Coordination and communication- 601 Commerce Module-1

COMMUNICATION
Communication is the process by which a message or information is exchanged from a sender
to a receiver.
Facsimile (fax) is the transmission of documents. Email is the computer transmission and
storage of written messages. Voice mail is the transmission and storage of digitized spoken
messages.
Teleconferencing is simultaneous group verbal exchanges. Videoconferencing is group verbal
and visual exchanges.
According to Newman and summer, ―Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas,
opinions or emotions by two or more persons.
According to Allen Louis, ―It is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to
create an understanding in the mind of another.
A communication network refers to how information flows within the organization.
Information within an organization generally flows through a system, rather than being a free
flow.
Communication is the network about how the information is flowing within the organization.
DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION:
Communication in simple terms is a transfer of information between people, resulting in
common understanding between them. Communication has been defined differently by
different writers and behavioral theorists.
Some popular definitions are –
According to Newman and summer, ―Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas,
opinions or emotions by two or more persons.
According to Allen Louis, ―It is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants
to create an understanding in the mind of another.
Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to
another. The communication process involves six basic elements: sender (encoder), message,
channel, receiver (decoder), noise, and feedback. Supervisors can improve communication
skills by becoming aware of these elements and how they contribute to successful
communication. Communication can break down at any one of these elements.
The sender initiates the communication process. When the sender has decided on a meaning,
he or she encodes a message, and selects a channel for transmitting the message to a receiver.
To encode is to put a message into words or images. The message is the information that the
sender wants to transmit. The medium is the means of communication, such as print, mass,
electrical, and digital. As a sender, the supervisor should define the purpose of the message,
construct each message with the receiver in mind, select the best medium, time each
transmission thoughtfully, and seek feedback. An external stimulus prompts the sender to send
a message. This prompt may arrive in a number of ways: letter, email, fax etc. As the sender
thinks of the ideas for the message, he also reacts to the various conditions in his external
environment – physical surroundings, weather, noise, discomforts, cultural and others. Next,
the internal stimuli have a complex influence on how the sender translates ideas into a message.
When the sender encodes, his own world of experience, affects his choice of symbols – mental,
physical, psychological, semantic. Attitudes, opinions, emotions, past experience, likes and
dislikes, education, job status and communication skills may also influence the way the sender
communicates the ideas. Also especially important are the perception of and consideration for
the receiver ‘s viewpoint, needs, skills, status, mental ability and experience.

Communication and the need to exchange information are no longer constrained by place and
time. Email, voice mail, and facsimile have facilitated communications and the sharing of
knowledge. Email is the computer transmission and storage of written messages. Voice mail is
the transmission and storage of digitized spoken messages. Facsimile (fax) is the transmission
of documents. Teleconferencing is simultaneous group verbal exchanges. Videoconferencing
is group verbal and visual exchanges.

Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal messages include images, actions and behaviours used to communicate. Images
include photographs, film, charts, tables, graphs, and video. Nonverbal behaviour’s include
actions, body language, and active listening. Actions and body language include eye contact,
gestures, facial expressions, posture, and appearance. The effective communicator maintains
eye contact for four to five seconds before looking away. Gestures should be natural and well
timed. Grooming and dress should be appropriate for the situation. Listening requires
good eye contact, alert body posture, and the frequent use of verbal encouragement.

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is to an organisation what the nervous system is to the human
body. Effective Communication will lead to the smooth working of any
organisation. The following points illustrate the importance of Communication in
Business
- Smooth Working of a Business Firm
- Basis of Managerial Function
- Maximum Production and Minimum Cost
- Prompt Decision and its Implementation
- Building Human Relations
- Job Satisfaction and Good Morale
- Avoids Illusion
- Contacts with external Parties.
FORMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK –
A formal communication network is one which is created by management and described with
the help of an organizational chart. An organizational chart specifies the hierarchy and the
reporting system in the organization. Therefore, in a formal network, information is passed on
only through official channels such as memos, bulletins and intranet (email within the
organization). The organizational chart implies that information can flow in any of three
directions – vertically, i.e., upward or downward, and horizontally.

INFORMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK –

Another name for informal networks is the ―grapevine‖. In this type of network, information
does not flow in a particular direction, as we have seen with formal networks. The information
is also not passed on through official channels such as memos, notices or bulletin boards. The
information need not be circulated within the organization, but could be passed on outside the
work environment, wherever co-workers or colleagues meet socially. Thus, informal networks
are based more on friendship, shared personal or career interests.
The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that characterizes strictly
formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and some types of business
organizations. The Wheel can be compared with a typical autocratic organization, meaning
one-man rule and limited employee participation. The Star is similar to the basic formal
structure of many organizations. The All-Channel network, which is an elaboration of Bavelas's
Circle used by Guetzkow, is analogous to the free-flow of communication in a group that
encourages all of its members to become involved in group decision processes. The All-
Channel network may also be compared to some of the informal communication networks.

DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION:
Communication can be either vertical or downward when considering the flow.
Communication that moves in both directions – upwards and downwards is termed as Vertical
Communication and communication that moves in lateral direction is termed as Horizontal
Communication.

Communication can be classified as follows:

Downward Communication
Upward Communication
Horizontal Communication
Diagonal Communication
DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION –
Downward communication is the information that is exchanged between a manager and a
subordinate in other words from top level to low level. In the best of cases, the information is
clear and direct. The purpose of such communication is to inform about policies, procedures,
programmes and objectives and to issue orders and instructions to the subordinates. The
information is sent through verbal or written orders.
The objectives of Downward Communication are:
To train subordinates in performing the job.
To motivate employees to improve their performance.
To know how effectively a person is performing his job.
To explain organisational policies, programmes and procedures.
To give instructions about what to do and how to do.
To highlight the areas of attention
Upward Communication –
It is non directive in nature. Effective upward communication is possible only when
organizations empower their employees and allow them to participate freely in decision
making. Through this type of communication employees can communicate information to
their superiors freely and can voice their opinion.
Methods of Making Upward Communication More Effective
Grievance Redressal Procedure – It enables employees to bring forward their work-
related issues to the notice of the top management and seek immediate assistance. General
Electric and Federal Express have set up peer review boards where the arguments of both
parties are heard and a decision is arrived at.
Open Door Policy – Under this policy employees are free to approach managers at any
time and discuss their problems with them.
Counselling, Attitude Questionnaires, Exit Interviews – The personnel department
conducts non directive counselling sessions to help employees deal with their work-related
issues also, questionnaires may be administered periodically to find out about employees’
attitude towards
Horizontal Communication –
Horizontal communication is necessary to develop a collaborative and proactive culture in an
organisation. People communicate with others at their own level, in their own departments or
other departments, to solve problems and to share experiences. Devices such as problem
clinics and task forces are used for this purpose
Horizontal communication involves not only the movement of information from the upper
levels to the lower levels of the organizational hierarchy but also is defined primarily as the
quality of information sharing among peers at similar levels.
The main objectives of horizontal communication are developing teamwork, and promoting
group coordination within an organization. It takes place between professional peer groups or
people working on the same level of hierarchy. Horizontal communication is less formal and
structured than both downward communication and upward communication, and may be
carried out through informal discussions, management gossip, telephone calls,
teleconferencing, videoconferencing, memos, routine meetings and so on.

VERTICAL COMMUNICATION –
Vertical communication occurs between various hierarchies. It maybe upward or downward.
For example, manager to employee, general manager to managers, foreman to machine
operator, head of the department to cashiers, etc. Downward communication is more
prevalent than upward communication. It is suggested that downward communication is most
effective if top managers communicate directly with immediate supervisors and immediate
supervisors communicate with their staff. The major purposes of downward communication
are to advise, inform, direct, instruct, and evaluate employees and to provide organization
members with information about organizational goals and policies.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Two types of communication are essential - external and internal.
- External communication reaches out to the customer to make them aware of your product
or service and to give them a reason to buy. This type of communication includes your
brochures, various forms of advertising, contact letters, telephone calls, web sites and
anything else that makes the public aware of what you do. Image is extremely important in
external communication! Your logo should represent who you are; your letterhead should be
a selling tool; your telephone message should reflect your professionalism. External
Communication comprises of Formal contacts with outsiders as well as some informal
contacts with outsiders.

Internal communication is essential to attracting and retaining a talented staff.

You must provide the direction for the company by consistently communicating
that message; you must motivate your staff through various forms of
communication, which can include awards, newsletters, meetings, telephone calls
and formal and informal discussions. The internal communication is further
subdivided into two parts, Formal Communication channel and Informal

