Page 191 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Unit 8: Communication and Conflict

8.2.4 External Communications Notes

These are the communications with external agencies, like current and potential customers,
government departments, competitors, trade unions, financial institutions, raw material
suppliers, etc. These communications aim at building the company’s image and influencing
policies and decisions in company’s favour.

Communications management is the systematic planning, implementing,
monitoring, and revision of all the channels of communication within an
organization, and between organizations.

8.3 Informal Communication

One of the functions of informal organization is communication. Known as the “grapevine”,
this structure less network of informal communication flourishes in all organizations because
communication is a natural human tendency. People who know each other in the organization
talk together informally. One thing they have in common is the organization they work for,
so they talk about the happenings in the organization.
The grapevine carries two types of information: work-related and people-related. Employees
want to know what is going on in the organization. When they are not kept informed
through normal channels, they seek information from the grapevine. Likewise, they are
curious about the people they work with. The grapevine carries the type of personal
information not generally communicated through normal channels. For example, a manager
cannot announce his bad mood officially to his subordinates. The best way to do this would
be to put this information on the grapevine so that it reaches the subordinates informally.

8.3.1 Some Characteristics of a Grapevine
1. Grapevine information is mostly oral. But it can be written also, as in the case of two
employees working in two branches of a company exchanging information through
teleprinter.
2. Although the general impression is that the grapevine operates like a long chain in
which A tells B, B tells C, C tells D, and so on, but research shows that it follows a
cluster chain, which means that A, instead of telling one person, tells 3 or 4 persons
and out of these 3 or 4 persons, 1 or 2 persons again pass on the information to 3 or
4 persons each. In other words, only a few in the grapevine spread the information.
The majority does not repeat it. Persons who keep the grapevine active are called
liaison individuals.
3. Research on grapevine accuracy shows that out of the total communication bits, well
over three-fourths are accurate. But the inaccurate bits, though small in proportion are
more devastating in effect. In fact, these inaccurate bits alone should be called rumours
but many times the word rumour is used for the whole grapevine.
4. A grapevine is more a product of the situation than of the person. For example, one
can find grapevine humming with activity during the periods of excitement and
insecurity, such as during a threat of a lay-off.
5. A grapevine has remarkable speed. Its fast speed makes it quite difficult for the
management to stop rumours or to release significant news in time to prevent rumour
formation.
6. A grapevine helps management in interpreting its policies to the workers and
communicating their reactions and feelings to the management.

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