Management as we know is a team work. The team consists of all the individuals working in the enterprise. These individuals may be managers at all levels and workers in different capacities. Achieving the objectives of the enterprise requires appropriate link, contact and relationship among employees at different levels and various positions. In other words, effective communication can establish the desired link through formal and informal media. Communication, as such is the soul of modern complex, varied and dynamic business situations.
Communication is the exchange of ideas, facts, opinions and emotions between executives and employees to achieve group objectives. It is the soul of modern large scale enterprises. There should be close and constant contact between management and workers, so that the desired work could be performed effectively.
Forms of communication
The communication may take the following forms :
Information : These information may be verbal, written or statistical. The information are sent from officers to employees or from employes to officers.
Order : Orders issued by managers are communicated to concerned individual or groups at lower level. It is always downward.
Request : Request with certain specific purpose are sent by the employee to his superior. It is always upward.
Instructions : Necessary instructions regarding certain specific matters are issued by higher executives to their subordinates.
Observation : Observation of an individual or group is taken into consideration before making any important decision.
Advice : The communication of advice takes place between two executives or subordinates of the same level.
Complaints : Any complaint regarding the work or behaviours of an employee is communicated to the concerned individual.
Other forms of communication may be options, ideas, notices and gestures.
Formal communication
It is deliberately and consciously established by the management. The communications are based on formal systems of authority and responsibility. Formal communications are generally written as policy manuals, procedural hand books, memoranda, scheduled meetings and conferences, special interviews, company news bulletins or information regarding promotion, suspension and termination of employees etc. Formal communications are authentic, written and communicated through formal scaler chains.
Important features
- Communication of authorised and authentic information.
- Communication in writing.
- Proof of receiving commu-nication is obtained.
- Communication of messages through scalar chain.
In this way, communication through officially established channel is known as Formal Communication.
Merits
- It is proper and systematic.
- It ensures order by flow of communication.
- It helps in fixing responsibility.
- It helps in locating the source of communication.
- It helps in managing and controlling business affairs.
- It helps in establishing contact with distant parties.
Demerits
- It is slow moving communication system.
- Personal warmth and touch is lacking in formal communication, because it generally establishes impersonal link in impersonal manner.
- It overloads higher authorities with work.
- Free and frank opinion cannot be expressed just to avoid criticism and confrontation.
- It has to follow certain established rigid rules and has to face hurdles in the flow of information.
Informal Communication
This type of communication system is used between two officers of the same level. It should not be necessarily written or authentic. This communication is the result of casual personal contracts which occur all the day long.
Characteristics
- It is verbal communication.
- It is not authentic and authorized.
- It may create misunderstanding and spread rumours.
- It is spontaneous, implicit and flexible communication.
Merits
- It develops friendly relations and fellow feeling among workers.
- It operates with greater speed and spreads very quickly.
- Free and frank expression of views.
- It reduces tensions in employer-employee relations and provides emotional relief to workers.
- Employees reactions, responses and attitudes can be easily ascertained.
Demerits
- Distortion of facts, because different persons pass on the information with their own outlook and interpretations.
- It spreads rumours and develops misunderstanding.
- Unauthentic and unreliable communication.
- Its origin cannot be pinpointed and even responsibility cannot be fixed.
- Leakage of confidential information.
Verbal communication
It is a communication by words of mouth. It is often very effective because communicator has an opportunity to impress communicants by his personality and pleasing style of conversation. This communication results in economy of time and resources.
Important merits of this communication may be better understanding, better reception, greater flexibility and personal touch. The various forms of verbal communication may be, face to face contact, interviews, joint consultation, meetings, seminars and broadcasts.
Written communication
It is one of the formal system of communication. Variety of orders, instructions, reports, and bulletins are the base of communication. These messages are authentic and based upon formal authority, responsibility relationship.
Gestural communication
Communication through gestures is used to make verbal or written communication more effective. The important gestures may be waving of hands, pouting of lips, movement of eyes, shaking hands and patting on back. This sort of communication has immediate effect on the communicatee.
Oral communication
It is direct inter-personal contact between communicator and communicatee. The communication is expressed by words of mouth. It can be of the following forms :
Direct personal contact
Personal conversation : The communicator express his views before the communicatee.
Group meetings : Meetings are arrange. Both executives and employees attend the meeting and exchange their views, opinions, ideas and information.
