Effective communication is lacking in ABC Limited between the employees and management. Some of the things that have led to this situation include operational differences, level differences, time, and previous relationship history. Organizational operations can hinder great networking relationships in a working environment. Working in various departments or functions can make it appear unnatural. Different managers and objectives create a competitive surrounding instead of a collaborative one. Looking at ABC Limited, the differences in the floors are a barrier as it dictates which staff interact with who. Therefore communication cannot flow smoothly from management to employees and vice versa (Grayson & Baldwin, 2011). additionally, how a building is constructed matters a lot in ensuring that there is effective communication. For example, at ABC Limited, there were separations using floors which created a barrier between employees shop floor and management.
The case study shows that the shop floor employees were denied access to meetings unless something was wrong. The result is that the shop floor workers developed a confident attitude towards the organizations management. Instead of sharing ideas with the administration on how to do things better, they opted to remain quiet most of the time and only respond to requests and demands from their bosses. Furthermore, the idea that the shop floor employees had separate washrooms and lunchrooms is a barrier in itself. Constant interaction between individuals who work for the same organization is crucial as it ensures that they all stick to the organizational goals and help each other achieve personal goals.
The author of the case study was wise enough to identify the issues between the management and the shop floor employees. The steps he took, for example, meeting the shop floor employees every day, were great and commendable. By the time he started his job at ABC Limited, the relationship between shop floor employees and management was strained. Identifying this and getting to the root of the matter by getting some intel from the employees was great (Grayson & Baldwin, 2011). His strategies worked since the shop floor employees copied him and even saw him as one of them or a different manager.
Getting to employees and letting them understand that it is possible for management to have a relationship with them is essential. It provides an avenue for them to open up easily and share what needs to be done. In addition to how the author handled the issues at ABC Limited, I would call a meeting now and then with the shop floor employees and ask them to air their problems.
Working together in a harmonious environment helps everyone raise because everyone is going after a particular goal at work. Understanding each other and helping one another means that all will grow and enjoy coming to work daily.
John was upset at the end of the case because he thought that the management was not appreciating what he had done, and that is why he received the chance to attend the seminar. The problem here is the individual who communicated the information to John and George. George had not had any good relationship with the shop floor employees, especially John, for a long time. Communication between them mainly happened through memos, as the author highlights in the case. Even when George thinks he is complimenting John, he finds out that he is offended and gets surprised, which could be the same thing. George and John must regularly interact with everyone because they may all be meaning well but do not each other.
Reference
Grayson, C., & Baldwin, D. (2011). Leadership networking: Connect, collaborate, create (Vol. 125). John Wiley & Sons.
Starbucks Coffee Company is the worlds top coffee retailer and industrial coffee bean roasting leader. Notably, Starbucks is a chain of coffee shops located primarily in downtown areas, business centers, and shopping malls, targeted at people with average and above-average incomes. This localization and focus allow the company to create a unique culture of consumption around the world. People visit Starbucks not only for good coffee but also for the special atmosphere. That is, the social factor the opportunity for pleasant interactions- is essential for coffee shop customers. Thus, the company uses it to create a maximum of conditions, such as comfortable furniture, a friendly, unobtrusive interior, free access to the Internet, and a special layout of the premises. (Chuang, 2019). To remain popular, Starbucks actively applies marketing; for example, the companys logo is known throughout the world. Therefore, the logotype is depicted on the coffee cups and all the products, contributing to brand recognition and expanding the customer base.
The Starbucks Coffee Companys Brand
It is essential to note that a significant brand advantage, which also forms its value, is a high-quality coffee so that the target audience can justify buying it, as Starbucks refers to an upper-middle-class product. In order to increase brand value and awareness, Starbucks uses many channels to promote its development, from social media to television commercials and advertisements. The combination of marketing media gives their brand recognition and encourages customers to buy the already-known coffee. The company has a great way to reward its customers who purchase its products. The Starbucks Rewards program offers incentives to buy products with free in-store refills, free products (after a certain amount of money is spent), and additional in-store offers and discounts (Chuang, 2019). Also, Starbucks pays special attention to employee training because they are the ones who provide the experiences that make customers pay the inflated prices.
One can apply Kellers theory, which deals with brand awareness, which includes logo recognition, information dissemination, and name memorability, together with the concept of Interbrand. That is, the financial value of the Starbucks brand can be calculated because of name recognition and its role in choosing coffee among competitive positions (Harjoto & Salas, 2017). Consequently, Kellers theory about the popularity of the company among the bargaining audience is the basis for the successful business value according to the concept of Interbrand.
It is also crucial to pay attention to communication in marketing; this is both the messages delivery channels, the communication itself, and the target audiences reaction. The main objective of marketing communications is to stimulate the sale of goods or services. It is sometimes necessary to create demand first, especially when the product is new. Therefore, depending on what purpose the firm is pursuing, the type of communication should be determined; for Starbucks, the most popular type is advertising (Devia et al., 2018). This is because it informs about the product, praises its qualities, helps to choose, and stimulates demand. The business applies different types of advertising, such as TV, radio, Internet, and media. Thus, Starbucks uses advertising to create a value proposition and brand awareness so that potential customers can distinguish it from its competitors.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be pointed out that Starbucks attention to detail and constancy are the reasons why the trademark is so prosperous in its marketing efforts. Accordingly, its logo and brand are recognizable, and its delicious coffee supports peoples loyalty to high prices. At the same time, the firms presence on social media and in the press helps retain constant communication with customers and encourages new clients to try the product.
References
Chuang, H. J. (2019). Starbucks in the world. Journal of Business and Public Administration, 10(3), 99110.
Devia, A. N, Aisjah, S., & Puspaningrum, A. (2018). The influence of brand experience and service quality to customer loyalty mediated by customer satisfaction in Starbucks coffee Malang. Management and Economics Journal, 2(2), 161170.
Harjoto, M. A., & Salas, J. (2017). Strategic and institutional sustainability: Corporate social responsibility, brand value, and Interbrand listing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 26(6), 545558.
My organization is quite developed and effective in terms of transferring data and information to another company. For example, it uses only the most advanced technologies and innovations. In particular, it operates tools such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers in its activities. These devices do an excellent job of transmitting important messages and sharing documents and files. These instruments also help in conducting joint research or electronic transactions. Consequently, information transfer technologies allow my firm to use the available opportunities to the maximum. This helps improve the organizations work and achieve its goals in the best way.
What is Done Well
At least an established communication system and the availability of good devices for transmitting information are already done well even today. Accessible, flexible, and continuous communication with another company is constantly provided in work processes and procedures. For example, mail, video calls, or messengers are actively used by employees, and most of the work has moved to the cloud electronic space. In addition, new forms of communication are constantly being improved, enhanced, and updated, allowing one to optimize the existing work in the right direction. Although, undoubtedly, even the above elements require noticeable improvements.
What Can Be Improved
Undoubtedly, despite the progress and highly developed technologies, the companys methods and means of communication still require improvements. For example, Park Point University Online (2019) recommends organizations think about ordering communication tools and choose the most appropriate and high-quality ones. Next, you should combine the efforts of remote employees and start communicating at the international level. Joint solutions help to build more accurate work strategies. Moreover, in this case, it is also necessary to compile a history of chats, which can be referenced later, and improve the central node of project activities.
Reference
Park Point University Online. (2019). Using technology to improve communication at work. SMG/CMSWire. Web.
I am Amanda Schaefer, assistant human resource director, and I want to present and overview findings of my extensive research, which I have conducted for the past few weeks. The research was based on the business communication, where I wanted to know the best means of hiring and testing new employees. I choose the topic because currently our companys development stagnant, and my suspicion is that improper hiring of employee has great influence to stagnation. I needed to compare our employees hiring methods and those used by other companies in similar industries. The comparison of the methods and their effects in the business will enable us to apply the best of these means and this will enhance our company development.
Currently our company has a shocking employee turnover rate of 23%. Through selection decision we can have get a better turnover, which in return can ensure the continued flow of our company, and the general progress of the company. The research report will enable us to highlight our companys failures in hiring process, locate our position with regard to other similar companies in the industry, and will also help us to draw appropriate suggestion on how to correct our companys mistake, in order to improve the companys hiring policies. The report has many extensive comments, and anybody willing to learn more, can consult the report to access the comments.
Introduction
Many departments in the company face operational problems because employees inadequate skills. The quality of our employees skills does not meet our companys expectation and needs. The company need to improve in its various, operations such as customers services, and the general productivity. Many operations are dissatisfying, a factor that has made the company to incur tremendous loses. When the companys performance is analyzed and compared to the performance of other companies in similar industry, the analysis shows that the company performance is low, and require improvement.
