Organisational communication: definition, types and characteristics

Organisational communication is one of the most important pillars to ensure a clear understanding of an organization's goals and the strategies to achieve them.
However, many companies fail to give due importance to communication with their employees. The result is an ineffective communication system that leads to wasted time, resources, productivity and ultimately profits.
Find out here what communication is and why you should use it in your organization to successfully achieve your goals.

What is organizational communication?

Organisational communication is defined as the channels and forms of communication that occur within organizations, whether they are corporations, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, or government agencies. It includes both communication within the organization and communication with external target groups.

Organisational communication focuses largely on building relationships and interacting with internal members of the organization and interested external audiences.

In general, there are two ways of looking at organizational communication:

• Communication within organizations (where communication is part of the organization).
• Communication as an organization (i.e. organizations are the result of the communication of their members).

It is important to emphasize that communication is not just the transmission of messages between senders and receivers, but a complex process of meanings, the construction of meaning and the negotiation of norms adopted by the people involved in a particular context, in this case of an organization.

What is organizational communication used for?

Organisational communication helps us:

• Define all necessary steps to successfully complete the tasks related to specific roles and responsibilities in the areas of sales, service and production.
• Managing unexpected change through creativity and individual and collective adaptation.
• Complete tasks by developing clear policies, procedures and regulations that support daily and ongoing operations.
• Developing better interpersonal relationships between members of the organization, taking into account emotional, ethical and sensitive aspects.
• Coordination, planning and control of the activities of the entire organization in accordance with the objectives set by management.
• Creating a positive organizational climate and culture, that is, a climate that knows and promotes the attitudes, values ​​and goals that characterize the organization and its members.
• Develop organizational strategies that take into account the needs of employees in order to avoid burnout and related problems.

The importance of organizational communication

Organisational communication benefits business management through the development of effective communication strategies and channels that achieve higher Promote productivity, quality and integration of collaborative work.

Several studies on organizational communication show that organizations benefit from effective communication and efficient communication skills depend on their members.

Multiple surveys have found that effective oral and written communication is among the most sought-after skills among those leading organizations.

To be successful in an organization, employees must be skilled in public presentation, listening, and interpersonal communication.
Companies today are looking for employees who can follow and give instructions, listen carefully, give useful feedback, get along with co-workers and customers, make connections, work well in teams, solve problems creatively and critically, and present ideas clearly.

Effective organizational communication includes knowing how to create and exchange information, working with diverse groups or individuals, communicating under complicated and changing circumstances, and having the ability or motivation to communicate appropriately.

Types of organizational communication

Now that you know what organizational communication is and how important it is, let's introduce you to some of the types it is usually classified into:

Directional communication

Organisational communication can be understood in terms of its direction, meaning that information can flow downward, upward or horizontally.

• Top-down communication. From managers and senior executives to frontline workers.

This type of communication typically includes instructions or tasks for employees to complete and may also include organizational policy or performance reviews.
Although downward communication is usually done in writing, e.g. B. in the form of emails, memos and guidelines, it can also take place verbally in meetings and telephone calls.

• Upward communication. In this type of communication, messages flow from lower level employees to upper level employees. This type of communication can include projects or deliverables that employees need to share with their managers, such as: B. through a work feedback survey where employees can make comments and suggestions to their managers about their work, their performance or the company's business. This type of communication often provides management with information and data that is used to make important business decisions.
• Horizontal directed communication. This type of communication takes place between employees who are at the same level in the hierarchy. Like informal communication, this type of communication is quick and often spontaneous. Horizontal communication is mostly oral and not written.

Internal and external communication

The most well-known types of organizational communication are internal and external communication, which can be understood as follows:

Internal communication

It takes place between the members of the organization. It can take place between the entire company or in small groups of people, such as departments or project teams.

Internal communication can be formal and informal. Formal communication is usually in written form and includes performance reviews, company information, and sales results. This type of information is typically intended only for employees and is not accessible to anyone outside the company.

Internal communication helps create a friendly atmosphere and stimulate work activity by helping employees get to know and familiarize themselves with the company.
It also contributes to the recognition of employees' achievements and promotes the exchange of information within the company.

External communication

Communication that is specifically aimed at people outside the company, e.g. B. to customers, potential customers, partners, the media, competitors or regulatory authorities such as the government.

Companies spend a lot of time carefully crafting messages to external audiences so that the company is perceived positively.

Most external communications are formal and structured and sent through specific channels so that the public receives the message.

For example, For example, sales promotions to potential customers can be sent via a targeted email campaign, while the news of the appointment of a new CEO can be communicated to the media and government via a press release.

