Organizational Management and Communication

Organizational management is highly multidisciplinary in the effective coordination of structures, practices and processes within an enterprise (Clegg, Kornberger and Pits, 2015). Consequently, among the major considerations that managers must consider is the management of upward and downward communication among employees, stakeholders and themselves for holistic success. Moreover, the advances in technology and models of government should be heeded in the formulation of communication strategies and engagement modalities for maximum gains. In this paper, an analysis of associated contemporary practices, strategies and the consequent essence of communication, as well as other relevant issues, are discussed to provide insight into organizational management in diverse and global workplaces.

        Over the years, communication within companies as well as other aspects of traditional management has faced significant changes through continuous modification of bureaucracies into post-bureaucratic approaches. In the former systems, communication is constrained to flow through the various cadres of authority and specialization in a common top-down manner. In this way, top and mid-level managers, as well as human resource personnel, pass information to lower level workers to effect changes or implement decisions. This classic model of communication is hierarchical and majorly formal since it follows defined channels within a company. It also enjoys various merits such as increased ease and speedy execution although its effectiveness and acceptability have been challenged through the advent of post-bureaucratic strategies (Ravazzani, 2017).

        In post-bureaucratic systems, communication is largely inclusive and consultative where information flows from and to various levels without necessarily coming from the top management. Such emerging models have been highly taunted to be better than a classical bureaucracy in its effectiveness and motivation to employees as well as inclusivity in developing ideas and managing extensive organizations as experienced in the global economy (Ravazzani, 2017). In this way, managing communication has endorsed trends towards utilization of various modern strategies that foster better results in regard to progress in human resources and organizational success as discussed below.

        Firstly, the management needs to promote open communication through the encouragement of a free and non-judgemental environment. To foster this, organizations need to encourage their workers to share their ideas freely, as well as provide feedback and criticisms to the company’s decisions without intimidation. Such form of post-bureaucratic communication ensures that communication aids in developing and implementing better ideas as opposed to a restricted top-down approach. Moreover, it promotes employees’ trust upon the company, which increases the chances for satisfaction, motivation and success (Clegg, Kornberger and Pits, 2015).

        Secondly, an effort has to be utilized in ensuring the success of two-way communication where employees, managers and stakeholders engage in consultative correspondence. This includes the top-down vertical flow of information as well as horizontal processes. In this way, information is transferred from and to all levels of the organization including the senior managers and low-level employees. This form of communication enhances cooperation and consultation which is essential in the development of solutions and progress of an enterprise.

        Thirdly, communication within an organization has to optimally inclusive where every member is allowed to contribute productively to the decisions and running of an enterprise through the most convenient channels. Furthermore, the workers who are affected by individual decisions should be accorded priority in the decision making process without the exclusion of others (Ravazzani, 2017). Such practices ensure that a variety of creative and productive ideas are expressed as well as talents and reservations. Therefore, everybody becomes part of the decisions adopted by an enterprise which increases motivation and commitment of the human resources.

        Also, the strategies used in promoting communication must be results-oriented where the main aim is a focused result as opposed to open dialogues and haphazard contributions. To accomplish this, human resource managers need to include diverse teams that can produce optimum results for better business productivity. Furthermore, it reduces the time taken to reach various decisions thus avoiding delays and inconveniences. To promote efficiency further, multiple channels of communication can be employed across distributed areas such as branches or departments. For instance, whereas meeting, posters and face-to-face communication may be effective for a localized area in an organization, employees and managers in far-away branches and departments may be contacted through emails, telephone or faxes. Moreover, informal messaging through available media and social networks may promote the strategic management of information flow and interaction (Austin, and Pinkleton, 2015). This promotes effectiveness and ultimately the success of the organization.

        Apart from the structural strategies above, communication management also entails various practices that are essential to a company. Due to the central role of managers in decision making and change implementation they need to among others listen to the views and opinions emanating from junior officers and consider them in their final determinations. In essence, both parties need to practice active listening in their engagements and reflections to promote better communication (Clegg, Kornberger and Pits, 2015). In this way, substantial consideration is given to all contributions without discrimination or disregard.

        Also, the messages to be communicated to employees should be delivered honestly and in a respectable manner. Additionally, openness and clarity are important in ensuring tandem on the expectations and responsibilities. To further improve the management of communications, vital information should be repeated satisfactorily so that no one is left out on top of using multiple channels. This ensures that the targeted audience is privy to the details of the information for maximum impact.

