, purpose,
direction, and media.
3. Internal communication involves people, their attitudes, feelings,
relationships, and skills.
As a result, Goldhaber(1999) defined internal communication as “the flow of messages within a
network of interdependent relationships.”

Rogala(2013:11) tabularized ten definitions of internal communication from ten different

authors that employed their own perspectives and approaches to deal with it. It can be viewed as
a springboard towards the achievement of organizational success by enhancing the loyalty of
employees to the organization. Internal communication can also be perceived as a process of
information transmission among employees.

Welch and Jackson (2007) reviewed various definitions and indicated the inadequacy and
incomprehensive nature of contemporary definitions of internal communication before they
come with their own alternative. They complained that scholars are using few definitions again
and again for different purposes and contexts in a way that creates unnecessary loop. Frank and
Brownell (1989:5-6, as cited by Welch & Jackson, 2007:179) defined internal communication
as“the communications transactions between individuals and/or groups at various levels and in
different areas of specialization that are intended to design and redesign organizations, to
implement designs, and to co-ordinate day-to-day activities.”

14
However, even if this definition is used by three different sources, it in fact “refers to
organizational communication as a field of study and practice, not internal communication or
employee communication as a part of integrated corporate communication.”
Therefore, Welch and Jackson (2007:183) defined internal communication as “the strategic
management of interactions and relationships between stakeholders at all levels within
organizations.”Laurel (2005:3) found that internal communication improves employee morale,
productivity, safety, and quality and job satisfaction. It also inspires employees to become
evangels of the organization they work for that promote the best qualities of the organization
wherever they go. In addition, internal communication enhances the communication competency
of supervisors, managers and leaders. As a result, changes become well managed; employee
turnover is reduced or increases retention; and most importantly, organizational goals are
achieved.

According to Rogala(2013:12-13) the main purpose of internal communication is molding

employee behavior that cooperate to achieve organizational goals. The second objective is to
create conducive working atmosphere. Moreover, the functions of internal communication may
be informative (providing accurate information for better decision and productivity),
motivational (enhancing commitment and effectiveness), expressive (express personal feelings
and emotions to satisfy social needs) and control (supervise and evaluate employee
performance).

As a result of technological advancement of communication, mainly the internet, internal

communication has become more crucial than it used to be. Employees have vast options to
access the information they need and mostly they access more information than they really need.
Therefore, analysis of the relevancy and accuracy of such information overload has become
mandatory (Hamer, 2005).

2.2 The Necessity of Communication in organizations

Normal life without communication is not only absurd but unthinkable as well. To take the first
out of five communication maxims of Watzlawick (1967, as cited by Eadie, 2009:3), one
“cannot not communicate”, which means there are no options other than communicating.
Eadie(2009:3) meticulously noted that “Anything we do (or don’t do) is the act of
communicating. We’re 15
trapped—we can never not communicate. So instead we become obligated to a process that
more often than not is judged uncharitably.”
Adubato(2006:19) noted that communication is “a matter of life and death”, stating that effective
communication skills play a crucial role to quality health care. On the other
hand, miscommunication can cost life and money.

Craig (2005:660) argued the necessity of communication in life makes it advisable to

communicate. As human problems are the result of bad communication he continued, better
communication is the remedy. And communication as a skill, can be enhanced using
communication principles and by following the directions of communication experts. Satyendra
(2013) asserted that due to organizational dependence on technology, higher focus on strong
teamwork, the need for innovation and highly competitive business world, effective
communication with employees has become crucial. Pakbaz et al (2014) observed that in the real
world, organizations cannot exist without communication and “the way the organization
communicates with its employees is reflected in morale, motivation and performance of the
employees.”

According to Finch, Hansen and Alexander (2010:4), “Effective managers and supervisors” have
a little know how of communicating with employees. Communication enables us to build
relationships, advances mutual understanding, and helps employees to play their role to
organizational success. Therefore, communicating with employees is the main responsibility of
managers and supervisors. Smooth and continues blood circulation in our body is mandatory for
human survival, effective communication plays similar role to normal functioning and success of
any organization (Satyendra, 2015). Pakbaz et al (2014) maintained that the main function of
communication within an organization is to bring together employees of the organization to
accomplish individual and organizational goals. They also asserted that the processes of
managerial functions such as planning, organizing, influencing or directing, coordinating and
controlling (Pringle & Starr, 2006) are hard to succeed without proper communication.

Due to the advent of communications technology, and as a result of which globalization has
already been realized, human beings are no more as limited by time and space as they used to
be.
16
Whether employees are effectively communicated or not, there is a little chance that what
is going on in an organization can be kept a secret, (Quirke, 2000).
Employees of the “knowledge worker age” have lots of options to know the status of the
organization they are working for. Organizations always risk their reputation, trustworthiness
and brand if how their employees know about that organization is through their own effort.
Therefore, it has become a must that organizations communicate their employees whether they
like it or not (Eisenberg et al, 2010).However, it must be noted that communication is just a tool
which is neither bad nor good by itself. Like any too, it can hurt or help us while we are using it.
How use it and the situations we use it highly matter. Moreover, the fact that it is necessary
doesn’t mean that we shall talk in a nonstop and unstructured manner. It is not a verbose process,
where too much communication can simply imply effective communication. Communication has
its own principles and misconceptions (Richmond et al, 2005; Alder & Rodman, 2006; Pearson
et al, 2011).

Rogala(2013:2) suggested that “more attention should be given to communication aspects of

company’s functioning, both internal and external.”Williams (2013) noted that, though;
organizations used to prioritize external communication over internal communication but “Never
have internal communications been as relevant and urgently needed as today. Organizational
reputation depends so much on user experience, and user experience on direct communication
with an organization’s employees.” Williams (2013) reasoned that internal communication
practitioners are answering questions such as:
 How well do employees understand our business strategy and their role in it?
 How connected to our organization are they?
 What is their level of enthusiasm for us as a place to work? To what extent do they
identify with us apart from their paycheck?
 What actions do they take in support of us? Whom do they influence at and away
from work?
Chihocky and Bullard (2009:2) stressed that “employees and management must communicate
in
order to function.” And strategic internal communication among others is the key to
achieve coveted organizational successes. Managers and leaders don’t value the need to
inform

17
employees the mission, vision and goals of the organization. And the problems of
uninformed employee usually become visible during crisis management and organizational
transition.

