Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 1

Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for

Change.

Magali N. Garza

ORGL 4342-V02

South Texas College

Ruben G Flores, Ph. D., MBA, MPA.

Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 2

Abstract

In this paper, the relationship between efficient communication and organizational capacity for

change will be discussed. It is important for all levels of a company to have constant

communication in order to achieve success. Through different studies, analysts have found that

there is a correlation between communication in the workplace and their ability to function

efficiently, maybe even adapt to newer things. Companies tend to rely on innovations and these

can only be achieved if all levels work together. With the help of scholarly written articles, a

hypothesis has emerged that the stronger the communication between an organization’s leader

and its employees, the easier it is to adapt to change and success. Through the use of data from

peer-reviewed articles, the hypotheses will be tested to see if it is supported or not.

Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 3

There is no doubt that recent events have led to many changes in our economy. The

pandemic has most certainly had a huge impact on how companies handle their employees and

how they handle their own money. It is obvious that the most affected companies are those that

rely on social interaction in order to bring in revenue. Yet, companies that do not need any type

of socializing are most definitely flourishing. There is a company that is a great example of

success despite not having fundamental interaction: Netflix. Here is where common sense kicks

in: families are quarantined with nothing to do which increases a feeling of boredom and

stagnation. This results in people wanting to take their minds off things so they start to buy

memberships for movie streaming. Netflix has most definitely had an increase in revenue

because of the pandemic. Therefore, the need for more company communication is without a

doubt essential since they need to keep the program up and running. In theory, I hypothesize that

there is a strong relationship between good communication and organizational capacity for

change.

In the assigned book for this term, chapter 10 talks about how organizational capacity for

change is something that is constantly faced by companies in our country. This is obviously

something extremely obvious because society and the environment are constantly changing. It

goes in depth about different types of ways companies must use creativity to adapt to constant

changes in demand. Some aspects include diversity of thought, looking out for the changes in the

future, and working as a team to achieve common goals (Judge 2011). This last aspect is quite

important because it explains that in order to be successful one must work as a team. It also

explains that companies will much rather hire someone willing to work with a team than

someone who does not. This highlights the importance that communication has in big

companies. They want someone who cooperates with others and is willing to share ideas with
Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 4

their coworkers. This ultimately leads to better work satisfaction and gives the company more

money. It helps people adapt better to change when they have someone else to rely on.

In article one, the author focuses on the reasons why some organizations are more able to

adapt to change. They found that it all has to do with how well the change is performed. Change

has to do with many factors, some environmental while others are purely to stay on top of the

competition. The article claims that there are five things that can successfully help a company

adapt to changes. One is that they have to be able to constantly change because adaptation is not

a one time thing but a recurring issue that the company must always be prepared for. Second is

that it must acknowledge that issues come in all different types. Third is that it must be able to

adapt old strategies into new ones but never forget to also be creative enough to make new

strategies all together. Fourth is that it must be quick to act to new changes in order to stay on top

of the competition. The fifth and final characteristic is that while they must address the changes

they must also perform their daily tasks and never forget their other responsibilities as a

company. This study found that there is a strong relationship between the use of technology and

capacity for change. This ultimately says that this article is not good at supporting my

hypothesis.

The second article discusses how organizational capacity for change is dealt with in small

local businesses. The study was conducted on 23 local businesses and it explored how women

needing healthcare are affected by adaptations. It explored data over the span of 12 years and

tried to answer if the organization actually was able to adapt to change and stay open for

business. It found that despite the businesses being small and local, as long as they stayed

together they would succeed in adapting to change. “Findings suggest that increases in cohesion

across a structurally diffuse network, relatively well dispersed high capacity organizations, and
Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 5

strategic relational investments may have influenced the reduction in health disparities for infants

and expecting mothers” (Faust 2015) states the author of this article. This simply says that the

union of all the businesses helped them succeed in their own goals. This article does support my

claim that communication is important for organizational capacity change since it says that the

businesses were better able to adapt if united.