With the knowledge and understanding of importance of best and qualified employees in our companies, it is important to find ways of getting the best employees in future, and improving the workforce of the existing employees. However, this is not very easy for the individual company. The Human resource manager should follow the appropriate advertising guidelines when advertising the job places, to ensure a pool of qualified applicants from which they can choose, the right and the best employees. The applicants and new employees need to undergo various tests to determine their ability to perform the duties, and to predict their experiences. A research to other similar companies in the same industry is likely to give ideas and information pertaining how they hire their employees and the entire process of hiring (Harvard Business School Press 2005, pp76). This means that if our Company can consult other Companies we can hire the best employees in our Company. The Human resource manager should not just get the idea and information and complement in the company, rather he/she should analyze the new hiring means to get the benefits and drawbacks, and then compare the effects of the other companies means to the means used in our Company in order to determine the effectiveness of the hiring means. With the knowledge, and application of the best hiring means in our employee s hiring process, we can easily solve the department problems. The information about other companies hiring and testing of new employees can be got by interviewing Human Resource personnels of the companies, or through literature review and other studies of the company.
Body
Various companies have various means of hiring and testing their new employees. The means depends on company nature, size and location. The hiring process, selection and interviewing of new staff in a company is very important to the human resource personnels, because the process enable the company to hire employee who are the best in practice and knowledge ensuring business productivity and reduces the business turnover.
Other Companies
Drafting advertisements
Advertising of job position involves a process that is characterized by the below steps.
Authorization
When I interviewed Dr. Morris Hunis, a human resource personnel in a similar company, he informed me that most of their advertisement are usually posited in Craig list advertisement, which requires the company to complete position request forms that contains authorized signatures. This is usually done before the actual posting of the announcement to authorize the advertisement. The position request form usually contains detailed assessment, job description and a staffing request rationale, which need to be signed by the Human resource officer, department executive staff member, and need to be approved by the companys president officer (Hunis 5 May, personal information). When making position advertisement, the duties and qualification should be consistent in both the authorized job description and in position advertisement, to ensures that the advertisement is up dated and valid. Any changes in need to be made before approval.
Selection
The selection usually follows authorization. I found out that there is a need to select an appropriate day and time for the advertisement, especially when dealing with specialized professional journal, Internet sites, publication and newspapers. Appropriate day and time ensures that the Company attract large number of qualified applicants. Many of interviewed Companies use Internet sites , and other on line sites advertisements, because of they are readily accessed, at any day, time and by many applicants.
Budget policy
According to Dr. Morris, it is important to consider the cost and we should always choose the most convenient in terms of cost, effectiveness and efficiency. This depends on the position being advertised because each c are placed depending on positions, meaning that a particular position has a different charge, and the charges also varies depending on the number positions being advertised. The department placing the advertisement need to have a budget and the number of positions being advertised.
Goal Diversity
The advertisement need to be diverse, and should ensure diverse opportunities to all qualified people. This means that goal should be set in a way to enable all qualified individual from all races and ethnic background to have a chances of being hired. Diversity targets at equal opportunity, and the method of advertisement used need to be broad covering a wide demographic region. This avoids biases. Diversity ensures a pool of qualified applicants from which the Company can choose the best applicants. Studies have shown that many qualified applicants do not get a chance to job opportunities because the means of advertising covers a small demographic region, and in most of these cases, the advertisements are made covering a local and specific ethnic group or region. When such advertisements are made, chance of qualified applicants getting the information is low , and this subsequently reduces the pool, increasing the hiring rate of semi qualified, or unqualified applicants in the Company.
Advertising format
The drafting of advertisement has a lot to the final response. A well drafted advertisement ensures a pool of qualified applicants. According to the many companies which is interviewed, they use a standard advertising format, to advertise job positions. The standard format should constitute:
Name of the company, and the department, Job title and a brief description, showing the duties and responsibilities, time designation, job status -whether permanent or temporarily, and live-in expectation in applicable job cases jobs.
Required qualification: it is usually important to clearly indicate the required qualification to narrow the number likely to apply, here experience, degree and abilities are included as well as the salary information and he date when the working is expected to start.
Due date of application: The deadline of application need to be indicated in the draft to ensure that all applicants have their application sent on time to enable all application to be opened and assessed. In specified due date is likely to make the process to take longer than expected and to have some qualified applicants being left out.
Miscellaneous instructions: These instructions in the draft reminds the applicant to include or rather to attach the required documents increasing the chances of determining his/her capability and ability. This is very important because enclosed documents such as cover letter, reference letters, certificates and resumes carrying extra information about the applicant, making it easy to approximate the applicants experience and abilities. The enclosed documents provide valuable information about the applicants past experience and educational background, so the Company can predict the most qualified applicants.
Job advertisement location
According to Human resource managers in various Companies, job advertisement location is a very important consideration, especially when advertising, because without the location, applications and applicants confuse makes the company to get very few applicants and untrained applicants. In cases where they get trained applicants they learn that their field of training differs with what the Company needs. They also argued that there is a high probability that these applications are likely to be misplaced or even get lost before reaching to the company, lowering the chances of getting best and qualified applicants.
Advertisement posting days
Companies need to have knowledge of the most appropriate day(s) to post their advertisements. This is necessary because there are days when a larger number of people or rather possible applicants are likely to get the advertisement than other days. This usually depends on the job, opportunity and he means of advertisement being used. For example it is during the weekends and evenings most people are likely to have access to radios and television as compared to workdays and late at night. This means when announcements are made, at evenings and weekend, more people are likely to get the announcement. This however, differs in other advertising means such as Internet (Gresing 1991)
Verifying applicants references
Employers checks he applicants reference in order to determine the past performance of the applicant. The performance is usually collected by supervisors, subordinates or even peers because t they stand a better chance of having more information , because they know or have worked with the applicant in his/her past job(s). The applicant may make attempts to distort the information given by the referees in the enclosed document s information regarding to their history and training, in order to fit in the job described. The resumes usually holds the summary of applicants accomplishment claims meaning that whatever the applicant decides to give as his/her accomplishment, the resume covers it up making it hard for the human resource personnel hiring the applicant to detect the distortation from the resume and the applicants. The reference data is used to contact the former supervisors, direct reports and peer who give information about the applicant, and this helps in forecasting the ability of the applicant to performance in the job. The behavioral consistency principles argues that the future performance is determined by the past performance. The verification in most hiring process takes place at almost the end of the process through telephone in order to get immediate feedback and to ensure clarification by probing for more detailed information regarding the applicant.
Budget allotted to seeking qualified applicants
We cannot deny the fact that a considerable budget is required in order to get qualified applicant. This is usually handled by the company president. This is accordance to the report of majority of the companies which I interviewed when I wanted to know what happens after there is shortage in finances required, I was informed that the concerned departments meets the extra expenses that goes beyond allotted budget (Gresing 1991).
Outside staffing agencies
Large companies involve outside staffing agencies in employee hiring process, but majority of the small scale companies does the interviewing themselves. The large companies prefer outside staffing because of time saved and the chances they stand in getting qualified employees.
Experience
According to many companies, the more the experience the higher the pay, and each job has its experience requirement. The more the years that the employee works, in a company, the greater the experience and the greater the pay. Companies that utilizes this principle are likely to retain their employees for longer time, motivates them enabling them to work better for the company.
Employees research term
Traditionally, researchers associate new employees with the initial two to three years. This is based on relative tenure and co-workers newness perception. In researchers based on companies, to determine newness liability, organizational tenure and age has been used as a measure of newness. The newness of employees in a company is usually a temporal phenomenon, that varies with organizational tenure and individual perception of newness. (Keith 2007) When the tenure is high, the employee is viewed to be getting older in the company.
Various companies have varying employees research team, depending on the organization tenure, the individual worker and he older co-workers in the company. Relative tenure where by the individual percentage is ranked in companys tenure distribution, is considered to be a better predictor of the employees newness in a company, as compared to absolute tenure, where the months and years duration of the employee determines his/her newness.
Knowledge based testing procedures
Knowledge based testing procedures which are carried out to many employees helps in determining the new employees ability to perform tasks to help the human resource personnel to determine applicants who are able to apply skills and knowledge to perform tasks and to effectively solve arising problems.
According to an interview that I carried out to various employees who had undergone the tests to secure their jobs in their current workplace, the commonly used testing procedures include Microsoft office tests and typing tests. (Hunis 5 May, personal information) the applicants are given computers and are given certain information to type. As they type, their ability to identify and recall the position of various letters in the keyboard is determined and at the end, their speed in typing is analyzed. Those who are faster are employed while those who are slow in typing are denied the job opportunity (Still 1997).
Advantages
Job advertisement location
Proper locating of the company ensures that the applicants get the right information concerning the companys location. It helps the company to get a pool of qualified applicants, making it easy to get the best applicant for a pool of applicants. Lack of job advertisement location creates assumptions which leads to invalid applications with regard to job description, and required qualification.
Knowledge based tests
Companies that use knowledge based tests are likely to hire applicants who have knowledge in the specific field, ensuring good operations and business productivity.
Verifying applicants references
Reference checks are good in predicting applicant job performance far beyond past job experience and education. The activity is usually cost effective. It can also reduce possible low suits that may arise due to failure to be careful in hiring new employees.
Employees newness in the company
Human resource considers some individuals new in the company, and offers orientation, mentoring, training and other special activities. The employees who are considered new in the company gets favors and privileges as compared to other workers, and the co-workers give supportive help to new employees, to an extend that when these new employees does a mistaken, it is easily forgotten without punishment unlike mistakes made by the other workers (Keith 2007).
