Category: Communication

Organizations are currently affected by many issues that have rendered them less effective and efficient to cope with todays market demand. It has been pointed out that the nature of operations entirely contributed to that. Beitler points out that top management creates anxiety among their juniors with unplanned changes (56).

First, the growth in technology has improved the qualitiy of goods and services in terms of relevancy, cost effectiveness and satisfaction of societal needs. However, the cost of installation, maintenance and operational limits the use of technology among various competitors. As a result, technological innovation and creativity are not realized.

In todays market taking into account varied taste, preference and demand, organizations are striving to capture a fair share of it. Various market researches have been carried out to outline need of the consumers and their preferences. Fashion and lifestyles are some of the factors that keep changing with time. The generation gap has made it difficult to predict consumer behavior in an era of technological diversity, especially the y-generations one (Burke 87).

Economic instability has derailed the running of the organization. Most countries are experiencing a poor exchange rate in the world market and unfavorable balance of payment. In addition, political instability has negatively influenced international relations causing import and export oriented organizations alarm. Today, most organizations are affected by the global economic breakdown, and this has consequently resulted in laying off of many workers (Kotter and Dan 57).

Many organizations have condemned theft, fraud and errors within the company amongst its employees during normal business operations. With increased cartels and formal agreements among business organizations, cases of fraudulent behavior have evidently been pointed out strongly as the ones affecting the organizational policies.

Therefore, it has resulted in leakage of important and confidential information to non-authorized people. There is a need to improve the security of operating systems. This has led to the development of stringent procedures underlying recruitment, handling of tender supply as well as access and leakage of internal information.

According to Lewis, different cultures among organizations may cause conflicts (77). For example, there are poor corporations concerns, uncertainty and complexity of various agreements and lack of participation in decision making among the employees. Sometimes, employees may not realize the changes brought by organizational culture. In addition, cultural diversity and integration may create negative expectations. This limits their levels of commitment to the organizations.

Every organization tries to satisfy the welfare of its employees offering good remunerations and creating a clear promotional prospects. Employees sometimes express their dissatisfaction through strikes and anxiety. This may be caused by poor communication between the top management and junior staff. Sometimes, agreements on the workload and labor hours are looked down. The expression of these work-related stress coupled with domestic disturbances may make an employee turn into unlawful acts (Quinn 105).

Employees have varied attitudes and behavior towards the agreements between their organization and others which may be superior. The environment that might be created by the top agreement greatly influence self motivation of the workers. If an employee loses confidence in the organization, this may lead to a job tenure and fear to be compromised. Morale set by the workers may initiate the voluntary turnover and encourage working relations among the employees.

Democracy and equal participation of the staff in the decision making processes can encourage their motivation and high level of productivity. Satisfied employee will work despite the harsh working environment. Managers are expected to show some little concerns about the employees and contribute much to their welfare.

High level of performance, that is the main objective of organizations to achieve, can only be realized when employees commitment is well-monitored and encouraged. Therefore, organization should be flexible to adapt to changes brought about by the demand of its employees (Salerno and Lillie 37).

The world market has experienced fluctuations in terms of education, commitments and attitudes of the labor market forces. People with higher qualifications enter the frictional job market with an intention to move to another level of employment if the opportunity arises. Thus, unemployment does little to fresh graduates.

Managers evaluate the level of productivity of each employee and assess if there is a need to train his/her employees to informational change to keep up with the demand in the market. Immobility of labor supply has affected various organizations which want to keep up with the global changes and ensure that they are able to compete with the competitors strategies.

Beitler further points out that during the periods of inflation, the country faces a general rise in price level of goods and services. As a result, the organizations do face challenges in price stability (108). On the other hand, employees express their negative attitude toward the perceived little pay that cannot support their lives. These challenges often lead to organization losing market share to the competitive company which may have in place a strong strategy to provide for the changes in the market.

Administrative processes are part and parcel of the resistance to change within an organization. Managers are required to define a clear channel of communication from top management level to a lower one. Any misunderstandings about who is to report to ideal issue may cause uncertainty in the leadership. Inadequate communication and poor quality decision making may hinder control and coordination of duties.

In addition, staff motivation, if not well handled, may lower the productivity level, and this may foster quicker change to be observed. Staff may also be demotivated if the change touches power, salary and any work benefits. Members of the organization are likely to face change limits with respect to access to current information, job traditions and fading authority to make the right decisions (Lewis 130).

Dependency is experienced among various organizations, especially those that are engaged in the international trade. Organizations may not run well without access to the adequate capital. They borrow domestically and from regional blocks. Sometimes, governmental policy restricts the level of both internal and external borrowings.

Therefore, companies are restrained and forced to change their plans and strategies. Dependency may be bad due to its high cost and involvement and sometimes encourage resistance to change within organizations. The organizations, therefore, consider adopting any new strategies leaving struggling behind with huge debts.

Many corporations will work hard to ensure that their brand is protected and accorded necessary recognition. Though competition may unveil its bad impact on the organization, it is the duty of the management to introduce possible strategies to outshine their competitors.

Without competition, the quality of the products may not be improved, and the demand in the market might not be fully fulfilled. Therefore, strong marketing strategy comes in as a way of developing and improving the corporate identity. It involves a deep market research and data analysis of the competitors quantity and price setting (Quinn 127).

We will look at a case study of an International Airline and British Airways. They have been in the forefront of creating the cultural diversity. Various people came together and exchanged their views about their companies and cultures, especially in television advertisements.

Many great sights have been aired, for example, Times Square. They used a widely coordinated by many satellites system that covered hundreds of miles across the globe. Thereafter, they needed a business identity that would unveil their global image of harmony, care, cosmopolitan and pride.

Many organizations cause culture change by diversifying their products and organizational strategies. They succumb many obstacles, and their managers try to create successful organizational culture. The culture change purports a direct link between culture and performance; this is rather a hypothesis than an established fact.

Cultural audit is necessary for organizational growth since diversity in culture signifies the true reflection of societal demand. It requires individual analysis of every organization based on employees performance. Every employee is expected to keep to organizational ethics and norms. For example, employees are not expected to divulge and spread internal information.

Every organization should be guided and driven by their goals and objectives. This is the foundation of their success. When an organization is focused on achieving its objectives, its staff is expected to make some sacrifice and abate egos so that they attain their organizational goals.

The cultural changes caused by external factors should never be allowed to derail the organization productivity level unless the change will be positive enough to affect motivation of the workers. Employees are, therefore, expected to voice their expectations and carry out the initial discussion with the management on the issues of their welfare and equal participation in decision making. Management based on democratic leadership is expected to succeed and never be susceptible to any change in the society (Salerno and Lillie 115).

Series of briefing and implementation of action plan call for frequent sessions and seminars for management training. In these training sessions, it is vital to introduce key changes in the management levels. Other issues that should be discussed include explanations on various cultural changes, the importance of empathy and participation.

Management should begin with explaining the goals and objectives to its employees and be ready to be open for any discussion. Building expectations for success, utilizing methods, such as presentations or seminars, workshops for team and skill building, and training or retraining programs.

Carrying out such job training analysis needs technical considerations and continuation of modelling of the change by senior or middle management. Professional ethics should form the guidelines for the conducts of every employee, and management should respond positively by rewarding efforts of every worker.

It is a dream of every employee to have his or her remuneration reconsidered. Staff presentations concerning progress and feedback with the change program should be used for judging the workers performance. Labor mobility is only experienced in situations with a low productivity. It is likely that some employees will prefer to work in areas where they are paid a high amount of salary even if the conditions of work are not good (Burke 127).

Lack of role models at the workplaces contributes to creating a positive environment in a way as it may give freedom to employees to act according to their own interest. Observational learning plays an important role in how people view things. If you feel that you are a change agent, you should get some people on board so that you model the organizational behavior. People tend to believe when there is less rhetoric and more demonstrations. Some people believe in something only if they see it.

