2.3 What Is An Organization?
Before defining the organizational communication, let's look
at what an organization is, and how pervasive they are in today's society and
consider what Amitai (1964:01) stated about it, «We are born in
organizations, educated by organizations, and most of us spend much of our
lives working for organizations». Simply put, from birth to death,
organizations impact every aspect of our lives.
Stephen P. Robbins (2001:04) defines an
organization as a «consciously coordinated
social unit composed of two or more people, which functions on a relatively
continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals».
We organize together to achieve what we cannot accomplish individually.
Organizing happens through communication. We organize together for common
social, personal, political, or professional purposes. When people form
organizations they establish rules, hierarchies, structures, divisions of
labor, designated/negotiated roles, and interdependent relationships.
Organizations are complicated, dynamic organisms that take on a personality and
culture all their own
Zalabak, 2006:13) stated that Communication has crucial
impacts within or among workgroups in that organization communication can be a
channel to flow information, resources, and even policies. Given the importance
of organization communication and its managerial impacts, Organizational
communication can be broadly defined as communication with one another in the
context of an organization.
This type of communication, in turn, includes activities of
sending and receiving messages through various layers of authority, using
various message systems, and discussing various topics of interest to the group
we belong to or the company we work for.
2.3.1 Organizational
communication
Robson, (2006:02) Organizational communication is a process
that enables groups and or partners to learn from each other and to coordinate
their tasks, helping the group to develop and maintain a viable relationship.
Stanley (2001:02) We define organizational communication as the sending and
receiving of messages among interrelated individuals within a particular
environment or setting to achieve individual and common goals. Organizational
communication is highly contextual and culturally dependent, and is not an
isolated phenomenon. Individuals in organizations transmit messages through
face-to face, written, and mediated channels.
Messages can be verbal (expressed in words, or involve words,
consist of gestures, facial expression, or/and several postures and body
languages.) or non-verbal (when it stem from silent) Virginia Satir pointed out
that people can't help but communicate symbolically (through clothing, or
possessions). A number of variables influence the effectiveness of
communication can be found in the environment where that communication takes
place, personalities of the senders and the receivers which can even raise some
difficulties.
It may also be influences by relationship in between the
sender and the receivers such status differences, staff line relationship. In
Putnam and Pacanowsky's1983 text communication and organization; an
interpretive approach by using qualitative approaches such as narrative
analyses, participants-observation, interviewing, rhetoric and textual
approaches
For Arnold (2011:23); to meet the criteria for successful
organizational communication, it is important to understand that an
organization is a unit set up to achieve certain goals and communication helps
implement the basic functions of management such as planning, organizing, and
control; and thus organizations can fulfill their duties.
The first essential criteria for organizational communication:
It is decision-making by management without the necessary information, problems
cannot be solved, nor can a decision be reached on any issue.
The second essential criteria for organizational
communication: It is the way the organization is structured for communication.
Studies on organizational communication presuppose the existence of flow; that
is, the information should flow through the organization in such a way that it
reaches all levels, to achieve the goals originally proposed. The third
essential criteria for organizational communication: It is how an organization
distributes information internally because organizations need to absorb needed
information to function effectively.
The fourth essential criteria for organizational
communication: It is allowing a company and employees the ability to adapt to
technology. According to Arnold (2011), «Technology has made an impact in
the workplace with fax machines, electronic mail (e-mail), Internet and cell
phones that reduce the need for travel and transportation. The choice of
e-mail, for example, is so new that all its advantages and disadvantages are
not fully known and documented. It is not the medium that will ensure effective
communication, but the way communication process it built among
stakeholders.»
Barge (2004:31) reaffirmed that there are several research
areas within the field of organizational communication. For ease of
presentation, identified here are five major areas that organizational
communication scholars study: (1) leadership, (2) teams, (3) communication
networks, (4) organizational culture, and (5) organizational learning.
Organizational Communication in Leadership and teams
management: leadership may be defined as a communicative process where the
ideas articulated in talk or action are recognized by others as progressing
tasks that are important to them. This definition of leadership suggests that
leadership may take many different forms and be associated with many different
styles of communication. Nevertheless, a review of the literature suggests
three important principles for effective leadership communication
Ø Effective communication connects with the hearts and
minds of followers.
At some level, effective leadership communication connects
with the important values, attitudes, and commitments of followers and is
viewed as addressing significant issues and facilitating task accomplishment
Ø Effective communication manages competing goals and
tensions.
Effective communication balances the needs to create strong
interpersonal relationships and accomplish tasks, maintain a balance between
order and chaos within the organization, and use rewards and punishments to
motivate followers. Rather than take an either-or position, effective leaders
try to create a «both-and» position where oppositions are integrated
constructively.
Ø Effective communication is context dependent.
Every context is unique, and effective communication is
appropriate to the special combination of people, time, place, and topic.
For Hybels and Weaver (2001:77), presented Methods of
Organizational Communication by which people communicate, including language,
signals, facial expressions, music, body movements, gestures, etc.). They
grouped types of communication as, «intrapersonal, interpersonal, small
group communication, public communication, mass communication, inter-cultural
communication and ethical communication.» In libraries, language, both
oral and written, is the most frequent and important way people communicate.
Nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions, body language, etc., is
also important in any organization, including the library.
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