Rogala(2013:11) cautioned organizations to inform their employees sufficiently through formal

communication, otherwise informal communication takes the lead, mainly overwhelmed by
rumors/grapevine . Though, informal communication is hardly avoidable, organizations that
ensure open door policy, participative communication and a climate of confidence and certainty
can make employees prefer formal communication to informal communication willingly.

Formally, organizational communication flow downward from higher to lower hierarchy of

employee status to instruct and direct employees, address plans, policy and procedures,
performance feedback, announce delegation, training and others. It may also move upward
where employees report their activities, performances, complaints, request for support and so on
to their superiors. Horizontal communication, on the other hand, is used to coordinate tasks and
resources, to share information, solve problems and resolve conflicts, mostly in a two-way
symmetrical manner such as employee to employee, manager to manager etcetera (Pearson et
al, 2011:190-191).

Formal communication flows in an officially endorsed organizational structure. Contrarily,

informal communication disperses among employees and moves randomly and quickly, since it
is not hindered by organizational bureaucracy. Informal communication is commonly termed as
grapevine, because it starts from someone (like the root or stem of the grape) and spreads
widely to everyone in the company like the vine. Even if the grapevine communication is
publicly denounced as baseless sabotage, researchers have proved its surprising accuracy
(Pearson et al, 2011:191).

According to Gebreyesus (2013:14), email is the main communication medium of Ethio-

telecom. Face to face communication is staggeringly uncommon in daily activities.
As the communication climate of the company leads towards informal communication,
mainly grapevine is uncommonly the main source of information. The author of this paper,
who has worked for the company almost for eight years, reasserts the assertions of
18
Gebreyesus.
2.3 Background of Internal Communication
Putnam, Phillips, and Chapman (1996) researched on the history of internal communication.
According to them, the early work in internal communication was shaped by interests in
business and industrial communication from the 1920s to the 1950s mainly under classical
thought of management, and the human relations movement from the 1950s to the mid 1970s.

From 1920s to 1950s classical management theorists such as Taylor (1911) Fayol (1949) and
Weber (1947) perceived communication as a means to send clear orders and instructions in a
way that increases productivity and profit. The direction of communication was purely top-
down; as employees were considered like machines that merely accept orders, directives and
rules to accomplish tasks; which means communication was highly task oriented (Berger, 2011).
People at the top were claimed to be the mind of the company – the “thinkers” whereas those at
the bottom were simply “doers” (Pringle & Starr, 2006). The classical theorists of organization
and management merely focused on productivity and profit maximization. Their infamous
metaphor – the machine labeled employees as mere “cogs” that can be fine-tuned, mechanically
optimized, scientifically specialized by instilling sets of instructions in their heads like a
computer and eventually, could be standardized. If malfunctioned for some reason, replacing
them with another was believed as easy as replacing a non-functional part of any machine
(Miller, 1999). It was supposed that there was only one best way of doing a task single handedly
innovated by the managers or top management. As a result, communication was prescribed as
vertical (downward), written and formal (Miller, 1999:30). According to Miller (1999:32)
military organizations are still using the classical structure of organization and most of the
principles forwarded by Weber, Taylor and Fayol are still intact; however, the style, channel and
direction of communication has drastically changed.

From the 1930s towards 1960s early behavioral school thinkers, advocates of human relations
and human resources approaches such as Mayo (1933) Barnard (1938), Maslow(1954) and
McGregor (1960) focused on the needs of employees and the impacts of their cooperation on
efficiency and productivity. Attitudinal change merely through financial reward and punishment
was deemed ineffective. During this period, communication become less task oriented and the
need of feedback was considered in order to enhance employee satisfaction and motivation.

19
Face to face communication was among the approaches and the need for internal
communication become more valuable (Berger, 2011).

Organizations are formed through continuous communication among members to accomplish

both individual and collective goals. That is, the interactions of the employees within the
organization are meant for the mutual benefits of both the employees and the organization
(Littlejohn & Foss, 2011:324). The human relations approach maintained the task oriented
communication but in addition to that, maintenances communication which meant to enhance
relationships was employed. Human resources approach introduced the necessity of innovation
communication whereby employees think and communicate innovatively for better productivity.
Employee feelings and needs were recognized, hence, how to motivate and satisfy them were
among the issues of management and leadership (Miller, 1999; Eisenberg et al, 2010).

Table 1, communication in classical, human relations and human resource organizations (Miller,
1999:52)
Communication Classical Approach Human Relations Human
approach Resources
Approach
Content Task oriented Task and social Task, social and
Innovation
Direction Vertical(downward) Vertical and All directions,
horizontal team based
Channel Usually Written Often face-to-face All channels
Style Formal Informal Both, but mainly
Informal

Eisenberg et al (2010:262) summarized the type of communication in classical, human

relations, human resources, systems, cultural and critical approaches as follows:
In classical management theory, downward communication is emphasized; it is formal,
precise, and work-related. Human relations theory stresses supportive communication,

20
 while human resources theory emphasizes the need for supervisors to involve employees
in decision making.
The systems and cultural approaches make no specific prescriptions about
communicating with employees, whereas critical theorists call for a radical leveling of
power and authority among superiors and subordinates in which both are regarded as
equally important to the organization.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the study of communication focused on the skills and effectiveness of
communication that made individuals more effective communicators on the job and the factors
that characterized system-wide communication effectiveness (Redding & Tompkins, 1988). In
this period which is known as the modernist orientation, internal communication included
psychological studies that focused on superior-subordinate interaction, communication climate,
and information processing, as well as sociological studies that centered on communication
networks, work group coordination, and adoption and use of new communication technologies
(Putnam et al., 1996). During this era, multidirectional communication that enhances employee-
employer relationship was applied. Concepts of employee trust and commitment emerged as
important issues, and organizations began to share communication decision-making among
employees (Berger, 2011). In this decade, the systems metaphor grabbed more attention as a
means to make sense of “processes of organizational behavior and communication”. In systems
approach organizations are viewed as integrated set of components that work interdependently to
achieve some goals. In this approach communication within an organization is perceived like
blood circulation in our body (Miller, 1999:60-64).