Disadvantages
Job advertisement location
This can easily put off qualified applicants. For example an applicant who is qualified and lives in rural areas may not be moved by the advertisement after learning the it is located in urban center or even in a rural area that is very far from where he/she lives.
Knowledge based tests
Knowledge based tests involves use of large amounts of resources. The testing is usually based on computer application and there are other required knowledge far beyond computer knowledge. The testing can also be biased because an applicant can be very good in computer work especially typing, while the skills, techniques and the experience in he actual field is inadequate. Large amounts of money are required to stimulate the work environment and also to observe the participants. The knowledge based tests measures the declarative knowledge only leaving the procedural knowledge on tested despite the fact that most of operations in company require knowledge on operating procedures.
Employees research term
The newness liability is likely to be extended to individuals. The new employees lack demonstrated values and relationships, making their job tenuous. The new employees are usually not asked for information and information within the company, because of the belief that new workers have little of the companys information regarding to routines and norms. This limits them from participating in generation of ideas, creativity and innovation.
Verifying references
Many applicants do not like references verification as they consider the activity to be very invasive, limiting their privacy.
Our Company
Our companys job advertising procedures are outdated. As compared to other companies, our company uses the old type of advertisement rather than new method. For example we currently advertise in L.A times, specifically on Monday night. This has limited the number of qualified applicants we get because the time our advertisements are made is usually odd, reaching to a small population of qualified applicants. The small pool of qualified applicant has subsequently limited our selection forcing us to hire semi-qualified employees to fill the positions. The company has no system of screening applicants, and the tests that we use to test the applicants are based on knowledge enabling us to only tell the applicants knowledge in the position, while leaving us with deficiency of the applicants ability to use required procedures.
The supervisors in our company also have no knowledge of the newly hired employees unlike other similar companies whose supervisors are capable of eliminating a considerable percentage of applicants through knowledge based test. Our company has been employing new employees at a constant pay rate for quite a long time in most of positions making the employees unhappy and making them quit. According to an interview to a receptionist in a competitor company, she earns $12.00 at the start with minimal prior experience while at our company our receptionist can go to the competitor company, the salary can be increased greatly and this has been affecting our company.
The above charts show that our Company hires applicants with a high past experience , and the hourly pay to the employees is low compared to other Companies in the same industry.
Conclusion
Our Company need to improve its productivity, and this lie on the workforce. We need to get an immediate has well as long term solution to the issue, and i believed the procedure used by the Company to hire employees has a lot on this. When we compare our employee hiring procedure and other companies procedure we can get the difference between the two and we can also get the impact of our poor and outdated procedures. There are various cheap ways of improving our new applicant hiring policies and procedures such as Craig list, and other Internet advertising means. We can utilize these procedures and policies, we can reduce the companys employee turnover. We can achieve this by using better and cheap drafting and posting of advertisement such as Craigs list which many similar companies are using to obtain about 93% of their qualified applicants, because it is effective and its cost is considerably low.
Improved testing procedures such as new interviewing processes can be used to ensure that all applicants are screened, increasing chances of hiring qualified employees. If the company can ensure that the employees are handled in a better way, for example giving them considerable pay, we can ensure their retention. Enhanced company culture, on-time reviewer and featured benefits can also ensure employees retention.
Illustrations
The findings of my research have been represented in the above chart which compares our Companys Employees turnover with the Competitor Companies our Companys turnover rate is about 23% compared to about 47% in other Companies.
Outside staffing in our Company is low compared to other companies.
Our Company requires a high experienced applicant, and our employees salary is usually constant for more than seven years. Other companies require a minimal past experience and the employee salary increases gradually as he/she continual to work in the Company.
References
Gresing, Lin. Small Business Guide to Employee Selection . Bellingham: Self-Counsel, 1991.
This paper gives a summary on organizational communication as a competitive advantage based on the provided SHRM article. The article relays essential information on organizational communication with an aim of providing requisite incentives to enable advancement of holistic communication guidelines in institutions. Its discussion is categorized under various sections to aid understanding of the concept.
Effective organizational communication as a competitive advantage
As presented in the case study, communication is an imperative element that fosters performance in various facets of operation, especially in the current century, where organizations are strangled with stiff competition. It holds the capacity to advance institutions competitiveness through adoption of realistic and attainable guidelines.
Evidently, institutions that are set with strong performance orientation should embrace superior communication in order to enhance performance. This is vital since effective communication is critical in ensuring that relevant policies and operational ideals are communicated promptly to stakeholders. It also opens clear channels of communication that advances employees participation in decision-making. This acts as a motivational element.
According to researchers, employees exemplary performance is evident when involved in the policy formulation. This instils a sense of identity between him/her and the institution. This is earned through development of effective communication channels based on democratic principles.
Managers of institutions are under obligation to formulate and integrate superior communication guidelines to boost conveyance of set policies and production guidelines to ensure that no one acts ignorantly.
This is critical since inconsistent execution of activities due to inadequate communication might be detrimental to the institutions growth. Effective communication fosters marketing activities, public relations, corporate advertising, and environmental engagements. The elements are crucial in advancing productivity and general performance in institutions.
Communication in organizations
As noted in the case study, communication is central in ensuring realization of exemplary performance in institutions. It enhances formulation of routine policies; builds trust and advances productivity. It is a concept that holds relevance in this century. Indeed, corporations should develop strong internal and exterior commutation channels as a performance measure to aid conveyance of marketing policies.
Particularly, marketing entails promotion and advertisement of the institutions products. Its success relies on the communication capacity and identification of viable market segments that can be attained only through adequate coordination. This can be achieved through integration of superior communication techniques capable of coordinating marketing activities.
Notably, poor coordination of marketing activities does not yield superior results that might steer an institution to greater heights. It delimits market expansion, awareness regarding products, and contributes to inefficient distribution of commodities. Managers in their pursuit to advance sales should initiate clear-cut communication channels between departments and external stakeholders as a requisite measure to facilitate awareness of goods and services provided by the institution.
Consequently, communication channels should be integrated to improve relationship between stakeholders, including investors, customers, and employees. This is to ensure mutual understanding and execution of duties under respectful guidelines where every individual has a room to air his/her views on diverse issues.
Effective communication enhances innovation and creativity in institutions. It facilitates sharing of ideas that advances performance capacity and formulation of superior policies that are technologically oriented to steer execution of activities in diverse sectors.
Clearly, institutions that records high performances and viable competitive advantages operate under innovative ideals that facilitates production of commodities. This ensures that items undersupply conform to modern specifications, an element that is achieved through participatory processes.
Communication channels
Superior communication instruments depend on diverse factors, which should be considered before integration by managers. It requires proper evaluation of the institutions capacity and strength to ensure adoption of relevant and sustainable internal and exterior channels. It should adopt human resource and technical perspectives to boost efficacy. Sustainability is imperative to facilitate a lasting performance without unwarranted complications due to resource constraints.
Managers should consider the institutions operating scope, network, and aspired performance levels, including physical capacity. This is to enable integration of viable communication channels that matches available resources. Possible communication channels that institutions with growth aspirations should integrate includes the internet, media, bulletins, use of boards, newsletters, and e-mail systems.
These channels hold relevant limitations and pros thus require proper evaluation based on various dimensions. Such dimensions are effectiveness, cost efficiency, ease of use, and reliability. These elements are crucial in ensuring adoption of relevant channels that hold requisite capacity to guarantee effective internal and exterior conveyance of information to earn a competitive advantage.
Indeed, managers should acquire clear distinction between media channels that are relevant in conveying internal massages and best channels that are appropriate in relaying external information. This is crucial to ensure that right channels are adopted for relevance. For example, internal massages can be conveyed using bulletins and billboards while the use of internet and newsletters can be applied to aid exterior communication.
It is imperative to note that communication channels are vital in advancing organizations competitiveness. The channels provide viable mechanisms propel marketing and sales activities critical in advancing awareness of the institutions products, including advancement of the market share. Therefore, managers integrate superior communication channels vibrant and effective in promoting growth in institutions.
Functions of organizational communication
Organizational communication presents varied functions including conveyance of human resource policies in institutions, competitive advancement, enhancement of employee involvement, and improvement of corporate advertisement. Indeed, human resource department is a crucial department in corporations coordinating relationships and terms of engagement essential in building cohesiveness.
The department formulates and communicates working policies, guidelines, and modern interrelations geared in revolutionizing the institutions affairs. Information from the department is vital and holds the capacity of stalling performance at various levels. This is possible if poorly managed.
The author also states that earning competitive advantages is dependent on the institutions communication prowess. This is to ensure that performance policies are timely conveyed to enhance choice-making and execution of actions based on conformance ideals.
Variably, it plays a significant function of fostering employee participation in daily activities that motivates their inner ability to superior performances. Ideally, the article provides insightful information seeking to improve performance in institutions through adoption of superior communication techniques. Managers should realize the importance of establishing strong and sustainable communication channels.
Conclusion
It is imperative to conclude that communication is a central element that promotes performance and productivity in various institutions. It aids conveyance of human resources and enactment of general operational policies. These ensure timely delivery of basic information designed to boost performance.
Consequently, it enhances employees participation in policy formulation and choice-making that improves innovation and creative mindset. Communication also aids marketing and investor relations through advertisement and creation of products awareness that expands the market share leading to exemplary returns.