The third article talks about students who must learn what ways are more successful to

communicate. I figured this was a good article to include because it shows how an organization

(school) prepares students for the inevitable need of communication skills. Schools highlight

communication because it is the foundation of success. People must learn how to speak well in

order to effectively rise above the competition. For example, in films it is important to learn how

to effectively communicate which is the case for Netflix. They had to adapt their program after

the coronavirus in order to bring top entertainment. By accommodating people's wants, Netflix

will be better able to provide entertainment. This is all through checking people’s searches and

monitoring what they watch. In a way, this is a form of communication so it could say that it is

important for the company to inform their viewers. Regardless, communication must be taught

efficiently for it to be effective.

The fourth article explores how communication between employers is affected after an

organization is going through a change. It mentions that organizational change can be achieved

whether employees want it or not but that it can have an effect on said change. The author tested

through an online survey a number of employees who had recently gone under company

changes. It found that when employees are including in the change and they are constantly

notified, there is a better and more positive adaptation. This study proves that communication

between corporate and employees can enhance a company’s success. When employees were not
Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 6

informed or included in the process, they tended to be skeptical to change. This is rational since

being the last to know about news regarding how you work can be quite overwhelming. When

employees are involved in the process, they have better attitudes about change, and allowing

them to participate results in them appreciating the change. This study supports my claim that

there is an effective correlation between communication and capacity for change because it says

that when there is communication there is a positive attitude and higher rates of success. Making

employees feel like there is a strong communication helps a company stay on top of the

competitor. This is simply because where there is a positive attitude there is a better incentive to

work. The bigger the desire to work is the bigger the desire to stay, even if things change along

the way.

The fifth article touches up on the importance of communication and forming

partnerships. This is important for my research because it shows that there is success in union

and when there is union there is better adaptability. The study was conducted by means of mail

where the experimental group received a questionnaire that asked questions about trust and

communication. The study concluded that when companies communicate with their partners

there is a higher earning of trust. Trust between partners increases satisfaction and satisfaction

leads to a better management of the company. “Results evidence that developing satisfactory

relationships between partners improves strategic and operational franchise outcomes”

(Fernandez 2018), says the author. This ultimately indicates that in order to perform at a best

capacity, there must always be communication. Without communication, there is no way for

partners to know if their investment is worth it. Truly, the purpose of this article is to highlight

how important communication is in the business world. By not providing trust, a company could

fall apart before ever reaching the top. It can also support that to adapt to changes to please
Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 7

society, it must always communicate with the public. After all, the public is what keeps a

company in business, and if the public does not trust the company then it will not succeed. This

article does support my claim after all.

The last article explores all about organizational capacity for change. The most important

information about this work was that the author claims that in order for organizational capacity

for change to succeed, it must have cooperation, purpose, and communication. It argues that

bosses would never be successful unless they are trusted by their employees. After all, how could

a leader be at the top if not by the support of its followers. The author talks about a study that

found that trustworthy players would get better results and were more efficient than players who

were not trusted. The author then backs up the importance of communication with the rise of

town hall meetings, blogging, etc. They say that because of how effective it is to communicate,

more companies are starting to get their employees more involved in changes and projects. The

author mentions that communication is key in order to adapt and succeed. This writing supports

my claim that in order to adapt to environmental change, there must always be communication.

The relationship between communication and organizational capacity for change is strong

only when companies include employees as well. An organization will adapt to change if they

feel like they are part of that change. The articles emphasized the importance of informing

everyone in an organization of different tactics needed to stay on top of the pyramid. Though

some articles were not supporting my claim, they offered other types of correlations. The most

important conclusion though is that in order to succeed as an organization, and to stay afloat, a

leader must be transparent about regulations, changes, and issues. This will result in trust which

is the ultimate goal for a company wanting to survive in this ever-changing society.
Relationship Between Effective Communication and Organizational Capacity for Change 8

References

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org.ezproxy.southtexascollege.edu/10.1016/j.psi.2015.09.002

Fernández-Monroy Margarita, Josefa D. Martín-Santana, & Inmaculada Galván-Sánchez.

(2018). Building successful franchise partnerships: the importance of communication and

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