Learning Unit 2: Organisational

Communication
PAGE 43
ICE 2
 PAGE 62,63 AND 64
 OBJECTIVES
 Define the terms “organisation” and “organisational
communication”;
 Understand the context of organisational communication;
 Explain the principles of organisational communication;
 Understand and justify the use of organisational communication in
the practitioner context in the following ways:
 o Discuss organisational change.
 o Explain the three step process model of change.
 o Explain organisational culture.
 o Explain and apply visual cultural elements within an organisation.
 Defend the functions of organisational communication;
 Discuss the types of organisational communication;
 Discuss and explain the theoretical approaches to organisational
communication.
Introduction
 Communication happens inside organisations, whether it is
managed or not.
 Daily interactions between people are a necessary part of
getting the job done.
 Tench and Yeomans (2006, p.333) warn that as companies
and organisations grow globally, however, such interactions
become increasingly complex.
 Employees may become detached by their place within the
hierarchy, how the work is divided up or through
psychological discomfort with management practices.
 Engaging staff in the “bigger picture” – the many challenges,
threats and opportunities faced by the organisation as a
whole – often requires a managed system of communication.
Organisations: A Definition
 Thus, organisations developed out of the
conscious decision on the part of an
individual or group to achieve certain
objectives.
 Rensburg (1996, p.99) define an organisation

as “people who are linked together as

mutually dependent individuals or groups on
various hierarchal levels in order to manage
information, solve problems, make decisions
and pursue common goals.”
organisational communication
 organisational communication shifted its primary
focus from the applied aspects of communication
in organisations (such as writing, speaking and
persuasion) to the broader role of communication
in the organisation (in areas such as organisational
behaviour, organisational change and
organisational theory) (Barker & Angelopulo, 2006,
p.14).
 One definition of organisational communication is

communication to ensure co-operation in order for

organisational objectives to be achieved.
 Any of these forms of communication can
take place inside and outside an organisation
 internal communications, which are those

messages shared internally within an

organisation
 external communication, which are those

messages shared with the world outside of

the organisation and also to gather
information from the world (Steinberg, 2007,
p.292).
Organisational Change
 Organisational change is a key tool in an
organisations change-process.
 It is a reality in today’s ever-changing

organisational climate that organisations

could lose their skilled labour (to competitors
offering attractive packages), while
employees do not enjoy the level of job
security they used to have (as digital and
mechanic technology are often less expensive
and more efficient than labourers
 Change has indeed become the name of the
game today and those companies or
individuals who cannot adapt and cope with
this change process, have no future
(Charoux, 2000, p.3).
 Recognising that the workforce has been and is changing, Cutlip et
al. (2006, p.70) report that many organisations have increased their
efforts to develop their most important resource: People. Concerns
about employee loyalty and mobility, “virtual organisations”, quality-
of-life issues, and employee education and training are seen as
directly affecting the bottom line.

 Managers no longer just plan, lead, organise, control, solve

problems and make decisions as the “boss”. These days they also
need to be a facilitator, coach, and leader. To survive in this new
environment, tomorrow’s managers will also have to change.

 Van der Walt (2006, p.107) points out how organisations have
realised that they cannot just make re-adjustments to existing
practices; it is far more of a holistic picture than that. They now
need to have "new conceptualisations of organisational purpose,
impact and significance, especially with regards to their contribution
to an organisation’s selling point (namely its corporate brand), have
become a topic of discourse."
Van der Walt (2006, pp.110 – 112) thus
outlines a three step process model of
change below:
 Unfreezing Creating the motivation and desire
to change.
 Change/ Moving Designing and implementing