Managers should adopt sustainable communication channels based on the institutions capacity to ensure effectiveness. This can be achieved through proper evaluation of the existing strengths and resource availability. Clearly, the case study provides insightful information with in-depth capacity to advance competitiveness in various institutions.
In the face of competition, this report presents Vodafones strategy aimed at having a competitive advantage over its current and future competitors by adopting several measures aimed at giving consumers greater value for their money.
Michael Porter (2004) put forward two fundamental forms of competitive advantage: cost advantage and product differentiation advantage. In cost differentiation, a company lowers its product costs than the prevailing market costs for similar or related products.
However, in product differentiation, based on a market analysis, the company chooses a strategy that will give it a unique position among competitors and enable it to have an advantage over competitors.
Differentiation frequently entails delivering benefits that surpass those of the competitors, and enables it to create superior value for its customers and establish itself in the market.
In this case study, Vodafone seeks to adopt strategies for enabling a competitive advantage over its competitors but contemplates whether it should build its own network to provide the required services or provide them through partnerships and/or acquisitions.
Summary
This case study on Vodafone, the worlds largest mobile telephone operator by revenue, presents the companys strategy in its attempts to emerge out of competition from companies offering similar products in the UK home market in 2009.
During the said year, Vodafone faced competition from a number of companies in the rapidly expanding market for high-speed internet services in the home market.
The increasing demand for these products had attracted not only Vodafones traditional competitors such as British Telecom (BT), O2, and Orange, but had also drawn attention from other communication firms such as Virgin Mobile and Sky Broadcasting.
New competition also arose from arose from Carphone Warehouse and suppliers such as Nokia and Apple. Other firms were also contemplating moving into the high-speed internet services market.
Besides changes in competition, Vodafone and other providers faced challenges from rapid changes in technology and regulatory changes in the UK communications sector.
Consequently, many operators adopted their own strategies around the consumers need for converged services, meaning that companies could provide two or more services making up the quad play offered by Virgin Media (fixed line telephony, mobile telephony, television, and broadband internet).
While most of the competitors offered a combination of the services, Vodafone focused mainly on mobile services and this caused concern to both shareholders and the management. The challenge was to decide if they should provide any of the other services, and if so, should they build their own networks or through partnerships or acquisitions.
Analysis of the Major Facts
PESTEL Analysis
In order to determine the best strategy that should be adopted it is imperative that we determine the roots of the intense competition in the high-speed internet services. A PESTEL analysis shows that the source of competition in the communications sector originated from a number of macro-environmental factors.
Political factors had been due the regulatory changes undertaken by the government, specifically the Office of Communication (Ofcom).
These changes included the privatization of the national telephone company, BT, forcing it to allow access to its services at competitive rates, licensing more mobile-operators and allowing virtual operators (MVNOs), and supporting competition in television and internet sector to improve service delivery.
Economic factors arose from the global financial crisis that had heavily impacted the UK economy, just like all developed nations. The UK was expected to recover more slowly than other countries due to the important role of financial services to its economy.
Economic factors also affected sociocultural factors as it affected income distribution and spending patterns. Technological factors arose from the changes in technology with the development of internet protocol (IP) technology, emergence of new broadcasting technology, and the ongoing upgrading of speeds over fixed and mobile networks.
Environmental and Legal factors did not seem to have a significant role of the competition. In adopting a strategy to emerge out of the competition, Vodafone had to address each of these issues (Johnson et al, 2010).
Competitor Analysis
A number of competitors were already providing at least three of the four services in the high-speed internet market, however, Vodafone mainly focused on mobile telephony. Therefore, to gain an edge over its competitors, Vodafone had to adopt either the triple play of the quad play.
In order to do this, the company has to analyze its competitors and determine the methods they used to roll out their service to come up with the most cost effective method.
The fixed line telephone network had been developed by the government through BT, which had subsequently been privatized, hence BT was the initial sole operator of the fixed line telephone, however, Ofcom introduced a process referred to as local loop unbundling (LLU) which required BT to allow other operators to install their own equipment in the existing BT network to provide voice and broadband internet services to their own surrounding customers.
This meant that operators such as Vodafone could provide these services without building their own network.
Mobile telephone was Vodafones core competency, being the worlds largest mobile telephone operator by revenue, therefore, it did not require any acquisitions or partnerships to create an advantage over its competitors.
However, the failure to create a total communications strategy could lead to user migrating to other operators, especially with the introduction of number portability in 2007 and competitive approached adopted by operators.
The television segment is dominated by five public service broadcast channels: BBC1, BBC 2, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Five. These channels are supported by annual license fees and advertising.
The rest of the market is taken by multichannel operators led by BskyB, UKTV, Viacom and Virgin which are mainly supported by a mix subscription and advertisements. Ofcom reports that there were 495 channels by the end of 2008.
BBC (all channels) had a dominant share of the market with 31.8%, up 0.8% the previous year and up 1.2% in 2006, ITV and Channel 4 followed with 22.6 % and 11.7% respectively, both companies had registered growth in the past two years.
Going by this trend, the three companies, with a total share of 66.1%, will continue to dominate the market for the foreseeable future (Johnson et al, 2010).
The fourth and final section of the quad play services is broadband. Fixed broadband was available in 65% of UK homes in 2009, most of which were served by their existing phone lines using DSL technology, the rest are supplied with cable broadband.
Analysts have predicted that this figure is likely to rise with DSL technology occupying a chunk of the market. wireless broadband is also provided by all major operators through 3G cards for laptops, however, most of the users have a DSL connection and see the mobile connection as a supplement.
In addition, there are more than 12,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in early 2008, the largest operator being The Cloud (58.3%), BT Openzone (19.3%) and T-Mobile (10%) (Johnson et al, 2010).
Together, the three Wi-Fi operators have a market share of 88.2%. The growth of the broadband sector has been encouraged by local loop unbundling, consequently, the five largest providers had 91% of all connections in 2009, with BT (26%), TalkTalk (25%) and Virgin Media (23%) leading the pack.
Alternatives
Owing to its dominance of mobile telephone, Vodafone is left with the other three options (fixed line telephone, television, and broadband).
The local loop unbundling process allows companies to install their own equipment in the existing BT network to provide voice and broadband internet services to their own customers, therefore, Vodafone would only have to purchase the necessary hardware and have their fixed line telephone and broadband running, rather than build their own network, which would be very costly (Yip, 1995).
However, it could acquire Wi-Fi operators or build its own network and increase coverage in other parts of the country. The only segment that would require a major partnership or acquisition would be in television as it is dominated by three major companies.
Recommendations
After a detailed analysis of the competitors, it is observed that the most effective measure for Vodafone would be to provide a triple play strategy in which it would provide mobile telephone services, fixed line telephone, and broadband (Yip, 1995).
The company already has well-established mobile telephone network while the installation of fixed line telephone and broadband would require less capital outlay because, by using the local loop unbundling as provided by the Office of Communication, it will rely on the existing BT network.
Any product or service has to be marketed properly for it to be successful. Marketing essentially involves proper and relevant communication of the details of the product or service that has to be marketed. The term for communicating to the concerned persons, the relevant details mentioned above is marketing communications. Most of the literature on marketing communication or marcomm is with regard to products or services. But there is no reason why this concept cannot be used in the context of organizing or marketing a special event. This paper discusses the importance of marketing communication with regard to organizing special events. In the process it will also discuss the importance of using outside professional agencies for this task. It will also examine the cultural and media restraints that may come up during the process and the solutions that may be used to overcome them.
Integrated Marketing Communications
The term integrated is used here because of the availability of many mediums through which communication can be made. Unless the choice is planned or integrated, the resources of the company (in terms of time, money, and manpower) cannot be effectively utilized. In this sense integrated marketing communication can be defined as A management concept that is designed to make all aspects of marketing communication (e.g., advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing) work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation. (Advertising Terms: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), p.3).
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) has been gaining in popularity in management circles since the last decade.
Special events and integrated marketing communications
A special event can be defined as The specific rituals, presentations, performances, or celebrations that are planned and created to mark special occasions or to achieve particular social, cultural, or corporate goals and objectives. (Beech and Chadwick).
So, using integrated marketing communication for the launch of a special event is prudent and practical. Hence, a communication mix of the above mentioned mediums like advertising, sales promotions, public relations and direct marketing should be developed. For convenience sake, the special event in this context will be the launch of a product. Focusing on special events in general may make the subject too broad to handle in under 1500 words.
Many companies use events to launch their products apart from advertising. The product that is taken here is the launch of a piece of cricket sports equipment. The company that is launching the product is a well-established manufacturer in the UK and has enough financial resources to spend on a grand special event. The company also plans to use an external agency to market the event. Cricket is a sport that is not popular or even familiar in the USA where the major attractions are baseball, football, and basketball. The manufacturer intends to move one step at a time and hence will locate an area where there is a sizable amount of Indian, Pakistani and Arab population. Focus will also be given to UK and Australian citizens and immigrants. Due to its lack of popularity of cricket, there will be media and cultural restraints as well which will also be looked into.
