What is communication in organizations?

We explain what communication in organizations is, its importance and classification. The functions it fulfills and elements.

1. What is communication in organizations?

Communication in organizations has to do with the dissemination of messages in order to transmit, inside, the achievements and requirements to the members that make it up . Although it also communicates outside doors and, in this case, it serves so that society  also knows what are the missions , visions and goals of any organization.

In general, the person in charge of organizational communication is the Human Resources department . It is worth noting that not all messages are for all employees, nor are they communicated in the same way in all strata of the organization . The messages vary according to the level of the pyramid to which you want to communicate:  it is not the same for those who occupy hierarchical positions than for those in the base.

2. Importance of communication in organizations

The communication in organizations is crucial. The scope of the firm’s objectives , in large part, depends on how the communication is.

Through it, employees are aware of the requirements and objectives achieved. At the same time , communication allows employees to know how their evolution was within the firm and how the performance of each of the departments has been.

Doors outside, organizational communication is the tool that helps companies develop the image they want society to have of themselves.

3. Types of communication in organizations

Communication in organizations can be divided into two large groups:

Internal communication . It is the elaboration and diffusion of messages that are circulated inside doors, that is, it is designed for the company’s employees. Thus, links between staff are created and maintained, even when they are not part of the same area or headquarters.

Within this type of communication you can use social networks , billboards, chats, e-mails, reports, brochures , events, meetings, surveys, speeches , circulars.

In turn, internal communication can be:

• Falling. When the message spreads from the company’s top managers to reach the bases.
• Upward. When the message is spread by those who occupy the base of the organizational pyramid towards those who occupy higher positions.

External Communication It is made up of all the messages that are sent and received between the organization and its environment. By environment you can understand both suppliers and customers , competition and even society as a whole.

In general, outside, the organization tries to persuade the recipient and create a good image of herself. For that you can appeal to advertising , brochures,  call  centers , offices, among other strategies.

4. Functions of communication in organizations

Within the communication of organizations, various functions can be identified. Some of them are:

• Motivation. If the organization wants its employees to perform better and thus achieve the objectives, communication can be oriented in this regard. For example, informing them that if they reach a certain objective they will receive a certain compensation or benefit.
• Information. When you want to inform the staff about something, or clarify a certain rumor, communication through emails, posters or meetings can point in that direction.
• Interaction. Through meetings, meetings or social networks, to give some examples, you can aim for collaborators to interact with each other. Many times it is a good way to integrate staff as well as generate a certain identity and brotherhood.
• Control. Many times, from Human Resources we proceed, for example, to the elaboration of a regulation or  contract  that determines how employees should behave on certain occasions.
• Feedback . Many times, the company wants not only to send messages from the highest hierarchies but also that its bases are those who report or comment on different issues. Meetings, social networks or surveys can be a good alternative for this.

5. Elements of communication in organizations

As in any type of communication, the elements that integrate it are the following:

• Issuer . That member who is responsible for preparing and sending the message. In this case it could be, for example, the Human Resources department, the leader of an area or the collaborators of a sector.
• Receiver.  Who and interprets the message and may be the same as the previously mentioned actors. It is that, in organizations, it is very common for sender and receiver roles to alternate constantly.
• Message.  The content you want to spread.
• Code.  The set of rules and symbols that are used for the elaboration of the message. This code must be known by the sender and the receiver. Otherwise, the message cannot be interpreted correctly.
• Channel. The medium through which the message travels or spreads. It can be a billboard, a brochure, an e-mail or a speech, to put only a few examples of the wide variety of channels among which an organization can use when spreading a message.