        Moreover, a clear understanding of a company’s goals and policies is an essential part of communication in an organization. Due to the magnitude of the effort needed in entrenching such knowledge and influence, a liaison with respective departments is paramount in fostering follow up and enhance periodic reviews of progress and feedback (Clegg, Kornberger and Pits, 2015). Therefore, despite the emerging post-bureaucratic tendencies, a chain of command is utterly needed in such circumstances to ensure compliance with communications and collect feedbacks and feed-forward comments on any issues in an enterprise. This ensures understanding and adherence to developed policies and goals for optimal results.

        Consequently, the adopted communication strategies and process need to be checked and reviewed regularly in line with their efficiencies and best practices (Austin, and Pinkleton, 2015). This entails an evaluation of impacts and effectiveness as well as the response from concerned parties such as employees and stakeholders. Furthermore, the realized gains from various modalities of communication need to be quantified and considered in keeping or replacing various models and practices. This ensures that entities such as the business and the workforce are benefiting from the communication management adopted in an organization.

            Also, regular updating and constant availability of crucial information are of essence to managing communication to cater for potentially absent workers or to act as a reminder to the target audience. To implement this, posters, cards, newsletters and email alerts can be used. Moreover, the strictness of expectations should be alienated from punishment to enable friendly conversations and motivate feedback from the low-level employees to managers. This ensures that communication is sensitive to both parties and delivers mutual benefits.

            Finally, the management should be ready to handle any emerging problems in the external, internal, informal and formal communication. In essence, every strategy chosen is bound to have challenges which should be tackled with wisdom and patience. These include interpersonal conflicts, criticisms, varied opinions and other matters arising. In this way, the benefits of effective communication can be realized for both the individuals and the business.

            Among the major benefits of such strategies and processes include the improvement in unity, feedback and relationships as well as other gains in innovation and motivation (Austin, and Pinkleton, 2015). For instance, relationships are very crucial to any organization towards its employees, stakeholders and customers. Communication helps in understanding their needs and concerns which helps in the exposition of a brand as well as retention of essential talent in an organization. Additionally, strong relational links between a company and its stakeholders reinforce branding and deliver business benefits to the enterprise.

            Also, unity, especially among employees, is of crucial importance to human resource management since it promotes retention of workers and increased productivity. This is due to the effect on teamwork which is paramount to the performance of teams. Evidently, many undertakings are executed in coordinated groups which work better in unity as opposed to individually. Furthermore, unity eases other management roles such as oversight and control of work from seniors which leaves more time for engagement in other productive endeavours within the organization.

            Additionally, feedback is equally a deliverable of communication management which frees the expression of ideas and response to situations occasioned by various processes in an organization (Austin, and Pinkleton, 2015). It improves the quality of prevailing information or strategies through a distributed contribution of ideas and emerging problems. The procedure of feedback should be standardized and regular in line with decision-making functions for maximum impact.

            Consequently, benefits in innovation, motivation, positive attitudes, employee retention, and faster attainment of goals can be achieved. Through the contributions made by various people, a company stands to receive innovative ideas that improve operations or processes. Also, better relationships and unity motivates employees thus increasing the rates of retention due to higher job satisfaction. Furthermore, positive attitudes towards work as a cause of better communication improves productivity leading to faster attainment of an organization’s goals and objectives. Therefore, the benefits of such processes traverse every aspect of an organization ensuring benefits to every entity involved.

            In conclusion, the management of communication is very crucial for any institution, company or organization in its basic functions of organizing, planning, controlling and motivating people. Managers especially those tasked with liaison with human resources and various stakeholders are therefore tasked with a crucial role in delivering benefits to an enterprise through proper engagement of people as discussed above. This not only ensures that the various entities are included in the decision-making paradigm but also are given a voice in charting their own progress in the company. In this way, it is inevitably crucial that this facet of management be accorded a due diligence in all organizations to promote the welfare of the enterprise as well as the involved stakeholders.

References

Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015. Strategic public relations management: Planning and managing effective communication campaigns. Routledge.

Clegg, S.R., Kornberger, M. and Pitsis, T., 2015. Managing and organizations: An introduction to            theory and practice. Sage.

Ravazzani, S., 2017. Communication in Post-Bureaucratic Organizations: Confronting Diversity and Crisis. In Evolution of the Post-Bureaucratic Organization (pp. 297-320). IGI global.