Role of Communication in Contemporary Organization - Essay Example

?Reflections on the Role of Communication in Contemporary Organization The experiences gained in conducting the case study report for Master ERP has resulted in the understanding that dialogue is a very important tool in developing an effective communication within the organization and in strengthening its integrity. When there is a proper dialogue among colleagues, miscommunication can be avoided, thus the whole organization will work harmoniously as a team (Roman, 2005). The initial reaction upon looking at the ideal communication culture of Master ERP based on its mission statement and organizational belief was that it seems too good to be true. One impression is that it is difficult to have a good communication within a big organizational structure because of the number of its employees and departments. However, the company has demonstrated overall satisfactory results when compared to its actual communication culture. Being a market leader of the software industry in Australia, Master ERP crafted innovative ways in having an effective communication system among its employees such as the development of a strong feedback initiative and encouraging open dialogue and knowledge sharing. According to Proctor and Doukakis (2003), effective internal communication is the key to a successful organization. How the staff and officers behave and feel about the organization can give a huge impact in the company’s reputation. From the course of interviews that we conducted to the employees, all were aware of the company values and principles and they were positive and passionate in working at Master ERP. Communication is the process of conveying ideas, thoughts, information, emotions, etc. between and among people. Notwithstanding of the perspective in which this communication occurs, there are certain basic ideas about it which always apply (Roman, 2005). With the communication set up that we saw with the company, it can be said that it is indeed functional and promising. Based on our research, Master ERP encouraged communication throughout its organization by developing a feedback initiative called “Say it as it is”, whereas all staffs were trained in giving feedback thru a self-explanatory program, and by launching the ‘Purple Awards’ to recognize good work. Internal communication embraces both the official form of communication, such as memo, policies, guidelines, etc., and the unofficial form of communication, like the exchange of ideas between colleagues and simple conversations among them (Johnson & Johnson, 1997). Due to the open type of communication and advanced ways in having a strong link among its peers, the said organization was able to maintain a healthy flow of information among its employees. For instance, Master ERP’s CEO encourages everyone to directly talk to him via the “Ask Tim” site on SharePoint. There is also a monthly Buzz meeting to give updates to the employees. Other innovations in communication noted were the replacement of a receptionist by a touch screen tablet with a phone and directory, conducting orientations to staff depending on their position in the company, and adopting social networking in the workplace. These strategies gave us a better understanding in the importance of communication, and that it is achievable particularly on a complex organizational structure like this. After observing an ‘almost perfect’ approach in organizational communication, we found out that there are flaws when it comes to the departmental communication structure of Master ERP. During the interview conducted, it had been found out that some issues were raised by unsatisfied customers regarding a new product that was launched. A possible explanation for this could be the ineffective communication between the departments that handle key roles in the release of the new software like the marketing and technology departments. Encouraging a dialogue in the interdepartmental level is very important to the strength of an organization, and disregard of dialogic practices can create internal divisions or barriers and eventual collapse (Johnson and Johnson, 1997). Though the new product was thoroughly researched and developed before the launch, the marketing department must have all the necessary information about it in order to give a comprehensive and detailed approach to the customers. According to Potapchuck (2004), “because of the growth of technological complexity in all functions, organizational structures and designs are moving toward knowledge-based, distributed information forms” (p. 4). From what we have gathered from Master ERP’s weak interdepartmental communication, we realized that it is essential that dialogue is also encourage within the staff as well, and not just the staff to the organization. Factual information must be properly disseminated throughout the departments so that everyone is informed. Therefore, there should be no questions unanswered between the participating departments before launching a major program that can have a crucial effect in the organization. Bohm (1996) explained that dialogue gives a complete comprehension or understanding of a particular issue, “Dialogue, as we are choosing to use the word, is a way of exploring the roots of the many crises that face humanity today. It enables inquiry into, and understanding of, the sorts of processes that fragment and interfere with real communication between individuals, nations and even different parts of the same organization” (p. 241). Without knowing the broad information and facts in a particular matter, then misinformation can always arise. After discovering the areas that needed to be improved, the group came up with ideas that can help develop an affirmative effect for interdepartmental communication such as the utilization of social media, encouraging informal activities, conducting meeting with department heads on a monthly basis and job rotation. Roman (2005) noted in his book that “through dialogue we have access to intelligence and creativity that is possible to exploit only together” (p. 48). It is necessary that aside from giving the employees access to give their feedbacks to the higher departments, there must be a regular interaction among colleagues under different departments as well so that there will be a feeling of ease and camaraderie. Schein (1993) further explained the essence of dialogue in an organization, “Dialogue, on the other hand, is a basic process for building common understanding, in that it allows o ne to see the hidden meanings of words, ?first by seeing such hidden meanings in our own communication. By letting disagreement go, meanings become clearer, and the group gradually builds a shared set of meanings that make much higher levels of mutual understanding and creative thinking possible. As the members of the group listen to each other in what may appear often to be a disjointed, rather random conversation, the biases and subtleties of how each member thinks and expresses meanings became evident. In this process, instead of convincing each other, a common experience base is built that allows the whole group to learn collectively. The more the group has achieved such collective understanding, the easier it becomes to reach decisions, and the more likely it will be that the decision will be implemented in the way that the group meant it” (p. 34). With the recommendations given, the employees will have a sense of connection and familiarity with each other and therefore improve their morale, increase productivity and promote a sense of commitment to the organization where they belong. Consequently, the almost perfect approach of Master ERP to organizational communication will be at its best when they learn to apply the necessary adjustments for interdepartmental communication. Bibliography Bohm, D. (1996). On dialogue. New York, Routledge. Johnson, D. & Johnson F. (1997) Joining together: group theory and group skills. Boston, Allyn and Bacon. Potapchuk, M. (2004) Using Dialogue as a Tool in the Organizational Change Process [Internet]. Available from [Accessed 4 June 2012]. Proctor, T. & Doukakis, I. (2003) Change management: the role of internal communication and employee development. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 8 (4), pp.268 – 277. Roman, J. (2005) A study of organizational dialogue: facing the truth, gaining inspiration and creating understanding of the function of an organization. Doctoral dissertation series. Helsinki University of Technology Laboratory of Work Psychology and Leadership. Schein E. (1993) On dialogue, culture, and organizational learning. REFLECTIONS. 4 (4), pp. 27-37. Read More