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1. INTRODUCTION
Communications is the transfer and understanding of meaning. It involves the process of gathering, processing and distributing information, which not only touches but is also a vital activity in any place of work and all of the organization's functions.
" In any exhaustive theory of organization, communication would occupy a central place."
- Chester I. Bernard
Buy cheap Organisational Behavior : Communication in the workplace term paper
Communication is a social process in the functioning of any group, organization or community. It influences the decisions of an individual and later the decisions of the organization. Organization, defined as a stable system or structure of individuals who work together to achieve, through a hierarchy of ranks, common goals. This structure influences the way we communicate in terms of the method, amount of information, channels etc.
The main reason for studying and understanding organizational communication is that it is highly structured. Through communication, individuals understand their roles and functions in the organization. This behavior in application within the organization also affects how the organization reacts to and with the outside world.
For the purpose of this paper , we will see and analyze the communication within the organization registered as IPSH Gasmaster Sdn Bhd, a trading company in the sales and service of gas detection, gas analysis, industrial hygiene, sound level monitoring and thermal stress equipment for the industries dealing with Health, Safety and Environmental issues.
IPSH Sdn Bhd, a trading company representing many types of instrumentation and analysis systems for many fields in industry. Started out from a small organization in 186 with 6 staff, now it has grown to a workforce of 5 in the year 00. Main business had come from the sewerage treatment and water treatment plants, semiconductor factories and food industries.
Among the types of equipment represented are
Herose Cryogenic Valves
Gemu - Plastic & Metal Valves
GLI - pH. ORP, DO, Turbidity, Chlorine Analysers
Mann Process Control
Nohken Float, Paddle, Capacitance, Level Switches, Transmitters
Seojin Float, Paddle, Capacitance, Level Switches, Transmitters
Hawk Microwave, Ultrasonic Level, Flow Controller
GMI Gas Measurement Instrumentation
Crowcon Fixed / Portable Gas Detection
Mesin - Car Park Emission Monitors
Kane May Portable Gas Analysis
Signal Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems, Air Quality Monitoring,
Automotive Exhaust Analysis
Quest Sound Level Monitors, Noise Dosimeters, Indoor Air Quality
Monitors, Thermal/Heat Stress Monitors, Gas Detection,
Audiometric Calibration systems
In 17, the company had taken steps to diversify into the fields of gas detection and gas analysis. Thus the subsidiary, IPSH Gasmaster Sdn Bhd was born. It had also created a new subsidiary in Penang called IPSH (Penang) Sdn Bhd to cater for the Northern region of Malaysia.
Communication has been a vital tool in the development and expansion of all the three companies either between the companies or within each of the companies themselves.
. COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The communication process is divided into several elements, which are the communication source, the message, encoding, the channel, decoding, the receiver and feedback.
Encoding Noise Decoding
Feedback
Communication Source
Usually the source of information would be in the direction from one to one individual or one to many. In IPSH Gasmaster, the communication sources come from all of the staff and are directed in all directions. Examples are from the sales manager to his sales executive(s) or service engineer(s) either individually one to one or one to many.
Message
Message normally conveyed in IPSH Gasmaster would normally be for the update or status of current / outstanding jobs, projects or leads. It would be to enquire of how firm the job award would be, how much is expected within the month or quarter, how much margin is available, when delivery is expected, when completion of works and when the collection of the payment would be due. Sales Manager would ask for the above or colleagues would be following up on the others so that a job that has been shared together for example a tender document for TNB Generation for supply of Continuous Emissions Monitoring in Serdang or Kapar.
Encoding
Encoding would be the conversion of the message into symbols or any other simplified version. The encoding would only be effective should both the sender and the receiver are having the common mode or channel of communication. Most of the staff have similar backgrounds in their studies and experience with the instrumentation so the encoding and decoding of info is important to enable the message not to be misinterpreted.
Channel
Channels of conveying information would in the form of verbal when both sender and receiver are in the same time and place. Other than these instances, since mostly business is carried out away from the office, at customer's place or at site, information to be communicated would be through mobile phone where all staff have an account with Maxis for domestic calls and account with Weblink Communications for calls that are to be made overseas. Mobile phones are used when requiring immediate response, by memo placed on board or respective desks or via individual e-mail addresses.