Departmental meetings : Departmental heads arrange meetings, which is attended by departmental employees. Both the parties exchange their views regarding departmental problems, their solutions, progress of the work and various departmental schemes.
Inter departmental meetings : This meeting is attended by departmental heads to review the group efforts made to achieve the objectives of the organization. Such meetings are aimed at integration and co-ordination of departmental efforts.
Verbal communication through…
Signals : The necessary communications sent through a messenger by ringing bell or switching on special lights.
Telephone : It is the most favourite means of communication in the modern business world. The message can be communicated to or obtained from the concerned individual by contacting him on phone.
Intercom system : Modern business establishment have got their own internal telephone system. They can communicate message to the concerned employee within the organization and generally in the same building.
Dictating machine : If the communicatee is not available to receive an important message, the communicator may communicate the message to dictating machine. The communicatee will receive the message through the machine at his own convenience.
Other public relation methods
The important public relation methods are lectures, interviews, conferences, films and public address etc.
Merits
More effective system : This system is more effective, because the communicatee is impressed and influenced by the direct personal contacts of the communicator, his personality, pleasing manner and courteous language.
Economy of time : The message can be communicated immediately within shortest possible time.
Economy of resources : This is the least expensive method of communication. It does not require any equipment or even a piece of paper and a pencil.
Removal of doubts : If there is any misunderstanding or doubt about the message, it can be immediately clarified with the communicator.
Knowledge of reactions : The communicator being face to face with the communicatee understands his reactions to the message. He may make necessary modifications in the message or satisfy him explaining the meaning and spirit behind the communication.
Immediate execution of work : The communicatee after receiving the message, and its requisite clarification starts the work immediately and as such immediate execution of the work takes place.
Written communication
It is a system by which the communicator establishes indirect relationship with the communicatee through written documents. This is one of the formal communication system. The system like other systems has its own plus and minus points.
Merits
Small expenses : If communicator and communicatee are at distant places, this system will prove to be less expensive for communicating messages.
Sufficient proof : There is always a proof of sending message with the communicator. In most of the cases, a proof of obtaining the message is also kept. These proofs help in resolving mutual differences.
Clear communication : Written messages are clear and complete, so the communicatee can easily understand them.
Direct contact not necessary : Messages are effectively prepared and communicated without the physical presence of communicatee.
Utility as future reference : Written communication can be used as reference in future.
Demerits
Lack of secrecy : Written communication has to pass through many hands and it is very difficult of maintain in secrecy, although efforts are made to keep it a secret by writing ‘confidential’ both on the message and the envelop containing it.
Unnecessary delay : There is unnecessary delay in preparing and despatching this communication as compared to verbal communication.
Unnecessary wastage of time and energy : Written communication takes more time and causes wastage of energy and resources as compared to verbal communication.
No knowledge of reaction : There is no face to face contact between communicator and communicatee, so the communicator is unable to know the reactions of the communicatee about the message or communication.
Essentials of Effective Communication System
The message must be useful and purposive : The communication should be in the interest of employees and aim at achieving departmental and business objectives, otherwise there will be the wastage of time and energies.
Brief but complete : ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’ is the accepted fact, so the communication should also be brief but complete. Efforts should be made to communicate briefly full facts regarding message.
Simplicity and clarity : Messages should be simple to be easily understood and very clear, so that no misunderstanding may arise.
Effective language and useful subject-matter : The contents of the message should be useful from the employees and organisation’s point of view. The language used should be pleasing and courteous in the case of both verbal and written communication.
Follow up of the communication : It should be ascertained that the communicatee has received the message well-in-time. If he has not received, arrangement be made to send him a copy of it. If he has received, his reaction should be obtained. The communicator should satisfy himself that the object of the communication has been achieved.
Communication should be preferably informal : Informal communication establishes cordial relationship between executives and employees. Communication is such a case is passed on in a spirit of mutual trust, confidence and goodwill.
Communicator should be in touch : With the action taken on the messages sent by him, so that he may issue necessary modifications, if required.
Communication should be economical : Efforts, energies and resources put in the communication should be reasonable. It should not be very costly or time consuming.
Messages should be according to needs and real situations of the business : Communication should be in accordance with the requirements of the present business situations. They should be realistic in approach, rather than being idealistic.
Communications should not be contradictory : It should not have any sarcastic remarks or aim at humiliating the subordinate.