The early 1980s marked a radical shift in internal communication scholarship. Scholars
challenged the research traditions in internal communication, particularly the absence of
theoretical frameworks and the nature of organizational reality embedded in modernist work
(Putnam & Cheney, 1985; Redding & Tompkins, 1988). Nested within these critiques were
challenges to the treatment of communication as a linear transmission (Putnam, 1983). New
research domains began to focus on the meanings of organizational events, strategic ambiguity,
language symbols and organizational culture, organizational identification and unobtrusive

21
control, communication rules and scripts, corporate public discourse, and the exercise of power
and control through distorted communication (Putnam et al., 1996).

In the 21st century, management theories such as systems theory, contingency theory and the
learning organization emphasized the value of effective communication for employees to work
as teams (Pringle & Starr, 2006). Feedback processes play a crucial role for organizations to
adjust, change and maintain control. Group decision-making processes and shared
responsibilities for communication are more prevalent (Berger, 2011).
The traditional division of labor that crowned managers as “thinkers” and condemned
subordinates as mere “doers” who are prohibited from thinking seems obsolete at the advent of
the “learning organization”(senge, 1990:350).

Peter Senge(1990 as cited on Eisenberg et al, 2010:88) characterized the five principles of
the learning organization as follows:
1. Systems thinking: Combining holism and interdependence, systems
thinking claims that for any one member to succeed, all members must
succeed.
2. Personal mastery: All members share a personal commitment to learning and
self-reflection.
3. Flexible mental models: Mental models are those patterns of belief that
shape and limit an individual’s interpretations and actions. In a learning
organization,
members engage in self-reflection, allowing them first to understand
and then to change the mental models that tend to guide their
thinking.
4. A shared vision: In learning organizations, tight hierarchical control
is replaced
by “concertive control” (Tompkins & Cheney, 1985), whereby members
act in concert because they share a common organizational vision and
understand how their own work helps build on that shared vision.
5. Team learning: Team members in a learning organization communicate in
ways that lead the team toward intelligent decisions, with an emphasis on
dialogue as the key to team learning. 22
To come up with a learning organization, according to Senge(1990), demands a paradigm shift
towards a systems thinking of organizing and more open participation. In a learning
organization Senge(1990:340) asserted that “leaders are designers, stewards and teachers”.
Active participation and dialogue in a workplace are critical factors in learning organizations.
Moreover, “mental flexibility, team learning, complex thinking, shared vision and
personal mastery” are highly emphasized (Miller, 1999:54).

Eisenberg et al (2010:262) asserted that irrespective of their views, modern-day scholars

accord that openness, supportiveness, motivation and empowerment are the minimum but
crucial characteristics of leaders to communicate with employees effectively.

2.4 Barriers of Communication

According to the transactional communication model (see figure 1) of Adler and Rodman
(2006:15), the communication process consists of sender, encoder, message, channel or
medium, decoder, message (feedback) and receiver. Theoretically, the sender initiates the
communication by encoding her idea verbally or nonverbally to compose the message and sends
it to the receiver through a particular channel. The receiver decodes the message to make sense
of it and responds in a similar way the sender flowed. Practically though, this is not always true.
As clearly
depicted on the figure, noise (communication barrier) perches on every communication
element that distorts the meaning (Lunenburg, 2010:2; Pakbaz et al, 2014:3176).

The noise can be different understanding of the message, language barriers such as ambiguity,
vagueness, interruptions, emotions, attitudes and so on. Therefore, it demands perfecting all
communication elements, otherwise communication breakdown is inevitable. There are four
main categories of communication barriers; process barriers, physical barriers, semantic barriers
and psychosocial barriers (Lunenburg, 2010:3; Pakbaz et al, 2014:3178).

23
Figure 1, transactional communication model (Adler & Rodman, 2006:15).

Every step of communication process is prone to countless distractions. The simplest ones are
misspelling, speaking too slow or too fast, using inappropriate media and so on. The sender
and the receiver have to choose not only common symbols and signs but the most appropriate
medium of communication for better mutual understanding as well. Feedback is one control
mechanism of misunderstanding. Physical barriers include interruptions, nearby sounds,
distance, and medium of communication, personal hygiene, and things that distract attention in
general. Semantic barriers are mainly related to the ambiguity and vagueness of words, the use of
jargons etc. psychosocial barriers are rather complex distractions that have far-reaching in
communication. Differences in attitude, behavior, culture, experience, gender, ethnicity, political
inclination, social status, religion can be classified in this category (Lunenburg, 2010:4-5;
Pakbaz et al, 2014:3178-3179, Pearson et al, 2011:115-116).

Concerning organizations, organizational culture, work behavior, rules and regulations, policies
and procedures can be barriers of communication. Mainly, as indicated on the theory of
structuration, communication is a “balance of creativity and constraint” (Eisenberg et al,
2010:32-35). People organize and cooperate to accomplish individual and collective goals. Their
communication activities are dual faced. They allow them to achieve their goals but at the same
time, they constraint them as we l. “Structuration theory highlights the unintended consequence
of action that come back to bite us” (Littlejohn & Foss, 2011:325). Such consequences create
psychological constraints that hinder smooth and open communication.

24
So how one can resolve or at least minimize the barriers of communication?
Communication literacy, which merely dictates what and why for, is not enough. One has to
know how to communicate effectively and that is the aim of the following topic.