Verbal Communication
We communicate most of our ideas to others through verbal messages, i.e., through spoken or
written messages. However, verbal messages have some drawbacks – the message may not be
properly worded, or the message may be misunderstood, or interpreted differently from its
intended meaning.
The formal communication network is the official structure of an organisation, which is
typically shown as an organisation chart. Information may travel up or down, up or across an
organisation hierarchy. But, when managers depend too heavily on formal channels for
communicating, they risk encountering ̳distortion ‘or misunderstanding.
The Informal Communication network in an organisation is basically the grapevine in the
organisation. As people go about their work, they have casual conversations with their friends
in the office. And this comprises the informal communication channels. Sometimes these
informal channels are stronger and more effective than the formal communication networks.
They also turn out to be speedier than many formal channels of communication. Effective
communication requires tools and planning.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Non-verbal communication can be defined as communication done without speaking or
writing. Let us now take a look at some of its characteristics, which distinguish it from verbal
communication.
Non-verbal Communication Cannot Be Avoided – While one can avoid verbal
communication by refusing to speak or write, it is not possible to do the same with non-verbal
communication. That is because non-verbal communication is not always intentional, unlike
verbal messages, as pointed out earlier. Sometimes, silence itself may convey a lot of meaning.
1. Kinesics – This is the most often studied and important area of non-verbal communication
and refers to body movements of any kind. Different body movements can express inner states
of emotion. Facial Expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness.
If you meet a long-lost friend and say ― I ‘m very happy to meet you again‖, but with a sad
facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite meaning. Eye Movements, such as wide-open
pupil’s express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact
with one ‘s audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an indication of intensity
and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness and guilt. Gestures, such as
movement of the hands while giving a lecture or presentation indicates a high level of
involvement in what you are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of
nervousness and speaking with one ‘s hands in one ‘s pockets is considered to be casual or
even rude. Head Movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation,
agreement or understanding.
Proxemics – Proxemics is derived from the word ―proximity‖ or closeness and is the
communication term for personal space and distance. The space and distance which we
choose to keep from people is also part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our
own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people. Our inner most circle is an
―intimate space‖, into which we generally admit only select people such as family and close
friends. Next comes a ―personal space‖ which might include other friends and colleagues or
co-workers. These two spaces involve communication of an informal nature. Most of us also
have a ―social and public‖ space, which includes official or workplace relationships, where
the communication is of a more formal nature. In a business context, it is more relevant to
understand the concept of ―fixed space‖ and ―semi-fixed‖ space.

Paralanguage – Para means ―like‖ or ―similar to‖, therefore paralanguage means ―like
language‖. Of all the forms of non-verbal communication, paralanguage is closest to verbal
communication. It refers to the tone of voice with which something is said. In other words, it
is ―how‖ something is said, and not ―what‖ is said. The tone of voice includes the pitch
(high or low pitch), the pace (slow or fast) the emphasis on words and the volume (soft or
loud) and can convey different moods and emotions, as mentioned earlier in this unit.

Interferences- aaaaaa, you know you know you know (repeat), okayyyyyy, and and and…

Emblems-are gestures that have a specific agreed-on meaning. These are still different from
the signs used by hearing-impaired people or others who communicate using American Sign
Language (ASL). Even though they have a generally agreed-on meaning, they are not part of
a formal sign system like ASL that is explicitly taught to a group of people. A hitchhiker’s
raised thumb, the “OK” sign with thumb and index finger connected in a circle with the other
three fingers sticking up, and the raised middle finger are all examples of emblems that have
an agreed-on meaning or meanings with a culture. Emblems can be still or in motion.
“Emblems are gestures that have a specific meaning. In the United States, a thumbs-up can
mean “I need a ride” or “OK!”

Illustrators - are the most common type of gesture and are used to illustrate the verbal
message they accompany. For example, you might use hand gestures to indicate the size or
shape of an object. Unlike emblems, illustrators do not typically have meaning on their own
and are used more subconsciously than emblems. These largely involuntary and seemingly
natural gestures flow from us as we speak but vary in terms of intensity and frequency based
on context
Head Movements and Posture - They are often both used to acknowledge others and
communicate interest or attentiveness. In terms of head movements, a head nod is a universal
sign of acknowledgement in cultures where the formal bow is no longer used as a greeting. In
these cases, the head nod essentially serves as an abbreviated bow. An innate and universal
head movement is the headshake back and forth to signal “no.” This nonverbal signal begins
at birth, even before a baby has the ability to know that it has a corresponding meaning.
Babies shake their head from side to side to reject their mother’s breast and later shake their
head to reject attempts to spoon-feed. There are four general human postures: standing,
sitting, squatting, and lying down.

Facial Expressions Our faces are the most expressive part of our bodies. Think of how
photos are often intended to capture a particular expression “in a flash” to preserve for later
viewing. Even though a photo is a snapshot in time, we can still interpret much meaning from
a human face caught in a moment of expression, and basic facial expressions are recognizable
by humans all over the world. Much research has supported the universality of a core group
of facial expressions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust. The first four are especially
identifiable across cultures. Our faces are the most expressive part of our body and can
communicate an array of different emotions. When delivering something light-hearted or
humorous, a smile, bright eyes, and slightly raised eyebrows will nonverbally enhance our
verbal message. When delivering something serious or sombre, a furrowed brow, a tighter
mouth, and even a slight head nod can enhance that message.

