Communication in Organizational Environments

Transcription

1 Communication in Organizational Environments

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3 Anna Rogala Sylwester Bialowas Communication in Organizational Environments Functions, Determinants and Areas of Influence

4 Anna Rogala Poznan University of Economics Poznan, Poland Sylwester Bialowas Poznan University of Economics Poznan, Poland ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Library of Congress Control Number: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 Th e author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identified as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Th e use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Th e publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Th is Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature Th e registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London

5 To my husband, Sebastian, my daughter, Julianna, and my parents, Bożena and Eugeniusz Anna To Ania Sylwester

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7 Personal Acknowledgements Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Prof. Bogna Pilarczyk for her continuous support throughout my research, especially for her patience and for motivating me. Her guidance and recommendations were invaluable. I would like to thank my colleagues from the Department of Marketing Strategies at the Poznań University of Economics, especially Renata and Ewa, for their encouragement, insightful comments, and support. My sincere thanks also go to Ewa Grzywaczewska-Stewart for her thorough and high-quality work which goes far beyond normal translation. Last but not least, I would like to thank my beloved family: my husband, Sebastian, my daughter, Julianna, my parents, Bożena and Eugeniusz, my sister, Agnieszka, my grandmother, Anna, and my parents- in law, Maria and Stanisław, for supporting me spiritually throughout writing this book. Anna Rogala There are many individuals who have helped me and encouraged me in my work. My warmest thanks go to all of them. I would like to acknowledge my family: my wife, Ania, my daughter, Maja, and my son, Wiktor, as well as my parents, Alina and Tadeusz. Thank you for your continued support. Sylwester Bialowas vii

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9 Acknowledgements Th is research was supported by the Polish National Science Center resources, granted on the basis of the decision number DEC-2011/03/N/ HS4/ Th is publication was supported by the Dean of the Faculty of Poznan University of Economics. ix

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11 Contents 1 Theory of Communication: Evolution, Approaches, Models Etymology of the Term Communication Traditions and Theoretical Orientations in Communication Science Models of the Communication Process 15 References 26 2 Internal Communication in an Organization Organizational Environment Types of Communication Needs in an Enterprise The Essence of Communication within an Organization Types of Information in an Organization Organizing Communication in an Enterprise The Levels, Directions, and Forms of Communication in Organizations Instruments for Communication in Enterprises 55 References 61 xi

12 xii Contents 3 Functions and Objectives of Internal Communication The Systematization of Internal Communication Objectives The Functions of Internal Communication The Realization of Internal Communication Objectives in Organizations in the Light of Research Research Methodology Assessment of the Realization of Internal Communication Objectives Barriers and Obstacles to Internal Communication 89 References 94 4 Communication Behaviours in an Organization The Essence and the Basic Determinants of Organizational Behaviour Types of Organizational Behaviour Typology of Employees Communication Behaviours Determinants of Individual Communication Behaviours in an Organization Factors Determining Communication Behaviours of the Employees 133 References Determinants of Internal Communication Effectiveness Reference Points for the Evaluation of Communication in Organizations Components for the Evaluation of Internal Communication: An Integrated Approach The Essence, Types and Principles of a Communication Audit A Model of Interdependence Between the Conditions of Internal Communication and Its Effectiveness The Assumptions of an Integrated Index for the Assessment of Internal Communication Effectiveness 188 References 203

13 Contents xiii 6 Internal and External Communication: In Search of Coherence The Role of Communication in Internal Marketing, Personnel Marketing and Internal Public Relations The Importance of Communication in an Organization Regarding Marketing Communications Activities Interdependence Between Internal and External Communication The Significance of Internal Communication for the Internal and External Marketing of Organizations: Research Results Towards a New Paradigm of Corporate Communication? 240 References 246 Index 251