2.5 Communication Competence

Human beings have been looking for ways of competent communication ever since they
understood that communication is the fabric of social integration and cooperation.
Communication researchers have formulated different theories and models that they thought can
give better insight of what competent communication means. The earlier theories and models
focused on mere achievement of one’s goals through communication.
These days however, moral and ethical issues are part and parcel of how communication success
is evaluated. Eadie(2009:445) noted that:
An early study of competent and incompetent communication behavior found that
people who are judged as more competent demonstrated significantly more of the
following behaviors than their incompetent counterparts: affiliation/support and
empathy, social relaxation, and smooth management of their interactions through
the use of more management cues. Later on, researchers advanced the idea that
competence not only relates to possessing the necessary skills for effectively
creating and sharing meaning with others, it also is about doing so “responsibly.”
Thus, communication scholars introduced a previously absent “ethical” element to
the discussion of competence.
Communication competence is one of the most formidable wisdoms of smooth social
interaction, personal and organizational success. “Higher levels of communicative proficiency
facilitate a better social, psychological, and physical life”. However, mere effectiveness is not
enough for communication to be competent, its legitimacy and appropriateness should as well
be confirmed by the interacting parties. In other words, effective communication should not be
at the expense of others (Rickheit & Strohner, 2008:24-25; Morreale et al, 2007:29).

Communication competence is also termed as effective communication. And it is “the ability to

effectively exchange meaning through common systems of symbols, signs or behavior” (Pearson
et al, 2011:23). Communication cannot succeed without the efforts of the sender and the
receiver, both of which have equal responsibilities and roles to play.

25
The sender should identify the context, and then communicate clearly and understandably
according to the given context. At the same time, the receiver should employ active
listening
with the intent of understanding the context. “Effective communication is a two way process that
requires effort and ski l by both sender and receiver” (Lunenburg, 2010:6-10).

According to Adler and Rodman (2006:18) “effective communication involves achieving one’s
goals in a manner that, idea ly, maintains or enhances the relationship in which it occurs.”
Communication competence, as a combination of skills, wisdom and personal wits that are
amassed through experience can be learned.
However, there is no one unique and infallible way to apply. It highly depends on contexts or
situations –no single model for communication competence. As personal moods, cultural
background, behavior, set of beliefs etc. change, the way one should communicate also changes.
Therefore, the more one clearly identifies the context and applies the most appropriate way to
communicate, the more competent one can be (Adler &Rodman, 2006:18-24).

For Rogala(2013) internal communication can be fully, high or low effective. Firstly,
communication is assumed fully effective if what the sender aimed to achieve through the
interaction is met. Secondly, high effectiveness appears when a receiver affirms receiving the
message and there is enough chance that the proposed objective is achievable. Finally, internal
communication is low effective if the aim of the communication is hardly achievable, even if the
receiver has confirmed to receive the message.The alignment of what a sender intended to say
with what a receiver comprehended and the achievement of the planned objective of the
interaction are the key factors to increase effectiveness. “The higher these two factors are, the
better the effectiveness is. However, one should remember that two parts of the process may
have different communicational goals; therefore the effectiveness of internal communication
may be examined from two different perspectives” (Rogala, 2013:12-15).

Steingrímsdóttir(2011: 38) asserts that “open and free-flowing information” is crucial to develop
effective internal communication and then concluded that “effective internal communication
leads to well informed employees which are less likely to spread rumors and more likely to
defend the organization.
26
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. Research Design
To determine if there was a communication gap within Ethio-telecom, a quantitative research
methodology was used. A multiple choice single answered survey was distributed to the
employees of Ethio-telecom who work in Central Addis Ababa zone, specifically Legehar, Head
Office, TPO and Microwave. Only subordinates or low level staffs were included in the survey.

A survey method is one of the powerful tools that can help improve communication in an
organization. Surveys are mainly important to form vertical communication links from
subordinates to higher management (Hamer, 2005:12). Driscoll (2011:162-163) advised to use
survey to find out a general trend in people’s opinions, experiences, and behavior. Surveys are
particularly useful to make a general claim of a population out of a well representative sample.

1. Target Population
The survey questionnaires were distributed randomly among employees of Ethio-telecom who
work in central Addis Ababa. The respondents are lower level employees who don’t assume any
managerial position. A total of 252 surveys were distributed to non-managerial respondents and a
total of 195 surveys were completed.

The survey was conducted in a drop-off survey method walking from office to office. The
researcher requested the respondents face-to-face if they could participate on the survey and
were assured that their participation was voluntary and their particular answers would remain
confidential.

3.2 Sampling Method

The research was conducted in Ethio-telecom of central Addis Ababa region (Head office, TPO,
Legehar and Microwave).Totally Ethio-telecom has 11,749 employees throughout the country,

27
as of March 31, 2015. 4556 of them work in Head office, TPO, Legehar, and Microwave, 238 of
which are in a managerial positon. As a result, the total population of this area is 4318.
Hence, using online sample size calculator www.surveysystem.com and
www.surveymonkey.com 252 respondents were selected, with a confidence level of 95%
and margin error of 6 %. To cross check the validity of these online sample size calculations,
the researcher used Cochran’s formula (1977:76) and found similar results.

Where n is the sample size and N is the population size, and n0 is a constant calculated by another

formula.

The survey questionnaires were adapted from a free survey template from
www.questionpro.com
. Some of the questions were rephrased to meet the objective of the study. The survey
comprised
17 multiple choice single answer questions and was distributed to the employees by the
researcher via face-to-face contact (drop-off-survey). The researcher chose face- to-face contact
so that the participant can ask any questions.

3.3 Data Collecting and Recording

The respondents were requested to complete the survey and return it to the researcher
immediately after completion. However, most of the respondents claimed that they were busy
and hence the researcher had to come back the next day to collect the questionnaires. 77
percent
of the survey questionnaires were completed.
Upon reception, the questionnaires were overturned and periodically shuffled to maintain the
confidentiality of the participants. A Microsoft Office Excel 2007 was used to determine the
percentage rate of each answer given by the participants.