Haptics- Think of how touch has the power to comfort someone in moment of sorrow when
words alone cannot. This positive power of touch is countered by the potential for touch to be
threatening because of its connection to sex and violence. To learn about the power of touch,
we turn to haptics, which refers to the study of communication by touch. We probably get
more explicit advice and instruction on how to use touch than any other form of nonverbal
communication. A lack of nonverbal communication competence related to touch could have
negative interpersonal consequences; for example, if we don’t follow the advice we’ve been
given about the importance of a firm handshake, a person might make negative judgments
about our confidence or credibility. A lack of competence could have more dire negative
consequences, including legal punishment, if we touch someone inappropriately
(intentionally or unintentionally). Touch is necessary for human social development, and it
can be welcoming, threatening, or persuasive. There are several types of touch, including
functional-professional, social-polite, friendship-warmth, love-intimacy, and sexual-arousal
touch. Touch is also important at more intimate levels. At the friendship-warmth level, touch
is more important and more ambiguous than at the social-polite level. At this level, touch
interactions are important because they serve a relational maintenance purpose and
communicate closeness, liking, care, and concern.

Proxemics Distances - We all have varying definitions of what our “personal space” is, and
these definitions are contextual and depend on the situation and the relationship. Scholars
have identified four zones for US Americans, which are public, social, personal, and intimate
distance. We can see how these zones relate to each other and to the individual in Figure 4.1
"proxemics Zones of Personal Space". Even within a particular zone, interactions may differ
depending on whether someone is in the outer or inner part of the zone

Public Space (12 Feet or More)

Social Space (4–12 Feet)
Personal Space (1.5–4 Feet)

Territoriality- Territoriality is an innate drive to take up and defend spaces. This drive is
shared by many creatures and entities, ranging from packs of animals to individual humans to
nations. Whether it’s a gang territory, a neighbourhood claimed by a particular salesperson,
our preferred place to sit in a restaurant, our usual desk in the classroom, or the seat we’ve
marked to save while getting concessions at a sporting event, we claim certain spaces as our
own. There are three main divisions for territory: primary, secondary, and public. A person’s
house, yard, room, desk, side of the bed, or shelf in the medicine cabinet could be considered
primary territories. Secondary territories don’t belong to us and aren’t exclusively under our
control, but they are associated with us, which may lead us to assume that the space will be
open and available to us when we need it without us taking any further steps to reserve it.
This happens in classrooms regularly. Students often sit in the same desk or at least same
general area as they did on the first day of class. There may be some small adjustments
during the first couple of weeks, but by a month into the semester, we don’t notice students
moving much voluntarily. Public territories are open to all people. People are allowed to
mark public territory and use it for a limited period of time, but space is often up for grabs,
which makes public space difficult to manage for some people and can lead to conflict. To
avoid this type of situation, people use a variety of objects that are typically recognized by
others as nonverbal cues that mark a place as temporarily reserved—for example, jackets,
bags, papers, or a drink. There is some ambiguity in the use of markers, though

COORDINATING
This function of management is known as ‘coordinating’ function. The concept of
coordinating always applies to group efforts. There is no need for coordination when only
single individual is working. In other words, coordinating function is the orderly arrangement
of individual and group efforts to provide unity of action in the pursuit of a common goal.
Coordinating function of the management consists of inter-relating the various parts of the
work as well as the work of different departments. It involves coordinating the various job
roles and of the employees so that they have good relationship with the co-employees while
delivering the output. Since the coordinating function of the management is very important, it
is sometimes called the ‘essence’ of management. It is a function of managers in all
departments and branches of the organization, and applies to all the levels of the
management. It ultimately helps in reconciliation of goals, total accomplishment of
organizational objectives, and maintenance of harmonious relationship between different
groups and ensuring economy and efficiency in the organization. According to Mary Parker
Follett, coordinating is the “Plus-value of the group”. That is, if there is good coordinating
between the groups then the combined achievement of the groups will be greater than the
