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?
A Report on Ineffective
? in an
Communication
Organisation
?

?Submitted to Prof Swat Makadi

For the Subject Communication Skills

By MMS A
Hozefa Khambaty (32)
Hrishit Amlani(33)
Jamila Udaipurwala (40)
Khozema Burhanpurwala (46)
Mohammed Naeem Shaikh (58)

Rizvi Institue of Management Studies and

Research




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Preface
In today·s world, every organisation, business or non-business,
large or small, needs to communicate both within and outside the
organisation. Without communication, it would be almost impossible to
function. Effective communication is vital to the success and survival of
any organisation.

But as seen through the studies, organisations does not have an

effective communication system to link different groups and people of
the organisation so that they work collectively to achieve desired
objectives.

We are hereby thankful to Prof. Swati Mankad for giving us an

opportunity to limelight the areas concerning ineffective communication
in an organisation. We are quite confident that this report will help our
future managers to understand the importance of communication
process in an organisation.

-Communication is not an end in itself; it is a means to

achieve an end.µ?
 




 
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Index

S.No jopics Page No

1 Introduction 5

2 Communication 7

3 Organisational Communication 8

4 Causes of Ineffective Communication 9

5 Effects of Ineffective Communication 12

jypes of Communication and their Relative

6 13
Importance
Ways to Overcome Ineffective
7 19
Communication
How to Improve Superior ² Subordinate
8 23
Relationship





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Introduction
÷

 
 

Mr. Satish Agarwal is a young dynamic MBA professional in Finance.

After tough 2 years of an MBA programme, he has now got placed in a
reputed bank as a Credit Manager at AMII level (Assistant Manager).

Mr. Satish is very excited for his first job and is continuously
performing well to make his dreams come true. As time passes by, he
realizes that he is been over loaded with the work and his immediate
reporting boss does nothing except for enjoying free meals and chit
chatting with the colleagues. Now, he starts questioning himself that
´Why he works for 10 hours inspite of 8 hours and his reporting boss
works for only 6 hours?µ

Mr. Satish, himself finds no answer for his question. He approaches

his colleagues but still does not find any answer, as even his colleagues
are seeking answer for the same question. Satish and friends cannot
complain about their bosses, as their performance appraisal is in the
hands of immediate bosses. Left with no option, Mr. Satish continued
working for few months and finally changed his job.

 
 


  

X? Because he was not being properly communicated about his job

responsibilities.
X? Because he was unaware about the grievances procedure.




 
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X? Because he had no direct communication with the Boss of his

reporting boss.
X? Because he was never asked for feedback about his boss.
X? And lots more could be the reason.

In order to avoid future mangers being trapped in similar situation as

of Mr. Satish and to create awareness about the importance of
organisational communication, topic of Ineffective Communication in an
Organisation has been selected.


 
 

jhe study primarily deals with the problem of Ineffective

Organisational Communication that affects the employee morale as well
as the organisation.

    

Primary data was collected through verbal discussion with people.

Secondary data was gathered from various books and websites.




 
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Report Body

Communication
jhe word communication is derived from the Latin Word

 which means 

    
 


Communication is an exchange of information between the

giver/sender and the receiver; between the source and destination. At
times, the source and destination are individual persons; then such
communication is called
 
  
 
. On the other
hand, if the communication is done by one individual or by a group to
larger group of people through radio, j , magazines, etc., then such a
communication is referred as  
 
.

Business communication makes use of both inter-personal and mass

communication. When a superior informs his subordinates of an action
to be taken, it is a case of inter-personal communication. When an
organisation informs the people in newspapers about the introduction of
its latest product, then it is a case of mass communication.




 
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Organisational Communication
Organisational Communication focuses on general communication
processes and dynamics within organizations. It includes instruction in
the development and maintenance of interpersonal group relations
within organizations; decision-making and conflict management; the use
of symbols to create and maintain organizational images, missions, and
values; power and politics within organizations; human interaction with
computer technology; and how communications socializes and supports
employees and team members.

In addition to the usual face to face, telephone, fax or mail; modern

organisations may use technology to communicate internally.
jechnology may be used for e-mails or a linked internal communication
system such as the intranet which is an internet system designed solely
for use by those working for the organisation.?