28
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4. Introduction
The general objective of the research was to determine whether or not there is an internal
communication gap among lower employees, supervisors, frontline managers and higher
management in Ethio-telecom. The main aim of the paper has the following specific
objectives:
 To assess the impact of organizational communication in the company.
 Determine the employee’s perception of their immedia te supervisors or
managers communication skills.
 Identify the ways in which employees communicate to accomplish daily
activities and
 Suggest best practice communication competency that contribute to the success of
organizational goals.
To accomplish the above general and specific objectives a six page questionnaire with 17 single
answer questions was distributed among 252 Ethio-telecom employees who work in central
Addis Ababa, specifically Legehar, Head office, TPO and Microwave through face-to-face
contact. Generally, the response rate was 77%. However, the response rate for individual
questions turned out to be different. Appendix 1 contains the total answers of each question in
a clearly tabulated form. The questionnaire can be found in Appendix 2.
 Questions one and two are meant to come up with the background information of
the respondents.
 Question three is looking for the amount of information Ethio-telecom employees are
receiving, merely quantity. The next question, number four, seeks if they trust the
information – quality of the information. Question number five queries whether the
respondents have the information they need to do their daily activities.
 Questions six, 14 and 15 are assessing the communication competence of the
supervisors
(managers). Specifically, question six measures if the supervisors are thought to be
skillful communicators, question 14 attempts to find out if the supervisors openly
communicate with their subordinates whenever any change occurs in the company. Then,
question number 15 looks for the trustworthiness
29 of the supervisors.
  Question seven assesses the most common communication medium in Ethio-telecom and
question eight queries which medium they would prefer. Questions 16 and 17 deal with a
specific medium, company e-mail, how the respondents read and measure it.
 Questions nine – 11 and that of 13 assess the direction of communication. Question 11
deals with downward communication, if the management is feeding the employees with
enough information, whereas question nine wants to know if there is an opportunity for
the employees to participate in communication –if they can give feedback that is
upward communication. And question 13 queries if they feel that their feedback is taken
seriously. Question 10 measures interdepartmental communication – horizontal
communication.
 Finally question 12 assesses the overall satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the employees
concerning internal communication.

4. 1 Presentation and Analysis

Figure 2, below indicates that the total number of males and females of Ethio-telecom
employees
who participated in the survey. While the total number of males is 58 percent, the total number
of females is 40 percent which is lower almost by 10 percent that shows the non-proportional
nature of males to females in the company. Moreover, majority of the female respondents have
been working for Ethio-telecom from two up to five years, which is 18 percent proportional to
that of males 17 percent whereas majority of the male respondents have worked for the
company from two up to 15 years.

80%
Male Female
58%
60%
40%
40%
17%18% 15% 15%
20% 5% 5%
6% 9% 4% 3%
0%
< 1year 2-5 years 6-9 years 10-15 year >16 years Total

Figure 2, the background information of

respondents.

30
The outcome of the question “Which best describes your impression of communications within
this organization? “, as depicted on figure 3 below, shows that the majority 40 percent of the
respondents believe that the company provides them with only a limited amount of information.
In addition to that, six percent of the respondents feel the company doesn’t te l them much
what is going on in the company. This means, 46 percent of the respondents don’t feel the
company informs them very well.

However, 35 percent of the respondents believe that they are adequately informed plus 18
percent of them perceive that the company keeps them fully informed, which means, 53
percent of the respondents are adequately informed. Therefore, though 53 percent of Ethio-
telecom employees are adequately informed, 46 percent of them can access only limited
amount of information.
50% 40%
40% 35%
30%
18%
20%
10% 6%
0%
Keeps us fully Keeps us Gives us only a Doesn't tell us
informed adequately limited amount ofmuch at all about
informed Information what is going
on
Figure 3, which best describes your impression of communications within this organization?

The next figure 4 of the research result shows that 44 percent of the respondents believe the
information they receive to a certain extent. 34 percent usually believe the information,
whereas only 20 percent always believe the information. Therefore, while 54 percent of the
respondents can usually believe the information they receive, 46 percent of them are doubtful
of it.
50% 44%
40% 34%
30%
20%
20%
10% 2%
0%
I always I usually I believe it to I don’t
believe it believe it certain extent believe it

Figure 4, what do you think of the information you

receive?
31
In figure 5 below, 53 percent of the respondents agreed that they have the information they need
to accomplish their duties. Moreover, 20 percent of them strongly agreed that they have the
information they need to do their jobs. Adding up these two figures, 73 percent of the
respondents expressed their agreement that they have the information they need to do their daily
activities which is consistent with their former responses, figure 3 and 4 above. Nevertheless, 19
percent of the respondents preferred neutrality.

60% 53%
50%
40%
30% 20% 19%
20%
7%
10% 0% 1%
0%
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Unclear
Agree Disagree Answers

Figure 5, I have the information I need to do my job.

The next figure 6 depicts the level of communication ski ls of the respondents’ supervisors or
managers. It describes that 41 percent of the respondents rate their supervisors or managers as
good, 28 percent of them as very good and 22 percent of them as excelle nt. This means, that
50 percent of the respondents thought their supervisor or manager has excellent or very good
communication skill.

All in all, the total percentage of the respondents who think the communication skills of
their manager or supervisor ranges from good; very good to excellent constitute 91 percent.
Accordingly, the current level of communication skills the supervisors or managers have is
encouraging. Good communication skills of supervisors or managers leads towards good
organizational productivity.

32
 50% 41%
40%
28%
30% 22%
20%
7%
10% 3% 1%
0%
Excellent Very Good Fair Poor Unclear
Good Answers

Figure 6, how would you rate your supervisor’s (manager’s) communication ski ls?

Next figures 7 and 8 portray that company e-mail is the most common medium of
communication in Ethio-telecom. 40 percent of the respondents asserted that it is the main
source of their information which they prefer as well. This is a better indication that the company
is doing well in formal communication. That is why the grapevine is a minimal source of
information, in the company.
However, the grapevine 16 percent and company newsletter (intranet) 16 percent are the second
common sources of information. In addition to that, company leadership is insignificant source
of information which is only one percent, supervisors share only 7 percent of the information and
only 8 percent of the information can be found from group meeting. From this, it is easy to
conclude that face-to-face communication, though supposed to be the most effective, is still
uncommon in the company.
Therefore, one could still ponder, if the communication skills of the supervisors or mangers is
good, according to the research result shown in figure 6 above, why is that they are not the main
source of information? Either the supervisors or managers are poor at oral communication or
the results are contradictory. And if they are not good at communicating orally, it is hard to say
that the managers or supervisors are skilled communicators.