total of the achievement of the individual group, i.e. 3+2=6. This is impossible in the physical
world, but it is possible in human affairs through coordinating. effective format for assuring
the interrelationships among the various job responsibilities. Importance of coordinating
function The following points highlight the importance of coordinating function of the
management.
• It provides proper direction to the various departments of the organization by
integrating (bringing together) the different activities of the departments for achieving
the common goals or objectives of the organization.
• It facilitates motivation. Coordinating gives complete freedom to the employees. It
encourages the employees to show initiative. It helps them in getting the job
satisfaction through achievement of the objectives and thus getting motivated.
• It helps to ensure unity of action in the face of disruptive forces. By welding together
different departments and sections into one entity, coordinating ensures the stability
and growth of an organization. It enables the executives to see the organization as a
whole instead of narrow sectional goals. Individual interests are subordinated to the
common interest more easily and effectively.
• It encourages team spirit. There exist many conflicts and rivalries between
individuals, departments, between a line and staff, etc. Similarly, conflicts are also
between individual objectives and organizational objectives. Coordinating function
arranges the work and the objectives in such a way that there are minimum conflicts
between departments and the individuals. It encourages the employees to work as a
team and achieve the common objectives of the organization.
• It results into higher efficiency and economy in the organization. Coordinating helps
to improve the efficiency of operations by avoiding overlapping efforts and
duplication of work. Integration and balancing of individual efforts provide a smooth
and harmonious team work. There is the synergetic
• effect of the coordinating function. Coordinating also improves workers efficiency
since their work does not go waste and produces the desired results.
• It makes optimum utilization of resources. Coordinating function helps in avoiding
cross purpose work
• since it brings together the human and material resources of the organization. In this
way it helps to minimize the wastage of resources in the organization and thus make
possible the optimum utilization of resources.
• It helps to achieve the organizational objectives quickly by ensuring a systematic and
smooth working in the organization. All the work in the organization is done in a
planned manner without any conflict.
• It improves inter personnel relations in the organization. Since the coordinating is
done through people, with people and between people, it helps in removing
misunderstanding between the people and thus improving the inter personnel
relationship between the employees. Composite and orderly effort established through
team spirit and executive leadership enables employees to derive a sense of security
and personal contentment from their job.
• It improves organizational effectiveness. Coordination fosters loyalty and
commitment among employees. This enhances the effectiveness and stability of the
organization.
• It improves goodwill of the organization. Through coordinating function, the
performance of the organization improves and it produces goods which are more
acceptable to the customers. Its performance earns goodwill amongst its stakeholders.
Coordinating function of the management has two forms of coordination namely
(i) vertical coordination and horizontal coordination. These two forms of coordination are
described below.
Vertical coordination is aimed at linking activities at higher levels and lower levels of the
management for the achievement of the organizational objectives. The main parameters
which determine the effective vertical coordination are
(I) degree of formalization,
(ii) hierarchical structure
(iii) centralization and decentralization of authority
(iv) delegation of powers
(v) division of operational and functional positions.
Formalization is the extent to which the organizational policies, tactics, rules, job
descriptions and other official documents, on which the clear operational decisions are
taken. It determines the expected behaviours of the employees. The degree of
 centralization of authority reflects the concentration of the upper levels in the
organizational structure. Delegation of powers is another parameter of vertical
coordination involving the transfer of responsibility and authority for the decisions of a
managerial level to another immediately below. Unlike decentralization which standing
downward movement of tasks and powers, the delegation is temporary, covering a period
set by managers and subordinates. Operational position means a job or function
constituting the organizational structure invested with authority and responsibility
necessary to achieve the major objectives of the organization. Functional position is
associated with a job or function designed to provide specialized knowledge and support
operational work.

