Communication is a vital aspect of the success of every organization. The manner in which the top management of a company communicates to the junior staff and vice versa will influence the outcome (Eunson, 2012, p. 5). Good communication improves the worker’s efficiency and morale. Understanding both the verbal and non-verbal cues is critical in ensuring passage of the proper message. When the message is distorted, there is a high likelihood of missing the main point hence the failure of the organization (Hargie, 2016, p. 2017). Woolworths Group Limited is one of the leading Australian companies that has invested heavily in proper communication strategies. As such, this has seen the company expand and become competitive globally.
On the other hand, MeatPack is an Australian food-processing company located in Sydney. It has been in operation for more than 27 years, but it has reached greater levels because of its poor communication strategies. This paper, therefore, discusses the strategies that Woolworths uses to enhance their communication within the organization, the causes of poor communication skills in MeatPack, and recommendations to enhance effective communication.
Woolworths understands the significance of effective business communication. Within the organization, the top officials have implemented techniques that allow smooth flow of information from the senior management to the junior employees and vice versa. They have effective internal communication through which the employees are free to express themselves to the top management without fear of intimidation. Many of the business fails because the junior staff feels inferior to their seniors thereby affecting their efficiency in their job delivery (Chang, 2016, p. 75). However, if the workers are allowed to give out their ideas and get involved in the general working of the business, then they feel part of the team. Hence their effectiveness in service delivery improves.
Similarly, they have implemented external publications whereby the communication with their customers and other stakeholders such as investors is monitored closely. They have understood that how you sell yourself to the outside market will determine the amount of revenue you will obtain. For instance, when the majority of the online users attacked Woolworths for the billboard they had erected labeling doughnuts as fresh food along the Warrego Highway nearby Ipswich, they immediately responded by letting the public know they would pull the billboard down with immediate effect. Many people recommended the organization for acting quickly and averting this disaster that could significantly damage their reputation. Also, their ability to listen to the criticism and responses of their customers is commendable. It’s through active listening that the company can understand the needs, wants, and preferences of their customers, hence respond appropriately (Eunson, 2012, p. 19).
Woolworths has also invested in developing effective decision-making processes through appropriate systems of governance for corporate sustainability (Klettner, Clarke, and Boersma, 2014, p. 147). They have an active Board of Directors that tackle the crucial issues affecting the company. Therefore, they communicate to the rest of the staff on the decisions arrived at and how they can be implemented. They also carry out regular consultations with the stakeholders regarding several areas that affect business operations such as human rights, environment, anti-corruption, and labor. It has adopted effective management systems whereby there is an allocation of responsibilities and accountability for every staff (Klettner, Clarke, and Boersma, 2014, p. 155). The staff as well are trained in how to raise any issue arising within the organization without causing more harm. Such include communication channels such as the whistleblower mechanism and grievances mechanisms for seeking advice or reporting concerns. When a company creates a friendly environment between the junior and senior staff, and they can express their complaints when they occur without fear, it allows the top management to understand the underlying issues affecting the business hence respond before the problem escalates (Eunson, 2012, p. 45).
It is crucial to ensure that there is no communication breakdown between the senior leaders and the junior staff. In the event, such a scenario happens, every business operation will be affected. For instance, if the passage of information from the top management is received wrongly by the junior workers, there will be a considerable resistance happening from underground (Quirke, 2017, p. 23). The officials may fail to understand the reason behind it not realizing there was a breakdown of communication somewhere. This scenario was experienced at MeatPack when the top officials tried to introduce a new system of business management. The workers didn’t understand the new structure and the leaders never bothered to explain. When some staff members raised this concern during the annual general meeting, the manager never answered satisfactorily frustrating the members the more.
The opposition that is experienced in organizations when the leaders are implementing a new policy or strategy arises mainly from the fact that the junior staffs were not involved during the making of the decisions. It’s crucial to collaborate and coordinate with all the workers while bringing a change in the organization (Cummings and Worley 2014, p. 9). Although the final decision should be left in the hands of the leaders, it’s important to listen to the ideas of the rest of the staff. By doing so, it will allow the change to be accepted quickly. The MeatPack, however, failed to incorporate other employees in effecting change. Hence they were faced with resistance.