actual change.
 Refreezing Reinforcing and stabilising new
methods, procedures, and behaviours.
Organisational Culture
 Organisational culture refers to the moral, social and
behavioural norms of an organisation based on the
beliefs, attitudes and priorities of its members (West in
Tubbs & Moss, 2006, p.471).
 Barker (2006, p.85) defines organisational culture as
"the shared beliefs, values, norms or common
perceptions, held by members of an organisation that
are apparent in behaviour and connect a group of
people.
 This culture involves the mission and vision of the
organisation, and directly influences the members’
motivation, performance, happiness, and stress levels."
visual cultural elements that can be used to
collect data about culture within an organisation
 Artefacts
 "In the organisation, artefacts include objects and
tangible arrangements, patterns of behaviour and
abstract linguistic expressions." (Barker, 2006, p.89).
 Brown (in Barker 2006, p.89), delineates the sub-
categories of artefacts as material objects (example:
products, annual reports, brochures, etc.), physical
layouts (this is actually how the office is spaced, i.e. open
or closed plan, etc.), technology (information technology
mostly used, i.e. computers, faxes, etc.), language (jokes,
comments, anecdotes), behavioural patterns (rituals),
symbols, rules, systems, procedures and programmes
(HR systems, performance appraisals, etc.).
 Language
 Language of an organisation conveys its

culture; there are various aspects to language

within an organisation such as the metaphors
used in an organisation, the narration of the
organisation, i.e. its stories, sagas, myths and
legends. Example: imagine the language used
by employees of a hair salon, compared to
that of employees at a law firm.
 2.3.3. Behavioural concepts
 Behaviour would be all the standard and systematic activities
that will assist an organisation in reaching its goals. Behavioural
concepts include: rites, rituals, taboos and ceremonies.
Example: Having a ‘crazy dress sweepstake’ the last Friday of
every month; or an ‘Enthusiastic Employee’ award at the end-
year function.
 2.3.4. Heroes
 These are symbolic models of valued attitudes and behaviour.
An example would be the founder of an organisation who acts
as a role model for people, who encourages commitment, and
motivates his or her staff, etc. Example: Raymond Ackerman
would be the hero of Pick ‘n Pay, because he is the founder of,
and ‘face’ of the company. Mamphela Ramphele is another
‘hero’ who inspires ordinary South Africans to be better,
constructive citizens through her work with the Mo Ibrahim
Foundation for example.
 Symbols
 Neher (1997, in Barker & Angelopulo, 2006, p.91)

defines symbols as words, gestures, pictures or

objects that carry a particular meaning within an
organisation’s culture, and which assist
individuals in communicating with and
understanding each other. Symbols also include
objects, settings, performers and roles; they are
used during times of change and uncertainty to
give members direction. Example: a mascot such
as ‘the Springbok’ for the SA Rugby team, an
acronym such as the SPCA (which is the well
know abbreviation for the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), etc.
 Organisational Aspects
 The two main aspects of the organisation are the

business environment and the cultural network:

  The business environment - "this is the

environment or marketplace in which the

organisation operates." Example: FMCG, Banking,
Construction, etc.;
  Cultural network – "process and roles that

communicate with and educate new employees

about the organisational culture." Example: an
induction/ orientation ceremony. These are the
activities an organisation engages in to integrate
new employees.
 Psychological Phenomenon
 These are beliefs, values, attitudes. and basic

assumptions. Example: in a Public Relations

agency, employees will value attention to
detail; while Advertisers view hard work,
innovation and creativity as important
attitudes.
The Functions of Organisational Communication

  Informs;
  Regulates;
  Persuades;
  Integrates
The Informative Function
 Managers need to inform their employees of
technical changes on the production line;
 the CEO needs to inform the Board of Directors of

a decrease in profits, and so forth.

 Employees in an organisation need a lot of

information to work effectively and efficiently.

 Although the quality of an employee’s performance

is dependent upon job-related information,

 Most organisations have regular meetings of

managers to report the actions in each area of the

total enterprise
 The Regulative Function
 The operation of any business is based upon its manager’s ability
to control and co-ordinate the activities in the organisation
 Example. their ability to regulate (control) the work being done.
 Manuals, policies, memos, and instructions make up a set of
guidelines for running the enterprise.