Fear may cause resistance to change especially if the employees are less competent. Change is inevitable regardless of skills to be employed which necessitate appropriate training. There should be a frequent motivator to eliminate this fear on them. This should be done through the introduction of effective new training programs on informational change, a rationale and a master plan for change. The right schedule should appropriately be in place for training programs and moderate mode of evaluation.

Fatigue can demotivate people especially when they feel pressure due to changes made. People also feel fatigued when there are a lot of changes that have been introduced.

In some cases when an organization does less with the use of the hand and turn to the monitoring of automated machines, this may result in loss of craftsmanship, consequently making the employee lose the sense of his/her identity. Introduction of certain forms of rewards may motivate the staff to take up the new challenge. Management, therefore, must address these issues regarding identity, and skills of teh workers.

Managers are better positioned to solve differences and resistance among employees ensuring that adequate incentives and motivational talks are rightly provided to employees. With certain concessions provided to employees concerning an agreement that they are willing to support the new program, it is more likely that teh last will successfully be implemented.

More unions and bonuses can also be provided for certain level of performances. Managers are, therefore, required at all the time to recognize their ability and use praise and symbols to show concern and support.

These training sessions typically comprise explanation of the process of cultural change; emphasis on the importance of empathy, communication and participation by workers; explanation of proposed goals and aims to be achieved through change, and how these will impact on the organization and, ultimately, on organizational performance that is a translation of a soft process into hard financial results (Kotter and Dan 122)

In order to prepare the organization for a change, management using the change agent should ensure that company is aware of the measures to be taken and focused on the possible threats in case of faliure to introduce some innovation, encourage the workers to believe that change is possible and desirable, and develop participation of staff, especially influential supervisory one (Lewis137).

Management with support of the change agent should implement the innovation making the companys goals and objectives clear to the staff, expressing openness for suggestions, and contributing to the employees faith in success. To ensure the success of the change process, it is better to use varios methods to introduce the innovations. These could be made in form of presentations, seminars, and workshops to improve the staffs skills and readiness to change.

Works Cited

Beitler , Michael. Strategic Organizational Change. 2^nd ed. Greensboro, U.S.A: Practitioner Press International, 2006. Print.

Burke, Warner. Organization Change: Theory and Practice (Foundations for Organizational Science Series). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2010. Print.

Kotter, John, and C. Dan. The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations. Harvard: Harvard Business Review Press, 2002. Print

Lewis, Laurie. Organizational Change: Creating Change Through Strategic Communication.1^st ed. San Francisco, CA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. Print.

Quinn, Robert. Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within (The Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series). 1^st ed. Hoboken: Jossey-Bass, 1996. Print.

Salerno , Ann, and B. Lillie. The Change Cycle: How People Can Survive and Thrive in Organizational Change. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008. Print.

Selecting appropriate ways of communication at the workplace is crucial for a successful manager of any company. This is why any skillful and talented leader needs to know what kind of communication is the most suitable in various situations that may occur during the work process.

The manager needs to know when it is the best time to address the problem and by what means. The most popular methods of business communication include verbal face-to-face conversation, oral communication through the phone, electronic mail, written internal communication and newsletters (Stuart, Sarow & Stuart 2007).

Roadmap

This paper explores different methods of business communication, their advantages and disadvantages and distinguishes between the most suitable methods for some typical workplace situations such as an employees constant lateness, a special event in the company, communication with a client and a management decision.

Methods

Face-to-face communication is used at the meetings with clients, team briefings, or for the resolution of the most important and personal conflicts (Getting a Message across  the Importance of Good Communications 2014). This type of communication is the best when the leader needs to develop a personal connection with the client or an employee.

This type of communication allows creating a detailed discussion of the issues, making important clarifications and clear statements. Another advantage of this type of communication is that it provides better understanding between the sides.

The only disadvantage of face-to-face communication is that normally a personal meeting with an individual or a group of people requires planning and arrangements; all of the participants need to make some time to attend the gathering.

Telephone and voice mail is good for business conversations or communication with the clients. Voice messages are good for creating an emphasis on the importance of the conversation, leaving several messages will make the customer know the companys interest and the co-operation. Telephone communication makes business conversations quicker and the work of companies more productive.

The inconveniencies of this method are time limits, because calling too late or too early is impolite, and also noises that make the communicating sides look for quieter places for using the phone. Moreover, telephone communication can be done in the form of teleconference, which provides the corporations with the possibility of having a conversation between more than two people.

This method is highly convenient and it has become very common some time ago due to the fact that in most cases it is very difficult to find a good time for all the participants of the conversation to gather in one room (Sheahan 2014). Teleconference is a perfect alternative to that.

Written internal communication is used widely in the contemporary corporation. This method speeds up the process of communication, it is instant, it saves a lot of time.

Besides, it is possible to avoid unnecessary gatherings and meetings because the modern technologies allow sending multiple copies of one message to several people and informing everyone about something within a very short amount of time. The disadvantage of this method of business communication is that it lacks personal connection.

Email memo is a brief message that serves to inform the employees within one company about some events. It can be used for the communication of different number of people, the workers of one department or the whole company. Its advantage is its information capacity, its disadvantage is the speed of written communication and, sometimes, lack of additional information.

Newsletter is also a type of message that can be instantly sent to multiple computers within one network. It serves to inform the employees about important events and transmits the information that the workers need to know. This method replaces crowded gatherings and saves a lot of time for the workers and the managers.

Newsletters inform the workers about new policies, products, the answer the frequently asked questions, motivate, remind about certain events. The disadvantage of this method is that it is time consuming.

Scenarios

When the employee is not organized, messy and late, this impacts the work process and may affect other workers. In this situation the manager is forced to address the issue and contact the employee. To my mind, the best method of communication suitable for this scenario is written internal communication. The form of communication needs to be dry and strict.

The method that is used to inform the employees about an upcoming event is the email memo. The form of communication through the memo depends on the event and the type of information. It may be friendly or official.

Communication with an important client is more successful during a face-to-face meeting. This method helps to create personal contact and develop better understanding. The form of communication should be official and very polite.

Management decisions about purchasing and business operations are discussed by means of a telephone conversation. The language of this conversation has to be professional, formal and very informative.

Conclusion

Communication during the work process is highly important; various methods help to make this communication maximally effective. A good manager needs to know all of these methods and choose the methods and forms of communication properly for more productive operation of the company and better business organization.

References

Getting a Message across  the Importance of Good Communications. (2014). Business Case Studies. Web.

Sheahan, K. (2014). Business Communication Methods. Web.

Stuart, B. E., Sarow, M. S. & Stuart, L. (2007). Integrated Business Communication: In a Global Marketplace. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Introduction

In the business world, communication is an important aspect which ensures the smooth running of any business organization. The current dispensation presents varied approaches that can be used in business communication. However, what is important is to note the fact that despite all these approaches, there are specific approaches that can be applied in different settings. Having this knowledge is crucial towards ensuring that the set targets are achieved by the recommended expectations and objectives.

Types of communication

It is important to note the fact that various approaches are used in communication. The common types of communication are verbal and nonverbal communication approaches. Each type has got its advantages and disadvantages. Thus, for one to be able to ensure that the right approach is embraced, it is necessary to accentuate the correct principles which are described within each approach and place them based on the objectives which have been set.

Since business communication involves formal communication, it is worth noting the fact that there is a need to have written documents. Among the most common documents which are prepared in the business world include the analytical reports. Essentially, analytical reports are documents that are prepared to take an in-depth analysis of the prevailing circumstances to provide solutions or feedback.

Steps of preparing an analytical report

Preparing analytical reports to involve a series of steps and actions. This is because these reports evaluate the state of affairs within a given setting and then evaluate the probable approaches or the way forward. First, it is important to note what one is working on. This involves identifying the subject or the topic that you are supposed to be working on. This is important because it will enable you to note the right approaches to use. Furthermore, one is enabled to gather the relevant information for the task which is ahead.

