ABSTRACT
Communication
is a very crucial and significant element in an organization and it is
necessary for creating collaboration amongst workers and allowing the
organization to function effectively. The flow of information and communication
within an organization has its own effects on employees‟ performance and
decision making and hence a study on internal communications‟ influence on employee
performance towards attaining organizational objectives is thus essential. This
paper seeks to demonstrate the influence of internal communication on employee
job performance in an organization by looking at certain internal communication
elements. A survey instrument (questionnaire) was used to assess employees‟
perceptions of the communication climate, quality of information and
communication, communication channels and discretionary effort. A qualitative\quantitative
approach was used to describe and analyze data collected for the study from 17
respondents out of a sample population of 25 participants. The findings of the
research revealed that internal communication has a significant impact on the
overall performance and productivity of employees. Additionally, face to face
communication or oral communication was an often utilized communication channel
or form. From the study it was also discovered that employee performance in the
organization was at certain times stifled due to communication structures that
were poor and inadequately utilized and the non-involvement of all employees in
the decision making process.
However,
the research also revealed a controversy between rhetoric and actual
communication practices. Nonetheless some recommendations were offered by the
researcher which included improving the quality of communication resources and
designing a communication plan and strategy that will take into consideration
the essential parameters of whom, how, when and what information is to be
communicated so as to create a conducive and reliable communication environment
that will get the best out of employees.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Certification................................................................................i
Attestation.....................................................................ii
Acknowledgement.........................................................................iv
Abstract......................................................................................v
Table
of Contents..............................................................................................vi
Listof Tables.............................................................................................ix
Listof Figures.............................................................................xi
CHAPTER
ONE
GENERAL
INTRODUCTION
1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................1
1.1
Background
Information........................................................................................1
1.2
Statement of the Research
Problem.....................................................................2
1.3
Research
Question...................................................................................................3
1.4
Research
Hypothesis…............................................................................................3
1.5
Objectives of the
Study…........................................................................................3
1.6
Scope of the
Study……………....................................................................................3
1.7
Definition of
Terms......………………….......................................................................4
1.7.1
Motivation.……................................................................................................................4
1.7.2
Financial Motivation.............................................................................................4
1.7.3
Organizational Goals……………………………………………………………………..............4
1.7.4
Performance…................................................................................................................4
1.7.5
Efficiency.........................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER
TWO
REVIEW
OF LITERATURE
2.1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………….........
2.2Conceptual
Framework…................................................................................................................5
2.2.1
Motivation….....................................................................................................................5
2.2.2Motivational
Theories..........................................................................................................................6
2.2.3
History and Explanation of Maslow‟s Hierarchy of Needs..…………………..….9
2.2.3.1
Factors
Explanation……………………………….....................................................10
2.2.3.2
Criticisms of Maslow‟s need theory…………………………................................12
2.3 Empirical studies of Employee motivation using Maslow’s model..................13
CHAPTER
THREE
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................16
3.2
Background of the Study Area………………………...........……..…………..................16
3.3Methods
of Data collection...……………………………….…………..............................16
3.3.1
Sources of Data Collection……………………………..………………......…..................17
3.3.2
Instrument for Data Collection………………………………..…………......................17
3.3.2.1
Questionnaires............................................................................................................17
3.3.2.2
Administration of the
Instrument................................................................18
3.3.2.3
Validation of Data and
Instrument...............................................................19
3.3.2.4.
Pre-Testing of Research
Instrument...........................................................19
3.3.2.5.
Reliability of Research
Instrument...............................................................20
3.4
Method of Data Analysis……………………………………………....................................20
3.5
Limitations...................................................................……………………….................21
CHAPTER
FOUR
PRESENTATION
AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................43
4.2
Presentation of Data from Questionnaire administered to Respondents....43
4.2.1
Identification of
Respondents...................................................
......................44
4.2.2
Analysis of Findings..……………………………………….............................................49
4.3
Presentation of Data from Discussion with
Management..............................65
CHAPTER
FIVE
CONCLUSION,
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE
RESEARCH
5.1INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………..........................71
5.2Summary
of Research………………………………………………..............................71
5.3
Research Conclusions……………………………………………..................................72
5.4
Recommendations………………………..……………….............................................73
5.5Recommendations
for Future
Research..........................................................76
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................77
APPENDICES............................................................................................................