In all organisations, two elements influence the regulative function:

First, management controls the information transmitted. The
manager sends orders downward to employees. The orders place the
sender in a position of authority with an expectation of compliance;
Second, regulative messages are basically work-oriented –
concentrating on tasks that are necessary to accomplish a particular
job. Employees need to know what is expected of them and what
restrictions are placed on their behaviour.
The Persuasive Function
 It is then important for managers and other supervisors
to persuade employees to complete tasks in a given way,
and to explain to them how such tasks contribute to
achieving goals.
 This does not mean that employers have to ‘beg’ their
employees to complete tasks, but merely emphasise the
need for the share of information.
 Many superiors prefer to persuade a subordinate, rather
than issue orders.
 Successful managers realise that voluntary compliance
from employees achieve greater commitment than
commands given to them, because employees then tend
to take ownership of the tasks given.
The Integrative Function
 We want to feel a sense of belonging in our organisations.
Communication messages that operate to give the
organisation unity and cohesion have an integrative
function.
 This could include co-ordinating the activities and
schedules of various individuals and departments or to
eliminate redundancy and wasted effort.
 Formal channels including newsletters, films, management
visits, and annual progress reports are developed to keep
the employee informed. Integration comes from the type of
information a person gets about the job.
 Integration also occurs through informal communication:
conversations during coffee breaks, company golf days,
athletic teams, and informal reports of personal
achievements.
Types of Organisational Communication

Supervisory Communication
 Research reveals that the single most important thing

people want to know in doing their jobs is what is expected

of them. Supervisors who make this clear to workers are
more likely to be successful.
 Whitener et al. (in Tubbs & Moss, 2006, p.479) found five

significant qualities that supervisors may possess which

establish a trusting relationship with subordinates:
  Behavioural consistency;
  Behavioural integrity;

  Sharing and delegation of control;

  Communication; and

  Demonstration of concern.
Downward Communication
 This is recapped by Tubbs and Moss (2006,

p.480) as communication "initiated by the

organisation’s upper management and then
filters downward through the chain of command".
 In an organisation, which relies predominantly on

downward communication, power is especially

relevant.
 Power is the ability to get what you want. As what

you want is often constrained by other people,

the use of power often includes changing or
influencing what others think, believe and do
(Changing Minds 2015
Upward Communication
 Tubbs and Moss (2006, pp.487–489) as "the process

whereby the ideas, feelings, and perceptions of

lower-level employees are communicated to those at
higher levels in the organisation".
 Employees must be encouraged to communicate

from the bottom-up.

 Yet there are numerous barriers that prevent

employees from freely communicating with their

superiors.
 These include fears of bureaucracy and of retaliation.

 Examples of upward communication include

suggestion systems, reports, interviews, industrial

action, etc.
Theoretical Approaches to
Organisational Communication
 Classical approach – this theory emphasises the importance of
efficient management and high productivity. Communication in
this particular approach is mainly downward, provides workers
with information and lets managers gather information.
Example: “I tell you what to do, and you do as I say.”

 Human relations approach – this approach states that workers

should not just be seen as part of a machine but rather that
organisational efficiency will depend on workers’ happiness and
satisfaction and that social interaction is important. There is a
strong emphasis in upward communication that employees
have open lines to management. Example: here the adage of a
happy worker is a productive worker, applies;
 Human Resources approach – workers are considered as
sources of suggestions and ideas, and it is management’s
task to encourage people to contribute to the organisation
in diverse ways and thereby maximise productivity. It
speaks to participative decision making because it says
that employees are much happier when consulted on
matters. Example: a consultation session with all
employees to brainstorm solutions to a production
problem;

 Systems approach – it says that the organisation is a whole

with different parts that all need to work together. All parts
of the system must coordinate their activities and functions
to stay in equilibrium and there must be very efficient
internal communication.
 Cultural approach – every organisation has its
own cultural identity. Employees must be
made aware of the culture because they will
then behave in certain ways as they know
they are supposed to do so. It can also bridge
cultural divides and make people part of the
organisation
Organisational Communication and
Technology
 See page 56 self study
 Types of organisational communication

technology
 The importance of digital engagement