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15 List of Figures Fig. 1.1 K. Lewin s flow of information model 17 Fig. 1.2 H. D. Lasswell s model of persuasive communication 17 Fig. 1.3 C. Shannon and W. Weaver s model of communication 18 Fig. 1.4 P. Watzlawick, J. Beavin, and D. Jackson s model of communication 20 Fig. 1.5 W. Schramm s model of shared experience 21 Fig. 1.6 P. Lazarsfeld and E. Katz s two-step flow of communication 22 Fig. 1.7 B. Westley and M. MacLean s model of mass communication 23 Fig. 1.8 Riley and Riley s sociological model 23 Fig. 1.9 D. K. Berlo s SMCR communication model 24 Fig The concentric HUB model 25 Fig. 2.1 An organization as a socio-technical system: H. Leavitt s model 31 Fig. 2.2 McKinsey 7S model 32 Fig. 2.3 Communication pyramid (levels) according to McQuail 48 Fig. 3.1 Hierarchy of the importance of internal communication objectives 82 Fig. 3.2 The importance of internal communication objectives for specific segments 88 Fig. 4.1 Basic organizational behaviour model 102 Fig. 4.2 Determinants of organizational behaviour 104 Fig. 4.3 The impact of selected determinants on the effectiveness of internal communication 134 xv

16 xvi List of Figures Fig. 4.4 The influence of specific factors on the effectiveness of communication in the defined employee segments deviations from mean values 141 Fig. 4.5 Assessment of using groups of instruments for internal communication (mean values on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means definitely poor use and 5 means definitely good use) 143 Fig. 4.6 Respondents assessment of the use of specific internal communication tools 144 Fig. 4.7 Popularity of communication tools in the defined employee segments deviations from mean values 145 Fig. 5.1 Factors determining the effectiveness of internal communication according to focus group participants 177 Fig. 5.2 A model of communication within an organization 184 Fig. 5.3 Model of relationships between internal communication determinants and its effectiveness 186 Fig. 6.1 The significance of internal communication for selected aspects of organizations operations in the opinion of employees, and an assessment of the impact of internal communication on these aspects in their companies 223

17 List of Tables Table 1.1 Ways of defining the essence of the term communication 3 Table 2.1 Definitions of the term internal communication 41 Table 2.2 Instruments of internal communication 58 Table 3.1 Objectives of internal communication according to the direction of information flow in an organization 69 Table 3.2 Characteristics connected with assigning relatively greater importance to specific objectives 84 Table 3.3 Hierarchies in the importance of internal communication objectives for selected segments 86 Table 3.4 Average ratings of internal communication objectives for specific segments 87 Table 3.5 Classification of barriers to organizational communication 91 Table 3.6 Factors which in the opinions of the respondents hinder the implementation of specific internal communication objectives 93 Table 4.1 Definitions of organizational behaviour 101 Table 4.2 Patterns of organizational behaviour in terms of the relationships between the sender and recipient of information 108 Table 4.3 Types of communicational personalities 111 Table 4.4 The consequences of assertive, aggressive, and passive behaviour 112 Table 4.5 Typology of communicative behaviours for individuals in organizations 115 xvii

18 xviii List of Tables Table 4.6 Possible combinations of communication (in)competence 124 Table 4.7 Differences in the hierarchy of importance for the determinants of internal communicative effectiveness with regard to the management level 135 Table 4.8 Differences in the hierarchy of importance for the determinants of internal communicative effectiveness with regard to the sector 137 Table 4.9 Differences in the hierarchy of importance for the determinants of internal communicative effectiveness with regard to education 139 Table 4.10 Differences in hierarchy of importance for the determinants of internal communicative effectiveness with regard to age 140 Table 5.1 Selected opinions of focus group participants on their understanding of internal communication effectiveness 172 Table 5.2 Factors influencing the effectiveness of internal communication according to focus group participants 175 Table 5.3 Pearson s R correlation coefficients between different categories of efficiency and overall efficiency assessment 179 Table 5.4 Pearson s R correlation coefficients between different categories of efficiency, overall efficiency, arithmetic mean, and the weighted average of internal communication effectiveness 180 Table 5.5 Pearson s R correlation coefficients between the assessment of the degree of achievement regarding internal communication objectives, the arithmetic mean of internal communication effectiveness, and the assessment of overall communication quality 182 Table 5.6 Pearson s R correlation coefficients between the means of internal communication efficiency, quality, and effectiveness 183 Table 5.7 The instrument used for constructing a standardized index of satisfaction with the achievement of internal communication objectives 189 Table 5.8 Measuring instrument for the integrated index of internal communication assessment 192 Table 5.9 Integrated index of internal communication assessment 196 Table 5.10 Ranking of the components of the integrated internal communication assessment index according to the level of dissatisfaction 200