Secondly, evaluate the procedures that are used within the organization. This will enable you to know the format and the professional expectations that are required. The information which is gathered at this stage enables one to understand how other writers have explained the same problem. In actual sense, this will enable you to get the appropriate framework of the work to be done

Thirdly, assemble the information and the evidence which you have collected. This will enable you to assemble the relevant facts and the associated evidence that is required. When working on this report, what is important is for you to note the fact that empirical evidence is of utter importance. Every fact should be supported by a list of empirical facts. However, this also depends on the kind of data that you are working on.

Fourthly, summarise the information which has been gathered. This will enable you to compare the evidence collected and how it gathers to create a coherent document. This step leads you to develop an outline for the document. Creating an outline should enable you to prepare a draft which will include the facts which have been supported by sufficient evidence. Lastly, you develop the final draft which is ready for presentation.

Conclusion

This process should be accompanied by sufficient consultation so that the writer can accentuate the necessary facts and principles for coherent work.

Introduction

The success of any workplace largely depends on effective communication. Colleagues, employees, supervisors, customers, and contractors need to communicate effectively to ensure the success of the organization. Effective communication ensures that time is saved and the customers and employees coordinate well.

Moreover, the organization is able to exploit vital opportunities that would have been missed out if there was no proper communication. Communicating effectively helps in preventing the occurrence of problems at the workplace and dealing with them accordingly when they occur. It also helps in solving problems shunning conflicts and forging good relationships with other colleagues at the workplace.

Therefore, it is important for every member of staff to have effective communication skills. This discussion explores the various communication techniques in the contemporary workplace and how they contribute to the achievement of an organizations goals.

Communication at the Workplace

There are different types of communication at the workplace. There is internal communication that involves the communication between the employees or between the employees and the management.

There is also external communication that involves exchanging information between members of the organization and outsiders like customers, contractors, other organizations and also through marketing of the organizations products to the public. Various communication channels are used in the contemporary workplace including telephone, email, bulletin boards, and memos among others.

Each of these channels is suited to a certain type of communication. These communication channels pose several challenges like delays and distortion of the information that need to be addressed (Thompson, 2002).

Effective communication in the workplace depends on the workers possession of proper skills in talking, writing, active listening, problem solving, negotiation and influencing, conflict resolution, and constructive feedback. Effective listening is important because it prevents misunderstanding, conflicts and loss of profits and clients.

Poor listening skills can make the organizations management to miss out on potential problems and opportunities. In order to be an effective listener, one needs to be able to give undivided attention to the speaker, be genuinely interested in the speakers interests, and to avoid reacting without sufficient information. One should be able to read the speakers nonverbal cues.

One should also organize the received information for proper comprehension. For effective communication to take place, the staff members need to have proper feedback skills. This will enable them to be sure that the message has been understood (Hunsaker and Alessandra, 1986).

The staff at the workplace should be able to use and read non-verbal communication effectively. The eyes, hands, face, legs and posture are mostly used to transmit nonverbal communication. Being able to effectively read the nonverbal communication like wringing hands, frowning, among others ensures the correct interpretation of the message.

One should also express the correct nonverbal communication to avoid misunderstanding of the message, for instance, wearing a broad smile while hiding feelings of anger will lead to misinterpretation of the feelings of an individual.

Persuasion and negotiating skills are important to the success of the organization. Persuasion enables the employees to be able to convince the management to take a particular course of action. It is also necessary in attracting the customers to buy the organizations products. Negotiation skills enable the workers to engage in a discussion and come to a rational consensus.

This is important in reaching agreements on various issues in the organization. Conflict resolution skills will enable the workers to solve disagreements and different views before they develop into serious conflicts. In times of conflicts, the workers should be able to intervene and mediate effectively. This will ensure that the staff members work in a peaceful environment.

According to Hunsaker and Alessandra (1986), effective communication can be improved through various ways. One can apply various channels to communicate. The communicator should also ensure that enough details are provided. The language used should also be able to convey the message clearly. This will prevent any ambiguity that could lead to misinterpretation and distortion of the original message.

The communicator should also be friendly, reliable, and willing to receive feedback. Effective communication requires the members of staff to be good at sending as well as receiving information. Effective information-seeking through asking questions requires one to do it in a simple, clear, and polite way in order to get the right answers.

One should also focus on the topic and seek information without manipulating or threatening the respondent. Effective communication can also be improved through honesty between the management and the employees.

The management should avoid sending communication that does not coincide with their actions, for instance, the management may claim that they are open to the views and opinions of all the employees and yet they do not provide channels through which the employees can express themselves.

Each member of staff has his/ her own unique way of communicating. They should thus be trained to adjust their communication style to the goals of the organization. Various communication styles exist and are suited to different people at the workplace. The communicator therefore needs to adjust their communication style when communicating with each of the category of workers.

The directors of organizations require the communicator to get straight to the point and state the facts. These people are in charge of organizations and they require the communicator to directly tell them the exact outcomes of certain decisions or actions. Another category consists of people who are good at socializing. These people prefer to work in an environment where they can mix and relate with a lot of people. These people are sociable and passionate and are willing to share their thoughts.

They will communicate more effectively if one refers to them by their names during a conversation. The other category consists of the thinkers who prefer professions that require perfection and innovation, for instance, engineering. Their most preferred style of communication is writing. They are specific with details and documented information. The relaters on the other hand prefer to work in a team.

They perform their functions better when they are in good relationships with the workmates and superiors. These people are good in careers like social work and customer relations. At the workplace, people need to adapt to the communication styles of all the stakeholders in order to achieve results (Alessandra and OConnor, 1996).

All the staff members are not good in communication and thus organizations need to train them. Most problems at the workplace occur due to ineffective communication.

Therefore, well trained staff will be able to eliminate many of the problems that may arise at the workplace. Training the employees on how to communicate effectively ensures that the employees relate well with each other and perform their functions effectively.

The employees morale is also boosted and this makes them happy and dedicated to the organization. Training also leads to better coordination of all the organizations departments and therefore all the activities and processes will run smoothly. Improved communication skills will also improve customer relations and consequently, the retention of customers.

Moreover, the members of staff who are trained in effective communication skills will be able to deal with challenges as soon as they arise, before they develop into big problems. Dealing with a conflict early prevents loss of profits for the organization.

Benefits of Effective Communication

Effective communication has several benefits to the organization. Firstly, the efficiency in the organization is increased. This is because the employees and managers will be able to understand the goals of the organization and the role that each one of them is supposed to play towards achieving them. Therefore, the productivity will be increased. Another benefit of effective communication is improved relationships among the workers.

Poor communication leads to conflicts and misunderstanding between the workers and this can cause distrust between them. For the employees to work effectively and produce results, they need to work in an environment free from conflicts and misunderstanding. Communicating effectively and clearly to the employees also ensures their satisfaction and this translates to the satisfaction of the customers.

The employees are also able to trust their leaders and feel part of the decision making process of the company. Proper communication is very beneficial to organizations that have several branches in different countries who speak various languages as it enables them to communicate and properly interpret the message into the language that they can understand (Thompson, 2002).

Barriers to Effective Communication

There are several barriers that hinder effective communication at the workplace. These include ignoring nonverbal language, hearing selectively, personality types, making assumptions, jumping to conclusions, cultural differences, stereotyping, mistrust between colleagues, among others. Other barriers include too much information, complicated messages, structural barriers, and inefficient communication channels.

These barriers need to be overcome in order to ensure the achievement of the organizations goals. Too much information will make the employee to be able to concentrate on what is important. Messages should also be formulated clearly to avoid the possibility of being misinterpreted.

Structural barriers can be overcome by implementing efficient communication techniques that incorporate horizontal, upward and downward communication structures. The most suitable mediums should also be used for the appropriate message to avoid distortion. Proper elimination of barriers of communication is important to facilitate effective flow of processes in the organization (Hahn, 2008).