Decoding
This is the process of retranslating the sender's message. The more the receiver's decoding is matching the intended message, the more effective the communication has been. The same is applied as in the encoding process just that it is in reverse.
Receiver
The intended receiver would have access to the tools required to enable him to decode the message sent from the sender. The manager realizes that for a more seasoned executive he can use more advanced system of codes due to the receiver's past experience, personal interpretation, expectation and mutuality of meaning between the two parties.
Feedback
Feedback is the response that is given by the receiver to the original sender in this case of what has transpired or what would be carried out and a certain time frame so the sender can ultimately know when to ask again of the matter either immediate or later. In some cases however, there are instances where no feedback is required for example when the management makes an announcement of changes made in the company policy or procedures. This is one-way communication. Most one way communications are memos or announcements of any changes to schedules etc.
Noise
Disturbance that interferes with the transmission, receipt or feedback of the message is called noise. Noise would be in the form of having a bad connection or line in the phone, situated at a noisy site, server being bottlenecked or even virus infection to the computer server systems or the language used itself such as the language grasp, accent etc. When at site especially in factories even the mobile phone has problems of coverage and clarity. For this at times in the factories such as Motorola or National Panasonic, we are communicating via walkie talkies.
. FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication serves many functions mainly for the below
Control
Communication controls a person's behavior. It helps in promoting stability and control whereby the organizational chart has predetermined the hierarchy of status and pecking order thus reinforcing chain of command. It determines that flow of information such as from the Sales Manager to Sales Engineers or from the Service Engineer to his Assistant Engineers.
Motivation
Communication can enhance a person or group's motivation. It could be giving a greater responsibility to certain groups or even to inform all of the success and achievements that have been entailed by an individual or group. This in turn would increase the self-esteem and morale of the staff. This is mostly done in the monthly sales or group meeting either within IPSH Gasmaster only or when combined with IPSH Sdn Bhd.
Indicate Emotions
Members in a group can show their dissatisfaction or anger through communication. This is mostly concerning any misunderstanding, problems faced and the only way to get any resolutions are when all parties involved can actually sit down at one time and handle any crisis at hand.
Providing Information
With information provided through communication, opinions can be shared and able to update on better ways to do their jobs and coordination in order to facilitate decision-making. With the many types of customers and projects handled up to date each of the staff have different experiences that are shared with others.
Examine Problems
Meetings or discussions can create a pool of shared knowledge as each of the staff has different ways of tackling problems and situations. Should a problem arise faced by a colleague, others can share their problem solving tips and remedies based on the past experience, judgment and culture.
Examine Work Routine / Procedure
With better communication, the different department of sales, service, accounts, shipping, human resource etc would be better coordinated and with the establishment of a smooth workflow will create a more efficient and harmonious environment in the workplace. Example is in the process of purchasing requisition, shipping instructions etc. Not every client is the same, for this the sales coordinator has to monitor the flow of paper work so that all goes smoothly and not jeopardize any of the operations within the company and with the outside world.
Provide Feedback
With communication especially when in groups, it would be easier for the management to obtain response and feedback from the staff in one seating and to be able to address the future solutions and suggestions of achieving the best out of the performance of the organization.
4. BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
" Communication is a great deal more talked about than understood"
- Lee Thayer
Differing frame of reference between the sender and the receiver
Information could be misinterpreted should the sender and receiver not be able to have a similar reference such as the pricing from the price list. Some items have been indicated as to be nett and others to be list price with 0-0% of distributor discount for example from Kane we receive 40% distributor discount on list price, from Quest we receive 5% discount on list price but for Signal Ambitech we get the pricing as nett to us.
Hearing what you expect to hear
People sometimes are rigid in the way they perceive message from someone. Example if normally a sales staff wants something urgent from the service department they would take it as by the end of the day or the next day, but in a certain instance the term urgent was to be by the end of the hour as the sales staff had an important appointment by lunchtime. Any delays would cause tension among the staff and also between the staff and the client.
Unclear message / language
In organizations where the staff come from various backgrounds of ethnicity and religion may interpret a message differently due to this or even due to the heavy accent or local lingo. Chinese dialects or even Chinese speaking English may not be effectively understood by a Scotsman and vice versa. An example is for a service problem conveyed by Henry Por who is more comfortable speaking Hokkien than English with Stephen Herron who speaks English but with a very thick Scottish accent.
