Communication in Organizations

Conventionally, companies have used performance measures to evaluate the success of their firms. For years, the performance assessment was primarily focused on financial metrics. However, organizations began changing by disintegrating ownership and management at the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently, business owners developed return of investment metrics to determine managers' performance. In this regard, effective internal and external communication improves company performance hence the need to investigate the various tools or methods organizations use to enhance them and ensure the company's long-term sustainability. 

Organizations use various tools and methods to enhance internal communications. Internal communications involve exchanging information within the firm through telephone, personal contact, intranet, and email. Email correspondence is a standard internal communications tool as each employee has a business email address. It is also a social capital that allows employees to work across departments, informs them of relevant information within the organization, and improves interaction in the workplace. Staff meetings are a form of face-to-face interaction that helps exchange information and coordinate company activities. Additionally, they can be scheduled through email (Alshawabkeh et al., 2018). Various online tools, including Google calendar and Google drive, are also vital for effective information exchange and coordination of company activities. Internal company communications can also be done through the intranet, a private internet-enabled network that centralizes internal communications by allowing the staff to share, gather, and access information. Although the platform can inform an employee of unfolding events in the organization, it also has dedicated sections that help them access relevant information (Nedumaran and Rani, 2021). This platform is beneficial as it increases collaboration, makes files easily accessible by hosting them and ensures the close community can share files without worrying that outsiders can access this information. These tools and methods strengthen the company’s internal communications, positively affecting external communications.

External communications help companies communicate brand objectives, personality, and innovations to the customers. It is done through networking strategies, advertising, and presentations (Lalić et al., 2020). Advertising helps companies connect with the audience. Emails are an advertisement tool that enables companies to showcase new offers to clients, build long-term relationships with stakeholders, and boost sales (Alshawabkeh et al., 2018). Additionally, companies can use television advertisements to make clients aware of their product before email marketing, where the company can exploit its niche. In contrast, presentations are the tools companies use to communicate with suppliers, investors, and shareholders. They complement marketing and include slides, sales material, presentations, and many more. On the other hand, networking strategies help firms strengthen their external connections and are mostly done online in the digital age (Lalić et al., 2020). The online networking strategies include connections to public relations companies, social media influencers, and news outlets. Seminars and events are also great external communications networking tools. External communication is thus vital in exposing customers to the company’s goods and services; hence it is vital for a company’s long-term survival.

Effective internal and external communication is vital for a business's long-term and short-term growth; hence, investigating various ways to improve them is vital. For example, organizations use emails, intranet, and online tools to facilitate internal communication. In contrast, companies use networking, advertisement, and presentations in their external communications to stakeholders and customers. Implementing these systems ensures information flow and the seamless flow of company processes. It also enables employees to be aware of every aspect and process in the company, increasing their engagement and improving how they interact with the customers. By having more information, they are better suited to suggest improvement ideas and improve their customer service, improving customer satisfaction and the business's revenue.

References

Alshawabkeh, A., Razmak, J., Qasim, A. and Kharbat, F., 2018. Enhancing internal communication in organisations using enterprise social networking. International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 15(1), p.72. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322186838_Enhancing_internal_communication_in_organisations_using_enterprise_social_networking.

Lalić, D., Stanković, J., Gračanin, D. and Milić, B., 2020. New technologies in corporate communications. Proceedings on 25th International Joint Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management – IJCIEOM, pp.374-380. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340074709_New_Technologies_in_Corporate_Communications.

Nedumaran, G. and Rani, C., 2021. A study on impact of e-HRM activities in the company’s growth. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, [online] 11. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rani-Chittiveli/publication/351023447_Impact_Factor_7188_ZENITH_International_Journal_of_Multidisciplinary/links/607ffece2fb9097c0cf9766f/Impact-Factor-7188-ZENITH-International-Journal-of-Multidisciplinary.pdf> [Accessed 27 July 2022].