Conclusion

Effective communication is an important contributing factor to the achievement of an organizations goals. Therefore, the organization should ensure that proper communication exists at all levels including interpersonal, group, organizational, and external communication.

Various communication styles are used at the workplace and each individual should tailor his/her style to the needs of the others and the organization. Effective communication should be embraced at the workplace because it has innumerable benefits for the company, management, and the employees.

However, there are barriers that prevent effective communication. These should be curbed in order to ensure that the functions of the organization are effectively executed. Therefore, any organization that does not invest in instilling proper communication skills in the employees can not excel.

Reference List

Alessandra, A. J., & OConnor, M. J. (1996). The Platinum Rule: Discover The Four Basic Business Personalities And How They Can Lead You To Success. USA: Warner Books.

Hahn, M. (2008). Overcoming Communication Barriers in Organizations. Web.

Hunsaker, P., & Alessandra, T. (1986). The New Art of Managing People. USA: Simon & Schuster.

Thompson, S. (2002). Communicate in the Workplace. Australia: Max Johnson.

Introduction

The field of crisis communication has achieved tremendous growth in recent years as researchers and business practitioners become increasingly aware of the serious threats that crises pose to the most fundamental objectives of an organization and its stakeholders (Mazzei and Ravazzoni 320; Oliveira 255).

In the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, for example, most companies were forced to deal with the harsh realities of employee downsizing, consumption deficits, uncertain operating environments, and substantially reduced reputation and trust relationships. Objective research studies conducted following the financial crisis show that several large business establishments were unable to weather the adverse effects of the meltdown due to the lack of effective crisis communication plans and strategies (Adebambo, Biljana, and Yan 647-648).

Although the 2008 financial crisis can be viewed as an isolated incidence, researchers continue to underscore the importance of a sound crisis communication plan that can be used by organizations in a time of crisis to minimize adverse events and ensure that they can survive in contexts where conventional management practices may be unable to deal with the prevailing situation (Ki and Brown 403-404). It is against this backdrop that this report aims to develop a comprehensive crisis communication plan for use in a steamship line company.

Company Background

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey, Turkon America is a steamship line company that operates vessels for the transportation of freight on the deep seas between the United States and foreign ports (Turkon America Inc. par. 2). The company has branch offices in Norfolk (VA) and Savannah (GA) and is the first dedicated Turkish-owned steamship agency providing transportation and logistics services (operations, sales, and marketing, documentation, pricing, booking and customer service) between Turkey and the United States, North Europe, and the Mediterranean. The management team of the company oversees the daily operations of the firm and contributes substantially to the realization of its main objective, which is to provide the highest level of service reliability and customer service supported by its schedule effectiveness and willingness to meet the versatile logistics needs of customers (Leach 21).

The ocean carrier offers unique benefits and advantages to its customers, such as direct shipments between Turkish ports and the United States East Coast ports, personalized transactions with customers, newer ships that reduce sailing time hence ensuring timely delivery of consignments, structured and fast management and decision-making mechanisms, as well as qualified logistics teams that can handle documentation and monitor customer goods in an effective and organized manner (Turkish American Chamber of Commerce and Industry par. 1).

Crisis Situation

Despite all the measures that Turkon has taken to ensure the safety of consignments in transit, one of the companys modern ships encountered unfriendly weather as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The storm caused some of the containers to fall overboard, resulting in heavy damage to the goods. Although this accident can be described as an isolated event as demonstrated by the fact that Turkon has operated for the last 17 years without experiencing major incidents, it nevertheless can affect the companys reputation and customer confidence if concerted efforts are not made to address the crisis resulting from the damaged goods.

Crisis and Crisis Communication

In business contexts, the term crisis has been defined as a major unpredictable event that has potentially negative results (Kim 60). The term has also been defined as a sudden and unexpected event that threatens to disrupt an organizations operations and poses both a financial and reputational threat (Kim 61). Drawing from these definitions, it is evident that the most consistent characteristics of a crisis include unpredictability, urgency, capacity to result in significant financial or reputational threats, and capability to disrupt the normal functioning of an organization. In the case scenario, the accident caused by adverse weather and the subsequent destruction of some of the containers can be described as a crisis event for Turkon due to characteristics such as unpredictability, associated financial and reputational consequences, and capacity to disrupt the normal operations of the shipping company.

Crisis communication has been defined in the literature as the collection, processing, and dissemination of information [that is] required to address a crisis (Kim 61). Crisis communication entails what organizations say and do after a crisis to not only minimize and contain the harm caused by substantial threats, volatility, and urgency that are characteristic of the crisis, but also to safeguard the company, stakeholders, and/or industry from potential harm. It is documented that strategic crisis communication is often conceptualized as a managerial function aimed at organizational survival and/or achieved by cultivating positive perceptions among the stakeholders (Olsson 116).

Consequently, it is the role of Turkons public relations office and other senior managers to have an effective crisis communication plan in place before the crisis as such a plan will enhance the initiation of verbal, visual, and/or written interactions between the company and its stakeholders during and after the crisis event. Such a plan must aim to explain the explicit crisis event, delineate possible consequences and outcomes, and avail specific harm-reducing information to affected stakeholders in an honest, candid, timely, truthful and complete manner (Kim 61).

Available literature demonstrates that crisis communication can perform three core functions namely: instructive information, which informs people on how to react in terms of personal protection; adjustive information, which helps people to cope with uncertainty; and internalizing information, which refers to information that helps an organization manage its reputation (Olsson 115). The dimensions of crisis communication include:

1. the operational component, which aims to provide people with information related to their ability to cope with the crisis at hand,
2. the strategic component, which is often preplanned and aimed at achieving long-terms organizational goals and objectives,
3. the resilience-oriented component, which aims at ensuring that stakeholders and general members of the public achieve self-sufficiency, networking and renewal,
4. the reputation-oriented component, which aims at managing the reputation and image aspects of the organization (Olsson 116).

Justification for Developing a Crisis Communication Plan for Turkon

As demonstrated in the literature, the shipping business environment is getting more unstable, competition is increasing, profit margins are decreasing, expected service is increasing and demand is becoming more uncertain (Niamie and Germain 2). Such an operating environment may attract unanticipated scenarios as companies compete to secure revenue, margin, and growth (Weiner 4).

In this context, shipping lines such as Turkon need to develop and implement comprehensive crisis communication plans to ensure that they are better placed to address unforeseen challenges and scenarios as they arise. Moreover, shipping companies operate in a risky business environment as demonstrated by factors such as adverse weather conditions, supply chain vulnerabilities, multi-country regulatory pressures and reputational risks (Shipping Insights 8-11). Such factors only serve to expose shipping companies to potentially explosive situations which may provide an enabling environment for a crisis to develop, hence the need to have a comprehensive crisis communication plan.

The Crisis Communication Plan for Turkon

Available literature demonstrates that the crisis response type can help or hinder an organizations reputation recovery (Ki and Brown 404). Because Turkon is engaged in managing and repairing its own reputation which may have been damaged following the crisis, it is important for the crisis communications plan to be related to the prevailing crisis. However, due to the costs and time constraints involved in developing a crisis communication plan, it is advisable for Turkon managers to

1. develop a taxonomy of crisis types that normally affect the operations of the company,
2. develop a taxonomy of crisis responses that can be used to address the different types of crises,
3. prepare a system that can be used to match appropriate crisis responses to prevailing crisis circumstances (Ki and Brown 404).

Additionally, in developing an effective crisis communication plan, Turkon managers need to evaluate the causal dimensions of attribution, such as stability (whether the cause of the crisis occurs frequently or infrequently), external control (the possibility that outside factors or sources other than the individual or group involved had some responsibility for triggering the crisis in question), and locus or personal control (the possibility that the individual or group in question could have done something to prevent the crisis from occurring) (Ki and Brown 405). The crisis communication plan entails six stages, as discussed in the following subsections.