Interpretation errors in the receipt of the message
This would the main reason why the communication is full of problems which are due to a combination of all the factors listed in this section.
The necessity to condense information for the purposes of transmission
For purpose of cost cutting, time constraint, reducing paper wastage etc, some messages being condensed are also incomplete. By the time message is received, then another message would be required to ask for further information which may take even more time and cost than if it was sent out properly in the first place. Examples are the SMS, memos on the e-mail.
Social distance or status barriers between the sender and receiver
This would be on an extreme such as between a managing director and with the receptionist or a general worker and a CEO of a MNC. This case would be best illustrated in The Black Hole of Calcutta incident where the British prisoners 146 in total were forced into space sufficient for 10 and caused deaths of all but of the prisoners. The lieutenants followed their orders in too literal fashion.
Deliberate omission of information
During staff or sales development meetings normally the sales staff would be giving the management a rosier picture than what is in reality. Figures normally would be brushed up to make sales figures look better. At the same time for proposals, which the chances are less than optimistic then, they would omit it from the report so as not to be penalized for their failures in securing the job.
Work overload or communication overload
At times the staff are burdened by a huge amount of information and projects suddenly and during this period due to information or work overload than some information may not be conveyed or received properly and which causes anxiety and also stress in the workplace and processes. I myself have been suffering this problem as within the company , I am the only one at this time that does not have an assistant in the coverage of my territory of coverage.
Credibility of the sender of the message
The receiver usually has a pre conceived perception of messages from a sender. In terms of credibility, it would be regarded more highly should it come from the managing director than if it come from a junior technician.
Ignoring information that conflicts with what we know
When receiving information that is not in the norm of the past, managers are more inclined to disregard the info or opinions of everybody else and choose to keep to their own ideas. As with experience, people tend to see the problems faced differently and think that since what was done before was right than the same would be applicable to all situations.
Inconsistent non-verbal signals
Facial expressions, posture and tone of voice give indications of how a staff really feel and react in different surroundings. Looking worried and hurried in handling jobs, show anxiety even though the staff say that everything is under control.
Emotions
Human behavior is mostly influenced by its emotions. A manager would accept information more freely an employee who has been more cooperative, involved and dedicated as compared to any of those less aggressive or hardworking.
Noise
Nobody can respond to all noise from every single source. For this it requires the ability to block out as many noise factors by eliminating the sources or getting others to attend to the less urgent matters at hand.
HOW IPSH GASMASTER OVERCOMES BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
There are many ways that we practice to enable us to tackle problems and increase the effectiveness of communication such as face-to-face communication, being more aware of environment and background in the company or with others, identifying symbolic meanings, using simple and direct language without presumptions and idiomatic expressions, repeating the message especially when no reply or action taken, asking for feedback and having two-way communication.
5. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
Organizational communication can be better understood by also looking at the channels of communication.
Formal Communication
Formal Communication refers to communication that follows the official chain of command or is part of the communication required to do one's job. It is dependant on degree of decentralization and levels in management. For example when asked to complete a task with orders from the manager, an employee has communicated formally. It also works the other way around if the employee brings a problem to the attention to the manager. Usually for IPSH it would be in the form of e-mails, memos and weekly or monthly meetings.
Informal Communication
Informal Communication is what type of communication that is not defined by the structural hierarchy. Examples are for the lunch breaks, passing each other in the hallway or near the photocopy machine, exercising at the gym etc. Informal communication permits social interaction needs and also improves organization's performance by creating a more efficient and frequently faster channel of communication. In IPSH and IPSH Gasmaster, we enjoy informal communication when going out for camping trips, weekly badminton sessions on Sunday, hanging out for coffee on Fridays etc.
COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
Communication networks are divided into five types
Star or Wheel Network
Most centralized of all. One person at the middle/center is the leader/decision maker and all communication must flow through him. Decisions are made quickly but changes are slow as all is controlled by one.
'Y' Network
Also centralized but more for relatively simpler problems that require little interaction among group members.
Circle/Ring Network
More decentralized with the flow being slow, disorganized and noisy, it is adaptable and suitable for solving complex problems with many variables.