List
of TABLES
Table
1: Situation of Respondents..........................................................................14
Table
2: Response Rate of Questionnaire
Administered.....................................43
Table
3: Respondents Participation According to Gender.................................44
Table
4:
Educational Qualification of
Respondents..........................................45
Table
5:Employees‟ Years of Service in the
Organization.....................................47
Table
6: Age Distribution of Respondents...........................................................48
Table
7: Reasons why employee effectively carry out assigned task................50
Table
8: Employees participation in decision making process in the
Organization..51
Table
9: Employees perception about management towards their
job..............52
Table
10: Effect of poor motivation policies on Employee
performance.......53
Table
11: Employees reasons for putting in extra efforts to perform
tasks.......54
Table
12: The appropriate measure for employee motivation….
......................55
Table
13: Employees performance
level.........................................................56
Table
14: Employees perception about the physical outlook of the
organization..58
Table
15: Work motivation and employee
satisfaction..................................59
Table
16: Reasons for low
performance............................................................60
List
of FIGURES
Figure
1: Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs…………………......................................16
List
of ABBREVIATIONS
BAMCULL:
Bambui Cooperative Credit Union Limited.
MFI:
Microfinance Institution
SHRM:
Shareholder Risk Management.
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL
INTRODUCTION
1.
INTRODUCTION
This
research stems from the researchers‟ desire to understand the impact of
communication on organizational performance. More specifically, certain aspects
or constituents of communication such as communication climate, quality of information
and communication etc are explored in order to fully comprehend the potential impact
of communication on organizational performance. This will be realized by looking
at previous literature on communication and analyzing data obtained from a
local non-governmental organization that serves as the case organization in
this study.
1.1.
Background to the Study
In today’s
corporate world, one of the key factors to attaining high levels of
organizational effectiveness is sound and effective communication. A major
constituent of communication in any organization is internal communication and
this is implicitly elucidated by Bartlett and Ghoshal in a statement in which
they refer to internal communication as being the lifeblood of an organization.
This
is in effect to ascertain that it is very important for every organization to
have an effective internal communication because it can act as a source of
exchanging Knowledge and ideas given that information is the basis of
communication.
In
this regard, just as the flow of money creates wealth, the rapid and steady
flow of information enriches and empowers the development of an organization.
The
importance of communication within an organization goes far beyond the training
of employees with effective communication skills to also addressing the
communication needs and challenges being experience by organizations. As
outlined by Zaremba (2003), “Communication is a central and not a peripheral
component of organizational effectiveness. It is not a frill. It is vital;
Communication
is a pervasive activity in organizations. It is not something that only some
people in organizations must do or something that occurs infrequently;
communication is multifaceted and obviously simple matter”. Operationally, the
term communication is defined as the technology and systems used for sending
and receiving messages and may include channels such as newsletters,
circulation materials, surveys, face-to- face interactions, email, hotlines, suggestion
boxes, Intranet, Internet, telephone calls, videoconferences, memos, letters,
notice boards, formal presentations, reports, open forums, blogs, and
wikis(Yates,2006).On the other hand organisational communication has always
been viewed as the exchange of information both formal and informal between
management and employees within an organization. Most organizations today have
realized that organisational communication invariably determines and affects
the level of employee’s performance on the job, thereby enabling organization to
achieve its goals collectively.
Significantly
when people work in any given organization or enterprise, they are bound to develop
certain formal and informal relationships with each other. It is true that
people are of different personalities and natures; they have different
viewpoints and perceptions of things and it will be entirely difficult for them
to comprehend each other if they fail to communicate.
Consequently
if employees in an organization are not told or informed about the
organization’s strategies and their responsibilities, they cannot perform
effectively. Effective communication increases the efficiency, performance and
overall productivity of an organization and its employees.
It is
no secret that contemporary research has illustrated that effectual and
well-organized communication positively relates to the job satisfaction,
performance and positive attitudes of employees.
The
concept of communication is immeasurable in modern management, and it seeks to
give a clear understanding between management and the employees. It is in fact
the exchange and clear provision of information, commands and directions
between management and employees with the purpose of rendering the organization
effective and enabling employee performance by ensuring that the latter are
well aware about their responsibilities and duties.
