Almost every company relies on communication in some form or another to function efficiently. Effective communication is a critical aspect of any business or organization (Li et al., 2018). An increase in production time and a fall in profit might be expected when efficient communication is lacking. Sharing thoughts, information, and messages with others at a certain time and location is communication. Because the accompanying managers understand their departments’ communication patterns, they can then build communication programs tailored to their enterprise’s demands.
Poor communication is a critical concern that may be costly to a business, and it has a lot to do with the effectiveness of any organization’s communication. This is because any business’s success or failure depends on the strength of its internal connections. It is important for employees to feel that they can communicate effectively with their co-workers and higher-ups to improve productivity and overall performance (Jing et al., 2022).The need for this study is to explore the causes of poor communication, its effects, and the solutions in a work organisation. The proposal will provide recommendations for effective communication strategies in an organisation.
Background of the Study
Verbal and nonverbal forms of communication are two more ways to categorize communication. In the context of communication, verbal and nonverbal relate to the use of the spoken word and other modalities, such as body movements, writing, and more (Grillo & Enesi, 2022). As a result of the ease with which communications may be understood when spoken aloud, verbal communication is given greater weight in the workplace than written communication. To increase customer satisfaction, staff and customers must communicate effectively through verbal means. It is important to maintain open lines of communication with co-workers to foster positive working relationships and boost overall morale on the team. The benefits to using effective verbal communication in the workplace include a boost in productivity and a reduction in the spread of misinformation.
It is possible to further split communication into three subcategories: communication downhill, upward, and horizontal. It is known as downward communication, when information is transmitted from the top to the bottom (Kalogiannidis, 2020). Information such as job rationales, practices, feedback, and directives are all instances of downward communication. The flow of information from lower to higher levels of an organization is known as upward communication (Kalogiannidis, 2020). It is common practice to use various tools to get information up from an organization’s bottom. Interaction between employees at the same level of an organization is referred to as horizontal communication (Kalogiannidis, 2020). Horizontal communication includes group discussions, brainstorming sessions, and department meetings.
Incorporating many divisions into a company makes it easy to divide and supervise different operations, all under the watchful eye of experts in their respective fields. For an organization to be successful, each department must work together to accomplish the group’s goals and aspirations (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). For a message to be effectively communicated, it must be transmitted and understood by the departments involved clearly and comprehensively.
Objectives
Poor communication across departments in a company is examined as a primary goal of this study. To be more explicit, the study set out to:
- Identify the elements that lead to poor interdepartmental communication.
- Analyse the consequences of poor interdepartmental communication.
- Identify the various methods employed by an organization to enhance communication between departments.
Factors That Contribute to Poor Communication between Departments in an Organisation
Environmental Barriers
Certain barriers act as limiting factors for the development of effective communication in various environments. A noisy workplace makes it too difficult for people to hear and understand each other (Mumba, 2020). Open office layouts are more prone to creating noise pollution; hence, it is recommended that the managers implement noise reduction rules for the employees, such as no shouting across the office or headphones.
Cultural Barriers
Differences in cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes result in different interpretations of communication signs and language between people. When messages are delivered to people from different cultural backgrounds, miscommunications and misunderstandings can occur (Mumba, 2020). In an organization, the employees should approach cultural diversity with an open mind since it creates an opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge.
Attitudinal Barriers
It is common for some department members to hate others who do not work in their division. Poor communication can be caused but a different attitude towards other workers due to differences in sexuality, religion, political parties, and racism. Managers and their subordinates’ ability to communicate effectively may suffer if the manager’s demeanour toward them is condescending (Mumba, 2020). Workplace conflict and information withholding can sabotage an organization’s operations when co-workers have a negative attitude.
Behavior Barriers
Behavioural barriers are formed when people display behaviour that prevents them from learning more about others. According to the findings, people who hold stereotypical views of other people are more likely to conclude those people before learning more about them (Mumba, 2020). Such prejudicial perspectives restrict open discussions as they lead to the sharing of judgements and negative opinions about different departments.