Guiding principles of Integrated Marketing Communication
An integrated marketing plan should be guided by the eight principles given below. This can be applicable to special events as well. The first one is that all organizations should be customer-centric and not profit centric in their approach. Profits are important, but it is through customers that profit comes and hence should be the focus of attention. (Schultz and Schultz, Heidi. F 2004, p.50).
The figure below shows the difference in structure between a traditional approach and a customer-centric one.
(Schultz and Schultz, Heidi. F 2004, p.52). The next principle states that planning should be outsidein and not the inside out approach of traditional marketing. Budgets must be planned with the fact that customers are a source of income. It should focus on gaining and retaining customers. The event should be enjoyable and informative to the customer and the budget be allocated accordingly. The third principle is that there should be a total customer experience involved. The customer should be looked at in a holistic way and not just as satisfying his needs. His likes, dislikes, emotions, etc all count and should be studied from a customers point of view. The fact that an average American may not understand or like the game initially must be taken into account. The fourth principle states that there should be alignment between a customers goals and the organizations goals. In this case the customer wants enjoyment and exercise, and hence the manufacturer should focus on this aspect in order to launch his product and ultimately to make profits. The fifth principle may be the most important one in this context. It says that if the customer does not act in alignment with the companys goals (making profits by introducing the game of cricket), efforts must be made to change customer behaviour. This will be a tough but possible task for the company. This sixth principle asks companies to treat customers as assets, just like other assets of the company. They should be maintained as serviced well so that a long-term relationship will evolve. The sixth principle states that all marcom activities should be streamlined for maximising its effect. The eighth and final principle states that all the marcom activities should converge into an ideal communications mix. In other words, it should be well-integrated marketing mix.
It should be noted that even though the principles of IMC has been explained in the context of a product launch, it can be applied in any type of other special events like fundraising, brand building etc.
The communication mix or integrated marketing plan
Advertising
Advertising the event is important for its success. It can be through the audio/visual media like television, radio or the internet. Another option would be the print medium like newspapers, magazines, leaflet distribution etc. In this instance, stating that this is an event to promote cricket may not be enough. Some element of surprise or suspense should be incorporated. Maybe, a connection with baseball can be presented.
Direct marketing
This involves sales personnel approaching the customer directly. This can be done through presentations in community meetings and individual homes of the target market population. The presentation will be in one way with those who are familiar with the game. To those who do not know about cricket, a connection with baseball can be made (as mentioned above).
Public relations
This is an important concept that most organizations ignore in the case of marketing. Combining public relations with marketing will make the effort more effective.
Sales promotions
This is the most important aspect of the whole marcom plan because a lot of creativity can be incorporated here. Some of the living legends of the game can be brought during the event and the fact publicised. There could be a meeting and a friendly game between a few cricketing and baseball legends. Visitors to the event can form the rest of the eleven member team (as in cricket). There could be stalls where those unfamiliar with the game can understand the basic rules. Participants can have the chance to play the game with a baseball bat. The options for creativity are numerous and hence sales promotion will be the most important component in the communication mix.
Personal selling
This concept is also a factor in marketing communication. The organizers can make use of their contacts with friends, relatives, colleagues etc to promote the event.
Cultural and media restraints
As mentioned earlier, there will be cultural and media restraints or disinterest with regard to the game of cricket. The game was popular long ago in the country when it was actively perused by the immigrants. But interest waned and other games like baseball became more popular. There is a slow resurgence of the game and the event organizers should make the most use of some of the organizations that promote the game.
It is also a fact that the press and other mediums will only support things that hold public interest. There would be no point in perusing the press to cover the event in a big way. The first step would be to build up public interest and the rest will follow automatically. This was why sales promotion and not advertisements were given the most focus.
Outside agencies
There are advantages and disadvantages in using outside agencies to promote and conduct the event. The main disadvantage is that those agencies may not understand the business or in this case the spirit of the game. But advantages far outweigh disadvantages. They have the professional expertise and the experience in conducting such events. They also have professional artists, copywriters, architects and related personnel to do a professional job. Since the manufacturer is new to the country it would be better to appoint an outside agency to conduct and promote the event.
Conclusion
An integrated marketing plan with reference to the launch of a special event has been given here. Focus was given on a product launch associated with the game of cricket. This game is not popular in the country and may face cultural and media restraint. But a well-planned special event will be the first step in bringing slow and steady popularity to the game in the country.
Bibliography
Advertising Terms: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC). [online]. Bay Area Radio Advertising. 3. 2008. Web.
BEECH, John., and CHADWICK, Simon. The Business of Sport Management Glossary: Special Events. [online]. Pearson Education. 2008. Web.
SCHULTZ, Don. E., and SCHULTZ, Heidi. F. (2004). Guiding principle No 1: Become a Customer-Centric Organization. [online]. IMC The Next Generation. 50. Web.
SCHULTZ, Don. E., and SCHULTZ, Heidi. F. (2004). Integrated Organization. [online]. IMC The Next Generation. 52. Web.
Communication refers to the exchange of information and thoughts either through symbols or words between two or more individuals with the objective of creating a common understanding.
Alternatively, American Management Association (AMA) defines communication to include any behavior that culminates into interchange of meaning. Communication is an important component in the success of firms in different economic sectors. Debasish and Das (2009, p.13), assert that organizational communication forms the basis of a well governed firm.
Lack of a favorable communication climate within a firm can limit a firms effectiveness with which it deals with the modern complexities characterizing the business environment. Communication is inseparable from other organizational functions (Debasish & Das, 2009, p. 13).
According to Krizan, Logan and Williams (2008, p.5), a firm should have a well integrated internal and external communication networks in order to survive the competitive business environment. Communication determines the probability of a firm succeeding. For example, the success of firms day to day activities is affected by the effectiveness with which information is exchanged amongst the employees.
Some of the most common types of internal communication within firms relate to performance objectives, financial data, customer orders, employee production reports and job instructions. Through such information, the efficiency with which a firms management team makes strategic decisions is increased.
There are diverse purposes why firms should consider communications as an organizational asset. One of the purposes relates to giving instructions and guidance through which various issues should be addressed. Communication also contributes towards integration amongst the various stakeholders culminating into emergence of good inter-relationships.
There are a wide range of benefits associated with external communication. For example, an effective external communication contributes towards creation of a high goodwill. Debasish and Das (2009, p.17) are of the opinion that the image of an organization is dependent on the nature of relationship it establishes with the external environment.
In addition, it also enhances a firms continued growth and long term existence as a going concern entity. Failure to incorporate an effective external communication mechanism can result into stagnation in business growth. Boone and Kurtz (2010, p.45) assert that businesses utilize external communication as a strategy to retain their operations, maintain their market positions, to create customer relationships.
The scale of a firms external communication may either be local or international. A firms external communication may entail a wide range of issues such as making sales calls, posting employment notices, advertisements, news releases, making bank transactions and reporting to various governmental agencies.
Some external communications such as creating awareness regarding introduction of a new product in the market, undertaking plant expansion and making annual reports have a long range impact on a firm.
According to Krizan, Logan and Williams (2008, p.5), business communication is transactional in nature in that it entails establishment of a give-and-take relationship between the stakeholders (the sender and the receiver). The core objective is to establish a mutual understanding.
However, firms management teams are faced with a challenge with regard to maintenance of an effective external communication within their firms. The resultant effect is that most organizations are characterized by poor communication. This paper is aimed at conducting a comprehensive analysis of external communication.
Objectives of the study
Objectives of a study include the various goals that the researcher intends to achieve. This study is guided by three objectives as outlined below.
To conduct an analysis of the external channels of communication incorporated by organisations.
To evaluate the effectiveness with which TNT Express UAE has integrated external channels of communication.
To recommend other channels of external communication that the management team of TNT Express UAE should consider.
Research Method
Integration of an effective research design is paramount in determining the success of a particular study. In conducting this study, the researcher incorporated both primary and secondary research methods. The secondary research method used in the study entailed reviewing past literature on the topic from secondary sources of data such as books.
On the other hand, the primary research method used entailed conducting interviews with TNTs Express UAE customers and suppliers as the main respondents. The respondents were selected at random by approaching the company. The researcher designed a questionnaire which was used in interviewing the respondents. The researcher administered the questionnaire to 10 respondents.
Significance of the study
The case study will enable the researcher to determine the effectiveness with which TNT Express UAE has integrated external communication. It will also enable the management team of TNT Express UAE to understand the gaps within the organisation with regard to external communication. As a result, the study will give the management team insight on how to improve its external communication.
On the other hand, the literature review will give the researcher an understanding of the importance of external communication in the survival of a firm as a going concern entity. The review will also give the researcher an understanding of the various channels of external communication that business organisations can incorporate.
Limitations of the study
In conducting studies in different academic fields, researchers usually consider wide scopes. This increases the effectiveness of the study. However, it is difficult to address all the aspects of the study through a single study. External communication in businesses is such a wide field of study that the researcher cannot exhaust in a single study. This study is limited in that it only considers two research methods which include literature review and case study.
Literature Review
External communication is vital in the success of firms since they do not operate in a vacuum. Krizan, Logan and Williams (2008, p.5) defines external communication as the flow of work-related information between a firm and the various entities with which it interacts. In their operations, firms come into contact with a wide range of stakeholders such as suppliers, governmental agencies, the society within which it operates competitors and the media.
