Summary
The report entitled “Lack of communication in the change processes,” describes the various problems that arise if the changes in the organization are not communicated to the employees. The employees must realize that they are given preference within the organization, and any changes that are introduced in the organization will not affect them negatively.
The report depicts the various problems in communication that arise due to the changes and also provides the various tips to overcome those problems. If there is no proper communication within the organization, the entire organizational functions will be a failure. Therefore, whatever changes that are happening in an organization must be communicated to the employees in advance, and their opinions should be considered.
Introduction
Communication is a human venture, the process of conveying or exchanging the ideas, and the information constitute a communication in general. Communication consists of different types – oral and written, and visual communication.
It is only the effectiveness of the communication it matters through necessary feedback and adequate response to the stimuli. There are also nullified effects as a result of a lack of communication. The uses of communication are splendid; they are for information, commemoration, persuasion, and interpretation.
“Mostly, ‘Communication’ term is used by behavioral theorists, management scholars, and the general public. We will follow here some definition of communication which has been varyingly defined over the years.” (Jay, 2009, para.1).
Managing communication is considered to be a very complicated task in most of the organizations. This problem arises when the organization faces any changes, and it is not properly communicated to the employees. These problems can be successfully solved by developing an appropriate communication strategy within the organization.
Changes are relevant to every organization. Due to the changes in technology, organizations are forced to make changes in their organizational strategy. All changes that are happening in the organization must be communicated to the employees. Otherwise, it will lead to certain issues, and the whole process may get distracted. The employees may resist the changes if they are not communicated in the right way.
Coetsee (1999) states, “management’s ability to achieve maximum benefits from change depends in part on how effectively they create and maintain a climate that minimizes resistant behavior and encourages acceptance and support (p. 205).” (Evans, 2004).
The changes in the organization are created by the change agents. Change agents are those who are responsible for bringing relevant changes within the organizational settings. “A person who leads a change project or business-wide initiative by defining, researching, planning, building business support, and carefully selecting volunteers to be part of a change team.” (Change agent, 2009).
As far as pharmaceutical industries are concerned, more importance has to be given for communication because they are dealing with the production of drugs, and any increase or decrease in the quantity or quality of the content may affect the life of the humans.
This can be solved through proper communication among the employees who are engaged in the production process. A small mistake due to communication may lead to severe and huge problems, so special care has to be taken while communicating with the employees regarding the changes in the organization.
Importance of communication in the change processes
The change process in the organization is essential for an organization in different ways. It contributes to the success of the organization. It should be designed in such a manner that it should create a pact with the employees and also to help them think beyond the usual arena.
The pros and cons of the entire system should be interpreted in a vivid manner so as to avoid chaos and perplexing. There are different kinds of organizational changes. The unclear organizational plans may lead to threatening the change process.
The initial premise is that there are four kinds of change in organizations:
- Process change
- System change
- Structural change
- Organizational change. (Seel, 2008, Introduction, para.2).
Lack of communication can affect the different changes in different ways. The change is an ongoing process. Change can never have a saturation point. It is quite difficult for people to grasp the new changes according to the arising trends.
The organizational norms and the changes are to be conveyed in a specific manner so as to avoid frustration where the employees may think them inadaptable to the new culture and also face much agony to obtain the fruitful results.
“Culture change is difficult and time-consuming because “culture” is rooted in the collective history of the organization.” (Organizational change, 2005, para.2).
The change process is mainly to improvise the organization and build up an excellent performance than before. But, the lack of communication creates an adverse effect on the organization. The main aim of an organization is the successful implementation of the process, but if the communication is what it lacks, then it will be a serious effect.
Lack of communication may lead to inflexibility in the work condition. It may also lead to hatred towards the work. So, the treatment of the change should be in a proper way, and it has to be communicated in a wise manner. The agonies of work may play a major role in the case of lack of communication. They may also relate to different kinds of uneasiness, which may lead to the mess of the current situation.
The change in technology, production process, people, and management has made the organizations change in a significant manner. If the organization has to cope up with the challenging world, then they have to manage the changes that are taking place within them.
This responsibility is vested in the hands of the management. “Lack of management experience is a primary reason why communication is such a problem in the workplace.” (Lack of communication sends employees out the door 2006).
Usually, changes are good for every organization, but it creates huge problems if they are not communicated to the employees. In the earlier days, the typewriter was used to perform all paper works, but now computers are playing a significant role in performing various activities in different departments.
In the earlier days, the employees were having a sense of fright in their mind that if computers are introduced in the organization, they might lose their job. But, later, the employees realized the use and benefits of the computer and accepted the change, and it was possible only through effective communication.
Problems faced due to a lack of communication in the change process
If the changes arising in the organization are not communicated to the employees, it will lead to serious problems. Some of the problems that arise due to lack of communication in the change process are as follows;
- It may lead to conflict within the organization.
- Employees’ job satisfaction level decreases.
- The attrition rate will increase at a higher rate.
- The overall productivity of employees decreases.
- The employees resist to changes without looking into whether it is bad or good for them.
- Employee morale also decreases
- It may affect the reputation of the company if the attrition rate increases
- It will lead to reduced profitability of the concern
Tips to overcome the problems
- Employees’ opinions should be considered before implementing changes.
- The employees may have some queries regarding the change, so all those queries must be clarified by the management.
- Employee representatives should be asked to participate while making decisions related to the change process.
- Communicate the change process in such a way that the benefits should be highlighted.
- Proper training should be provided to the managers on the importance of communicating with the employees about the changes.
- Based on the structure of the company it is better to adopt a well-integrated communication system within the organization
Recommendations
- Participative decision making can reduce communication problems.
- The information regarding the changes must be given to the employees through notice or circular, by which all the employees will come to know about the changes that are going to happen within the organization.
- There should be a harmonious relationship within the organization.
- The queries and confusions of the employees regarding the changes must be cleared by the management or by the change agents.
- The employees should feel that the changes are implemented in the organization to facilitate them to work easily and in an efficient manner.
Conclusion
Communication serves as an important factor in implementing changes within the organization. If proper communication is not done within the organization, it will lead to serious problems and might lead to the winding up of business. The information regarding changes should be communicated to the employees in order to solve problems that arise within the organization.
The communication is considered to be the backbone of the organization. The improper means of communicating may lead to the wastage of time where the communication is done for the one particular may be different when compared with the actual one.
It may also lead to the wastage of the resources as well as precious time. The little communication always has the risk of forthcoming events or happenings. It may also lead to a different kind of misinterpretation among the employees or the persons, it may also lead to the manipulation of the work, and ultimately it can be of nullified effect to the organization.
Changes in an organization are a continuous process and have to be communicated to the employees in the right way and at the right time. The communication should be done in such a way that the employees should realize the importance and the benefits they are going to receive when those changes are implemented within the organization.
The management is responsible for communicating the changes within the organization. Therefore the person who is responsible for passing the information to the employees should be well trained.
He should be able to understand human behavior and must have the capability to present the information to the employees. Therefore the problems that arise due to the lack of communication can be resolved by establishing an appropriate communication system within the organization.
Reference List
Change agent. (2009). I Six Sigma.
Evans, G J. (2004). Organizational change: Organizational change management.
Jay. (2009). Communication process and communication barriers in an organization. MBA career by MBA Books for MBA Education.
Lack of communication sends employees out the door: Inexperienced managers cause workplace dissatisfaction. (2006). Internal Comms Hub.
Organizational change: Organizational culture: Change process. (2005). Symphony Orchestra Institute.
Seel, R. (2008). Nature of change: The nature of organizational change.