19 List of Tables xix Table 6.1 Table 6.2 Table 6.3 Table 6.4 Table 6.5 Table 6.6 Table 6.7 Table 6.8 Table 6.9 Table 6.10 Table 6.11 Table 6.12 A summary of selected definitions of internal marketing, personnel marketing and internal public relations 209 The most important objectives for an organization s communications 217 The associations of focus group participants relating to their company s image and the values which are esteemed in their organisation 225 Selected opinions of focus group participants on the internal and external image of the represented companies 229 Attitudes most commonly manifested by respondents in the cartoon test 231 Assessment of coherence between internal and external communication 232 Pearson s r-correlation coefficients between the achievement of internal communication objectives and the coherence of internal and external communication 234 Hierarchy of importance of internal marketing communication objectives (the lower the value, the more important the objective) 237 Regression model for the comprehensive effectiveness of internal communication 238 Regression model for the comprehensive effectiveness of internal communication Balanced segment 239 Regression model for the comprehensive effectiveness of internal communication Relationship-oriented segment 239 Regression model for the comprehensive effectiveness of internal communication Task-oriented segment 239

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21 Introd uction Communication is the basis for the functioning of every company, being a key element of all actions undertaken. This is because any cooperation between the staff always requires communication. It is important to remember that communication in an organization is not only a simple transfer of the information necessary for employees to perform their duties but also affects the relationships between employees, their motivation, job satisfaction, commitment, energy, and efficiency. Any disruption to communication exerts a negative impact on the functioning of an organization. Therefore, the effectiveness of communication processes in enterprises and the factors which determine them are extremely important aspects. This effectiveness is usually viewed through the prism of congruity between the message transmitted by the sender and that which is received by the addressee. However, taking into account the tasks and objectives set for internal communication, the degree of their implementation also ought to be analysed. Thus, the concept of the effectiveness of internal communication is extended to include the causes behind the message, on the one hand, and its consequences, on the other. The primary purpose of internal communication is to provide information, but it also fulfils functions relating to control, motivation, as well as meeting social needs. Analysing and understanding communication requires combining knowledge from a number of disciplines: psychology, sociology, xxi

22 xxii Introduction philosophy, economics, organization and management theory, history, ethnology, and even biology and cybernetics. The approaches to communication represented within each of them are, to a greater or lesser extent, diverse because each of these disciplines provides a different perspective for analysing the issue. In this book, communication is discussed from the perspective of the theory of organization and management as well as economics and psychology. Accordingly, the determinants of internal communication are examined with regard to the organizational behaviour of individuals. Th e scholarly literature concerning the areas researched in this book is diversified. While issues relating to the behaviour of individuals in organizations along with interpersonal and marketing communication are frequently the subject of scientific studies, those concerning internal communication, its determinants, and effectiveness, as well as the relationship between the effectiveness of communication within an organization and external communication, rarely evoke the interest of researchers. Internal communication is typically analysed in relation to human resource management and internal public relations; it is rarely considered as a separate process which significantly affects different aspects regarding the functioning of organizations. The effectiveness of internal communication and its measurement are very rarely discussed in the literature, and in the majority of cases only in relation to the informational role of communication. Relatively few studies contain a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of the communication processes in the workplace. Moreover, there is a shortage of research combining two different approaches to internal communication: from the perspective of management science and marketing. Few authors attempt to identify the relationships and interdependence between the different objectives of internal communication, as well as the mutual impact of communication activities addressed to internal and external customers. This monograph is an interdisciplinary, comprehensive study, dealing with issues relating to communication in the corporate environment. The book contains a systematic literature review and includes the authors own proposals for the systematization of internal communication objectives, the typology of communication behaviours in an organization, and a measurement instrument for verifying the effectiveness of