Therefore, establishment of an optimal external communication is paramount. There are diverse reasons why external business communication is essential as discussed herein. According Kitchen (1999, p.112), external communication contributes towards a firm establishing a sustainable and supportive relationship with the external stakeholders.
For a firm to succeed, it must integrate marketing as one of its functions. The success with which a firm undertakes its marketing activities is dependent on its effectiveness in creating market awareness. External communication also contributes towards an increment in a firms shareholders value. This arises from the fact that a positive image culminates into an improvement in the firms share price.
A rise in a firms share price culminates into a rise in the shareholders confidence pushing the firms share value further up. The resultant effect is that the shareholders wealth is maximized. Additionally, external communication contributes towards improvement in a firms credit rating. As a result, its ability to source for credit finance successfully is increased thus increasing its expansion and growth ability.
External channels of communication
There are a wide range of channels of communication that organisations use in communicating with the various stakeholders. These channels can be categorised into three groups as outlined below.
Written channels of communication.
Oral channels of communication.
Visual channels of communication.
Written channels of communication
Mass-media
This is one of the most commonly used channels of communication. There are a wide range of written channels that a firm can utilize. In undertaking their marketing role such as creating market awareness, most organisations integrate advertising as one of methods of creating awareness. According to Nurula (p. 187), organisations must employ marketing communication in order to create sufficient awareness to potential customers. To attain this, most business organisations have integrated the concept of advertising.
According to Nurula (p. 187), advertising plays a vital role in creating awareness regarding the existence of a firms product in the market. In addition, advertising contributes towards a firm being efficient in creating the intended message. For advertising to be successful, it is paramount for firms to conduct an effective identification of the target audience in order to determine the most effective channel of advertising to use.
Effective channel selection increases the prospective of the intended message reaching the target audience. Currently, businesses are faced with a wide range of channels to select from in their advertising processes. This is due to the fact that media usage has become very fragmented (Narula, 2006, p.190).
Organisations can select from mediums such as the television, radio and the print media for example magazines and newspapers. Additionally, firms can decide to incorporate outdoor channels of advertising such as by electing billboards in strategic locations such as market places, and along roads. Organisations can also decide to undertake exhibitions of its products in an effort to communicate product information to its customers.
However, in selecting their mass advertising mediums, management teams should analyse the probability of success by utilising a particular mediums. Amongst the elements that should be selected is the market coverage of the medium. Firms should select a channel that has extensive market coverage in order to reach a large number of customers.
According to Narula (2006, p.191), organisations should be creative and innovative in designing the advertisement content which includes the message. This message can either be communicated via graphics, picture images, slogans or cartoon. However, the message should be focused according to the targeted audience.
In addition to the conventional channels of external communication such as use of television, radio, use of billboards and print media, organisations should also appreciate the role of information communication technology in advertising. As a result, firms should incorporate emerging channels of advertising. One of the channels that firms should consider includes the internet. Currently, most organisations are integrating the internet as a medium to communicate to the public.
To attain this, organisations in different economic sectors are increasingly designing their own website. According to Masterman and Wood (2006, p.109), organisations can use their website to communicate to the public such as the investors, sponsors, current and potential customers on a wide range of information. The organisation can design the website in such a way that gives the customers an opportunity to select the type of information they require.
For example, some of the information which an organisation can post on its website may relate to its products. This will enable customers to understand the firms products and services. The internet increases the efficiency with which a firm communicates with the public. This arises from the fact that it is easy to update the information posted on the internet.
Masterman and Wood (2006, p.109) are of the opinion that the internet does not only enable a firm to create an efficient interaction with the customers but also other intermediaries such as the suppliers. It is vital for firms to maintain an effective communication with its suppliers. Communicating to the suppliers can enhance a firms quality of products and services.
This is due to the fact that a firm is able to give specifications on the nature of the raw materials required. Considering the complexity of the business environment, maintenance of a continuous relationship with the suppliers is an important consideration. To attain long term survival, firms it is vital for firms to undertake continuous advertising.
Business letters
According to Guffey, Rogin and Rhodes (2010, p.183), business letters are amongst the most powerful mediums through which organisations undertake external communication despite the increase in the use of emails. Guffey, Rogin and Rhodes (2010, p.183) assert that the continued utilisation of business letters arises from a number of reasons.
Firstly, it is possible to keep business letters if permanent records are required. In undertaking business transactions with various external stakeholders, most organisations require permanent records.
Business letters may contain sensitive information such as information regarding business agreements and decisions. Written communication such as use of letters can also be utilised when communicating to other intermediaries such as retailers, wholesalers and distributers.
Some of the information which may be contained in these business letters relates to incentives, order processing, special offers, product availability, contractual aspects, and delivery aspects. Written communication such as letters can be used to invite orders and communicate special offers.
Despite the increased utilisation of emails and telephone conversation in making business transactions, some important information is exchanged via business letters. Information which may be contained in business letters relate to the terms of the transaction and agreements. Such letters are filed by the parties for record purposes (Guffey, Rogin & Rhodes, 2010, p.183).
Secondly, business letters are an important in that they ensure maintenance of a high level of confidentiality. Despite integrating emerging technologies such as the emails, businesses have appreciated the challenges associated with digital communication. For example, sensitive business documents can lose their confidentiality in the course of them being transferred digitally.
As a result businesses consider using business letters in communicating to certain external stakeholders such as shareholders. Business letters have a certain level of confidentiality since they cannot be retrieved by unauthorised individuals.
Guffey, Rogin and Rhodes (2010, p.183) assert that business letters are an effective channel of external communication in that they are persuasive. A business letter can have a significant influence on the target audience. This arises from the fact that a firm takes time in organising the intended information.
Direct mails
Organisations can also integrate direct mails in communicating to their customers. Direct mails as a method of creating awareness regarding a firms products and services is commonly used when marketing to organisational customers. In this method of communication, a marketer takes promotional materials directly to the potential customer. Marketer asks the customer to respond through mail or personal visit.
According to Nurula (p. 187), direct mails are strong channel of communicating to the potential customer. This is due to the fact that, they can influence a consumer to purchase a new product introduced in the market. In marketing to organisational customers, businesses continually utilise direct-mail letters.
Annual reports
In their operations, firms are required to account to the shareholders and the public on the various issues that it has undertaken during a particular year. This form of communication is achieved by releasing annual reports. Some of the information contained in the annual report relates to the firms financial performance. Annual reports are important channel through which an organization can disclose its operations. The result is that the stakeholders level of confidence is enhanced.
Press releases
One of the ways through which a firm can enhance its relationship with the external stakeholders is by incorporating the concept of public relations. According to Kitchen (1999, p.111), public relations entail the process through which an organization maintains its reputation. Alternatively Jefkins defines public relations as the process through which an organization deals with untreated credible facts in order to eliminate any misunderstandings.
This means that the core objective of public relation in an organization is to create a high level of understanding and to influence the opinion of the public thus gaining its support. Kitchen (1999, p.111) is of the opinion that a firms ability to succeed in the long term is dependent on what the consumers think about the firm, what it says and does. This arises from the fact that a firms actions affect its reputation.
A study conducted by Mazur and White revealed that public relations should be considered as component of a firms strategic management (Kitchen, 1999, p.111). This means that firms should incorporate public relations in their financial and human resource management strategies.
According to Kitchen (1999, p.111), public relations as a form of external communication through channels such as press releases contributes towards a firms long term success by identifying and predicting issues that have a probability of affecting its relationship with external stakeholders. Public relations play a vital role in establishing cohesion with the external groups vial effective communication.
Upon identifying the external groups, an organizations public relations manager is able to determine the most effective strategies to establish and maintain communication. Kitchen (1999, p.112) asserts that public relation is an important component in the existence of an organization for a number of reasons. One of these factors relates to strategic crisis management.
Business organizations cannot rule out the probability of crisis in the process of interacting with the various external entities. In such a situation, it is paramount for firms management teams to resolve such crisis optimally in an effort to restore the organizations public image. This can be attained by integrating effective communication such as undertaking a public relations campaign.
However, the success of such public relation campaigns is dependent on the effectiveness with which the firms have established external communication with the external stakeholders. One of the ways through which a firm can retain its image is by producing information brochures or flyers. The information brochures and flyers should explain the organizations stand to the public. Additionally, public relations manager may also consider posting articles in the local dailies.
A number of firms have integrated written channels of communication in an effort to restore their image. For example, Reliance Limited which is a petrochemical firm operating in India was sued by the Indian government due to its involvement in irregular business activities within the stock market. The prosecution led into a massive decline in the firms share price arising from a decline in the shareholders confidence towards the company.
In an effort to redeem itself, the firm undertook a comprehensive public campaign to counter the governments allegations. This was attained by telling the public the truth and the facts of the matter. The campaign was successful in that the firm regained its lost confidence hence restoring the public image.
The importance of external communication in crisis management is also evident in the case of Coca-Cola and Pepsico which are multinational companies operating within the soft drink industry. In 2003, the two firms were accused by an independent public interest organization by the name Center for Science and Environment in India of selling soft drinks that were contaminated with pesticides.