On figure 8, the grapevine and company newsletter decreased by two percent each. On the
other hand, company leadership increased by three percent and supervisor increased by one
percent, which hints that the respondents would to some extent prefer face-to-face
communication.

33
 Grapevine

Bulletin Board
10%
16% Company Newsletter
1%
(Intranet)
My supervisor

16% Group meetings

Company leadership
40%
7% Trove, Knowledge tools
or Textbook
8% Company e-mail

Multiple Answers
1% 1%

Figure 7, from which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of
your information about what is going on in the company?

Grapevine

Bulletin Board
10% 14% 1%
Company Newsletter
(Intranet)
My supervisor
14% Group meetings

Company leadership
40%
8%
Trove, Knowledge
tools or Textbook
8%
4% Company e-mail

1% Multiple Answers

Figure 8, from which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of
your information about what is going on in the company?

Figure 9, below shows the agreement of 35 percent of the respondents that they have
opportunities to express their ideas to the upper management. 30 percent of them preferred to
remain neutral, whereas 20 percent of them disagree that there are opportunities available to
express their views to the upper management of Ethio-telecom. Leaving those who neither
agree nor disagree as they are, the author would like to conclude that 42 percent of the
respondents expressed their agreement which outnumber those who disagreed which are only 28
percent.

34
This means majority of Ethio-telecom employees agree that they have opportunities to
convey their feelings to the upper management.

40% 35% 30%

20%
20% 7% 8%
1%
0%
Strongly Neutral Disagree Strongly Unclear
Disagree Answers
Agree Agree
Figure 9, There are opportunities available to me to express my ideas to upper management.

The figure 10 below depicts the outcome of whether “There is good communication
between people in different branches of the company”. 30 percent of the respondents
disagreed,
28 percent agreed, and 28 percent neither agreed nor disagreed. Just by looking at the
indicated
figures, one can conclude that majority, 30 percent, of the employees have disagreed. However,
such conclusion is both unidirectional and shallow.

Better conclusion can be reached by adding up those who agreed (strongly agreed and agreed)
on the one hand, and those who disagreed on the other hand. Those agreed are 36 percent, which
equal to those who disagreed, 36 percent. Therefore, one cannot conclude that there is good
communication among people in different branches of the company. With the same parlance, one
cannot say there is no good communication among people in different branches of the company.
The result seems to break even, at least explicitly.

However, it is obvious that neither good nor bad communication can never indicate that there
is effective horizontal communication in the company. In addition, since those who agreed are
still less than average(less than 50 percent), one can conclude that there is poor communication
across departments.

35
 40% 28% 28% 30%
30%
20% 8%
10% 6%
1%
0%
Strongly Agree Neutra l Disagree Strongly
Agree Unclear Disagree
Answers
Figure 10, There is good communication between people in different branches of the company.

The research shows that the outcome of the question, “I am kept well informed by upper
management on what is going on in the company (such as company plans and progress)”is by
far positive. 51 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the upper management
informs them well. 26 percent of the respondents reflected their neutrality. And only 22 percent
disagreed that the upper management of Ethio-telecom informs them well. Therefore, the author
concludes that the upper management of the company informs majority of its employees well,
see figure 11 below.

60% 42%
40% 26%
18%
20% 9% 4% 1%
0%
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Unclear
Agree Disagree Answers

Figure 11, I am kept well informed by upper management on what is going on in the
company (such as company plans and progress).

The question “Overa l, how satisfied are you with the communication within Ethio-telecom?”
queries the general communication climate of the company. As shown in figure 12 below, 43
percent of the respondents are very satisfied or satisfied whereas 23 percent are dissatisfied or
very dissatisfied. On the other hand, 33 percent of the respondents didn’t express whether they
are satisfied or dissatisfied – they just remained neutral. As a result, the research indicates that
below average percentage of employees, only 43 percent, are satisfied. The rest are either
neutral or dissatisfied, which constitute the majority of the responds.

36
Therefore, the overall rate of satisfaction concerning internal communication of Ethio-telecom
employees is below average.

40% 38% 33%

21%
20%
5% 2% 1%
0%
Very Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Unclear
Satisfied Dissatisfied Answers

Figure 12, Overall, how satisfied are you with the communication within Ethio-telecom?

For the question “I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns”, the
research depicts 55 percent of the respondents believe all the time or some of the time
whereas only 22 percent of them feel that they are never or almost never confident that the
management considers their concerns and/or views. 21 percent are yet undecided.

Therefore, since the majority of respondents, 55 percent, have enough confidence on the
management, the author presumes that the management of Ethio-telecom considers the views
and concerns of the employees. However, this result seems to contradict with the result found on
figure 9 above as only 42 percent (below average) of the respondents agreed that they have
chances to express their views and concerns to the upper management.

If the opportunity they have to express their views and concerns is below average, how can they
possibly be confident that the management values their views and concerns? In this regard, the
author translates the finding of these two results as follows: there is enough downward
communication in the company but limited feedback – upward communication. The result can be
seen from figure 13 below.
60% 49%

40%
21% 17%
20% 6% 5% 2%
0%
All the Some of Undecided Almost Never Unclear
time the time never Answers

Figure 13, I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or

concerns.
37
The research has shown that Ethio-telecom supervisors or managers have good communication
ski l, which can be seen from figure 6 above. Here again, the outcome of the question
“whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor” indicates positive response.
77 percent of the respondents feel that their supervisor or manager always informs them or
informs them most of the time whenever any change happens in the company. Only 23 percent
of the respondents feel their manager or supervisor almost never or never informs them. Figure
14 below depicts the research result.

70% 61%
60%
50%
40%
30% 21%
16%
20%
10% 2% 1%
0%
Always Informs me Almost Never Unclear
informs most of the never informs Answers
me. time. informs me.
me.

Figure 14, whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor

Moreover, the supervisors or managers are not only skilled communicators that always inform
their subordinates, they are trustworthy, too. As the response percentage of the question “the
information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information I receive from
other supervisors” reveals below on figure 15, 59 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly
agreed that the information they receive from their supervisor or manager is consistent with those
of other supervisors or managers.

60% 49%

40% 31%

20% 10% 6%
1% 3%
0%
Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Unclear
Agree Disagree Answers

Figure 15, the information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information I
receive from other supervisors.

