Communication is a vital process in organisations and also one that is easily blamed when things go wrong. Communication serves a number of functions in organisations, including achieving coordinated action, developing information, expressing feelings and emotions, and communicating roles.

Communication of roles is essential to daily life in organisations. Through communication, people at work send and receive job expectations. A variety of role dynamics can result from this particular form of communication. Role ambiguity occurs when a person is unclear about the expectations of others. Role conflict occurs when an individual receives expectations that, for one reason or another, he or she cannot fulfil. This commonly occurs when expectations sent by different sources are mutually exclusive or when too many expectations exist and overload occurs.

The interpersonal communication process involves the exchange of information to establish a common understanding. Information is encoded, sent, received and decoded between individuals via different channels. Sometimes it involves feedback and sometimes it does not, but it is always affected by noise. Communication methods can be categorised as written, oral or nonverbal, although each involves many variants. Different methods are suitable for different purposes. In the contemporary workplace there are more advanced communication channels to utilise. These include electronic mail, mobile telephones and videophones. Feedback is a particularly important part of the communication process as it enables a response to the original message and/or a general response to behaviours or situations that have occurred. It may help to reveal whether the message has been encoded, transmitted and decoded as intended. Nonverbal communication is sometimes neglected but can be very important in conveying messages. Facial expressions, body movements and positions, eye contact and even furniture placement can convey nonverbal messages. Communication channels may be formal, informal or quasi-formal. Formal communication channels are those that follow the chain of command established by the organisation’s hierarchy. Informal communication channels do not adhere to this hierarchy. Quasi-formal channels are planned connections between holders of the various positions in the organisation.

Communication is effective when both sender and receiver interpret a message in the same way. It is efficient when messages are transferred at a low cost. Managers are concerned with maximising both the efficiency and effectiveness of communication in the organisation.

Noise is essentially anything that interferes with the communication process. Barriers to communication include six special sources of noise common to most interpersonal exchanges: (1) physical distractions, (2) semantic problems, (3) cultural differences, (4) mixed messages, (5) the absence of feedback and (6) status effects. Each of these sources of noise should be recognised and subjected to special managerial control.

There are many ways to minimise barriers to communication. Communication can also be made more effective by improving active listening and giving feedback. Active listening is a ‘sender-oriented’ approach to communication which encourages a free and complete flow of communication from the receiver to the sender. It helps individuals to articulate what they really mean. Active listening is non-judgemental and encouraging. Giving feedback is a manager’s responsibility. However, it often occurs under difficult and stressful conditions. In order to be constructive, feedback must be given directly, specifically and at a time when the recipient may be most prepared to accept it.