The problems encountered at the MeatPack originates from the fact that there is no transparency and accountability in the communication process amongst the workers. For instance, the strategy team that the Manager-Bison formed is not known which brought uncertainties within the team members. They never understood their part fully in the team. Also, it is hard for the employees to enumerate the exact roles and position help by the strategy team in the company as well as functions of the senior leadership. The junior staff fears questioning the top management even though they don’t understand the information passed. Also, it was not clear whom they were accountable to among the leaders. Such issues affect negatively the operations of the business leading to failure of the organization in the long-run (Thøger, 2002, p. 164).
MeatPack is made of workers from diverse cultural backgrounds. The majority of the employees come from different countries. As such, cross-cultural clashes are experienced due to lack of understanding one another. Introduction of a new strategy is usually faced with many challenges due to the composition of people from different culture. Therefore, it essential to adopt proper policies that will bridge the gap between these workers.
Management of an organization is critical in its success. Since the majority of the employees are of a different culture, it’s essential to determine the management style to be used. For instance, the use of hands-on approach in leading an organization allows smooth flow of information either downwards or upwards (Giessner and Wong, 2016, p. 11). The leaders interact with the junior staff in their day-to-day activities, thereby leading as compared to managing. Based on the 21st VUCA business model (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity), the Leader-Manager approach is ideal compared to Manager-Leader approach (Nandram and Bindlish, 2017, p. 3). Therefore, when the leaders engage in leading rather than managing, then other staff feel accommodated thereby improving their productivity (Algahtani, 2014, p. 75). Establishing a culture of accountability also is vital in enhancing the performance of the company. For instance, the adoption of the Rockefeller Habits Model that stresses on accountability or rhythm, strategic goals (priorities), and performance feedback (data), will go a long way in ensuring accountability and transparency in the flow of information (Harnish, 2002, p. 2).
The people working for the MeatPack company are from diverse cultural backgrounds. In such a company, the top management needs to be very careful about how they handle these people to avoid interfering with their cultural beliefs. The Hofstede’s model discusses different dimensions of culture change and how they influence organization performance in the long-run (Fang, 2003, p. 351). The MeatPack company used to have a hierarchical organizational setting (high-power distance) whereby the superiors have an authoritarian decision-making style. However, it is crucial to employ a low power-distance setting whereby the employees will feel part of the decision-making process (Khatri, 2009, p. 3). Given that the composition of workers at the MeatPack, it is very tough to determine the uncertainty avoidance since every community responds to uncertainty differently. However, the workers value collectivist culture whereby everyone is involved in the operations of the business. They also prefer a feminine culture where there is cooperation between the staff and the leaders as well a high long-term orientation culture (Triandis, 2018, p.65). The implication of this model shows that even though people come from different cultures, they can co-exist, work together, resolve problems, and produce excellent results
Conclusion
Effective communication determines whether one will close a deal in the business negotiation or not. It’s through effective communication that a good working relationship is established within the organization. It’s crucial for every company to implement appropriate communication strategies that will allow smooth flow of information, and hence improve productivity. Failure to do so will lead to conflicts within the organization due to communication breakdown and distortion of information.
References
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Chang, J.F., 2016. Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. Auerbach Publications, pp. 1-254.
Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., 2014. Organization development and change. Cengage learning, pp. 1-243.
Eunson, B., 2012. Communicating in the 21st Century, Google eBook. John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-349.
Fang, T. (2003). A critique of Hofstede’s fifth national culture dimension. International journal of cross cultural management, 3(3), pp. 347-368.
Giessner, S. and Wong, S., 2016. The fine line between hands-on and hands-off leadership. RSM Discovery-Management Knowledge, 25(1), pp.11-13.
Hargie, O., 2016. The Importance of Communication for Organizational Effectiveness. May?s, 2, pp. 2017.
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Quirke, B., 2017. Making the connections: using internal communication to turn strategy into action. Routledge, pp. 1-327.
Thøger, C.L., 2002. Corporate communication: the challenge of transparency. Corporate communications: an international journal, 7(3), pp.162-168.
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