When
there is no communication, employees are not clear about their everyday jobs, management
cannot get reliable and needed information and group leaders and executives
cannot lead and direct their employees. Through communication we can better
understand each other’s feelings, opinion, beliefs and principles.
Communication makes it possible for the organizations to perform their daily
management functions e.g. organizing, planning, controlling and leading.
Coordination is an essential element to carry out the organizations‟ activities
and lack of an effective communication, will invariably lead to low
productivity and low performance in the organization.
Employees
need to understand what they are doing and how they are supposed to do what they
do; but if information is poorly communicated to them or if they lack the
capacity to communicate themselves, they would definitely not properly and
completely perform the tasks for which they have been assigned to. In certain
situations there seem to be little understanding between management and the
employees. So when ever problem occurs, there is general acknowledgement that
such issue is a communication problem. Organisational communication thus plays
a vital role in enabling organizations design responsibilities, regulations,
terms of reference/job specifications and presenting them to the members of the
organization.
More
importantly, today’s employee has different kind of values, needs and
expectations. According to Argenti (2007) today’s employees are well educated
and have higher expectations of what they would get out of their careers and
want to understand more the companies they work for5. Merely communicating with employees and
transmitting information and messages to them does not necessarily mean they
will perform their jobs and roles well. Rather, implementing a sound internal
communication policy will inherently be instrumental to improving the accuracy
and speed with which employees perform their tasks, coupled with improvements
in structures that will facilitate the ease of access and flow of
communication, thereby having as end result highly focused employees disposed
to carry out their jobs well.
In
this regard therefore, internal communication is very essential for employees
to be able to carry out their tasks diligently while contributing to the
overall success and achievement of the organization. Current organizational
work structure requires organizations to focus more on the organisational communication
processes in order to be effective and to increase employee performance which
in turn will create a positive impact on the overall organisational performance.
Communication has proved to be the basic and most important activity of an
organization. It is becoming more complex in today’s organizations due to more
complex work activities, multicultural environment, and high speed transmission
medium.
With
the above prevailing complexities of organisational communication within an
organization, a lot of research has been conducted on the importance of today’s
organizational communication but very limited studies have been made on the
significant impact of internal communication factors on individual job
performance. Inherently, the raison d’être of this study lies in the
researchers‟ interest to find out how internal communication factors influence
levels of employee performance in the execution of assigned tasks.
1.2.
Statement of the Research Problem
Most
organizations having poor communication mechanism and long internal
communication chains caused by the highly structured nature of such
organizations have witnessed employees become less productive in the jobs
thereby affecting their overall performance in the organization. Coupled to
this is the fact that every organization has its own culture and patterns on
the basis of which they conduct their functions and activities. Past research
has focused on and provided information on the relationship existing between
communication on one hand and general organizational effectiveness and employee
job performance on the other. Most past research has shown how communication
influences an individual job performance, and has made little reference or
completely neglected its impact on overall organisational performance.
Based
on this backdrop, the main problem of this study lies in finding out the impact
and extent to which internal communication affects organisational performance.
The reason for developing this problem lies on the fact that a lot of research
has been conducted on the importance of today’s organizational communication,
but studies or research on its significant impact on Organisational performance
are very few in numbers. Many researchers have conducted research on
organizational communication, but quite a handful of their studies neglected to
discuss impact of communication on organisational performance.
From a
managerial perspective, it is important to discuss the relationship between
management and employees with reference to communication given that there are
many factors which relates to communication and enhance employee performance in
the organization, example, Co operation, job satisfaction and employee motivation.
Keeping this in mind, the study of communication, employees education on
effective communication and managerial behaviour will thus require an in-depth
analysis of all those circumstances in which the functions of the organization
takes place.
1.3. Objectives
of the Study
The
main purpose or objective of this research is to describe and explain how
communication within an organization impacts on or affects organisational
performance. More specifically this study is aimed at:
· Determining the existence of a significant relationship between organisational
communication and organisational performance.
· Finding out whether internal communication elements such as the
quality of information, communication climate and communication channels have a
positive effect on employee productive effort.
· Identifying the challenges of organisational communication facing
employees in organizations.
· Presenting suggestions and recommendations which will serve as a
practical guide to management practitioners and professionals in the field of
public relations on the necessity of understanding the importance of organisational
communication and its effect in an organization.