Horizontal coordination is intended to harmonize activities in hierarchical levels similar

or close, but belonging to different departments. By facilitating the transfer of information
between organizational sub-units positioned on the same levels, horizontal coordination
mechanisms supplement the actions of specific vertical coordination traditional pyramid
hierarchy.
Four major directions are known to promote horizontal coordination are
(i) buffer resources
(ii) information systems,
(iii) horizontal relations (cooperation)
(iv) managers coordinators. Horizontal relations facilitate
aligning employees to the same hierarchical level, to cope with sharing of complex problems
without the involvement of superiors.

Every management tries to improve its working through co-ordination. Coordination is

crucial to the effectiveness of the organization. It is the ongoing process to secure unity of
action in the pursuit of common goals.
t PRINCIPLES OF COORDINATION ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Principle of early stage/start
The process of co-ordination must begin in the early stage of planning and the policy
formulation of the organization. Initial coordination of the organization improves the quality
of plans and policies. This will lead in making the best plans and implementing these plans
with success. If coordination is started early only then all the management functions will be
performed successfully. There will be mutual trust and confidence among the members at the
early stage of the organization.
2. Principle of continuity
Coordination must be a continuous or never-ending process. The process of coordination
must begin when the organization starts, and it must continue until the organization exists.
During the management process, the
coordination must be done continuously. The managers never stop to provide the efforts
towards the effective co-ordination.
3. Principle of direct contact
An effective coordination should be based on direct contact or interpersonal
relationship among the employees. The activities of different individuals can be coordinated
through direct contact. Personal or face to face is the most effective means of achieving
coordination. It helps to clarify misunderstanding and secure mutual co-operation.
4. Principle of mutual respect
Co-ordination will be successful only if there exist a mutual respect throughout the
organization. All managers working at different levels top, middle or lower must respect each
other. All employees should respect each other and must show a friendly attitude during
interactions. There must be the feeling of brotherhood among managers and employees.
5. Principle of clarity of objectives
Co-ordination will be successful only if the organization has set its clear
objectives. Everyone in the organization must know the objectives very
clearly. No one must have any doubts about the objectives of the
organization. Clear objectives can be achieved easily and quickly.
6. Principle of reciprocal relationship
All factors of production such as men, material, money, and management are interdependent
and interrelated. So, the decisions and actions of one person or department will affect all
other persons and departments in the
organization. Therefore, before taking any decision or action all managers
must first find out the effect of that decision or action on other persons and
departments in the organization.
7. Principle of clear definition of authority and responsibility
A clear definition of authority and responsibility for each individual and
department also facilitates effective coordination in an organization. It helps in reducing
conflicts among different positions which is essential for sound
coordination. It defines who is accountable to whom so that the manager can hold
subordinates responsible for violating the limits
https://classroom.google.com/c/MzYwNzgxNzMyOTc5/m/MzczMjgzNzIxNjc4/details
Techniques of Coordination – Simplified Organisation, Harmonised Programmes and
Policies, Well-Designed Methods, Voluntary Coordination and Personal Guidance Newman
has suggested the following techniques or Measures as tools for securing better coordination:
1. Simplified organisation.
2. Harmonized programmes and policies.
3. Well-designed methods of communication.
4. Aids to voluntary coordination.
5. Coordination through personal guidance.
1. Simplified Organisation:
In a large organisation, special functions are allotted to different heads of departments, each
of whom is concerned with only one phase of the total operation, and even bureaucratic in
attitude. As for producing goods or rendering services each of these specialised units must
contribute their share of the total operation, the need for co-ordination becomes imminent.
Where coordination is lacking, re-arrangement of departments may be made in order to bring
together activities which have been out of step. Furthermore, clear-cut organisation and
procedures that are well-known to all persons concerned will ensure coordination. Since a
business organisation is a network of formal and informal relations among people holding
designated positions, horizontal and vertical coordination is called for.
2. Harmonised Programmes and Policies:
The ideal time to bring about coordination is at the planning stage. The different plans can be
re-examined and checked one against the other to ensure that they all fit together into an
integrated, balanced whole. The coordinating executive should check plans developed by
different individuals to bring about consistency, and to see that all the plans add up to a
unified programme Selection of one in, preference to other or a compromise between all may
have to be resorted to for effective coordination.
Moreover, coordinated activities must not only be consistent with each other, but also be
performed at the proper time. In an assembly line in an automobile plant, timing is one of the
cardinal features. The various parts must arrive at the assembly line at just the right moment.
3. Well-Designed Methods of Communication:
Good communication brings about coordination and helps members of a business
organisation to work together. It helps to hold the organisation together by making it possible
for members to influence one another and to react to one another. Flow of communication in
all directions will facilitate coordination and smooth working of the enterprise.
The use of formal tools of communication like orders, reports and working papers and of
informal devices like the grapevine will provide adequate information to all concerned.
Continuous, clear and meaningful communication provides to every member a clear
understanding of the nature and scope of his work as well as that of other persons whose
responsibilities are related to him. This aids the executives in coordinating the efforts of the
members of their teams.
The two tools of communication for bringing about coordination are
– (i) Committees, and (ii) Group Discussions.
According to Ernest Dale, two types of committees can be helpful to coordination – the
Executive Committee and Special Committees.
The Executive Committee consists of top executives, permanently built into the organisation
structure. This committee, according to Dale – (i) facilitates consultative supervision which
contributes to uniformity of direction, (ii) makes possible coordination of long-term and
short-term plans, (iii) offers a degree of flexibility in handling emergency situation, and (iv)
provides greater opportunities for broader experience to executives thereby making possible a