CSE alleged that it had conducted a scientific analysis on the two companies soft drinks and found high levels of contamination by pesticides. The director of the independent group said that such levels of contamination could result into birth defects, cancer and also harm individuals nervous systems if consumed for a long period.
In addition to the criticism of the soft drinks by CSE, the two firms were also criticized by another public interest group by the name India Resource Center (IRC) of over consuming and polluting Indias scarce water resource (Carrol, 2009, p. 856).
IRC accused Coca-Cola of subjecting the Indian population living around its bottling plants to severe water shortages. In its opinion, IRC was of the opinion that Coca-Cola was depleting the water table. The firm was also accused of polluting the soil by distributing its solid waste to the farmers within the vicinity in which it operated as fertilizer. In 2004, the Indian parliament banned Coca-Cola from selling its soft drinks in its cafeteria.
During the same year, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the two companies to include warnings in labeling their products (Carrol, 2009, p. 856). This led into a significant decline in the firms sales in subsequent year. In an effort to regain public confidence, the two companies undertook a comprehensive public relations campaign via public announcements and press releases.
Oral channels of communication
Negotiations and round table discussions
Negotiation is an important component in business communication. Negotiations enable a firm to extend dialogue into the public realm thus attaining consensus building. According to Lerbinger (2006, p.72), negotiations as a channel of communication enables firms avoid government involvement. The objective of negotiations in organizations is to attain a win-win outcome whereby all the parties involved benefit.
In their operation, businesses encounter a wide range of situations that require negotiation. According to Chaturvedi and Mukesh (n.d, p.194), negotiations may be utilized in the event of problems that are not easily resolved by one individual.
Through negotiations, it is possible to overcome the disagreements. However, negotiations are only possible if the involved parties are willing to negotiate. Businesses can utilize negotiations in case of conflicts with external parties such as the society in which they operate. By communicating with the society members, a firm positions itself in the society as a responsible business entity. In their operation, organizations are required to engage themselves with corporate social responsibility.
This entails helping the members of the society within which they operates by engaging themselves with certain projects. To be effective in their corporate social responsibility, organizations should engage the society leaders in negotiations so as to determine the most appropriate social project to invest in.
There are two forms of negotiations that an organization can adopt. These include formal and informal negotiations. In formal negotiations, the parties involved stipulate the agenda and arranges a meeting. The parties involved are also assigned specific roles. For example, one of party may put forward the reasons for the negotiation while the second party makes the suggestions.
The third party may evaluate whether there are any omissions in an effort to ensure success of the negotiation. Formal negotiations are possible to undertake in that the parties have sufficient time to analyze the situation. On the other hand, informal negotiations are casual in nature in that there are no formal arrangements.
Exhibitions and trade fairs
According to Blythe (2005, p.578), a significant proportion of businesses integrate trade fairs and exhibitions in their marketing processes. However, there are number of debates over the effectiveness of trade fairs and exhibitions in communicating to the public. Most scholars argue that trade fairs and exhibitions are not effective when compared to advertising. This is due to the fact that only a small percentage of prospective customers attend the exhibitions and trade fair hence accessing the information.
Despite this Blythe (2005, p.578) is of the opinion that exhibitions are most common in business-to-business transactions. This arises from the fact that they give marketers an opportunity to interact with prospective customers. Trade fairs and exhibitions are usually organized on an international scale. Therefore, utilizing this channel of market communication can contribute towards a firm expanding its market coverage by meeting customer from different countries.
Blythe further asserts that trade fairs and exhibitions give the customer and the seller an opportunity to develop their relationship. He cites the relaxed environment in which the two parties interact as the contributing factor. Trade fairs and exhibitions are an important channel through which a firm can attract organizational customers.
This arises from the fact that most of the individuals who patronize the fairs and exhibitions are administrators of organizations in different capacities (Blythe, 2005, p.578).
Audiovisual and digital channels of communication
There are different types of audio-visual and digital channels of communication. The main common forms include use of videos, faxes, weblogs, websites, telephone and emails.
Case Study of TNT Express U.A.E
TNT Express U.A.E was established in 1946. The firm operates as a multinational company with its headquarters located in Dubai. In its operation, TNT Express provides delivery services of document, parcels and freight shipment to its customers who are distributed in more than 200 countries. The firm serves its customers through road and air.
To attain its goals, the firms management team ensures that it has all the necessary resources. Currently, the firms human resource base is composed of more than 75,000 employees who are distributed in the 200 countries (TNT Express UAE, 2011, para.2).
To be effective in its logistics, TNT Express UAE has a fleet of 47 aircrafts and more than 25,000 vehicles. All the firms operations are guided by clearly stipulated missions that entail ensuring that it exceeds the customers expectations with regard to delivery of documents and other goods.
To attain this, TNT Express has incorporated an effective delivery network that entails door-to-door service. Decision to incorporate door-to-door strategy in its delivery network arose from the firms intention to deal with the daily challenges that it encounters. Since its inception in 1946, TNT Express U.A.E has developed delivering expertise. Currently the firm has emerged as the leader in express delivery services (TNT Express UAE, 2011, para.2-6).
The firms management team is also committed towards ensuring that its service delivery contributes towards a high level of customer satisfaction. This is inline with its mission of delivering value to its customers and instilling pride (TNT Express UAE, 2011, para.2).
One of the ways through which the firm has attained this is by being committed towards establishment of a strong and long term relationship with its customers. To attain this, TNT Express UAE ensures that the customers products are handled with a high level of care.
In order to create customer satisfaction, the firm has incorporated a number of standards that guide all its employees. Some of these standards include ensuring honesty, operating as a team and being passionate towards the customers In addition, the firm also ensures that the customers receive their parcels and documents being delivered in time.
In its operation, TNT Express UAE has integrated a number of external communication channels. Ninety percent of the respondents interviewed said that TNT Express UAE issues press releases and statements frequently through its press office. As a result, its customers are able to receive the required information.
The press releases and statements enable TNT Express UAE to provide journalists with information on various issues that are requested by the public. The resultant effect is that the firm is able to communicate effectively with the various external stakeholders who require the company information.
Considering the intensity of competition within the industry, TNT Express UAE has appreciated the importance of developing a strong relationship with organisational customers. To attain this, the firm has integrated the use direct mail in communicating to the customers.
Seventy five percent of the respondents interviewed said that the firm sends business letters and direct mails from time to time. As an external channel of communication, the use of direct mail have been efficient for the firm considering that it is mainly involved in business-to-business transactions.
TNT Express has also incorporated non-conventional channels of external communication one of them being the use of digital channels. Seventy percent of the respondents cited the website as one of the most effective digital communication that TNT Express UAE utilizes. TNT Express UAE has designed a website through which it provides information to external stakeholders.
Through the website, the firm posts diverse company information and news. Some of the information which the company provides through the website relates to the services that the firm offers. TNT Express offers a compressive set of services.
Some of the main types of information provided relate to express delivery services, outsourcing services, special services, electronic services, industry solutions and shipping information. The firm continuously updates its website in an effort to ensure that the external stakeholders receive the most recent company information (TNT Express UAE, 2011, para.6).
Eighty five percent of the respondents interviewed said that TNT Express UAE has established a contact helpdesk through which the customers can make enquires. These respondents said that the helpdesk is effective in that it is electronic in nature. As a result, customers send their inquiries to a specific email. Through the helpdesk, customers can inquire about the delivery status of their consignments and other booking inquiries.
In addition, the firm has also provided the public with a telephone number which they can call and seek assistance by speak to a customer care agent. In addition, fifty percent of the respondents interviewed said that the firm holds negotiations and discussions in order to establish a common position in case of certain situations.
Ninety percent of the respondents interviewed said that TNT was relatively effective in utilising emerging information communication technologies. They said that TNT Express has incorporated electronic commerce as an external channel of communication so as to maintain a good relationship with its customers. Currently, it is possible for customers to manage their shipments online through their mobile phones and personal computers.
Additionally, TNT Express UAE has also integrated emerging Express Import systems. The system enables TNT Express UAE customers to have absolute control of their delivery. By utilising this technology, it will be possible for customers to order imports according to their desired terms. For example, customers can be able to make payment using their local currency.
The companys Express Import System also enables consumers to attain information on when their deliveries will arrive. The system is highly automated in that it creates a link between the seller and importing customer by sending an automatic email.
The non-conventional channels which are supported by emerging information communication technologies have been very efficient compared to the conventional means. For example, by utilising its company website in communicating to the external stakeholders, the firm has been able to communicate to a large number of individuals more cost effectively. The company is also able to update the website more efficiently.
Conclusion
The analysis has illustrated that there are a wide range of external communication channels that an organisation can utilise. The two main categories of communication channels that firms integrate include the conventional channels and the non-conventional channels. In its operation, TNT Express UAE has integrated both conventional and non-conventional channels. Some of the main conventional methods of communication integrated by the firm include use of business letters, direct mails, telephone and negotiation.
In addition, the firm also utilises information communication technologies such as use of emails. However, the research findings of the study indicate that there is a gap in the firms external communication using non-conventional channels. This is due to the fact that the firm has not utilised digital communication channels exhaustively.
