CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Communication is very important to the existence of human organization. The environment in which organization operate today is complex and comprises physical, cultural psychosocial, economics, legal, political, technical and other characteristics.

It is in this environment that all organization must operate their business. They must among other analysis the character of economics and social problem and acknowledge that their policies are adopted and administered in a political system where concentration of power and self-interest has to be tacked.

In addition, good communication network in the form of postal and telecommunication has been interpreted by various meaning. Some regard it as message itself. Some feel it is the channel along which the message is passed while other term it as the cut off message, passing communication can therefore be rightly defined as the process by which information is passed between individual or organization by means of a previously agreed method (either verbal or written). In everyday life one seeks information from or passes information to them. This communication can be verbal (face to face or telephone). Written (letter, memos, reports etc) or mechanical (seconding original documents instead of transmitting the message in them). The most vital means of receiving or sending information is oral communication.

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Osiegbu (1983:40) said that the factors that contribute to failure in implementation of organizational objectives include lack of clarity of purpose and failure in understanding of objective policies and tasks at any level by any group or individual. Failure in communication or perception clashes of interest of value, gap between anticipated and actual event, degree of flexibility and capacity of organization to respond to the unexpected all those by no means are possible constraints to organizational intention but the major concern here is the breakdown in management function due to no communication. In other word how “effective communication improves managerial performance”.

Communication function is the means by which organized activity is unified. The means by which social input are fed into the social systems or organization, the means by which behaviour is modified, change is effected, information is made productive and goals are achieved, be it business, the military, the government and so on.

In a similar form, communication relates to exchange of facts, opinion or emotions by two or more persons in an organization. It could be word, letters, symbols or messages in a way that one-organization member shares meaning and understanding with another. On the other hand management is the managing of a complex system of men, machine, money and the physical structure whose effective coordination is necessary in the production of a product or service that have economic value to the society. The practice of management also rest to a large extent on the role or part which individuals and

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groups in the organization play and of course the way their activities are harmonized.

Human beings are essentially crucial for the development growth and success of any organization for it is the human beings that get things done. The practice of management involve taking charge and streamlining the activities of organization member to ensure that as far as possible desired objective are active.

The activities are carried out by human being (personnel) and physical factors involve the equipment, tools and other material factors used to aid the achievement of the desired objective.

Effective organization performance is realized when all persons and resources are synchronized, balanced and given direction whether managerial job is accounting, selling, designing, engineering, the managers effectiveness depends on his ability to listen and to read, or his ability to speak or write. He needs skill in his thinking across to other people as well as skill on finding and what other people are after.

This implies that communication is needed to convey information necessary for the ongoing operation, and that it can have effect on the attitudes of people on the organization. Therefore communication is essential for both internal and external functioning of the enterprises because it integrates the managerial function. It needs internally, include to develop plans for their achievement, to organize resource in the most effective and efficient way to

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select develop and appraise members of the organization to lead, direct, motivate and create climate in which people want to contribute and to control performance. It needs externally include, on the other hand the following first and foremost. It is through information exchange that the managers become aware of the needs of customer, aware of the availability of supplies, the claims of stockholder, the regulation of government and the concerns of the community.

In this way, the manager is aware of his opportunities and threats on his surrounding environment and therefore knows his does and don’t e.g he then knows whether to recruit staff or not, other managerial decision.

The importance of communication cannot be over-emphasized. It can be compared to the blood that runs through the veins and arteries of human body because the function of integration, maintained, orientation, decision making and the growth of organization member are performed through it.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The environmental of managing may differ between large and small business, between business and other kinds of organized enterprises and between differing cultures in areas of economic and social development.

The researcher therefore believes that managerial functions are basically the same but at various degree of performance. The researcher wants to examine how effective communication holds the key to improved managerial

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performance. Individuals with little or no qualifications find themselves holding managerial positions in a company. This lack of a competence leads to wrong decision making especially when subordinates are not consulted.

Organizations also have some complicated chain of command, difficult and most times the chain of command is not strictly adhered to, the company as such have overlapping authorities and responsibilities as subordinates become accountable to more than one superior.

Also most companies lack intra-communication facilities like intercoms and memos. This leads to ignorance on the part of the subordinate, about the aim and the objective of the company as well as the standard expected of them.

This could lead to liaises-faire attitude to work, which is harmful to the growth and progress of the company. As a result of all the above problems discussed, the researcher intends to help such companies by elaborating on how effective communication can improve their performance.

1.3       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

(1)             To describe the communication system in an organization.

(2)             To develop a model of the communication process.

(3)             To explain how communication improves managerial performance.

(4)             To identify barriers and breakdowns in the communication system.

(5)             To suggest approaches and techniques to improve the communication system.