Limitation on downward

communication

Some organizational information are confidential and for justifiable reasons should not be communicated. Among these are the organization’s trade secrets, which if prematurely made known, may jeopardize the establishment’s business interest.

Organizations will be able to communicate most effectively when:1. They manifest a genuine

understanding of (empathy for ) the employees’ and public interest in an issue and;

2. They are reasonable and credible in their communications.

“Overcommunication” is at times mistakenly equated with “over-publication”. The latter takes place when people are swamped with books, bulletins, magazines and policy statements but which they don’t read or understand. In such an instance, over publication not overcommunication has taken place . Communication is a management function just like planning and controlling.

One’s acceptance of downward communication depends on the ff. situations:1. Acceptance of legitimacy of the

sender to give the order or instructions.

2. Power of the sender to enforce sanctions on the receiver either directly or indirectly.

3. Perceived competence of the sender relative to the issue communicated.4. Allegiance given to the sender as a leader or person.5. Perceived credibility of the message received.6. Acceptance of the tasks and goals which the communication is trying to accomplish.

UPWARD COMMUNICATION

Is suppressed or minimized, employees at the lower levels in the oraganization will find themselves isolated and unable to discuss their problems with management.Upward communications tend to be transmitted slowly since they are subject to delay, filtering and changes.

Improving Upward Communication

1. Matters in which his supervisor may be held accountable by those senior to him, including all those accountable for performance of one’s assigned job.

2. Matters in disagreements or likely to cause controversy within or between the units of the organizations.

3. Matters requiring advice by the supervisor or his coordination with other persons or units;4. Matters involving recommendations for changes in, or variance from established policies: and5. Any other matter which will enable higher management to improve economic and social performances.

Methods developed to improve upward communication

1. Open-door policy- A genuine open door policy can be a real aid to upward communication. The true test of whether the manager has open door attitude is when his employees feel psychologically free to enter.

2. Participation in social groups- Informal, casual recreational events pave the way for opportunities for unplanned upward communication.

3. Encouragement of employee letter- one device which encourages letters from employees is to maintain a column in the employee magazine entitled “Answers to your Questions or Employee Letters”.

Communication for Specialized Group

1. Many communication activities are generally assigned to them.

2. Because specialist are wanting in command authority , they are greatly motivated to communicate.

3. Specialist generally have shorter communication chains to higher management.

4. The specialist’s job usually gives him more mobility than what cooperating workers’ functions provide.5.Specialist are often more involved in the chain of procedures than others.

The significant points to stress in relation to communication in specialized groups for organizational behavior.1. Specialized groups must be

given training to developed their communication skills.

2. They must be made to realize the importance of their communication role.

3. Management should acknowledge the importance of their role and should fully utilize it in organizational communication.

Cross Communication

Cross communication should be encourage as a device of management, subject to the ff.1. Each cross communicator

should be obtain in advance the permission of his direct supervisor, which may be, in the form of a general policy statement which designates the type of cross-communication that is permitted.

2. Each communicator should keep his superior duly informed of significant outcomes of cross-communication.

Communicating with Employees’ FamiliesAn employee’s on the job performance is affected by off the job influences, among which are the family.

The Union’s Role in Communication

Advantages of a union’s participation1. Union is regularly established

channel upon which many employees depend.

2. Its support of any information may strengthen the employees’ acceptance of the information.

3. If the union is left out, it may, without consulting the employer, interpret the situation in its own way in a manner detrimental or inimical to the interest of the employer.

Disadvantages are:

1. If management gives some of its communication function to the union, management, in effect, releases control but is still responsible for its dissemination.

2. If management allows the union to handle much of its communication, management gets inactive , stale and unable to do its communication job.3. Unions have their own communication problems, to which they give the first priority. Thus, it is unwise to expect the union to cooperate in this regard.

4. The union might misuse the information to promote its own interest or benefit.

The Communication SystemThis is the key idea in communication, in as much as it determines how a person interprets the situation, his opinion about it, what is heard by the listener and what action is taken.