Recommendations
In addition to its Express Import System, the firms management team should also consider incorporating emerging social communication technologies.
Some of the technologies that the management team should consider include use of social networking tools such as Blogs, Wikis, You Tube and Facebook. Through these tools, TNT Express UAE will be able to able to communicate effectively to the various stakeholders.
Currently, a significant proportion of external business stakeholders are increasingly utilising emerging social networking tools. By integrating these tools, TNT Express UAE will not only be effective in communicating with the public but also in interacting with the public.
Currently, the firms interaction capacity through communication is limited. Incorporating the social communication tools will attract a large number of potential customers. The social networking tools act a platform through which interaction occurs. For example, by developing a Blog and a Wiki, it will be possible for the public to post their opinions regarding the firms operation.
This arises from the fact that a large number of customers are integrating social communication tools in their consumption behaviour. Therefore, it is paramount for the firm to move with the market trend. As a result, the firm will be in a position to identify the areas of its operation in which improvement is necessary.
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I negotiated with the chief executive officer, the supervisor, and myself over employment in the textile industry. This is because I had applied for a job, and the organization had invited me for an interview. The primary concerns were the start-up salary and the additional incentives that came with that position. The fact that I could listen to the CEOs opinion, understand the key issues and formulate a good response made the negotiation effective. Additionally, I was pleased with the incentives offered, which contributed to the efficaciousness of the output produced by the organization for marketing.
Basic Communication Model
Interaction and transmission are the primary communication model in our negotiation. This is because I got to interact with the chief executive officer and explain why I needed the salary to be increased a little bit. The transmission model of communication was used while sending the curriculum vitae through the mail from me to the CEO through mediums such as the supervisor (Miller, 2020). The textile organization was the receiver of my curriculum vitae, and I acted as the sender of it. This was via an email and telephone call to verify the qualification after the interview. Maintaining eye-to-eye contact with each other and the jovial facial expression created a rapport with me and the CEO and boosted my confidence during the negotiation period.
Feedback methods
Some feedbacks used in the negotiation process include coaching and recognition feedback. The feedbacks have been helpful because, for example, coaching feedback has been used to unlock my potential as an employee in working with the organization while using my skills (Toton, 2020). Here the employer has shown me how things are done and strategies to implement for the organizations effectiveness and marketing. The recognition feedback has been used to appreciate and align me with which roles I should conduct in the organization.
Active listening
During the negotiation, active listening has been an essential aspect of communication. It attributed to the well-built, strong relationship between the CEO and me (Voss, 2019). We used active listening, which helped us correlate with each other and understand what the CEO was telling me. This helped in enhancing a reasonable negotiation between the parties involved. The CEO used inattentive listening while we were negotiating, thus making him inattentive and unfocused. This was attributed to some conduct being detected during the negotiation period. I noted some of these behaviors were the CEOs ignorance, which made the negotiation difficult.
The listening skills displayed in this scenario contributed to the positive outcome of the negotiation. The eye-to-eye contact between the parties involved helped in the discussion. This enabled good discussion, and the excellent turning of conversations helped maintain a reasonable dialogue between the parties (Gordon, 2022). Therefore, when listening with the goal of understanding, the brain and senses are more actively engaged. To truly understand someone, pay attention to details that will enable you to view the world from their point of view. Along with the words ones opponent is communicating, try to comprehend the mental pictures, the emotions driving their decisions, and the anxieties influencing their opinions. If you understand how the environment seems and feels from their perspective, you may be proactive with tactical empathy to reduce downsides and win their trust.
Organizational communication may be regarded as an indispensable and critical tool for a companys performance. Without the development of efficient policies, procedures, and strategies for organizational communication, there will be no understanding of how tasks should be completed. In other words, communication holds organizational processes together, builds trust between employees, contributes to corporate goals achievement, provides opportunities for professional and personal growth, and allows to avoid misunderstanding and conflicts. Thus, communication among teams should be regulated and facilitated by an efficient managerial communication strategy to improve workers productivity and create a companys competitive advantages.
Peculiarities of a Companys Communication
First of all, in order to develop a plan, it is essential to define the peculiarities of a company that determine the features of its employees communication. Thus, the plan is required for a virtual company that operates in the sphere of online education. In particular, it focuses on the creation of content for people who wants to improve their habits and have a more healthy lifestyle. All materials are created through the collaboration of teams of nutritionists, fitness instructors, scientists, activists, and coaches who inspire customers to change their lives, consult on dieting and exercising, and create educational materials available online. All staff members work remotely either from their homes or in corporate offices in different locations. In this case, effective communication becomes even more important for the coordination of the activities of people who do not have an opportunity to meet each other regularly.
Policies for Oral, Written, and Non-Verbal Communications
In general, both verbal, including oral and written messaging, and non-verbal communications allow managers and employees to express themselves. At the same time, while people create messages on the basis of their individual values and norms determined by their culture, it is essential to make sure that these messages correspond to the norms of the organizational culture as well. In relation to the company under analysis, its values include mutual respect, politeness, tolerance to others peculiarities, needs, and ideas, cooperation for goal achievement, absence of silos, and focus on the results. Thus, policies for different types of communication may be presented in the following way:
Oral Communication (Identified policies allow to transmit information or express an opinion in a time-sensitive manner with respect to all parties included).
Think before speaking
Speak with confidence
Be concise and clear
Do not hesitate to ask questions if information is unclear to avoid misunderstanding
Listen actively, carefully, and attentively
Consider the audiences peculiarities to avoid unintentional offending
Consider your vocal tone and articulation
Avoid jokes when opponents are not familiar enough
Written Communication. In general, the company allows to use two types of written communication. In formal communication used for formal emails for managers, reports, and memorandums, specific forms and templates should be considered. However, employees may use informal messaging within teams and for communication with managers for the provision of feedback and expressing ideas as well, especially when the tools for instant messaging are applied. In this case, there are no specific rules for informal communication except for showing respect to opponents and prohibition of offensive expressions.
Non-Verbal Communications. In relation to non-verbal communication, general rules are applied as well. Thus, it is important to pay attention to body language in order to avoid potentially offensive gestures or express disrespect. While honesty is appreciated, it is better to express dissatisfaction clearly, respectfully, and in oral or written communications. In addition, appearance may be regarded as another type of non-verbal communication due to its ability to convey messages in general, the company does not have a particular dress code as employees performance and comfort for its improvement are valued most of all. At the same time, clothes should not bear any offensive messages, for instance, in images or inscriptions, as well.
Procedures for Communications
As previously mentioned, both formal and informal communications are used in the company. On the one hand, its managers consider specific standards that allow to enhance discipline and create competitive advantages. That is why the company applies the rules of formal communication in official written documents, formal emails, and presentations during annual check-ins or projects introductions and completions. On the other hand, managers value mutual trust and respect along with employees creativity, safety, and comfort. Thus, they pay particular attention to informal communication and activities that allow to improve the working environment and create a sense of unity and belonging.
The companys values substantially impact its communication-related processes, including decision-making and conflict management. In particular, decisions are majorly made with particular attention to employees attitudes to their rationale, and workers may express their opinions directly to managers. In addition, while information concerning changes is disseminated officially, rejections are addressed individually with respect to individuals concerns. Individuality is considered in the case of conflict management as well regardless of a conflicts reason, including communication gap, task conflicts, differences in working styles, and personal misunderstanding, the resolution requires addressing both parties and the working environment in general. In other words, if a conflict occurs between two employees due to misunderstanding, their positions may be assessed, and solutions may be provided through informal communications. However, if conflicts occur frequently, the procedures of communication in the whole company should be reviewed and improved.
Processes and Tools
For formal communication, phone calls, emails, and video-conferencing should be used, and their duration depends on tasks and their completion. On average, team leaders may present official reports to managers via emails and using web conferencing platforms, such as Skype, GoToMeeting, or Zoom every week to demonstrate the progress. Moreover, departmental managers may make scheduled calls via these platforms as well to assign tasks and control their completion. In addition, phone and video calls should be used in the case of an emergency or when information transition is urgent.
At the same time, multiple tools for informal and semi-formal communications between team members and managers should be used on a daily basis. They include web conferencing platforms, communication platforms for instant messaging, such as Google Hangouts, Flock, Slack, or Viber, and asynchronous tools, like wikis, SharePoint, and discussion threads. In addition, employees may use an inner social platform or be united at popular social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. In other words, they should have an opportunity to communicate with each other in the workplace, discussing tasks and coordinating activities in their own comfortable manner, and outside the working place, sharing news, ideas, opinions, and jokes to create valuable and efficient collaboration on the basis of mutual trust and respect (Forbes Business Council, 2021). Moreover, managers should use available tools for both formal and informal communications with their teams to ensure that workers feel secure and valued as they have an opportunity to contribute to the companys growth and development through the expression of their opinions through different channels and they will not be ignored or disrespected.
Conclusion
Organizational communication is an essential element of any companys performance for the coordination of organizational processes. It contributes to the creation of competitive advantages, the improvement of employees productivity, and the avoidance of misunderstanding that may lead to conflicts. The current communication plan describes the policies of both verbal and non-verbal communications, introduces procedures, and addresses communication tools essential for the coordination of virtual teams and the cooperation of their members.