·
Identifying the organisational
communication mechanism and its effectiveness.
1.4. Significance
of the Study
This
study is important because from the researchers‟ findings, the obstacles and
problems of communication in an organization which may bring about low levels
of employee Performance and productivity will be exposed.
Secondly,
the recommendations that will be provided by the study will likely go a long
way to benefit public relations practitioners who will know what and how to get
the best out of the workers or employees of an organization thus improving upon
their efficiency.
Besides,
this study will be relevant to top management workers in an organization who
are involved in the decision making process as it will enable them to decipher
and determine what communication strategy or policy may bring about increased
employee performance and hence generate overall organizational performance
In the
academic domain, this study will also serve as a reliable source and reference
point for other researchers and scholars interested in organizational internal communication
and its implications within an organizational setting.
Sound
internal communication supports learning, teamwork, discretionary effort, clear
definition of responsibility, employee’s communication education and quality decision
making as it enables the communication trend to tend to move towards the
employees. This study will be very vital as well to human resource managers who
will be able to understand what workers want and be able to use internal
communication as a strategic tool for ensuring employee engagement and
commitment to the organizations‟ goals.
In
addition, this study, to some extent, will be useful to contemporary
organizations and their top management executives to establish communication
strategies and networks that take into Consideration the diverse perspectives
of the organizations in general.
1.5. Research
Questions
In
order to provide a possible answer to our main problem and give a clear
structure for the dissertation, the following research questions have been
formulated to guide the study;
· What is the relationship or link that exists between internal
communication and employee Performance in De Angelo Hotel and Resort?
· Do organizational communication elements have an effect on
employee productive towards organizational performance and its impacts in De
Angelo Hotel?
· What are the challenges of internal communication facing employees
in De Angelo Hotel?
· How can organizations improve on their communication processes and
resources in order to enhance employee performance in De Angelo Hotel?
·
How can the management of De
Angelo Hotel and Resorts motivate and improve employees so as to enhance
effective communication?
1.6.
Hypotheses of the Study
Based
on the research problem outlined and the related research questions posed, the
following research hypotheses have been formulated to guide the study:
· There is no significant link or relationship between internal
communication and employee Performance in De Angelo Hotel and Resort.
· Elements of internal communication have a positive effect on
employee productive efforts in De Angelo Hotel and Resort.
· Employee
communication difficulties are as a result of poor communication structures in
De Angelo Hotel and Resort.
· The
implementation of an efficient communication plan will largely enhance and
improve organisational performance in De Angelo Hotel and Resort.
The
management of De Angelo Hotel and Resort have poor motivational package for
their employees.
1.7. Scope
of the Study
This
study covers De Angelo Hotel and Resort, a local Hospitality organization based
in Enugu North local government, Enugu State, Nigeria. The estimated sample
size used for this study is 26 respondents drawn from all departments of the
organization that includes Managing Director, General Manager, Marketing
Manager, Maintenance Manager, The Accountant and other Heads of Departments,
who constitute the supervision and decision making body of the organization.
More so, employees who execute daily tasks.
Implicitly,
given that the factors that affect organizational performance may vary, the
interest of this study as regards organizational communication will be to
determine those elements of communication which may contribute to an employee’s
performance and productivity which in turn enhances organizational performance.
Imperatively thus, this study will attempt to tackle the impact of
communication on organizational performance with issues such as communication climate,
employee discretionary effort, communication channels and mediums as well as
feedback mechanism. The research will also probe into the quality of
communication and information disseminated to employees by management to
ascertain whether poorly disseminated and how unclear information affects organizational
performance.
1.7.1.
Limitations of the Study
The
fact that this study focuses on a single non-governmental organization may be
seen as a limitation because though the researchers‟ focus is a local
non-governmental organization, the results may not be directly applicable to
other types of organizations due to differences in structural arrangement though
it is my firm belief that the issues raised in this study may be equally
relevant to complex organizations.
Again,
this study examines only internal communication within an organizational
context. Internal communication here includes all forms of communication that
take place inside an organization. Such may be formal or informal, planned or
unplanned. All forms of external communication that is communications with non
members of the organization are excluded from the scope of this study though
external communication may also influence internal communication hence
affecting an employee’s‟ performance on the job.