23 Introduction xxiii communication activities within an organization. Moreover, the authors present the areas in which internal communication has a particular influence on an organization s functioning, the networks of interrelations between internal and external communication, and guidelines for the management of internal communication in an organization. Another significant merit of the book is testing the theories against the results of the quantitative and qualitative research conducted. The proposed monograph bridges a gap in the literature on the management of corporate internal communication and combines scientific merit with the value of application. Th e book consists of six chapters. The first chapter discusses issues that relate to the terms communication and communicating including their etymology. The communication process is illustrated in terms of a number of traditions in the field of communication theory: the sociopsychological, cybernetic, rhetorical, semiotic, socio-cultural, critical, and phenomenological traditions. Selected communication models are analysed, those being most suitable from the point of view of communication inside an organization. In the second chapter the authors discuss the communication environment of organizations, the types of their communication needs, as well as the essence of communication within an organization. In this vein the terms internal communication and communication in an organization are analysed. The chapter also delineates types of information, levels of communication, directions of communication, forms of communication, as well as the instruments of communication. Th e third chapter presents a variety of approaches to systematizing the objectives as well as defining the functions of communication in an organization. The results of empirical research into the links and relationships between the objectives and the functions of internal communication as well as the areas of their mutual influence are analysed. Moreover, the authors indicate those factors that positively or negatively affect the implementation of the objectives and the fulfilment of the functions of communication in an organization. Furthermore, the objectives and the functions of internal communication declared by organizations are compared with those that are fulfilled and implemented in reality. Also,

24 xxiv Introduction obstructions in the implementation of the objectives and the fulfilment of the functions of internal communication are discussed. Th e fourth chapter contains a detailed analysis of communication behaviours by the employees of the companies researched in relation to the theory of corporate behaviour, as well as psychological and sociological knowledge about communication behaviours. In addition, the authors propose a typology of communication behaviours. Other issues that are discussed include the determinants of employees communication and the impact of the growing popularity of mediated communication on the above-mentioned behaviours. The authors point out the areas of greatest concern and the difficulties of communication among the members of organizations, as well as their preferences for the forms and instruments of communication in the workplace. Th e fifth chapter discusses issues that relate to the effectiveness of internal communication from a praxeological point of view. In the light of quantitative and qualitative research results, the authors analyse the categories of efficiency, quality, and the effectiveness of corporate communication, along with their components. They also propose a theoretical model that reveals the interdependence between the determinants of internal communication and its effectiveness, along with presenting an instrument to measure this an evaluation sheet for the effectiveness of internal communication, which provides an integrated index of internal communication effectiveness. In addition, a list of factors that increase or decrease the effectiveness of corporate communication is compiled. On the basis of the conclusions, the model of corporate communication is modified and updated. In the sixth chapter the empirical research results are analysed in terms of the interdependence between internal and external communication. The authors present a systematization of the objectives of internal marketing communication, as well as the conclusions concerning the degree of their implementation. In addition, the relationship between communication activities inside an organization and those addressed to external customers is discussed. Particular attention is paid to the following issues: areas for building the external image of an organization, the role of the sales staff in corporate communication, as well as the employees evaluation of communicating corporate values in company materials.

25 Introduction xxv Moreover, the authors present a regression model for the comprehensive effectiveness of internal communication, which allows for the effective allocation of resources for the improvement of the overall effectiveness of internal communication. On the basis of the paradigm of integrated marketing communication, the authors analyse the consistency of internal and external communication in the areas defined earlier. Furthermore, the chapter contains arguments for a change in the approach to corporate communication. Instead of internal and external communication, a definition of corporate communication that is complex and coherent in all its aspects is proposed. Th e authors are aware that the discussions and analyses contained in this book do not fully explain the determinants of the effectiveness of internal communication, or its importance for communication activities directed outside an organization. Further research is required to assess the impact of the various determinants on the effectiveness of communication at the actual rather than declarative level. In addition, it is necessary to examine the relationship between a company s external image and the effectiveness of internal as well as marketing communication addressed to employees, and the influence of the former on the latter. It could also be very interesting to conduct a detailed analysis of the impact of communication in the workplace, especially in terms of its objectives relating to information and motivation, on the attitudes of employees. Finally, it would be worthwhile to explore the impact of cultural differences on issues relating to the effectiveness of communication in organizations. These issues will be undertaken in the course of further research.