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Research Proposal Information

Jesenia Siller

ORGL-4341-BV1-Management Theory I

Mr. Hoby Follis

10-11-2018
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A problematic issue with management and organizational leadership is the lack of

communication skills presented in the workplace. Some of the issues surrounding ineffective

communication are arising in organizations due to misunderstandings between management and

employees, low morale, and avoidance of confrontation. Ineffective communication remains a

problem within managing as conflicts ascend, stress caused by pressure, changes in the

organization, and the absence of communication skills.

The problem with misunderstandings within the organization relies on the parties, not

understanding each other. The main point of the discussion is not understood, and no feedback to

the sender is given. This leads into creating friction between people and a cause in errors. When

a message is not clear for the listener to receive, they draw a different conclusion of what was

meant to be acknowledged. Errors can then be followed by these incorrect assumptions.

Another cause for misinterpretations is the use of jargon in their language. It creates

confusion and causes frustration. In the book Make the Connection, Steve Adubato says, “Using

jargon turns people off and leaves them in the dark. Effective communicators finds words,

phrases, analogies, and examples to get their message across regardless of their audience

background, education, or training” (Make the Connection, 2006, p. 10). These are some of the

problems that management faces when misunderstandings occur in the organization.

Low morale is an issue involving around organizations that lack poor communication and

initiative. Not being interested in the job brings a negative attitude when performing at work,

resulting in decreased productivity. When there is no open and honest communication between

management and the employees, all involved start feeling dissatisfied about themselves, leading

to low morale. Emotions is a key factor in effective communication, for not expressing feelings

about their surroundings can lead to unproductive outcomes.

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In an organization, avoiding conflict is caused by the fear of destroying working

relationships. Every organization deals with conflict, and communication is what resolves the

issues. Not directly confronting the issue in question can cause tension within the group. In the

article Communication and Conflict in Organization, Richard J. Mayer said, “We give ourselves

all sorts of reasons for avoiding facing even minor conflict” (Mayer, 1974, p. 4). Avoiding

confrontation and not working out the issues will lead to conflicts, resulting in failure of

organization.

When stress gets stirred up in the work place, it throws a person off balance and distracts

them from having an open communication. In the book On Communication, Jay A. Conger said,

“Indeed, stressful conversations cause such anxiety that most people simply avoid them.”

(Conger, 2013, p. 167). Stressful conversations are unavoidable in business, and it carries an

emotional load such as humiliation, rage, pain, and distress.

Stress is caused by time pressure, a leading cause to a rational break down. When there is

pressure to get things done, people tend to rush their workload, leading to leaving out vital

information. In the article The Importance of Effective Communication, it states that, “Time

pressure, a way of life in many organizations, is another source of poor communication”

(McIntosh, p. 8). When a proposal is due by the next day, stress is likely to effect the

organization. Having little time leads us to start cutting corners and not stating main points

across to others. While the speaker is rushing to finish in a timely matter, the listener has no time

to ask any questions resulting in the listener not fully understanding what is being said.

Moreover, the lack of communication also contributes to changes in the workplace. In

organizations, changes are always present. For instance, working with new people can be

challenging because they must learn how to effectively communicate with their new peers. The
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communication between undertrained employees and those who have been working there for a

long time is ineffective. The reason is that trained employees become frustrated working with

new employees. New co-workers have a different way of wanting their information delivered,

resulting in lack of message.

In the article The Importance of Effective Communication, it mentions that “When an

organization downsizes and people are laid off, those who remain often must take on added

responsibilities, which may require them to communicate in ways for which they have neither

training nor experience” (McIntosh, p. 7). New responsibilities are presented to the remaining

workers who then have to learn new duties as well as to communicate more to management.

Additionally, lack of communication skills is a reason why people don’t communicate

effectively. Most are not skilled to listen effectively as well as listening for understanding. The

skills to communicate clearly and face to face are absent issues in an organization. Some

employers don’t offer training to prevent the lack of communication skills. In order to manage

successful in a job, communication skills are required to be more professional in the profession

one has. Nevertheless, communication skills helps to get ideas across, have the right skills to be

effective in their work, and get promotions.

Moreover, all these factors contribute as to why the lack of communication is a problem

within management and organizational leadership. When there is issues in an organization with

communication, it is more likely for the business to suffer. Misunderstandings develop between

management and employee because the sender doesn’t express the meaning clearly. Low morale

is the cause of an absent of communication in the workplace, resulting in not having an interest

in the job. Avoiding a confrontation leads to conflict, causing tension within the organization.

Not communicating with one another can take a stressful toll on an individual, leading to unmet
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expectations. The lack of communication is also a problem because of new changes in the

workplace are causing unmotivated teamwork. Moreover, a lack of communication skills is such

a problem in management because they cause dissatisfied clients, reduced profits, and not

meeting the organizational goals.

The purpose of my research is to gather knowledge on the faults of not having

communication in the workplace. Effective communication leads to understanding the meaning

of the speaker and the recipient expressing the message back. The amount of time used on

communicating with others is mostly revolving at the work place. Therefore, to get your points

across with management and employees, effective communication is mandatory.

Bringing awareness to ineffective communication can help a business with educating

management and employees. In the article The Importance of Effective Communication, it

mentions, “Effective communication is an important element of success for every organization,

leader, manager, supervisor, and employee.” (McIntosh, p. 3). Furthermore, effective

communication can lead to fewer misunderstandings, conflicts, and stress.

The question why communication is so important in management and organizational

leadership is fundamental because communication skills are required in order to have a good

outcome for the business to succeed. These skills are essential to the working environment

because they develop functioning relationships within the organization. Communication helps

businesses in having effective collaboration between co-workers and avoiding conflicts.

Additionally, it helps with advancing performance in the job and it increases the chances of

promotions. When effective communication is used, the focus on results and goals of the

organization thrives. Moreover, the insight of the importance of communication is for ideas to
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get across clearly from sender to recipient and to fully understand the meaning to accomplish the

task.

In conclusion, an organization will always have issues if it lacks effective

communication. The factors included in ineffective communication will result in an unsuccessful

business. The misunderstandings arise when the message is not being expressed correctly,

leading the recipient to draw their own conclusions. A low morale can develop towards an

individual, causing them to lose interest in their job. A lack of communication arises conflict and

stress between management and co-workers. Due to changes in the workplace, employees find it

hard adjusting to new employees who have to learn their way of communication. The importance

of having good communication skills in the workplace is to clearly get the message across for the

business to be successful. Communication skills is the foundation into having goals

accomplished within the organization.

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References

Adubato, S. (2006). Make the Connection: Improve your communication at work and at home.

Rutgers University Press.

Conger, A.J. (2013). On Communication. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation.

Mayer, R. J. (1974). Communication and Conflict in Organizations. Human Resource

Management, 13(4), 2–10. Retrieved from

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McIntosh, P., Davis, J. H., Luecke, R., & American Management Association. (2008).

Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Workplace (Vol. 2nd ed). [New York?]: AMA

Self-Study. Retrieved from

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irect=true&db=nlebk&AN=387643&site=eds-live&scope=site