Perspective Managment_5

Communication in the organization
• A manager’s need to know:
1. A manager needs information necessary for carrying out managerial functions and activities.
2. Managers often lack vital information for decision making or they have too much of information resulting in over load.
3. A simple way manager need to ask “what do I really need to know for my job, or what would happen if I did not get this information on a regular basis. It is not the maximum information that a manager need but a pertinent information.
4. A communication must be tailored made to the manager’s need.

Communication flow in the Organization
• Downward communication:
• It flows from people at higher authority to those at lower levels in organizational hierarchy.
• This kind of communication happens in organizations specially in organizations with an authoritarian atmosphere.
• The media used for oral downward communication includes, Instructions, speeches, meetings, the telephone, loudspeakers, and even the grapevine.
• For written downward communication are memorandums, letters, handbooks, pamphlets, policy statements, procedures, and electronic news displays.
• Sometimes, information is often lost or distorted as it comes down the chain of command, top management’s issuance of policies and procedures doesn’t insure communication.
• Downward flow of information through the different levels is time consuming and some times very frustrating
• Some top managers insist that the information be sent directly to the person or group requiring it.

• Upward communication:
• It travels from subordinate to superiors and continues up the organizational hierarchy.
• This flow is often hindered by the managers in the communication chain, who filters the messages and do not transmit all the information, specially unfavourable news to their bosses.
• Upward communication is primarily nondirective and is usually found in participative and democratic organizational environment.
• Means of upward communication are chain of command, suggestion systems, appeal and grievances procedures, complaint systems, counselling sessions, joint setting of objectives, the grapevine, the group meeting, the policy of open-door, moral questionnaires, exit interviews, and the ombudsperson.
• Ombudsperson: A person assigned to investigate employee concern, thus providing valuable upward communication link.
• Since the organization climate is greatly influenced by upper management the responsibility for creating a free flow for upward communication rests to a great extent, although not exclusively, with superiors.

• Crosswise communication:

it includes,
• Horizontal flow of information: its among the same or similar organizational level.
• Diagonal flow: this information is among the persons at different level, who have no direct reporting relationship with one another.
• This kind of communication is used to speed information flow, to improve understanding, and to coordinate efforts for the achievement of organizational objectives.
• They range from informal meetings of the company bowling team and lunch hours employees spend together to more formal conferences and board meetings.
• This kind of information also occurs when members of different departments form task teams or project groups.
• Written kind of information includes the company news paper or magazine and bulletin board notices.

• This information my not follow the chain of command , proper safe guards should be taken to prevent potential.
• Crosswise communication should rest on the understanding that crosswise relationships will be encouraged wherever they are appropriate, that subordinates will keep superiors informed of important intradepartmental activities.

Written, oral and Nonverbal communication
• Written communication:
• According to French managers something has no reality unless it is written down.
• Written communication has the advantage of providing records, references, and legal defences.
• A message can be carefully prepared and directed to a large audiences through mass mailings.
• Written communication can also promote uniformity in policy and can reduce costs in some cases.
• The disadvantage is that the written messages may create mountains of paper, may be poorly expressed by ineffective writers and may provide no immediate feed back.
• It may take longer to know whether a message has been received and properly understood.

• Non-verbal communication: It includes facial expressions and body language.

• Non verbal communication is expected to support the verbal but it does not always do so. An autocratic manager may pound a fist on the table while announcing that from now onwards participative management will be practised.

• Non verbal communication may contradict or
support verbal communication.
Management of change
• The forces of change may come from the environment external to the firm, from within the organization, or from individual themselves.
• Changes that affect manager and organization development:
• The increasing use of computers especially microcomputers, requires that teachers as well as student become computer literate.
• Education extends into adult life. Lifelong learning becomes a necessity.
• The proportion of knowledge workers will increase and the need for skilled workers will decrease, which may require more training and knowledge.
• The shift from manufacturing to service industry requires retraining in preparation of new positions.
• The choice of educational opportunities will expand.
• There may be a greater interdependence between the public and private sectors at least in some countries like Canada.
• Internationalization will continue, so managers must learn to communicate with and to adapt managers in other countries.