 
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Causes of Ineffective Communication

Ë?× 
     
  

Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world

around him. All generally want to receive messages which are
significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not
accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different
individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to
personal reasons (family member being critical). jhe HR Manager might
be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate
manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is
being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional
support.

jhe linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown.

Same word may mean different to different individuals. For example:
consider a word ´valueµ.

a.? What is the  of this Laptop?

b.? I   our relation?
c.? What is the   of learning technical skills?

´  µ means different in different sentences. Communication

breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver.




 
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Ë?c  
÷  

Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to

control this information flow else the information is likely to be
misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is
less effective.

Ë?c  


At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may
pay attention to one ´NO PARKINGµ sign, but if such sign is put all
over the city, he no longer listens to it. jhus, repetitive messages should
be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior is
engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his
problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to
disappointment of subordinate.

Ë? j
 ×  

Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a

specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In
a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are
shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not completely
transferred. jhus sufficient time should be given for effective
communication.

Ë?
 
!"
 

Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical




 
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distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting,
unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use
of loud speakers interferes with communication.

Ë?!


Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects

communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he
interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it
differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the
message is interpreted to be good and interesting).

Ë?
 #

÷  
$ 
   

Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of

managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting
destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture
while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area
and a little knowledge about other areas.

Ë?×   


Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always

retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive.
jhis leads to communication breakdown.




 
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!ffects of Ineffective Communication

  


J? Spread of misinformation.
J? †elay in transmission of information.
J? Erosion of employee trust and confidence.
J? Conflicts between employees and management.
J? Misinformed employees can make wrong decisions.
J? Internal brand image suffers.

 


J? †issatisfaction among employees leads to higher attrition.
J? Lack of coherent and shared vision.
J? Low employee morale results in lower productivity.
J? Impact on company's stocks.
J? Organisation's external brand value suffers
J? High employee turnover.


 

 
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jypes of Organisational Communication and

their Relative Importance
?

X?O  
 


Formal communication is defined as communication which occurs

through the official organisational channels or is undertaken by an
employee to do their job. For example official meetings, letters and a
manager asking an employee to carry out a particular task. Further, it is
categorized to :

J? 
   
 


†ownward communication is communication created by directors

and managers and passed down the hierarchy of workers in the
organisation. In traditional organisations this is the preferred method
of communication ie Managers decide what the systems, rules and
procedures will be and then they pass these down to employees they
manage and supervise. †ownward Communication can increase
efficiency by synchronising organisational procedures and can ensure
that everybody is working towards the same overall aims and
objectives. jypes of downward communication include job
descriptions, appraisals/evaluations, organisational policy, and
organisational systems.

Although there are advantages to downward communication

organisations have began to encourage upward communication. jhis



 
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is communication which originates at the lower level of the

employment hierarchy and is then communicated up through the
line. Organisations encouraging upward communication believe that
everybody is capable of generating thoughts and ideas which may
help the organisation to progress, particularly when they are working
closely in the area that the idea applies to. Upward communication
may increase motivation and make employees feel valued and
respected whilst enabling managers to understand how employees
are feeling. Furthermore if problems occur at they are more likely to
be identified earlier by those working closely in the area that they
occur. jypes of upward communications include suggestion schemes,
feedback forums/surveys, grievance procedures and employee-
manager discussions.

J?   
 


jhis is communication that occurs between employees on the same

level in the organisation. As this can involve decision making it can
create efficiency as employees do not have to wait for managerial
approval. On the other hand if the manager is not kept informed or if
the manager fails to set boundaries there is potential for conflict.

J? 
 
 


jhis occurs when communication occurs between workers in a

different section of the organisation and where one of the workers
involved is on a higher level in the organisation. For example in a
bank diagonal communication will occur when a department




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manager in head office converses with a cashier in a branch of the

bank based on the high street.

X? c  
 


Informal communication is that which occurs outside the recognised

communication networks such as talking in the lunchroom or hallways
between employees. Informal communication can be productive or
negative. It has the potential to build teams, improve working
relationships and generate ideas as employees are in a relaxed
environment.