Chain Network
Linear chain, which is slow and takes very long time to solve problems. Accuracy is high, moderate level of leadership and moderate member satisfaction
All-channel Network
Every member is in contact with every other member and sharing of information is between all parties is possible. It has a high member satisfaction. Suitable for solving complex problems but it does not perform well under pressure when decisions need to be made quickly.
For IPSH and IPSH Gasmaster, it can be seen that it practices the All-Channel Network as for any job at one time would most probably be involving at least 70% of the total staff involvement and at times it can also involve all the 100% of staff.
Directors, Sales Manager, Assistant Managers, Sales Engineers, Service Engineers, Assistant Engineers and Sales coordinators all have direct access to each other let it be via electronic means or verbally as the office itself is having an open concept with minimal barrier or walls.
6. COMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
" All human action takes place in a crossfire of information"
- Torsten Hagerstrand
In the past 5 years, with the emergence of the internet, usage of computers and other technological advances had contributed to the information and response time be cut down by tenfold. Internally for IPSH Gasmaster, the information being relayed among colleagues and from staff to the management has been more effective. No more lost memos, less paper usage where with the use of e-mailing system, the staff can see what information required even after hours or at his own convenience.
Nowadays, the communication between IPSH and the suppliers in the US, UK, Japan, Korea, Germany, Austria, France etc has been very efficient. With e-mail, the response can be at the person's own time according to their time zone. No need to wait till 4 pm in Malaysia to call the UK which would cost a bomb and also not necessarily be clear. With e-mail, UK or US suppliers can send their proposals via e-mail format. Reply for any service problems would be faster and more reliable than by using a fax machine.
In terms of cost and time saving, the internet also is used by suppliers to send files which contain new developments, product catalogs, comparisons to other brands, operational and maintenance manuals. Normal courier would take between 1 to weeks to deliver and also be expensive, while the quantity would be limited. With e-mail attachments in Adobe Acrobat form, IPSH can printout the catalogues indefinitely.
For the sales staff also it has become more convenient as all the details of their products can be burned into a CD-ROM and with this they can bring along a notebook PC and show the catalogues on the PC. In the PC also the sales people can also show picture files saved of any sites that are remote from the prospective customer. If the customer is far away, sales personnel can e-mail to the customer first and when the customer has gained some knowledge of what he has in mind, that later the sales staff can come over and explain in detail of what would meet the required specifications. Thus saving time, petrol and toll charges.
Remote capability has also enabled sales and service staff to reply to the customers and management faster even though they are outstation for long periods of time. A fair amount of time is spent outside of the office for both sales and service staff. Should a sales staff working in the East Coast gets a call from a customer in Johore requiring a quotation sent to him, he could call the office using the mobile phone or if after hours, send the details to the office where the sales coordinator in PJ would type it out on his behalf. The pricing of the equipment is normally kept in the office. Later, the sales coordinator gives a call to the sales personnel where as he has confirmed the price, specification and quantity only then would the quotation be faxed out to the customer in Johore.
Other than the e-mailing system, Notebook PC, CD-ROMs and handphones, the digital camera has also played its role as a technological factor. Upon reaching a site, it has been much easier to come up with a proper proposal for equipment that are to be installed at site. No more need to draw a layout, can printout the photo or save it to file for reference or even e-mail it to the supplier should there be any complication at site or in the service department. IPSH sends the photos for advice on installation if required as well as for warranty replacement should the equipment fail within the warranty period.
7. CONCLUSION / SUMMARY
By analyzing the previous communication factors that directly affect the organization of IPSH, it can be seen that the management has not been naïve in its practices that lead to the development and growth of IPSH all this while through clear and effective communication.
Any organization that wants to survive for as long as IPSH has for the past 16 years, and also to grow would have to weigh out the most appropriate practices in communicating and see for itself how these factors affect their organization as for each organization the actions may be the same but the outcome may not be as desired.
With such vital information the management will be able to anticipate what the future holds. It must identify what would threat the organization's existence. It should also have a clear vision in order to achieve its set aims and goals. Up till now it has strived and always anticipating change would be an essential ingredient for future success.
REFERENCES
Communication in Organizations, Rogers, Everett & Rogers, Rekha,
Macmillan Inc, 176
Management nd Edition, Gabriel, Vincent, Longman, 16
Management 7th Edition, Robbins, Stephen P.& Coulter, Mary,
Prentice Hall, 00
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