38
The research has shown that company e-mail is the main communication channel in Ethio-
telecom, as depicted on figure 7. In addition to that, the result on figure 8 reassured that
company e-mail is what the majority of employees would prefer as their main source of
information. Now, the research result from questions “How much of a typical company e-mail
(flash info) do you read?” and “what is your overa l evaluation of the e-mail (flash info)?” have
shown that the company e-mail has a large amount of readership and it is rated positively by the
majority of readers.
79 percent of the respondents confirmed that they read it fully and thoroughly or they read it
most of the time, only 20 percent of the respondents said they read it some of the time or
they simply skim through it. Moreover, 58 percent of the respondents rated it as excellent or
very good. 31 percent preferred neutrality and only 10 percent of them said it is fair or poor.
The result can be seen from figures 16 and 17 respectively.

50% 43%
36%
40%
30%
16%
20%
10% 4% 0% 1%
0%
I read it I read most I read I only skim I don’t Unclear
fully and of it some of it through it read it at Answers
thoroughly all

Figure 16, How much of a typical company e-mail (flash info) do you
read?
40% 37% 31%
21%
20% 7% 3% 1%
0%
Excellent Very Good Fair Poor Unclear
Good Answers

Figure 17, what is your overall evaluation of the e-mail (flash

info)?

39
 CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5. Conclusion
In this paper, the researcher has explored whether or not there is an internal communication gap
among Ethio-telecom employees, supervisors, frontline managers and higher management. The
research result shows that Ethio-telecom employees are adequately informed and they have the
information they need to do their job. Moreover, they have trust on the information they receive
from their immediate supervisors (managers) and upper management. Ethio-telecom supervisors
(managers) openly communicate with their subordinates. The author learned through the research
that the supervisors are good communicators whose consistency is not questionable, hence are
trustworthy.

In addition to that, there is good downward communication in the company. The upper
management feeds the employees with enough information that most of them believe always or
most of the time. Therefore, the researcher found that there is no internal communication gap
among Ethio-telecom employees, supervisors, frontline managers and higher management.
However, on the one hand, the research indicated that the upper management values the concerns
and views of the employees. The upper management considers the feedbacks of the employees as
well. Contrarily though, the employees can give limited feedback. That means upward
communication is not much appreciated. In addition, there is poor interdepartmental
communication in the company.

Concerning communication channel, company e-mail is both the most common and the most
preferred source of information in Ethio-telecom followed by company newsletter (intranet) and
the grapevine. On top of that, company e-mail, which is commonly known as flash info
throughout the company, is read most of the time fully and thoroughly. It is rated positively, too.
Nevertheless, since company leadership, supervisors (managers) and group meetings are
insignificant sources of information in the company; face-to-face communication is the most

40
neglected communication medium. In addition to that, the overall satisfaction of employees
concerning internal communication is below average. Therefore, the researcher can conclude that
the current communication approach of Ethiotelecom falls under classical approach.

5.1 Recommendations
The researcher recommends that future studies include in-depth interviews. Intensive research
that involves careful observation is highly recommendable as well. Studying both internal and
external communication at the same time that involves all regions of the company can give an
insightful breakthrough.

The researcher also recommends supervisors, frontline managers and upper management to
appreciate the need for feedback. Through participative communication they can build
strong relationship, employee morale, job satisfactio n and talent retention. Moreover, face-
to-face communication should be give due attention whenever time and distance (space) are
not an obstacle.
Furthermore, it is advisable if the company can employ communication audit biannually or
yearly. This way, Ethio-telecom can learn where its communicatio n weaknesses and strengths
are, so that to curve the failures and maximize the strengths. Moreover, it is better for
Ethiotelecom to shift its communication approach into Human Resource Approach.

41
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 Appendix 1

Table 2, Background information if respondents

Sex Tenure: Frequency Percent
(How long have you been
working for
Ethio-telecom?)
Male 1 year or less 12 6%
2-5 years 34 17%
6-9 years 30 15%
10-15 years 30 15%
16 or more years 8 4%
Total number of males 114 58%
Female 1 year or less 18 9%
2-5 years 36 18%
6-9 years 10 5%
10-15 years 9 5%
16 or more years 5 3%
Total number of females 78 40%
Unclear Answers 3 2%
Total 195 100%

Table 3, which best describes your impressio n of communications within this

organization?
Response Type Frequency Percent

Keeps us fully informed 36 18%

Keeps us adequately informed 69 35%

Gives us only a limited amount of 78 40%

Information

Doesn't tell us much at all about 12 6%

what is going on

Total Number of Respondents 195 100%

47
Table 4, what do you think of the information you
receive?
Response Type Frequency Percent

I always believe it. 39 20%

I usually believe it. 67 34%

I believe it to certain extent. 86 44%

I don’t believe it. 3 2%

Total Number of Respondents 195 100%

Table 5, I have the information I need to do my job.

Response Type Frequency Percent

Strongly Agree 39 20%

Agree 104 53%
Neutral 38 19%
Disagree 13 7%
Strongly Disagree 0 0%
Unclear Answers 1 1%
Total Frequency 195 100%

Table 6, how would you rate your supervisor’s (manager’s) communication ski
ls?
Response Type Frequency Percent

Excellent 42 22%
Very Good 54 28%
Good 79 41%
Fair 14 7%
Poor 5 3%
Unclear Answers 1 1%

Total Frequency 195 100%

48
Table 7, from which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of your
information about what is going on in the company?
Response Type Frequency Percent

Grapevine 31 16%
Bulletin Board 2 1%
Company Newsletter (Intranet) 31 16%

My supervisor 14 7%
Group meetings 15 8%

Company leadership 2 1%
Trove, Knowledge tools or Textbook 2 1%
Company e-mail 79 41%
Multiple Answers 19 10%
Total Number of Respondents 195 100%

Table 8, from which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of your
information about what is going on in the company?
Response Type Frequency Percent

