Every organization operates within set goals and objectives that guarantee its success in a competitive environment. Effective communication is responsible for ensuring an organization’s objectives and goals are met. Consequently, a functional organization seeks to ensure that the channels of communication among its staff are clear and well defined. Organizational communication is an independent variable that has far-reaching implications in the overall success of an organization. Organizational communication is also responsible for providing the basis for the entire human interaction process in relation to an organization. Organizational communication is subject to finer elements of communication that include sender, message, receiver, feedback, and noise.
When analyzing the importance of any form of communication, it is important to consider its underlying models. All communications follow a perceptual model of communication where a sender transmits his/her thoughts/intentions through an organized “vocabulary of a language, rituals, gestures, ceremonies, and routines in express meaning” (Griffin and McClish 23). On its part, the transmitted message consists of both a concept-component and a feeling/emotional component. When a sender’s message gets to its destination, the receiver decodes its components to make them decipherable. The receiver is responsible for sending feedback to the communication’s origin. Noise refers to any element that interferes with the communication’s transmission process. This system forms the basis of organizational communication.
Organization communication and its underlying contexts are important in various ways. First, in an organizational context, communication can be used to control behaviors. For instance, an organization’s overall objectives are dependent on communication that points towards a certain direction. The specifics of communication (sender, receiver, feedback) are dependent on how individuals behave towards others. Organizational communication can also be used as a tool for motivating employees. Without well-defined channels of communication in an organization, employees are left to formulate their own methods of sending, receiving, and giving feedback in regards to organizational communication (Goldhaber 55).
This process might lead to instances of conflict between co-workers. Consequently, an organized communication model motivates individuals to interact in a productive work environment that features reduced instances of noise. Previously, organizations tended to ignore the emotional element of communication. However, under organizational communication, individuals are encouraged to express their emotions in a standard manner. Another important aspect of organizational communication is that it is responsible for relaying information between several quarters of an organization. Furthermore, under organizational communication, the quality of information that is transmitted within an organization is often higher.
Face-to-face Communication
Face-to-face communication refers to interactions where people communicate in an open and visually interactive medium. Overall, face-to-face communication ensures that both the receiver and the sender are in the same place, and feedback is instant. One distinct feature of face-to-face communication is that it utilizes non-verbal gestures in its functionality. Face-to-face communication has various advantages and disadvantages with respect to organizational communication. One advantage of face-to-face communication is that, on most occasions, it guarantees immediate feedback.
When individuals communicate face-to-face, the message moves from the sender to the receiver in an expedited manner. This process involves immediate feedback where people can hear a response from others, gauge the feelings of their fellow communicators, and guess the overall direction of the conversation. Face-to-face communication is also advantageous because it is ideal for discussions and other learning environments. When face-to-face communication is happening, senders and receivers can exchange a great deal of information. In addition, listeners have the chance to learn a lot from face-to-face communication.
One weakness that is associated with face-to-face communication is that it is not often practical for large organizations. The size of most large organizations is reflected in terms of geographical size. Consequently, face-to-face communication cannot be effectively used in organizations whose units and departments are located in various geographical locations. Another shortcoming of face-to-face communication is that its effectiveness is dependent on the communication skills of individuals (Kirkman 177). For instance, if one of the individuals in face-to-face communication is a poor listener, the entire interaction is compromised. Furthermore, communication in face-to-face communication is subject to various interpretations by both senders and receivers.
Social Media Communication
Social media communication refers to interactions that occur over new-media platforms such as wikis, social networking websites, and blogs. Social media communication “allows organizations to improve communication and productivity by disseminating information among different groups of employees in a more efficient manner” (Lovejoy and Saxton 340). In the course of social media communication, the sender, receiver, and feedback elements of communication are important. One advantage of using social media communication is that it is open, and it gives various individuals an avenue for interacting with certain ‘bits’ of information.
Another advantage of using social media is that it has a wide reach hence the capacity to target wide audiences. Organizations can also control the senders of information via social media, thereby improving its quality tremendously. Another significant advantage of social media in modern times is that it can be integrated with market research through its quality and uninhibited feedback. Consequently, social media communication can be used by organizations in marketing campaigns, delivering customer-centric communications, and giving directions to an organization’s outsiders.
One disadvantage of using social media communication is that it eliminates privacy in an organization’s systems and leaves them vulnerable to external influences. Some of these external influences might translate into vicious hacking and virus attacks. Social media communication is also likely to reduce productivity among workers because it is subject to a lot of noise (Smith and Zook 84). The noise that affects social media may be in the form of distractions through jokes, memes, unprofessional comments, and other visual elements.
Barriers of Communication
One of the most common barriers to communication in an organization is language. For a message to get to its destination when it is still intact, the language that is used between the sender and the receiver must be similarly understood. Language barriers can occur in situations where the sender and the receiver use the same language but within different formats.
Emotional barriers may also act as a hindrance in the course of communication. Most emotional barriers are brought about by cultural affiliations where taboos and customs might prevent the sender from ‘connecting’ with the receiver in an appropriate manner. For example, in most cultures, communication between men and women is surrounded by various taboos and customs.
Physical barriers to communication might include scenarios where the sender and receiver are prevented from observing the non-verbal cues of each other. For example, communication through the telephone is subject to physical barriers, but communicating through a video link eliminates most of these barriers.
Cultural differences are another barrier to communication that organizations need to put into account. Communication within various cultures occurs under certain norms, rules, and regulations. For instance, “the concept of personal space varies between cultures and different social settings” (Daim, 200).
Psychological barriers to communication refer to the underlying perceptions and social conditioning that apply to senders and receivers. For example, when communication occurs between a senior and junior employee, psychological factors might hinder this communication.
Works Cited
Daim, Tugrul. “Exploring the communication breakdown in global virtual teams.” International Journal of Project Management 30.2 (2012): 199-212. Print.
Griffin, Emory, and Glen Arthur McClish. A first look at communication theory, Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.
Goldhaber, Gerald. Organizational communication, New York: Brown & Benchmark, 2003. Print.
Kirkman, Bradley. “The impact of team empowerment on virtual team performance: The moderating role of face-to-face interaction.” Academy of Management Journal 47.2 (2004): 175-192. Print.
Lovejoy, Kristen, and Gregory Saxton. “Information, community, and action: how nonprofit organizations use social media.” Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication 17.3 (2012): 337-353. Print.
Smith, Russell, and Ze Zook. Marketing communications: integrating offline and online with social media, Boston: Kogan Page, 2011. Print.