%

 
 
&c  
 
'

Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. It is

called so because it stretches throughout the organization in all
directions irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we know is a social
animal. †espite existence of formal channels in an organization, the
informal channels tend to develop when he interacts with other people
in organization. It exists more at lower levels of organization.

Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is

that when an organization is facing recession, the employees sense
uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due to
which they form unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential
treatment and favour some employees giving a segregated feeling to
other employees. jhus, when employees sense a need to exchange their
views ,they go for grapevine network as they cannot use the formal
channel of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in



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cafeteria,the subordinates talk about their superior·s attitude and

behaviour and exchange views with their peers. jhey discuss rumours
about promotion and transfer of other employees. jhus, grapevine
spreads like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such
communication at times.

!# 
 %

 "  
 


1.? Suppose the profit amount of a company is known. Rumour is

spread that this much profit is there and on that basis bonus is
declared.
2.? CEO may be in relation to the Production Manager. jhey may
have friendly relations with each other.

X?O ( 
 


Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the
message and respond to them. jhis response of a receiver to sender·s
message is called Feedback. Sometimes a feedback could be a non -verbal
smiles, sighs etc. Sometimes it is oral, as when you react to a colleague·s
ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written like -
replying to an e-mail, etc.

Feedback is your audience·s response; it enables you to evaluate the

effectiveness of your message. If your audience doesn·t understand what
you mean, you can tell by the response and then refine the message
accordingly.

Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for




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maintaining an open communication climate. jhe manager must create

an environment that encourages feedback. For example after explaining
the job to the subordinated he must ask them whether they have
understood it or not. He should ask questions like ´†o you
understand?µ, ´†o you have any doubts?µ etc. At the same time he must
allow his subordinated to express their views also.
Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the
recipient has understood the message in the same terms as intended by
the sender and whether he agrees to that message or not.

jhere are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their
employees, such as : Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door
policies, company news letter etc. Employees are not always willing to
provide feedback. jhe organization has to work a lot to get the accurate
feedback. jhe managers encourage feedback by asking specific
questions, allowing their employees to express general views, etc. jhe
organization should be receptive to their employee·s feedback.

A manger should ensure that a feedback should:

1.? Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than

being general.
2.? Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should
not criticize anyone personally.
3.? Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the
person, we should always direct it to the recipients goal.
4.? Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap
between the recipients behaviour and the receipt of that feedback.



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5.? Use ´Iµ statements - Manager should make use of statements with
the words like ´Iµ, ´Howeverµ etc. For example instead of
sayingµYou were absent from work yesterdayµ, manager should
sayµI was annoyed when you missed your work yesterdayµ.
6.? Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager
should make sure that the recipients understands the feedback
properly.

While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not
mention the factors which are not in control of the recipient.




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Recommendations

Ways to Overcome Ineffective

Communication
As, in the previous section we have discussed the major causes of
ineffective communication. Let·s talk about how to overcome these
barriers of communication

Ë? !

 
 
  




 jhe organization should
ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job. It·s the
responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has
command over the written and spoken language. jhere should be
proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are
clear to all the employees. jhere should be proper trainings
conducted for required employees (for eg: oice and Accent training).
Ë?    

      Use of simple and clear words should be
emphasized. Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be
avoided.
Ë?  
  

 
  
     Noise is the main
communication barrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It
is essential to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that
source.
Ë? r
  
 
 Listen attentively and carefully. jhere is a
difference between ´listeningµ and ´hearingµ. Active listening means




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hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By

asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is
understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by
the speaker.
Ë? !
     †uring communication one should make effective
use of body language. He/she should not show their emotions while
communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being
delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad
mood then the receiver might think that the information being
delivered is not good.
Ë? 