Avoiding the Crisis

This stage of the crisis communication plan is strategic in nature and is often preplanned and aimed at achieving long-term organizational goals (Olsson 116). The stage involves conducting a crisis audit with the view to identifying areas of concern in the company and those that have the potential to result in a crisis in the future.

A comprehensive crisis audit should include the following steps: making crisis planning a key component of the organizations strategic planning; getting together and sharing ideas to analyze possible crisis scenarios; performing a SWOT analysis specifically from a crisis perspective to understand existing and potential weaknesses and threats; focusing on critical areas of concern to the organization, such as health and environmental disasters, technological breakdowns, economic and market forces, and customer or employee relationships; and narrowing the crisis-risk list to develop an adequate understanding of the most likely or probable crises that could occur and those that may have devastating consequences (Harvard Business School 65-67).

According to Coombs 3-stage model of crisis management, the activities highlighted above should fall into the pre-crisis stage of the crisis communication plan that should focus on what sources to scan, how to collect information, and how to evaluate information for its crisis potential in order to locate and reduce risk (Kim 66). In Turkons context, the company needs to collect data on possible health and environmental hazards that relate to its core line of business, such as oil spills, damage to aquatic ecosystems, adverse weather events at sea, atmospheric pollution, and occupational accidents and injuries.

The management should also develop a list of technical issues that may affect the operations of the company, such as ship breakdowns, communication systems, internet connectivity, and customer ordering systems. Additionally, the company should look into the economic and market forces that are likely to affect the shipping industry, such as new competitors, low service demand, country-specific regulations, and the operating environment. Lastly, the company should assess its relationships with key stakeholders to identify vulnerable relationships that can affect its operations at the present state or in the future.

Preparing to Manage the Crisis

This stage of the crisis communication plan entails the development of backup plans for the set of crises that have been identified as having a high probability of occurring in the future. It is a pre-crisis stage in that the backup plans are prepared before the crisis event. The first step in this stage is to recognize the risks and costs of potential crises identified in the crisis audit in terms of actual monetary costs, human health, and safety, ability to meet customers demands, and organizational reputation. Turkon managers should then prioritize those risks that are most pressing and costly, and deal with them first (Harvard Business School 71). Afterward, Turkon needs to develop a crisis plan that should encompass the decisions that are likely to be made in potential crisis scenarios, people charged with the responsibility of making these decisions, and possible unintended and undesirable side effects. An effective crisis plan should include the following steps:

1. identifying obstacles and fail points that could make the crisis worse,
2. developing a resource plan by identifying the resources needed to resolve a crisis and making a plan of how those resources can be availed when needed,
3. developing a communication plan by identifying stakeholders who need to be informed about the crisis and how the information is communicated to them,
4. distributing resource and communication plans to ensure that all relevant stakeholders have an adequate understanding of what needs to be done in the event of a crisis (Harvard Business School 73).

Informing the crisis management team, Turkon needs to ensure a clear and coherent delegation of responsibilities to avoid confusion in decision making when an actual crisis presents.

Recognizing the Crisis

Once an event occurs, Turkons managers and the crisis management team need to describe the event using the laid down parameters, before characterizing the size of the crisis to determine its scope and magnitude. Some of the parameters that can be used to evaluate an event include a threat to the environment, breakdown in the companys ability to serve its customers, a threat to the organizations reputation, harm to people or property, a threat to the health or safety of people, a threat to employees morale and wellbeing, loss of data, financial implications of the event, and potential for legal action against the company or individuals involved (Harvard Business School 79).

Using these parameters, Turkon will be in a position to recognize that the Atlantic Ocean event is a crisis due to its capacity to cause serious damage to property (containers), cripple the companys ability to serve its customers, and encourage legal suits against the company as customers move to court to seek for compensation for the damaged goods.

Upon the realization that the Atlantic Ocean event qualifies as a crisis, Turkon managers should gather as much information regarding the event as possible (e.g., how long it is likely to last, how many containers were damaged, owners of the damaged containers, costs and reputation implications involved, and people who need to be informed about the event), before undertaking an evaluation of how the situation might be successfully managed (Harvard Business School 80).

Here, Turkon needs to consider its core values in deciding the right course of action to take (Weiner 4). Turkon also needs to assemble its crisis management team as quickly as possible and assign members to different roles based on the initial crisis audit. Additionally, the company needs to act as fast as possible to get key information about the accident in the Atlantic Ocean, as this will help in making the right choices and decisions. Lastly, Turkon needs to enlist the services of a trustworthy crisis management professional to assist in the formulation and dissemination of ideas, information, and decisions related to the crisis (Schoenberg 6).

Controlling the Crisis

This stage should be viewed as operational in nature as it deals with issues related to distributing relevant information about a crisis to those most affected to ensure informed decision making on critical matters (Olsson 116). To effectively contain the crisis and reduce reputational damage, it is important for Turkon to send senior personnel to the scene as fast as possible and also communicate critical information to key people, including affected customers, relevant environmental regulation agencies, senior management, company legal representatives, and employees. Here, Turkons management should demonstrate decisiveness in dealing with the crisis and compassion in addressing the needs of customers whose goods have been destroyed in the weather-related accident (Harvard Business School 84).

Because Turkons competitors and dissatisfied customers may use the crisis to spread damaging information and rumors in the shipping industry, Turkon needs to develop effective crisis communication strategies that could be used to get information to key stakeholders, including the companys top management, major customers, employees, public, and the media (Harvard Business School 87). Specifically, the company needs to manage the perceptions of affected customers by using a communication strategy that will enhance their understanding of how the crisis will affect them and what they need to do.

An effective communication strategy should also be used to deal with rumors and false information about the crisis. Lastly, it is important to stick to the facts when communicating news about the crisis to avoid damaging the reputation of the company if and when the communication is proved as inaccurate. In the case scenario, email communications can be used to communicate the information directly to customers, while press conferences can be used to disseminate critical crisis information to the general public and environmental regulatory agencies. Here, Turkons management needs to tailor crisis messages for every different audience and also ensure timely communication of information to the relevant stakeholders and public in order to help mitigate or reduce harm (Kim 66).

A good crisis communications plan should include crisis response strategies that an organization could use to address the crisis and minimize damage to its reputation and public image. In the case scenario, Turkon could employ crisis response strategies such as diminishment posture (excusing and justification), rebuilding posture (compensation and apology), and bolstering posture (reminding, ingratiation and victimage). The diminishment crisis response strategy attempts to minimize attributions of organizational control and reduce the negative effects of the crisis, while the rebuilding strategy attempts to improve the organizations reputation and public image (Dyer 39-40). The bolstering crisis response strategy seeks to build a positive connection between an organization and its publics (Ki and Brown 406).

Owing to the safety agreements and guarantees that the company has with its customers, it is important to first use the rebuilding posture that will allow it to improve its reputation by compensating the customers and apologizing to all stakeholders who may be affected by the crisis. It is also generally felt that a combination of diminishment and rebuilding crisis response strategies will help Turkon to reduce blame and get back to its everyday operations with minimal harm to its reputation and public image (Olsson 115). It is always important for Turkon to ensure that the crisis response strategies used to address this and other events can match organizational rhetoric to the level of reputational threat posed by the event.

In a crisis situation such as the one facing Turkon, managers should always ensure that they use communication tools that help in creating community resilience by developing social capital, creating collective intelligence, coordinating responses, and initiating discussions across communities about risks and their management (Olsson 116). Since the crisis directly affects Turkons customers because the storm caused heavy damage to some of the containers, there is need for the company to adopt communication strategies that aim to reduce uncertainty and provide customers with knowledge on how to act in order to minimize stress, enhance self-sufficiency, and ensure speed and accuracy in decision making.