greater interchange of management personnel. Special Committees are set up with narrow
and specific jurisdictions and help the executives in the task of coordination.
Group Discussion is the other tool for coordination. It provides opportunities for free and
opens exchange of views and interchange of ideas, problems, proposals and solutions. Face-
to-face communication enables members to attain improved understanding of company-wide
matters and leads to better coordination and unified achievement.
4. Aids to Voluntary Coordination: Ideally, coordination should take place through voluntary
cooperation of the members of an enterprise. Each member should be ready and willing to
adapt his work to secure unified action. In other words, there is complete cooperation among
all the members.
According to Newman, voluntary coordination can be secured by –
(i) instilling dominant objectives among the members of the group,
(ii) developing generally accepted customs and terms making it easy for people to work with
one another
(iii) encouraging informal contacts to supplement formal communication
(iv) providing liaison officers to maintain close contact with various departments, or to work
between the headquarters office and branches
(v) using committees for direct personal contact and informal exchange of ideas and views.
5. Coordination through Personal Guidance:
The supervising executives have a dominant role to play in bringing about coordination of the
tasks of their subordinates. They may do this by prodding, in some cases, restraining in
others, providing supplementary help in another quarter, or arbitrating sincere difference of
opinion among their subordinates. All this will ensure balance and unity in the total results. In
the event of the work-load assigned to an executive being found too heavy to enable him to
perform these coordinating duties effectively, he may rely upon one or more staff assistants.
Techniques of Co-Ordination: To be Used by Every
Manager
Every manager must remove the obstacles that deter
coordination by adopting the following specific
techniques:
1. Chain of Command:
This technique also emphasizes that an employee should receive orders form one superior
only because dual command is a continuous source of conflict. Management has to exercise
authority to regulate the performance of different departments because clear cut authority
relationship helps in reducing conflicts among different departments.
2. Leadership:
Co-ordination becomes possible through leadership as it provides individual motivation and
persuades the group to have an identity of interests and outlook in group efforts. To achieve
the common objectives of an enterprise, the manager must guide and co-ordinate
the activities of his subordinates.
3. Committees:
This Technique of achieving co-ordination is used in most organisations by forming a
committee. Which helps to promote unity of purpose and uniformity of action among
different departments. A committee is a group of persons and the decisions of the committee
are group decisions which provide co-ordination among various activities and persons
through information, advice interchange of ideas etc., while forming the committee utmost
care must be taken by the management, otherwise, the decisions taken by the group may not
be effective to achieve co-ordination in an enterprise.
4. Communication:
Effective communication conveys ideas, opinions or decisions of managers to subordinate at
different levels of the organization and carries back information, suggestions and responses
from subordinates. It regulates the flow of work, co-ordinates the efforts of the subordinates
of an enterprise. To be effective, communication must be as direct as possible so as
to minimize the chances of misinterpretation. To ensure proper coordination, various kinds of
communication channels may be used, such as verbal relay of information, written reports
memos or other forms of documents, mechanical devices such as teletypes,
intercommunication system, etc.
5. Voluntarily Coordination:
Self-co-ordination or voluntary co-ordination is possible in a climate of mutual co-operation,
when two or more persons working within the same or different departments, mutually
discuss their problems and arrive at a coordinated action. This can be easily achieved in any
organization, when the supervisor gives his consent without any hesitation for such a mutual
consultation among subordinates.
6. Sound Planning and Clear-Cut Objectives:
The objectives of the organization and policies must be clearly defined by the management.
A well-conceived plan must clearly define the goals of the organization so that inter-
departmental objectives can be accomplished. Thus, to ensure co-ordination, clear
formulation of policies in the field of production, sales, finance, personnel, etc., must be
correlated.
7. Incentives:
Incentives have a tendency to ignite action and bring about coordination. In order to infuse
enthusiasm in a worker for greater and better work, incentives have a distinct and significant
role. Financial incentives which include wage, bonus, salary, etc., and non-financial
incentives which include job security of interest, to achieve co-ordination and to reduce
conflicts
ENCODING, DECODING
1.6.1 Source/Encoder
We can say that all human communication has some source, some person or group of persons
with a purpose for communicating. The source has ideas, needs, intentions, information and a
purpose for communication, which he translated into a code, a language. This is performed
by the encoder who is responsible for taking the ideas of the source and putting them in a
code, expressing the source’s purpose in a form of a message. As source encoder, our
communication skill levels determine on communication fidelity in
1.6.2 Receiver/Decoder
The receiver is the most important link in the communication process. If the source does not
reach the receiver with his message, he might as well have talked to himself. The receiver it
the target of communication that we want to have the positive response.
Barriers to communications
1. Channel Noise: This type of noise includes any disturbance, which interferes with the
physical transmission of the message. In mass communication channel noise includes static
on the radio, ink in the newspaper, a rolling screen in television, or type too small to read in a
magazine. In interpersonal communication, someone speaking in a room over another
conversation, a door shutting etc.
2. Semantic Noise: This type of noise results in the wrong interpretation of messages, even
though the message is received exactly as it was sent such as words too difficult, subject too
difficult for receiver to understand also differences of selected meaning of words between the
message sender and a receiver, for example receiver thinking that the words print to
something different than that is intended by the sender. One word may have many different
interpretations.
What is Filtering?
Filtering is altering the interpretation of the message by applying certain influences or biases.
The receiver will filter the message according to their experience and as a result the
interpretation of the message can be very different from what was intended. The consequence
of filtering is that there can be misunderstanding which can lead to an unexpected response.
2.3 Passive Listening
Passive Listening occurs when a listener does not verbally respond to the speaker. The
listener may deliberately or unintentionally send non-verbal messages through eye contact,
smiles, yawns or nods. Sometimes passive listening is appropriate. If the speaker wants to