System- System Gaps
When a business process is cross-departmental or cross-functional, there are system-system gaps. When an organisation has many systems in different departments, it might not be easy to share information amongst all the staff (Mumba, 2020). When there is a lack of clear communication channels in a multi-department organisation, there is a lack of understanding among the workers. Miscommunication and lack of understanding among the staff can lead to conflicts and poor management in an organisation.
Effects of Poor Communication between Departments in an Organization
Poor communication can cause the employees to perform their work ineffectively. Lack of communication lowers the employee’s motivation and morale, leading to decreased work productivity (Gamil & Rahman, 2017). Furthermore, poor communication restricts access to knowledge and resources at work hence lacking the motivation to perform their tasks leading to reduced work productivity.
Conflicts
Poor communication leads to distrust and demoralization among the workers. The demoralization among the workers creates a lack of commitment and loyalty to the organization (Gamil & Rahman, 2017). Reduced employee retention is time-consuming and uses many resources, and leads to decreased work productivity which may cause a collapse of an organization.
Poor Leadership
All departments have managers, and it proves to be difficult to lead when they cannot communicate effectively. Employees receive job descriptions, feedback, and reinforcement from the manager; hence poor communication can lead to misinformation and a lack of direction (Gamil & Rahman, 2017). Good leaders communicate the organization’s visions, goals, and objectives to their employees.
Strategies Used to Improve Communication across Departments in an Organisation
One strategy of improving the general communication across departments includes providing a sector solely dedicated to the issue. In that way, the compartment will be responsible for prioritizing certain tasks from different subsections of a company (Lovari & Valentini, 2020). The strategy will aid in avoiding problematic instances in inevitable procedures such as firing an employee.
Training Employees on Good Communication
Workshops based on communication skills help employees gain effective speaking and listening skills and ways to manage conflicts in departments. Communications training improves the employees’ work performance and productivity, leading to increased work motivation.
Redesign the Office Space
Welcoming and open office space can encourage employees to collaborate and talk to other staff members, improving communication. Closed-off offices create an atmosphere of isolation which creates a lack of teamwork and division, which reduces the employees’ morale. Common open areas, such as cafeterias, mailrooms, break-time relaxing lounges, and coffee bars, can be created to ensure that workers from different departments interact with each other.
Conclusion
The process of improving interpersonal relations in a workplace forms the foundation of clear communication. The strategies aimed at improving communication in various organizations must include training on teamwork and efficient conversations. Improved inter-departmental communication enhances overall performance because all departments work together to achieve the company’s goals. Effective and transparent communication across different departments builds trust and eliminates conflicts.
Recommendations
This article recommends that organizations should:
- Offer interdepartmental master classes to avoid communication issues in the workplace.
- Provide effective communication tools such as spacious conference halls and digital tools such as video conferencing platforms to improve the quality and effectiveness of interdepartmental communication.
- Establish a communication-oriented sector for resolving general issues within the organization.
References
Gamil, Y., & Rahman, I. A. (2017). Identification of causes and effects of poor communication in the construction industry: A theoretical review. Emerging Science Journal, 1(4), 239-247.
Grillo, H. M., & Enesi, M. (2022). The impact, importance, types, and use of non-verbal communication in social relations. Linguistics and Culture Review, 6, 291-307.
Jing, F. F., Wilkinson, A., Mowbray, P. K., Khan, M., & Zhang, H. (2022). How difficulties in upward voice lead to lateral voice: A case study of a Chinese hospital. Personnel Review.
Kalogiannidis, S. (2020). Impact of effective business communication on employee performance. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 5(6).
Li, S. A., Jeffs, L., Barwick, M., & Stevens, B. (2018). Organizational contextual features that influence the implementation of evidence-based practices across healthcare settings: A systematic integrative review. Systematic reviews, 7(1), 1-19.
Lovari, A., & Valentini, C. (2020). Public sector communication and social media: Opportunities and limits of current policies, activities, and practices. The Handbook of Public Sector Communication, 315-328.
Lubis, F. R., & Hanum, F. (2020). Organizational culture. In 2nd Yogyakarta international conference on educational management/administration and pedagogy (YICEMAP 2019). Atlantis Press (pp. 88-91).
Mumba, J. (2020). Bridging departmental communication gaps in quasi-institutions: A case study of Zesco limited (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Zambia).