Resolving the Crisis

This stage encompasses all the activities that are undertaken by the company to bring the crisis to an end. It underscores the importance of elements such as managing the emotions that accompany a crisis, understanding the leaders role, and taking effective action (Harvard Business School 92). In managing emotions, the task for Turkon should be to address factors that may occasion stressful outcomes to customers for losing their valued goods in the accident. The companys leaders and managers should also develop a predisposition to avoid toxic stress responses and utilize the power of positive stress to manage the weather-related crisis confidently and professionally. Leaders need to resolve the crisis with a clear mind, as encouraging feelings of anxiety, stress and fear can only aggravate matters (Harvard Business School 93). Consequently, Turkon leaders should develop an approach that could be effectively used to overcome stressful moments if and when they occur.

It should be the role of the leader to discover the truth and face it by asking the right people, listening to the most reliable voices, and going to the right places (Harvard Business School 95). In Turkons context, the leadership should respond to the crisis by facing the crisis with a positive outlook, maintaining vigilance by being on the lookout for new developments and information, maintaining focus on the key priorities such as ensuring the safety of crew members and the remaining containers, as well as evaluating and responding to issues that can be controlled in the crisis situation.

Lastly, in taking action to resolve the crisis, Turkons leadership should assume a leading position in activating the crisis plan, drawing people together and encouraging cooperation and collaboration in resolving the crisis, avoiding blame appropriation by focusing resources and personnel toward crisis resolution efforts, and doing everything possible to ensure that the crisis is resolved as fast as possible (Harvard Business School 96)

In resolving the crisis facing Turkon, the leadership needs to maintain the reputation of Turkon and also instill resilience in customers and other stakeholders who may be adversely affected by the crisis (Olsson 117). Consequently, Turkon leaders should employ reputation-oriented and organization-centered approaches to solve the crisis situation as such approaches will help in explaining and promoting [the] organizations framing and preferences, and in so doing strengthen its credibility and legitimacy (Olsson 117).

It is also important for Turkons leadership to have the capacity to recruit individuals who could be relied upon to solve the crisis in the most effective manner. This observation points to the need for Turkon to allow its leaders to form crisis resolution teams without having to wait for formal approval, as such flexibility is fundamental in enhancing crisis response times and reducing adverse effects such as reputational damage (Schoenberg 4-5).

Learning from the Crisis

This is the last stage of the crisis communication plan and entails components such as reviewing how the crisis was handled, planning for the next crisis, and tracking the changes that have been made to the organization after the crisis to evaluate their effectiveness (Harvard Business School 101-103). In reviewing how the crisis was handled, Turkons leadership should focus attention on identifying the factors that precipitated the crisis and establishing whether the crisis could have been avoided if measures had been taken to ensure the weather was stable or if the company had used advanced technological tools to forecast adverse weather patterns in its routes.

If it is established that the crisis could have been avoided, the company needs to take appropriate measures (e.g., investing in technology or changing routes in adverse weather events) to ensure that such a crisis does not recur in the future. The review should also help Turkon to take steps aimed at planning for another potential crisis in the future. Such a plan is instrumental in helping the company to learn from what is already known from the crisis event.

Here, Turkon needs to collect the ideas of everyone who was involved in the crisis with the view to synthesizing the issues raised into actionable steps that could be incorporated in the companys strategic plan (Stephens, Malone, and Bailey 392). Lastly, Turkon needs to track the changes that have been made during the post-crisis period in order to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the negative impact of a future crisis situation (Harvard Business School 103).

Role of Public Relations in Crisis Communication

Since crises are known to damage existing relationships between the organization and the general public, public relations executives need to cultivate and maintain positive pre-crisis ties with the public as such relationships can influence how people perceive both the crisis and the organization involved (Ki and Brown 403). Turkons relationships with its customers, shareholders and the general public, for example, will shape how the company will respond during and after the crisis. Consequently, Turkon needs to strengthen the public relations office through adequate funding and personnel to enable it to meet its main objective of cultivating positive relationships with the public. Available literature demonstrates that the public with positive relationships are more likely to become advocates and provide support for an organization in crisis (Ki and Brown 407).

Additionally, Turkons public relations office should strive to not only enhance stakeholder satisfaction by reinforcing positive expectations about the relationships between the organization and its stakeholders, but also to reinforce the trust and commitment levels through efforts such as corporate social responsibility (CSR), progressive disclosure of important events, and ethical employment practices (Hale et al. 113; Weiner 4). Overall, it should be the function of Turkons public relations office to ensure all communications are handled effectively and all relevant stakeholders are duly and factually informed about the crisis. Based on the mentioned roles, it is clear that the public relations office should form a core component of crisis communication.

Conclusion

This report has used the six-stage model to develop a comprehensive crisis communication plan for Turkon. From the report, it is clear that each stage of the communication plan is important in its own right and cooperation with other stages, hence the need for Turkon leaders to ensure that all stages are implemented as a holistic plan. The importance of a good crisis communication plan has been underscored in the report, with all observations pointing to its usefulness in managing relevant stakeholders and ensuring the company can maintain its reputation and image in the face of crisis-related challenges. It is therefore important for Turkon to adopt this plan to reinforce its capacity in containing crises and minimizing damage to its reputation and status.

Works Cited

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Abstract

The paper focuses on the stakeholder and SWOT analysis, the importance of goals and objectives in a communication plan and the tools used in transmitting the information. Communication planning is an important aspect in any organisation striving to pursue its objectives. Proper communication ensures that the various stakeholders get acquainted with appropriate information on what needs to be done. Appropriate communication tools should be employed in order to realise the core values set in the communication planning.

Introduction

I am the communication manager of the NextG Sports Company. My role is to review incoming and outgoing communications within the firm. The messages I analyse include press statements, advertisements, and web copy for websites. I modify the company reviews and publications to ensure they help the firm in attracting sponsors. Other roles include liaising with the IT department to ensure that all aspects of the firms communication work effectively. Such aspects include phone lines, websites, email services, and PR activities. The paper focuses on the stakeholder and SWOT analysis, the importance of goals and objectives in a communication plan and the tools used in transmitting the information.

Analysis

SWOT analysis

SWOT is an integral part of management studies and practices. It is a powerful tool for realising ones characteristics, uniqueness, desires, aims, goals and objectives through interpersonal communication. SWOT analysis is vital to a firms understanding of its uniqueness in terms of strengths and weakness. With such, it can better the preparation for possible and probable opportunities. Communication acts as a vector force for SWOT analysis and it assures us the confidence to communicate. Thus the communication and SWOT analysis share a symbiotic relationship (Dutta, 2013). Strength determines the style of communication, it should be done aesthetically and in a smart manner. Strengths in planning and organising high profile events would naturally attract receivers of our communication in terms of attending and paying for events.

Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholders are parties with particular interest in an activity. Stakeholders fall into different categories: organisers, sponsors, participants, and fans. Stakeholder analysis involves accounting for and incorporating the interest of the parties. In stakeholder analysis, if one is dealing with sponsors, one would probably examine their market share, level of influence, and level of interest in sports. When analysing the fans, one would look into the perfect media to communicate events.

Issue Identification

Issue identification involves thinking about current issues and utilising the opportunities that come with them or tackling challenges. For instance, a firm may be interested in limiting the declining reputation of a particular sport or taking advantage of a growing sport such as soccer in the USA.

In NextG sports, stakeholder analysis perfectly fits within the objectives. The key to a successful sports event largely depends on communication with stakeholders. If it is the sponsors, the firm needs to assure them of the amount of exposure the event would have on their products or services. Additionally, they should know the advertising space such as banner adverts, online advertisement, and event coverage set aside for their products. If its the fans, the firm needs to communicate the events theme to reinvigorate the sports, kick-start new era, or even get closer to their sports idol. Thus, stakeholder analysis is important in the communication plan involving a sporting event at NextG Sports Company.