Formal and informal communication

Organisational communication can be classified according to the level of formality.

• Formal communication. It usually has a specific organizational structure and a standardized and carefully crafted message. The company ensures that communication occurs through a channel appropriate to the target audience. For example, formal company news can be delivered to customers through an official press release. However, official company news to employees can also be delivered in the form of a memo or in a meeting.
• Informal communication. Occurs in everyday interactions between members of an organization in an unofficial manner. It is usually a casual and spontaneous communication that takes place in a shared work environment or between people who have common preferences and inclinations.

Obstacles to organizational communication

Although every manager or leader in an organization strives for effective organizational communication, there are some obstacles that can prevent an adequate flow of information.
Obstacles to organizational communication include:

Poor or lack of planning.

This obstacle occurs very often in organizations, especially in those where there is a lack of good leadership and the determination of the most appropriate strategies and tools for organizational communication.
For organizational communication to be appropriate and achieve its objectives, it must be the result of planning based on the analysis, goals and objectives of the organization.

Confusing assumptions or facts

Communication is often incomplete and leads to misinterpretations of certain situations in an organization. Failure to clarify assumptions or facts between the parties involved can lead to confusion and sometimes major problems.

Insufficiently expressed information

Another common barrier to communication is that the sender of information may express their ideas clearly, but may choose the wrong words, fail to explain some terms, or misrepresent the information.

We have to be careful with our messages because a misunderstanding can cause big problems.

Barriers in an international context

When communicating, factors such as culture and language must be taken into account in order to communicate efficiently and convey the message correctly.

An example of this is the translation of company slogans or the communication of work concepts, which differ greatly from one culture to another and in some cases can even be offensive if not handled correctly.

Loss of information due to limited retention

This mishap occurs when information passed from one person to another becomes inaccurate during the course of transmission and leads to misunderstandings that can cause a serious communication problem within the organization.

In such cases, it is important to back up all important information, repeat data and use official channels to maintain a better record of the actions taken.

Non-strategic use of communication channels

Using different means of communication that are not official communication channels can cause confusion when conveying information to employees.

For example, if an organization does not have the use of WhatsApp groups as part of its policy and a manager delivers an important instruction through this medium, the result is that the instruction does not reach all employees or they decide not to follow it.

Mistrust or fear in communication

If leaders do not ensure a favorable organizational climate, trust and the work environment can become too hostile or threatening, leading to distrust and a fearful attitude that can block communication.

Information overload

If the flood of information is too great, it can be difficult for employees to process it.

Therefore, the content of the information must be carefully managed so that it is conveyed succinctly and based on clear objectives so that action can be taken on the basis of this information.

Relationship between communication and organizational culture

Culture and communication reinforce each other in an organization. Culture is spread through communication and determines the value system that is taken into account within the organization.

In some organizations it is communication that builds culture and establishes it as something common between different levels, while in other organizations culture forms the basis for communication.

Depending on how the individual perceives or interprets the organization through communication, he will build an organizational culture as a symbol that has greater meaning and increases employees' commitment to the organization and perception of the benefits it offers.

It is important that organizational culture is not just found on posters on the walls, but that it is implicitly found in every individual who is part of the company, since each of them knows that they are a fundamental part of the company , and understands the organization as a whole.

Activities to promote organizational communication

Developing a communication strategy is fundamental to organizational development. If you are in this process or are looking for ideas to help you implement it, some activities you can do include:

Team meetings

Team meetings are an important part of organizational communication. All teams should regularly exchange ideas, get feedback, and express their opinions freely.

Remote work training

Organisational communication can be more difficult when employees do not share the same workplace. That's why the best companies offer remote work training to ensure all employees know how to communicate.

Employee feedback

A successful company creates an environment in which communication with employees is highly valued. Therefore, they always strive to improve the company's communication techniques and encourage employee feedback. They use qualitative and quantitative data to improve the company and communication systems.

Events and group dynamics

Social events and group dynamic activities help build open relationships and show employees new and effective ways of communicating and interacting.

A successful company promotes employee attitudes by organizing social gatherings and encouraging them to interact. These meetings create a positive organizational culture and boost employee morale.

An example of such activities is online quizzes, which allow you to conduct free and dynamic quizzes among your teams.

Organisational communication tools

Some tools you can use as part of your organizational communications strategy include:

• Organisational communication surveys.
• Work climate surveys.
• Employee surveys.
• Software for measuring work culture.

Conclusion

Although we have collected some of the most important points about communication and organizational culture, it is important that you can use the best tools to improve this factor in your company in order to successfully meet today's challenges.

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KEYWORDS OF THIS BLOG POST

Organisational communication | Organisation | Communication