Communication plays an important role in today’s world. It can solve a lot of problems as misunderstandings normally occur when no proper communication exists. In an organisational setting it also has a role to play. The communicator is an individual with certain ideas, information or intentions, which he wishes to communicate to the other members of an organization.
Oral or verbal communication is widely used on account of its speed and feedback. If the receiver of the message is unsure he will ask the sender and clarify it. Written communication which included memos, letters, e-mails, fax messages, etc are tangible and verifiable. Records of the message can be maintained by the sender and receiver. As a result written messages are clear, logical and well thought out. The drawback lies in it being time consuming and it tends to convey lesser information as compared to oral communication.
But the communication which is intriguing is non verbal communication. It includes body movements, emphasis on words, voice modulation, facial expressions, etc. For example, rubbing ones nose expresses being puzzled, tapping of fingers indicates impatience and clasping of arms expresses wishing to be left alone. There are many other ways of communication through non formal modes and a person with a keen eye will be able to notice these indicators almost immediately.
In organizations there are also other different ways in which to communicate. Of the formal small group networks, one is the chain command which is similar to a formal communication wherein communication flows from the top levels to the lower levels. Then there is the wheel communication which is considered as an informal communication where a leader communicates to the others in his/her group. The leader being the centre of the communication. Another communication channel is the all channel communication wherein all members of a group communicate through each other. All channel networks are normally seen in self managed groups.
However if the formal channels are effective in nature, the informal channels too are working overtime. Around 15% of employees learnt about matters in the organization through informal channels, the most common one being the grapevine or simply rumors. Interestingly the grapevine is not controlled by the management, it is found to be more reliable than the formal channels of communication, and serves the self interest of the people who use the grapevine, which means that people feel satisfied when they hear information through the grapevine. Grapevine flourishes when the messages are important, ambiguous and when they cause anxiety. For example when the work hours were to be increased by half an hour in a marketing company, most of the employees came to know of it well before it was formally announced . This occurs when someone working alongside the top management leaks out the information to the employees as soon as he has heard about the same.
The news become sensational and the one who has heard about it just cannot keep it to himself. He leaks it out to another and being sensational in nature it spreads like fire around the organization. Many a time the rumor reaches the person in question and then realizing that everyone knows about his decision, he changes it much to the chagrin of the person who had spread the rumor
With technology being used more and more in workplace settings, computer aided communication is not new. The e-mails are used frequently on account of their speed, cost, and the receiver can read the message at his own leisure. An e-mail can also be edited, stored and distributed to thousands of people . However e-mails are cold, impersonal and can cause conflicts because through an e-mail a person can say things which he or she would have never said in face to face communication. Moreover the emotional feeling or connect is not seen in e-mails.
Similarly instant messaging or the SMS and whatsapp which was initially popular with the teens has moved into business. This too has its own set of problems with employees getting too involved with the cell phones and some of whom also get carried away in sending personal messages. It is not only then checking for messages but also use of other applications such as Facebook, Instagram or messenger.
Then there is the intranet and extranet links. Intranet links are private information networks that look and act like a website but through which only people in the organization have access to. In comparison extranet links connect employees in an organisation with selective suppliers, customers and strategic partners.
One last channel of communication is video conferencing. It permits people in an organization to conduct meetings with people situated in different locations live. Video and audio images allow the members to communicate with one another though being geographically separated.