Grapevine 27 14%
Bulletin Board 1 1%
Company Newsletter (Intranet) 29 15%

My supervisor 15 8%
Group meetings 15 8%

Company leadership 7 4%
Trove, Knowledge tools or Textbook 2 1%
Company e-mail 79 41%
Multiple Answers 20 10%
Total Frequency 195 100%

49
Table 9, there are opportunities available to me to express my ideas to upper management.

Response Type Frequency Percent

Strongly Agree 14 7%
Agree 68 35%
Neutral 58 30%
Disagree 39 20%
Strongly Disagree 15 8%
Unclear Answers 1 1%
Total Frequency 195 100%

Table 10, There is good communication between people in different branches of the company.
Response Type Frequency Percent

Strongly Agree 15 8%
Agree 54 28%
Neutral 55 28%
Disagree 59 30%
Strongly Disagree 11 6%
Unclear Answers 1 1%
Total Frequency 195 100%

Table 11, I am kept well informed by upper management on what is going on in the
company (such as company plans and progress).
Response Type Frequency Percent

Strongly Agree 18 9%
Agree 81 42%
Neutral 50 26%
Disagree 36 18%
Strongly Disagree 8 4%
Unclear Answers 2 1%
Total Frequency 195 100%

50
Table 12, Overall, how satisfied are you with the communication within Ethio-telecom?

Response Type Frequency Percent

Very Satisfied 10 5%
Satisfied 75 38%
Neutral 64 33%
Dissatisfied 41 21%
Very Dissatisfied 3 2%
Unclear Answers 2 1%
Total Frequency 195 100%

Table 13, I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns
Response Type Frequency Percent

All the time 11 6%

Some of the time 95 49%
Undecided 41 21%

Almost never 34 17%

Never 10 5%
Unclear Answers 4 2%
Total Frequency 195 100%

51
Table 14, whenever there is a change within the organization, my
supervisor
Response Type Frequency Percent

Always informs me. 31 16%

Inform me most of the time. 118 61%

Almost never informs me. 40 21%

Never informs me. 4 2%

Unclear Answers 2 1%

Total Frequency 195 100%

Table 15, the information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information I
receive from other supervisors.
Response Type Frequency Percent

Strongly Agree 19 10%

Agree 96 49%
Neutral 60 31%
Disagree 12 6%
Strongly Disagree 2 1%
Unclear Answers 6 3%
Total Frequency 195 100%

52
Table 16, how much of a typical company e-mail (flash info) do you read?

Response Type Frequency Percent

I read it fully and thoroughly 70 36%

I read most of it 83 43%

I read some of it 32 16%

I only skim through it 8 4%

I don’t read it at a l 0 0%

Unclear Answers 2 1%
Total Frequency 195 100%

Table 17, what is your overall evaluation of the e-mail (flash

info)?
Response Type Frequency Percent

Excellent 40 21%

Very Good 73 37%

Good 61 31%

Fair 14 7%

Poor 5 3%

Unclear Answers 2 1%

Total Frequency 195 100%

53
 Appendix 2

Dear respondents, the purpose of this study is to assess the practice of internal
communication: the case of Ethio-telecom. This research is being conducted to assess
whether there is an internal communication gap among lower employees, supervisors, frontline
managers and higher management in Ethio-telecom. Your responses will be used only for the
study. The researcher kindly requests you to read all the questions and answer accordingly.
Your genuine answers are vital to the paper.

I would like to thank you in advance for taking your time to fill the questionnaire.

Please tick in the provided box with a right mark (√) that describes your answer.

1. Please identify your sex: male □ female □

2. How long have you been working for Ethio-telecom?
□ 1 year or less
□ 2-5 years
□ 6-9 years
□ 10-15years
□ 16 or more years
3. Which one of the following describes best your impression of communication
within Ethio-telecom?
□ Keeps us fully informed
□ Keeps us adequately informed
□ Gives us only a limited amount of information
□ Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on

54
4. What do you think of the information you receive?

□ I always believe it
□ I usually believe it
□ I believe it to certain extent
□ I do not believe it

5. I have the information I need to do my job.

□ Strongly Agree
□ Agree
□ Neutral
□ Disagree
□ Strongly Disagree

6. How would you rate your supervisor’s (manager’s) communication

skills?
□ Excellent
□ Very good
□ Good
□ Fair
□ Poor

55
7. From which of the following sources do you usually receive most of
your information?

□ The grapevine (rumor)

□ Bulletin board
□ Company Newsletter (Intranet)
□ My supervisor
□ Group meetings
□ Company leadership
□ Trove, Knowledge Tools, or Textbook
□ Company e-mail
8. From which of the following sources would you prefer to receive most of
your information about what is going on in the company?
□ The grapevine (rumor)
□ Bulletin board
□ Company Newsletter (Intranet)
□ My supervisor
□ Group meetings
□ Company leadership

56
 □ Trove, Knowledge Tools, or Textbook
□ Company e-mail
9. There are opportunities available to me to express my ideas to upper management.
□ Strongly Agree
□ Agree
□ Neutral
□ Disagree
□ Strongly Disagree

10. There is good communication between people in different branches of the company.
□ Strongly Agree
□ Agree
□ Neutral
□ Disagree
□ Strongly Disagree

11. I am kept well informed by upper management on what's going on in the company
(such as company plans and progress).
□ Strongly Agree
□ Agree
□ Neutral

57
 □ Disagree
□ Strongly Disagree

12. Overall, how satisfied are you with the communication within Ethio-telecom?
□ Very Satisfied
□ Satisfied
□ Neutral
□ Dissatisfied
□ Very dissatisfied
13. I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns.
□ All the time
□ Some of the time
□ Undecided
□ Almost never
□ Never
14. Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor
□ always informs me.
□ inform me most of the time.
□ almost never informs me.
□ never informs me.

58
15. The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information
I received from other supervisors.
□ Strongly Agree
□ Agree
□ Neutral
□ Disagree
□ Strongly Disagree
16. How much of a typical company e-mail (flash info) do you read?

□ I read it fully and thoroughly

□ I read most of it
□ I read some of it
□ I only skim through it
□ I don’t read it at all

17. What is your overall evaluation of the e-mail (flash info)?

□ Excellent
□ Very good
□ Good
□ Fair
□ Poor

59