  ÷  
$ 
     jhe organizational structure
should not be complex. jhe number of hierarchical levels should be
optimum. jhere should be a ideal span of control within the
organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will
be the communication.
Ë? r
 c  
 ÷   jhe managers should know how to
prioritize their work. jhey should not overload themselves with the
work. jhey should spend quality time with their subordinates and
should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.
Ë? %
   
  O (  Avoid giving negative feedback. jhe
contents of the feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered
constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective
communication between the superior and subordinate.
Ë? × 
 ) 
   
 jhe managers should properly select the
medium of communication. Simple messages should be conveyed
orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means




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of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex

messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using
written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc.
Ë? O #
(


 
    For effective communication in an
organization the managers should ensure that the individuals are
meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of
communication. jhere should not be much pressure on employees to
meet their targets.

Ë? 
×
  jhe message to be delivered must be clear in the
mind of sender. jhe person to whom it is targeted and the aim of the
message should be clear in the mind of the sender.
Ë? 
    jhe message delivered should not be incomplete. It
should be supported by facts and observations. It should be well
planned and organized. No assumptions should be made by the
receiver.
Ë? 
   jhe message should be concise. It should not include
any unnecessary details. It should be short and complete.
Ë? )
        
    
  jhe information
requirement by different people in the organization differs according
to their needs. What is relevant to the middle level management
might not be relevant to the top level of management. Use of jargons
should be minimized because it might lead to misunderstanding and
misinterpretations. jhe message should be modified according to the
needs and requirements of the targeted audience.
Ë? )

      
 
 For effective communication
multiple channels should be used as it increases the chances of clarity



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of message. jhe message is reinforced by using different channels

and there are less chances of deformation of message.
Ë? )    
     %

  &
      

 
' jhe employees and managers should not always
discourage grapevine. jhey should make effective use of grapevine.
jhe managers can use grapevine to deliver formal messages and for
identification of issues which are significant for the employees. jhe
managers can get to know the problems faced by the employees and
can work upon it.




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Ho w to Improve Superior ² Subordinate

Communication
Communication between managers and employees is an important issue
in any organization. Employees want guidelines from their supervisors,
and the management wants input from the entire team. Most companies
have little trouble communicating downward, but getting information to
flow upward is more of a challenge. When employees stay quiet about
what they need, the negative results can include missed opportunities,
delayed projects, and failed initiatives.

jhe key to getting employees to communicate better and to keeping the

company·s progress on track is to build a quality interaction between the
employee group and the management team. Breaking through the
barriers and getting employees and managers working together helps
everyone advance a strategic vision and attain goals. jhis process
includes four elements.

Ë? 
    ? Communication is a two-way process.

Employees have as much responsibility as the management team
for speaking up, setting expectations and requirements, and
communicating barriers and opportunities. Encouraging
employees to communicate with the senior team helps each group
understand the other·s duties and what can be done given the
budget and expectations.

Ask employees to proactively tell the management team

what they are struggling with and how managers can help.



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Reinforce the company·s vision and state how current objectives

contribute to it, then explain that the employees· input is needed to
make attaining the vision a reality.

Ë?   
     While most people are

knowledgeable about and skilled in their own job duties, many
managers are unaware of their employees· daily activities. Ask
employees to explain what goes into each project by listing the
activities, costs, and time spent on each. jhis dialogue can include
reviewing survey results, client satisfaction ratings, safety metrics,
or other factual data. Questions can spur employees to offer
suggestions. †iscussing ´what ifµ scenarios based on suggestions
offered enables employees to see their impact on the bottom line
and will prompt employees to participate in the process.
Ë?    
 
 ?Management input plays a large part in
motivating employees to communicate about and work toward
goals. jo make communicating with management easier, arrange a
group conference call so employees can share their ideas about a
particular project or strategic plan. Set aside a half day to conduct
roundtable discussions with employees that address their
concerns. Offer short one-on-one sessions between managers and
employees to discuss employee issues.
Ë? ! (
 
   #
 
 An effective work team
must document its common understanding. Like Ken Blanchard·s
One Minute Manager, write a one-minute goal and its
requirements in 400 words or less. †iscuss the goals and
parameters with everyone involved before assigning tasks so that



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the entire team recognizes and makes any tradeoffs needed to

ensure success.




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Bibliography
Ë? 3  
Organisational Behaviour by Michael az
Commnication Barriers in an Organisation by Himanshu Juneja

Ë?  (
 

 
www.ezinearticles.com
www.learnmanagement2.com
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