vent frustration or express an opinion he may listen passively. Passive listening is mechanical
and effortless. It does not require any special effort. You hear what your teacher says and you
might be able to tell the difference between major and minor points of the lecture, but that is
about it. Lack of enthusiasm and a "careless" attitude during class characterize a student who
is a passive listener. Active listeners on the other hand really concentrate on the content of the
lecture and not on the lecturer or any random distractions in the room or their mind. They do
more than focus on facts, figures, and ideas and actively associate the material presented with
their own experiences. The content heard at every lecture is converted to something useful
and meaningful for the student. You must pay special attention in class because, unlike when
reading a textbook, you only get one chance to hear and understand the information presented
to you.
Excessive Talking
Good conversational skills are an asset, and a person with this skill is more likely to achieve
professional success. However, talking more than is necessary is a barrier to effective
communication. People hesitate to interact with a person who talks excessively without
listening to them. They may also get bored, and excessive talking may be perceived as
aggression.
Prejudice- Prejudice is a preconceived opinion of feeling, which is usually irrational.
Prejudice is very dangerous and has the potential to bring animosity into the team and to
break team spirit. The reason for a prejudice may be the speaker's race, religion, age or
appearance. A prejudiced person will not make any effort to listen and understand.
Distractions- The four main types of distractions are physical, mental, auditory and visual.
Here's how to avoid this common barrier: It is fine to have personal beliefs and values, but an
excessive attachment to them will have a negative impact on your ability to communicate
effectively with others. Learn to appreciate the fact that each and every person has his or her
own set of beliefs and values.
Misunderstanding -Inability to hear correctly is one of the many reasons for
misunderstanding of what the speaker is trying to communicate. This inability to hear is often
the result of prejudice. To avoid misunderstanding, always clarify with the speaker to ensure
that you have understood correctly.
Interrupting- Interrupting a conversation with improper body language or inappropriate words
will have a negative impact in effective communication.
Bringing in Emotions- Emotions erect barriers to effective communication. A listener's
senses are not likely to be functioning at their optimum level when he or she is angry.
Likewise, it is not possible to understand or appreciate what the speaker is saying if the
listener is excessively sad.
Noise- Noise is "any unwanted sound. It is a great impediment to clear communication. It is
impossible to listen in a noisy environment. It becomes a frustrating experience for both the
speaker and the listener.
Previous experiences- We are all influenced by previous experiences in life. We respond to
people based on personal appearances, how initial introductions or welcomes were received
and/or previous interpersonal encounters. If we stereotype a person, we become less objective
and therefore less likely to listen effectively.
Having a Closed Mind - We all have ideals and values that we believe to be correct and it can
be difficult to listen views of others that contradict our own opinions. The key to effective
listening and interpersonal skills more generally is the ability to have a truly open mind - to
understand why others think about things differently to you and use this information to gain a
better understanding of the speaker.
NON-LISTENERS- The non-listeners do not listen at all because they are genuinely
disinterested in the subject. These people pretend to follow the speaker while they are
actually preoccupied with something else. So, they will fake attention, but they could easily
be recognized by their blank stare, impatient and nervousness mannerisms. They might be
suffering from rigidity of thinking and egotism. Their complete insensitivity and insensible
nature make them incapable of understanding others. In fact, they do not even make an effort
to hear what another person is saying. You will find non- listeners among authority figures
who will do most of the talking and will not let their sub-ordinates easily express their ideas.
Although, they frequently interrupt by saying “I understand,” and “I know,” they actually do
not know anything or understand the subject!
TYPES OF LISTENERS
ACTIVE LISTENERS- As the term implies, active listeners involve themselves actively in
the communication process by keenly listening not only to the message but also to the way it
has been delivered. They focus on the content as well the manner in which it is delivered.
This means that they will take note of the verbal content along with its nonverbal subtexts.
They will not hesitate to seek clarifications, ask leading questions, show their approval by
nodding head, and summarize to clearly indicate that they fully follow the speaker. In this
way, the active listeners are quiet sensitive towards the feelings of others, they understand the
mood of the audience. They show empathy and make the audience or the other person cared
for. Once the audience get the feeling that they are being cared for, they will devote
themselves fully to the communication process. Once there is mutual involvement, there will
be hundred per cent success in terms of communication. The message sent will be received
correctly and feedback is given in a favourable manner. So, it leads to a win-win situation and
causes effective communication. Contrarily, if the audience would sense that the speaker is
insensitive towards their feelings, they would remain cold and distant.
NON-LISTENERS – from above
PASSIVE LISTENERS - Passive listeners exhibit exactly the opposite behaviouristic traits of
active listeners. They pay attention only to partial message and lack sensitivity to the
nuances, inner meanings, nonverbal subtexts involved in communication. They allow
someone to speak, without interrupting or seeking clarifications. They do not make notes, nod
their head in approval, maintain eye contact and keep themselves idle. Passive “listening,” is
actually hearing not listening! Since passive listeners keep their minds closed,
communication with them is futile and incomplete.
MARGINAL LISTENERS - Impatient to listen to the main ideas, marginal listeners pay
superficial attention, and are interested only in the bottom line. They merely hear the sounds
of words, but fail to grasp their meanings. They do not go to the deeper level in arguments.
They use external distractions to excuse themselves from conversations. They will not have
the patience to sit through complex technical presentations, and jump to findings and
conclusions. It is risky to communicate with marginal listeners because they are not focused
on the main ideas and often misunderstand their import.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Barriers to communication can be
overcome by:
• checking whether it is a good time and place to communicate with the person
• being clear and using language that the person understands
• communicating one thing at a time
• respecting a person’s desire to not communicate
• checking that the person has understood you correctly
• communicating in a location that is free of distractions
• acknowledging any emotional responses, the person has to what you have said.