Communication is sending and receiving of information among interconnected individuals within a specific environment or setting to achieve individual and common goals (Eisenberg, 231). Organization communication is a process by which activities of a given society are composed and harmonized to reach the goals of both individuals and collective group (Eisenberg, 232)
Organization communication is important for it impacts to crucial areas of an organization success. These areas include employee engagement, customer satisfaction and public perceptions. Organization communication also helps in achieving tasks related to certain roles of sales, production, goods and services. Moreover, familiarization to changes through individual and organizational creativity, quick completion of responsibilities through regulations, policies or procedures (Eisenberg, 233)
Classical approaches and theories saw organizations through lens of machine metaphors as organizations run in a mechanistic style relying on principles of standardization, specialization n predictability. They suggested that organizations behaves like a pizza in that it must have people, communication (water that holds the flour together) and a goal (Eisenberg, 234)
Henry Fayol did not consider communication as an element in his study. Besides the exception of planning element, it is hard for other elements of organizing, command, coordination and control to function without communication (Eisenberg, 235). Throughout the organization, communication flows through vertical and highly structured channels (scalar chain principle). It is no amazement that communication processes takes on particular characteristics in the machine metaphors of classical approaches. The fundamentals require communication between management and workers even though communication is seen as a hidden part of Fayol’s elements of management (Eisenberg, 236)
Aspects of communication like the content, direction of communication flow, mode or channel of communication and styles of communication have been deliberated. In classical organizations, communication about responsibilities is barely focused (Eisenberg, 237). For example Farace, Monge and Russel (1977) talk about three kinds of communication that often flow in organization settings: task related communication, innovative related communication and maintenance related communication.
For instance, considering a worker in a stock exchange company run according to tailors theory of scientific management, the employee will not be encouraged to discuss with fellow employees about better ways to process stock security forms as it is assumed that better ways have already been determined scientifically and that the worker is not capable of improving on these ideas.
The two questions the material made me thought about are; which organization communications between the classical era and the modern day is biased? Which organization communication contributes to freedom among employees and workers?
For example looking at Toyota Company in the 20th century and the Toyota of the 21st century. In the 20th century, the company was still small and majored its operations in Japan and USA, its organization communication was limited to worker-employer relations (Eisenberg, 238). In the 21st century, the company has been forced to broaden its communication channels, modes, styles and strategies to not only include worker-employer but also include social media platforms, digital avenues, multinational dealers, subsidiaries and dealers.
The material has enabled me to have a broad understanding of my own organizational communication experience in that; It has helped me to have a deep understanding of organizational communication. It has enabled me to combine aspects of classical communication and modern day organization communication. Nonetheless, it has tought me to be considerate as far as encompassing all aspects of organization communication to achieve organization goals.
In Conclusion, Organization communication focuses on establishing relationships, strengthening organization tasks and interacting with internal and external stakeholders. Components of both classical communication elements and modern communication need to be consolidated for a true attainment of organization success. Due to globalization and intense competition in the current world, Digital methods used in organization communication cannot be abandoned if at all any organization ought to achieve success (Eisenberg, 241)
Works Cited
Eisenberg, Eric M. "Ambiguity as strategy in organizational communication." Communication monographs 51.3 (1984): 227-242.