Importance of Goals and Objectives in a Communications Plan

According to Christopher Paul (2011), strategic communication is the coordination of the things one does or says in support of their objectives. It can also mean coordinated events, information, images and other modes of signalling or engagement intended to pass a message. The events persuade selected individuals to support specific objectives.

Since a communication plan is based on high standards, it is important to ensure that it has a framework of aims, goals, strategies, and tactics. A communication plan marks the best approach in developing a successful strategy (Mobley, 2005). It involves factoring in situations and opinions of the entire company. Within the model, the firm develops a number of goals in line with its mission and vision. The communication plan should also be flexible, it should not exceed 15 pages. A flexible communication plan is easier to implement, it can also adapt to changes as they evolve. A plan should provide a clear format for individuals not well versed with communication planning. A clear plan also lays the foundation for efficient communication planning.

The first item of the plan should be the organisations mission or vision statement because it forms the foundation for the development of the goals. Then customers and their needs get considerations before factoring in the goals. Additionally, the utility and its features must be taken into account while setting the goals. Basing on the companys mission, the communication manager lists the goals of the communication plan. It is important to note that an achievable plan has at least three and at most five goals (Moble, 2005). It is important to list the goals as they address key areas of the communication plan such as message consistency.

It ensures that the messages received by customers and the media continually reinforce the companys mission and specific goals of a communication plan. Sustainability is another goal. Goals should be sustainable, and their relevance to the general plan should be appropriate. Goals that cannot be or can only be sustained at the expense of other firms goals are worse than having no goals. On the same note, basic feedback forms another goal. Every utility should have some manner of measurable feedback from the consumers of the event.

When goals and objectives are put in place, there is a greater likelihood of senior management participation. It is at this level that expectations and potential results are established and determined. A brainstorming engagement with senior management is an ideal way to get various goals and objectives explored in an efficient manner (Mobley, 2005).

Tools of Transmitting Information

A good communication plan should be able to come up with a suitable sports slogan that defines the event, sponsors and the fans. For example, gaming in the wild, witnesses the best of the very best battle out in the battle  royal. Also, a good communication plan should be able to transmit information to their target audience, whether its the fans or the sponsors.

To fans

The communication plan should transmit messages through the issuance of a calendar of events and sports schedule. Other PR materials vital in transmitting messages include a consistent and easy-to-recognisese company logo, fact sheet page about the company or an event and a press kit on the issues and activities. It should also include a hard copy of brochures and regular website updates, video clips, slides, overheads, and previews. The firm may also issue newsletters and match-day programmes to the fans.

To the Sponsors

A communication plan has become an important part of the plan since it influences the sponsors and wins their admiration (Dolphin, 1999). Sponsorship helps in creating a favourable image of the firm. The more sponsors a sports event firm attracts, the higher the prospects of high attendance. Thus, the communication plan must transmit information to sponsors effectively. Tools used to communicate to sponsors include past event attendance numbers.

Since sponsors are interested in funding events that increase their visibility and exposure to the market, the firm must do intensive lobbying to convince them that the event would help them to interact perfectly with their target market. Also, the firm may use other sponsors as a technique to sign up another sponsor. For instance, if other sponsors offer complementary services, such that a product A, which cannot be consumed without product B, the producers of product A can convince the producers of B to sponsor part of the event. Therefore, sponsor records can be used as a tool for transmitting messages to other sponsors.

Conclusion

Evaluation practices occur at various stages of the communication plan process. Evaluation is used to determine what previously succeeded or failed. It is also used to assess the efficacy of communication techniques. Evaluation is either formative or summative and occurs qualitatively or quantitatively (Wrench, 2013). Formative evaluation of communication strategies involves fine tuning strategies and forecasting outcomes. Formative evaluation assesses the progress towards achieving objectives and assists in decision making.

Summative evaluation gauges the events return on investments (ROI) and the overall achievement and success for attaining intended organisations objectives through measurable outcomes. Summative evaluation measures may include back end website data analytics (new likes, follows or hits), media metrics and surveys. Evaluation of the communication strategy provides a means to measure whether objectives of the communication plan have been met. Additionally, it measures the effectiveness of the strategies and tactics used and acts as a means of improving future communication plans and programmes.

References

Dolphin, R. (1999). The fundamentals of corporate communication. London: Routledge.

Dutta, S. (2013). Business communication. Delhi: PHI Learning.

Mobley, J. (2005). Message management: effective communications. Denver: American Water Works Association.

Paul, C. (2011). Strategic communication: origins, concepts, and current debates. Westport: Praeger Publishers.

Wrench, J.S. (2013), Workplace communication for the 21st century: Tools and strategies that impact the bottom line. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers.

The book on business communication by Krizan et al. provides a very extensive overview of the direct plan and its various aspects. The authors explain that the direct plan should be used primarily for positive or neutral messages that can provide routine or unsolicited information as well as request information or action and respond favorably to requests for information or action (Krizan et al. 196). For the negative messages, the direct plan needs to be used with caution, and only when specific conditions are met (Krizan et al. 229).

In particular, the direct plan can be used for negative messages if the receiver is not expected to be upset by the information or is already aware of it (for example, response to a tragedy). Similarly, if the negative information has to be emphasized, the direct plan is applicable. Also, it is important to take into account that the cultural or other preferences of the receiver need to correspond to such directness; if this condition is not met, the goodwill of the receiver may be lost.

The authors insist that positive communication is prevalent in businesses, and in general, the neutral and positive tones are most likely to be encountered in everyday business. Also, Krizan et al. inform that a plan that is similar to the direct one is used for the routine claim messages, adjustment messages, and social business messages (196). Thus, the direct plan is likely to be the most frequently used one in business communication.

When describing the direct plan, Krizan et al. focus on the fact that is this case, the main idea of the text is placed at the beginning of the message, thus providing its direct overview and captivating the attention of the reader. The details are located after the main idea and can be used to support it or dwell on it and explain it. After providing this key message, the authors describe the elements of the direct plan.

They suggest planning out the message by answering the questions that are aimed at defining the key message and the details, the benefits that the receiver gets from attaining this knowledge, the means of appealing to the receiver, and the methods of making the message friendly to ensure the development and continuation of positive relationships (or at least to avoid damaging them). The outline of the direct plan can be split into four parts that include the opening (the key idea and the means of attracting the attention), the explanation (the details), the sales appeal (whenever appropriate; in the terms of the authors, this part could be described as the call for action), and the friendly close. Thus, the outline is consistent with the planning stage and includes all the crucial elements of the message while also providing all the means of fulfilling its aims.

Apart from that, the authors imply that other techniques of proper business communication (such as analyzing the receiver) are a part of the direct plan. Naturally, the message is expected to be concise and coherent. Finally, Krizan et al. amend that this kind of communication is better accepted when the receiver is in a positive mood while a negative one can make them less inclined to consider the information or fulfill the request (196).

The authors highlight the importance of communication in daily business and suggest studying the direct and indirect plans to ensure the most positive results.

Works Cited

Krizan, Buddy A. C., Patricia Merrier, Joyce P. Logan, and Karen Schneiter Williams. Business Communication. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

In the business world, negotiation forms a part of the daily activities. When purchasing, a buyer wants the best deal that will minimize cost, and on the other hand, a seller wants to maximize profits. This means that to strike a balance, there must be some negotiation talks that will take place.

Good negotiation goes a long way, not just in purchasing and selling but also in contracting. It can mean the acquisition or loss of a great contract. Business relationships are created by good negotiations, and it is therefore important for business owners to have the basic skills that are needed in negotiation processes. This paper aims to discuss the negotiation process and the zone of possible agreement.

The negotiation process can be divided into three parts; pre-negotiation, formal negotiation, and post-negotiation. In the first stage, activities outside the real negotiation take place. The parties get to know each other, building mutual relationships and trust in each other. In this stage, the deal is presented, and each party has time to research on what the other wants out of this deal.