Besides,
given the way certain concepts in this study may be utilized or
operationalized, certain limitations here too must also be kept in mind.
Internal communication is argued to be a multifaceted concept occurring at
different levels in an organization and in various forms. It would have been a
great deal to study this concept in its entirety but adopting such an approach
is beyond the scope of this study plus it will require considerable time,
effort and resources which are not be at the disposal of the researcher.
1.8. Definition
of Terms
The
researcher has provided definitions for some major concepts that are used
concurrently in this study in order to give readers a broader understanding of
the research focus and the significance of the impact of communication on
organizational performance in De Angelo Hotel and Resort.
1.8.1.
Communication
The
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines communication as the act of communicating
with people and the various methods of sending information between people and places,
especially official systems such as postal systems, radio, telephone, fax, etc.
There is
communication
when an individual or organization takes the initiative to address another with
the intention of sending a message or exchanging information either orally,
written, visual, audiovisual; through various means with the aim of informing,
explaining and convincing in order to get a reaction, action or feedback10. Another definition of
communication is provided by (Bratton and Gold, 1994) who define it as the
process by which information is transmitted between a sender and a receiver,
adding that communication is an event, a process11. However for the purpose of this study communication will simply
comprise the process of exchanging information between two or more persons.
1.8.2.
Internal Communication
The
term internal communication has been used interchangeably in the communication literature
which the alternatives include employee communication, internal public
relations, staff communication and the overall organizational communication.
However, Bove´e and Thill (2000) define internal communication as the exchange
of information and ideas within an organization. But to suit the purposes of
this research, the researcher will dwell on the definition provided by the
following authors. Argenti (2003), on the other hand states that internal communication
is, in essence, about creating an atmosphere of respect for all employees
within the organization. To him, communication from management should come
directly from one manager to the next, and from supervisor to employee, but as
organizations grow larger and become more complex, this often becomes more
difficult – hence the need for the internal communication function.
1.8.3.
Organizational performance
This involves analyzing a company’s performance
against its objectives and goals. Organizational performance comprises the
actual output or results of an organisation as measured against its intended
outputs. According to Richard et al, organizational performance encompasses
three specific areas of firm outcomes; financial performance, product market
performance and shareholder return.
In view of this study, effective organisational communication
enhances the overall organizational performance. Employee’s performance on the
job is enhanced when there is an effective and workable organizational
communication structure which ideally promotes the organizational performance.
Organization cannot perform effectively and efficiently if the organization’s
communication structures are not well organized, maintained and well
communicated to the employees. If also the organization’s communication structure
fails to meet its desired and expected standard, the organizational performance
will be very poor and ineffective thereby making it difficult for the
organization to actualize its corporate objective.
1.8.4.
Organization
A
social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to
pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that
determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and
subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out
different tasks. Organizations are open systems--they affect and are affected
by their environment.
1.8.5.
Efficiency
The
term originated from the Latin word “efficientia” meaning “the power to
accomplish something”. Efficiency in general describes the extent to which
time, effort or cost is well used for the intended task or purpose. It is often
used with the specific purpose of relaying the capability of a specific
application of effort to produce a specific outcome effectively with a minimum
amount or quantity of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort. According to the
Free Online Encyclopedia Wikipedia, efficiency can also mean to be the state or
quality of being competent in performance and the ability to accomplish a job
with a minimum expenditure of time, energy and resources.
1.8.6.
Effectiveness
This
is the degree to which objectives are achieved and the extent to which targeted
problems are resolved. It is also the capability of producing a desired result.
When something is deemed effective, it means it has an intended or expected
outcome, or produces a deep, vivid impression.
1.9. Structure
of the Study
This
study is divided into five main chapters:
Chapter
one includes the background information of the study, provides a brief overview
of the research questions, the reasons for undertaking the research, the
objectives of the research, and the context of the study.
Chapter
2 presents an overview of previous research on organizational communication
with a focus on internal communication and employee performance.
An
account of the methodology used, the research approach and description of the
empirical study is provided in Chapter 3.
Chapter
4 reports on the data obtained from the questionnaire administered;
discussions, document analysis and observations. It also presents major
findings of the study.
Finally,
Chapter 5 summarizes the research findings and discusses them in relation to
theory and practice while stating the overall contribution and implications of
this study for the future.
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