Analyses of Communication

Across Different Levels of

Organization
Presented By:
Ankit Kumar
R. Gayathri
Gaurav Baldota

Agenda
Purpose
Methodology
Literature Review
Findings & Analyses
Conclusions
Recommendations
Limitations

Purpose

Analyzing how communication changes with

change in hierarchical level

Effect of different organizational Structures

on communication in the organization

Literature Review
Communication Within the Workplace
By
Beverly Mallett-Hamer
The main focus of this study was on
analyzing the communication gap between
supervisors
and
customer
service
representative. The study concluded that as
number of years of experience of the
supervisors increased the level of internal
communication
decreased.
Author
suggested weekly meetings to address the
issue

Methodology

Quantitative Research Methodology

Online Survey form was floated

12 multiple choice questions
1 single answer question
300 survey forms distributed
96 Responses received
Medium: Social media, E-mail and Personal messages
Free survey template from Qualtrics.com

Findings & Analyses

Based on Different Levels/designations

Level 0: Analysts, Developer, Trainee,
Programmers
Level 1: Engineers, Consultants
Level 2: Managers, Seniors Analysts, Team leaders

Based on Organizational structures

Completely Freelance Structure
Rigid Hierarchical Structure
Mixed Organizational Structure

Level 0
20

20

15

15

10

10

English
Regional

Face to Face (Direct)

By e-mails (Indirect)

By Phone (Indirect)

Medium of Communication

Language of Communication

Cont..
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Very Easy
Moderately Easy
Difficult

Approachability for help

during Work Hours

Always Approachable
Occasionally
Approachable
Never Approachable

Approachability for help

outside Working Hours

Cont..
Higher Level Superiors(Superiors who are at a higher level than your direct superiors)

Direct
Communication

25%

Immediate Superiors
Very Comfortable

15%

60%

Internal Skip Level

(Approaching a
superior a level above
your manager)

Third party
(Companies involved
in collecting
anonymous
feedback)

Comfortable
Uncomfortable
Subordinates

Peers

0 5 10 15

Channel of feedback

Comfortable in sharing
personal feelings

Level 1
40
35
30

Higher Level Superiors(Superiors who are at a higher level than your direct Superiors)

25
20
15
10
5

Office Staff

English

Face to Face (Direct)

Immediate Superiors

Regional

By e-mails (Indirect)
By Phone (Indirect)

Subordinates

Peers

0 10 20 30 40

Medium of Communication

Language of Communication

Cont..
35
30
25

Office Staff

20
15
10
5
0

Higher Level Superiors(Superiors who are at a higher level than your direct Superiors)

Always Approachable

Immediate Superiors

Very Easy

Occasionally
Approachable

Moderately Easy

Never Approachable

Difficult

Subordinates

Peers

0 10 20 30 40

Approachability for help during

Work Hours

Approachability for help outside

Working Hours

Cont..
25
20
15
10
5

8%

Very Comfortable
Comfortable

Direct
Communication
Internal Skip Level
(Approaching a
superior a level above
your manager)

24%

Uncomfortable

68%

Comfortable in sharing
personal feelings

Third party
(Companies involved
in collecting
anonymous
feedback)

Channel of feedback

Level 2
25

25

20

20

15

15

10

10

Face to Face (Direct)

English

By e-mails (Indirect)

Regional

By Phone (Indirect)

Medium of Communication

Language of Communication

Cont..
25

25

20

20

15

15

10

10

Very Easy
Moderately Easy
Difficult

Approachability for help

during working Hours

Always Approachable
Occasionally
Approachable
Never Approachable

Approachability for help

outside working Hours

Cont..

Direct
Communication

7%
39%

54%

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Very Comfortable

Internal Skip Level

(Approaching a
superior a level above
your manager)

Comfortable
Uncomfortable

Third party
(Companies involved
in collecting
anonymous
feedback)

Channel of feedback

Comfortable in sharing
personal feelings

Completely freelance
Structure
11%

Private Sector
Company

Never

21%

Rarely
Sometimes(once or
twice)

Public Sector
Company

Often

68%
100%

Type of organization

Barriers to communication
process

Cont..
16

20
18

14

16

12
14

10

12

10
8

Very Easy
Moderately Easy

Difficult

6
4

Very Comfortable
Comfortable
Uncomfortable

Ease of Approachability

Ease of sharing personal

problems

Strict Hierarchical
Structure
17%

20%

Never

Private Sector
Company

Rarely

17%

Public Sector
Company

83%

Type of organization

17%
Sometimes(once or
twice)
Often

46%

Barriers to communication
process

Cont..
30

25

25
20
15

20

10
5
0

15

Very Easy
Moderately Easy

10

Very Comfortable

Difficult

Comfortable
Uncomfortable
5

Ease of sharing personal

problems

Ease of Approachability

Mixed Organizational
Structure
7% 7%
17%
Never

Private Sector
Company
Public Sector
Company

Rarely

44%

41%

Sometimes(once or
twice)
Often

83%

Type of organization

Barriers to communication
process

Cont..
Office Staff
Office Staff

Higher Level Superiors(Superiors who are at a higher level than your direct Superiors)
Higher Level Superiors(Superiors who are at a higher level than your direct superiors)

Very Easy

Immediate Superiors

Moderately Easy

Very Comfortable

Immediate Superiors

Comfortable

Difficult

Uncomfortable
Subordinates

Subordinates

Peers
Peers

0 10 20
30
0 10 20 30 40

Ease of Approachability

Ease of sharing personal

problems

Conclusions

Direct communication with higher level superiors is

almost nil
Language used with peers is predominantly regional
while with superiors and higher level superior is
English
Communication becomes more formal as we go up
the hierarchical level
Almost everyone except the higher level superior are
available for help whether inside or outside the
organization
Completely freelance structure is the most preferred
organizational structure

Recommendations
To improve the level of communication
companies can conduct All Hands meetings
Higher level superiors should try to be more
accessible to improve flow of communication
Seen from our study freelance seems to have
lesser problems with respect to communication
so companies can try to move towards it
Public sector companies can go for mixed or
freelance structure to improve communication

Limitations
Sample size was limited to only 96
responses that we received
Foreign respondents were not included in
the survey
Responses from public sector were very less
Responses from top level management was
very less

Thank You