By informal discussions, this can be easily achieved. Then comes the real thing; the formal discussion. Here task-related persuasive talks are held, related information exchanged and finally the parties agree. Finally, they get to the post-negotiation stage in which the deal is now implemented and new rounds of negotiations, if any are introduced, (Ghauri & Usunier, 1996).

Negotiation in itself is an uphill task as each of the parties wants the best for themselves. This makes it very difficult to agree, and sometimes, dealers opt for the no deal option. However, there may be an option that is better off than the parties best choices. This option is known as the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA).

This refers to the common ground range of possibilities in a negotiation that is agreeable by both parties. The range covers the sellers walk away point (the minimum he can accept) to the buyers walk away point (the maximum he can offer). The price range between the two points is the ZOPA (Fisher and Ury, 1983). This is illustrated below.

Consider a situation where I want to purchase a business entity. I, as a buyer, will, first of all, get a description of the entity and possibly a view of it. Then the seller will give his quotation, for instance, $12000. According to my view of the business, I will estimate its value, lets say $10000 and give my quotation; a figure less than the estimated value.

As a buyer, I will try to point out many shortcomings related to the business and hide some of my interests that are in favor of the seller. All these are in a bid to try and bring the seller towards my direction. Both the seller and I can adjust accordingly and possibly agree on a figure. I estimated the real value to be about $10000; this may be my walk away price.

A ZOPA exists in the range of our quotations; if we can realize this, then the negotiation becomes an easier one. Our walk away points overlap at some point, and this is the best range to base our negotiations on. It gives us sort of some limits on which to confine our offers. This situation is likely to be a win-win situation; the seller will have the best possible deal that is the maximum profit on his sale as per the situation at hand. The buyer, on the other hand, will get the best deal possible

References

Fisher, R. & Ury, W. (1983) Getting to Yes. New York: Penguin Books.

Ghauri, P. & Usunier, J. (Eds). (1996). International Business Negotiations. Oxford: Pergamon

The paper purposed to evaluate how BP embedded aspects of image restoration theory in its press releases, especially bolstering, transcendence and corrective action, to demonstrate to the government and the publics that it was firmly dealing with the problem of Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, which killed 11 rig workers and sent an estimated 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the gulf over five months (Rogers, 2012; Swartz & Underwood, 2011).

It was important to evaluate BPs case since it offered an opportunity for students of organizational communication to learn first-hand how theoretical elements of crisis communication can be used in real-life settings to calm a potentially explosive situation.

In the BP situation, it should be remembered that the federal government and the publics were uneasy with BPs spill containment efforts. Elsewhere, President Obama not only described the spill as a massive and potentially unparalleled environmental disaster, but was also quoted in the media accusing BP of not doing enough to stop the oil leak (Ertresvag, 2011). Such accusations, in my view, had the potential to dent BPs image and reputation if action was not taken.

BP used its CEO Tony Harward as its mouthpiece to counteract negative reports coming from the government and the publics, which mostly touched on the companys lack of credibility to contain the spill. Although BP mostly used the social media in its crisis management efforts, the paper largely dealt with press releases dispatched by the CEO to deal with sentiments echoed not only in the U.S. but also globally.

Based on three questions, the researcher highlights some of the elements BP borrowed from William Benoits image restoration theory to respond to the sentiments and therefore, minimize damage to its image and reputation.

How did BP counter the mounting accusations from Obama that it was not doing enough to contain the spill?

The CEO countered Obamas fiery messages by engaging in acts of bolstering; that is, he bolstered BPs strategies by consistently repeating what was being done to contain the situation, and by also reinforcing the fact that it had contracted world-class engineers to assist in stopping the spill. Additionally, the CEO engaged in transcendence to neutralize the accusations of perceived wrongdoing by reinforcing the statements echoed by the President and passing them as representing the companys formal position.

How did BP succeed to scale down a potentially dangerous crisis situation?

The CEO used the element of transcendence in Benoits theory to suggest a different frame of reference to the whole crisis situation. While the government viewed the oil spill as an act of unprecedented environmental disaster, BP continued to release statements in popular media underlining that the spill was just a normal accident. That way, the crisis was scaled down in the eyes of the publics, effectively reducing chances that could have led to image loss.

How did BP bring on board the publics and local communities to share in crisis management?

BP undertook corrective action not only by promising $500 million in funding research initiatives aimed at restoring the situation to the state of affairs that prevailed before the objectionable oil spill, but also by compensating people who had lost loved ones, livelihoods and business.

Overall, it can be established that the study (paper) emphasized the important role of undertaking strategic responses in postcrisis communication not only to counter negative allegations that may work to the disadvantage of the organization, but also to release factual information to relevant stakeholders for informed decision-making.

Reference List

Ertresvag, K. (2011). BP and President Obama on the deepwater horizon oil spill: Interplay between government and corporate communications. Web.

Rogers, K. (2012). British Petroleums use of image restoration strategy on social media and response after the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Schwartz, J.A., & Underwood, J.S. (2011). At the edge of the BP oil spill: Teaching inside disaster in New Orleans, LA. Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies, 42(3), 205-214.

Introduction

Business to Business marketing has proved to be the most important tool in internet marketing. Since business operations have embraced E-Commerce, the players must use particular strategies in enhancing communication with maximum efficiency and speed. Therefore, this paper focuses on two articles with feeble articulation of B2B internet communication or messages because it affects the company in its attempt to provide of the basic information and to sell and/or buy items via the internet.

Discussion

Poor articulation of messaging when advertising on the internet affect the useful strategies of internet communication that the companies use, in order to make them effectively deliver specific information about the company and its products (Hutt & Thomas, 2002).

Adherence to the communication strategies improves the efficiency with which the businesses are conducted. In business, the quality of the information delivered, depends on the strategy and method used, thus compromising the message quality will eventually affect the outcome of the marketing strategy that the company applies (Kelley, 2009).

Some companies do not use effective methods of delivering the information about their products on the internet. This is as a result of poor communication and/or messaging. Notably, feebly articulated B2B internet communication or messages are the primary causes of business failures, especially those that conduct their businesses on the internet (Hutt & Thomas, 2002).

A communication idea that is inadequately crafted will not offer the intended information to the buyers. Often, such information are rushed without fine-tuning the content and usually have grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, lack of sub-headings, non-inclusion of the subject line, lack of convincing images, among other errors, which render it useless. In addition, it will not give the real purpose for which the communication was to serve.

Though the cost of internet communication is relatively low, when the messages sent via email, mobile text and fax, among others do not carry the correct information, the company cannot realize the sales return that the company anticipated (Hutt & Thomas, 2002). This is because; the clients would reject such erroneous information even when asked to give a comment.

Furthermore, internet messages could be directed to the users who are not responsive and do not serve the interest the interest of the customers. The attributes of a badly done internet message could have some of the following features.

First, purpose for the message might not be appealing or does not contain the persuasive language for which it wanted to achieve (Kelley, 2009). For example, if the theme of the message is, the sale is almost over, yet the business has just commences, some potential buyers could not prefer to purchase the good for fear of buying goods, which have expired.

Second, the message might not be personalized, though it is directed to a particular individual (Kelley, 2009). This is an inadequate message construction because; it should be directed to the recipient so that he/she might have the sense of recognition. Sometimes, the message might not include a link to the source of the information despite it being necessary (Kelley, 2009). This could also be categorized under feeble construction of the message since it would lack the necessary details.

Summary

In conclusion, inadequate construction of the marketing messages sent via the internet negatively affects the outcome of the advertisement. This comes as a result of information being sent without fine-tuning the content, grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, lack of sub-headings, non-inclusion of the subject line, and lack of convincing images among others.

References

Hutt, M. & Thomas, W. (2002). Business Marketing Management: B2B, (10th Ed.). South-Western: Thomson Learning.

Kelley, K. (2009). Value Added Marketing. Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University.