ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION By Trevor Alston, Jonathan Benn, Darren Bircher & Shaun Bent

Table of Contents What is Organisational Communication? Communication Networks Chain Star Wheel Etc Mediated Communication Telecommute & Telecommuting Cloud Computing Surveillance & Privacy Concerns Summary Bibliography

What is Organisational Communication?

Communication Networks

Chain

Star

Wheel

Etc

Mediated Communication

Telecommute & Telecommuting

Cloud Computing

Surveillance & Privacy Concerns

Summary

Bibliography

What is Organizational Communication? Organizational communication, broadly speaking, is: people working together to achieve individual or collective goals. (Miller, 2002) Laureate Herbert Simon wrote in 1947 about "organization communications systems", saying communication is "absolutely essential to organizations" (Herbert 1947)

Organizational communication, broadly speaking, is: people working together to achieve individual or collective goals.

(Miller, 2002)

Laureate Herbert Simon wrote in 1947 about "organization communications systems", saying communication is "absolutely essential to organizations" (Herbert 1947)

What is Organizational Communication? Managers have traditionally spent the majority of their time communicating More and more employees find that an important part of their work is communication People can only relate to each other through some form of communication An organizations survival depends upon the communication within it Most business schools now offer a communication programme The first communication programs were typically aimed towards speech departments Most business schools now include organizational communication as a key element of study More than just training managers to be effective speakers and to have good people skills All organizations, and workers need to be familiar with all communication types for any business to move forward quickly Organisational Communication even relates to peoples movements (body language) (Johnson, 1976)

Managers have traditionally spent the majority of their time communicating

More and more employees find that an important part of their work is communication

People can only relate to each other through some form of communication

An organizations survival depends upon the communication within it

Most business schools now offer a communication programme

The first communication programs were typically aimed towards speech departments

Most business schools now include organizational communication as a key element of study

More than just training managers to be effective speakers and to have good people skills

All organizations, and workers need to be familiar with all communication types for any business to move forward quickly

Organisational Communication even relates to peoples movements (body language) (Johnson, 1976)

What is Organizational Communication? Communication is a fundamental part of any organization Neher (1997) identifies the primary functions of organizational communication as: Compliance-gaining Leading, motivating, and influencing Sense-making Problem-solving and decision-making Conflict management, negotiating, and bargaining.

Communication is a fundamental part of any organization

Neher (1997) identifies the primary functions of organizational communication as:

Compliance-gaining

Leading, motivating, and influencing

Sense-making

Problem-solving and decision-making

Conflict management, negotiating, and bargaining.

What is Organizational Communication? Electronic media such as: E-mail Intranet Internet Teleconference Things changed in the early 90’s Work is more complex and requires greater coordination and interaction among workers The pace of work is faster Workers are more distributed Knowledge and innovation are more critical to an organization’s competitive advantage Communication technologies and networks are increasingly essential to an organization’s structure and strategy. Relations between organisations will require more training, developments and maintenance efforts. (Thayer & Barnett, 2002) http://managementhelp.org/mrktng/org_cmm.htm Print media such as: Memos bulletin boards Newsletters Reports Meetings such as: Briefings Staff meetings Project meetings

Electronic media such as:

E-mail

Intranet

Internet

Teleconference

Things changed in the early 90’s

Work is more complex and requires greater coordination and interaction among workers

The pace of work is faster

Workers are more distributed

Knowledge and innovation are more critical to an organization’s competitive advantage

Communication technologies and networks are increasingly essential to an organization’s

structure and strategy.

Relations between organisations will require more training, developments and maintenance efforts. (Thayer & Barnett, 2002)

Print media such as:

Memos bulletin boards

Newsletters

Reports

Meetings such as:

Briefings

Staff meetings

Project meetings

Chain Communication Networks The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that characterizes strictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types of business organizations. 1 person repeats info to the relevant person and it will continue. It usually ends up being hopelessly garbled. By itself it is very unreliable. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish network communication from rumours. (Rogers, 1990) D C B A

The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that characterizes strictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types of business organizations.

1 person repeats info to the relevant person and it will continue.

It usually ends up being hopelessly garbled.

By itself it is very unreliable.

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish network communication from rumours. (Rogers, 1990)

Wheel Communication Networks The Wheel can be compared with a typical autocratic organization, meaning one-man rule and limited employee participation Formal Networks The wheel relies on the leader to act as the central conduit for all the group’s communication. In 'hub and wheel' communication, one person sits in the centre and sends messages out individually to others around him. The 'hub' acts as a 'gatekeeper' by controlling the flow of information. There are two problems with this. One is information overload at the hub. The other is it blocks lateral and network communication. B A C D E Summarized from concepts developed by (Bavelas, 1951)

The Wheel can be compared with a typical autocratic organization, meaning one-man rule and limited employee participation

Formal Networks The wheel relies on the leader to act as the central conduit for all the group’s communication.

In 'hub and wheel' communication, one person sits in the centre and sends messages out individually to others around him. The 'hub' acts as a 'gatekeeper' by controlling the flow of information. There are two problems with this. One is information overload at the hub. The other is it blocks lateral and network communication.

Bibliography MILLER, Katherine (2002), Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes, 4th ed., p. 1. NEHER, William W. (1997), Organizational Communication: Challenges of Change, Diversity, and Continuity Herbert Simon, Administrative Behaviour, 4th edition, p 208. Alex Bavelas, "Communication Patterns in Task-Oriented Groups," pp. 503-11 Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society : an introduction. Pacific Palisades, Calif: Goodyear Pub. Co.. pp. 148–142 Carl R Rogers; Fritz Jules Roethlisberger (1990). Barriers and gateways to communication. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Review. pp. 28–34 Carter McNamara (2008) , http://managementhelp.org/mrktng/org_cmm.htm, Date accessed 15/01/09 Thayer, Lee & Barnett, George. Organization communication: The renaissance in systems thinking. p133

MILLER, Katherine (2002), Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes, 4th ed., p. 1.

NEHER, William W. (1997), Organizational Communication: Challenges of Change, Diversity, and Continuity

Herbert Simon, Administrative Behaviour, 4th edition, p 208.

Alex Bavelas, "Communication Patterns in Task-Oriented Groups," pp. 503-11

Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society : an introduction. Pacific Palisades, Calif: Goodyear Pub. Co.. pp. 148–142

Carl R Rogers; Fritz Jules Roethlisberger (1990). Barriers and gateways to communication. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Review. pp. 28–34

Carter McNamara (2008) , http://managementhelp.org/mrktng/org_cmm.htm, Date accessed 15/01/09

Thayer, Lee & Barnett, George. Organization communication: The renaissance in systems thinking. p133