CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Communication is a many-sided phenomenon that means different things to different people. It is a process of a means of access to the mind or thought of another. According to Kramer (1999), communication can also be seen as a reduction of uncertainty, thus, communication is an exchange of meanings Accordingly, for organizations and humans as a social being, communication has a vital importance, whether pros or cons are an inseparable piece of life and also it has an important role on all activities aimed at gaining organizational objectives.
Today, however, more and more workers find out that an important aspect of their work is communication which is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the receiver that leads to effective and efficient work performance in an organization because it’s the essence of management. Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling. Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly, leaders as managers must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team goals.
Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication. Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers. Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral communication is not feasible. Organization managers use effective communication strategies to develop a supportive work environment that fosters organizational success and performance (Keyton 2013). Managers spend more than 75% of their work time actively communicating with employees (Farahbod, Salimi, & Dorostkar, 2013).
According to Bass (1985), employees choose to perform tasks out of identification with the managers or with the organization’s goals and objectives. This relationship results in the employee’s basic agreement with the norms to which they are required to perform. Thus, the flow of communication can create identification with workers internalizing desirable values, as regarding an organizations goals and objective. However, better performance can be achieved only when there is a reasonable level of expectation-fit and when the social exchange between managers and employees is fair and equal (Wang 2005). Within the perspective of human resource management, it has often been theorized that employees‟ knowledge, abilities and skills will enable them to be good performers when they are hired. Thus, the management must gear its policies and objectives in such a manner that employees perform their work and do their assigned task.
To develop a communication strategy, employers should begin with linking communication to the strategic plan, including the organization’s mission, vision and values; its strategic goals and objectives; and its employment brand. HR professionals may initially think of communication mainly in the context of delivering messages to employees about business issues, policies and procedures, but two-way communication plays an essential role in a comprehensive communication strategy. Listening to employee issues and concerns builds loyalty and improved productivity.
Organizational leaders can learn through listening about issues or concerns before they become formal grievances or lawsuits. They can also discover potential employee relations issues and learn about attitudes toward terms and conditions of employment.
In recent times, Innoson manufacturing company adopts the appropriate global approach to communication which includes: global system mobile (GSM), online transaction via the internet, advertising over the media and other means.
This is why the researcher intends 7to find out the best communication strategies that will enable Innoson Manufacturing Company in Nnewi Anambra State to indicate where the company wants to go or be and help them achieve their corporate goals.
The concept of communication strategies can be based on the corporate communication, public relations and management communication practiced as a strategic management function.
These help the organization to adopt to its environments by achieving a balance between commercial imperatives and socially acceptable behavior; it also identifies and manages issues within and outside the organization to ensure that the company and the communication goals are aligned to societal and the organizational values and norms.
Communication strategy management is conceptualized as the systematic planning and realization of information flow, communication media development and image care in a long term horizon. It conveys deliberate messages through the most suitable media to the designated audience at the appropriate time to contribute to and achieve the desired long term effect. Communication strategy is a process creation. It has to bring three factors together into balance: the message, the media channel and the audience.
Communication strategy is also a functional strategy providing focus and direction to the communication function. This can be facilitated by a practitioner performing the role of the communication manager at the functional organization level.
It is the outcome of a strategic thinking process by senior communication top managers taking strategic decisions. Developing communication strategy makes the communication function relevant in the strategic goals and its communication plans.
Therefore, understanding the core business of communication management. In this company, makes it much easier to identify the function role in working with the rest of the Innoson Manufacturing Company towards a desired future. It can also be noted that most or not all issues are solved by communication management alone; it is important to classify issues that arises from the company’s vision, the behavior towards their employees and the company’s reputation or image is necessary to direct communication.
The communication strategy mandates the enhancement of the management of Innoson Manufacturing Company in achieving their strategic priorities through its core competence of corporate brands and reputation management. Effective management of Innoson Company brands requires perfect alignment of the company’s vision and culture, when the employees have a clear understanding of the vision and objectives, they will definitely know how to behave.
In conclusion, having said all this juncture, this research work will critically analyze the concept of communication strategies and organizational growth in Nigeria using Innoson Manufacturing Company Nnewi as a case study to create a better understanding in the minds of the readers and more so, to contribute to existing knowledge of literature.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In an organization, the manager has to read, speak, write, listen, observe and supervise, and these are all strategies of communication. He uses letters, and memos for written communication. Hence any act by which one person gives to or receives from person information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or effective state is regarded as communication. However, the effectiveness of communication differs from one firm to another.
Organization managers use effective communication strategies to develop a supportive work environment that fosters organizational success and performance (Keyton 2013). Managers spend more than 75% of their work time actively communicating with employees (Farahbod, Salimi, & Dorostkar, 2013). Managers who use communication effectively have a better understanding of how their communication strategies motivate organizations performance (Bisel & Messer smith, 2012). Ineffective communication may increase misunderstandings, damage relationships, break trust, and increase anger and hostility. Ineffective communication may stem from poorly aligned strategy, a failure to execute the strategy, the use of the wrong communication vehicle, bad timing and even nuances such as word choice or tone of voice. The specific problem is that some organizations lack communication strategies to bring organizational growth in Nigeria.
Therefore, it may be stated that organizational communication strategies may be beneficial for some businesses, while it may not be for others as a result of variations in the environment, practices, noise, contexts and cultures amongst others influencing factors. Based on the above perception, this research is using a contextualized and literature-based research instrument to measure the application of the investigated constructs for an understanding of the communication strategies and organizational growth in Nigeria using Innoson Manufacturing Company Nnewi.
- RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(1) To what extent does adequate communication strategy increase the growth of Innoson Manufacturing Company?
(2)What type of promotional tool should Innoson Manufacturing Company adopt?
(3)To what extent does effective communication strategy been able to achieve the objectives and goals of Innoson Manufacturing Company?
- PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The main thrust of this study is to critically examine the impact of communication strategies on organizational growth of Innoson Manufacturing Company, Nnewi. The purpose of the study are as follows.
- To examine the extent adequate communication strategy increase the growth of Innoson Manufacturing Company.
- To ascertain the type of promotional tool should Innoson Manufacturing Company adopt.
- To determine the extent effective communication strategy has been able to achieve the objectives and goals of Innoson Manufacturing Company
- STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS
Research Hypotheses The following hypotheses were proposed to guide this research. They are equally in line with the objectives of this study and its research questions. The hypotheses that are to be accepted or rejected are as follows;
Ho: The use of adequate communication strategy doesn’t increase the growth of Innoson Manufacturing Company
Hi: The use of adequate communication strategy does increase the growth of Innoson Manufacturing Company
Ho: The effective communication strategy has not been able to achieve the objectives and goals of Innoson Manufacturing Company
Hi: The effective communication strategy has been able to achieve the objectives and goals of Innoson Manufacturing Company
- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The ultimate aim of communication is to develop management in pursuit of excellence. Moreover, the outcome of this study could be employed both in business organizations and service sector, which will enable them to device a good communication system that will foster their sales volume and enhance their sales output.
Effective communication strategies will also be of great importance to business organizations by enabling them to determine whether their sales performances are up to expected target. It will also be of advantage to academics, as it will serve as foundation towards greater in- depth and critical evaluation of effective communication strategies in an organization.
- SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is fussed on the impacts of communication strategies and organizational growth in Innoson Manufacturing Company, Nnewi Anambra State.
1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
In the course of writing and carrying out this project work, the research encountered many difficulties; some errors in the results of the research and from external sources of data collection. These are factors standing as constraints thereby limiting the effect of the research result. The research has the following constraints.
TIME: The inability of the researcher to meet up with academic work could have affected the quality of time in carrying out the research but with accurate planning and mapping out of schedules it can be overcome.
FINANCE: Money as we all know is the bedrock of every research work, the researcher may be faced with financial difficulty and this could affect data collection and the research work entirely but with the help of branch offices or a case study finance constraints can be minimized.
RESPONDENTS: The attitude of most workers may have a close effect on the quality of the work, examples are cases of “not on seat and come again syndrome. Some respondents even returned their questionnaires unanswered due to the fear of management information but this can be tackled if the researcher is granted absolute permission to interview by a top personnel in the organization or a promise of anonymity can enable the employees to express their selves.
- OPERATIONALIZATION/ DEFINITION OF TERMS
Communication: Is the transfer of information from one person to another.
Performance: The rate at which something works.
Organization: According to Umoh (2006) This is the coming together of a group of people that specializes in different fields, coordinate their efforts towards the set goals, supervise through some hierarchy of authority so that the objective of an organization will be achieved.
Advertising: It is a non personal sales to number of potential customers in other words, it uses various media like newspaper, magazines, radio, direct mails and outdoor advertising to relay promotional messages to widespread markets. It is also any paid form of non- personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by identified sponsors. It is also the dissemination of a sales message through purchased time and space.
Strategies: Strategies are plans that are intended to achieve a particular purpose. It is always a process of planning something or putting plan into operation in a skillful way.
Communication Mix: This has been described as furthering process because it advances the position of a marketer in some measurable manner. There are broad and narrow view of communication mix. The broad view says that each of the four (Ps) belong in the mix. This is because the product styling, the colour and the shape of the packaging as well as market position, all the marketing mix tools should reinforce this position.
The narrow view is that the mix consists of the subset of marketing tools that are primarily communicational in nature. They include all forms of advertising, packaging, sales aids (like catalogues, literatures, stamps and films). Incentive tools (contests, trading, stamps, premiums, free samples, coupons) and publicity programs.
1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
The main body of the report is preceded by detailed contents including list of figures followed by headings used in the report.
CHAPTER ONE: This chapter briefly gave a summary of the topic followed by the statement of the problem, research questions, purpose of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, limitations of the study and the operationalization/ Definition of terms.
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review and Theoretical Framework: This chapter gives us a picture of what communication is all about; its history, modes, forms, barriers and how to overcome the barriers to effective communication in an organization. This chapter also presents an overview of a theoretical framework that supports the topic and proves its validity.
CHAPTER THREE: This chapter presents the research design, Area of the Study, Population of the Study, Sample and Sampling Techniques, Method s of data collection, instrument for data collection, reliability of the instruments and the methods of data analysis. All these lay or depict the necessary attributes used in the research work.
CHAPTER FOUR: This chapter elaborates more on the research work through data presentation and analysis, testing of hypothesis and interpretation of results.
CHAPTER FIVE: This chapter concludes the research work and recommends practical suggestion that will improve the situation or solve problem investigates in the study. The recommendation should be able to address the following questions.
- Are they feasible, practical and attainable?
- Are they action- oriented?
- Are they limited to the subject of the study.
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