Effective communication is imperative in every organization because it determines how information is conveyed from one party to another and the level of success in companies. The existence of barriers to effective communication can lead to the downfall of organizations. For instance, in the article “Ex-WorldCom CEO Ebbers guilty,” the two prominent barriers to effective communication that led to the company’s collapse are filtering and selective perception.
Filtering is one of the barriers to effective communication, evident in Bernard Ebbers’ case. According to Carpenter et al. (2013), filtering involves withholding or distortion of critical information to manage the reactions of organizations’ stakeholders. Ebbers was accused of filing false statements with the security regulators and other fraudulent activities (Crawford, 2005). In this regard, the former WorldCom COE wanted the agencies and other stakeholders to think and believe that the organization was doing well financially. Ebbers deprived all the interested parties true picture of the way things were in the organization. These false statements gave the wrong perception about the company, making it hard for the shareholders and government agencies to realize that WorldCom was heading in the wrong direction of bankruptcy.
Selective perception is another critical barrier to effective communication that contributed to the fall of WorldCom. Carpenter et al. (2013) indicate that selective perception is about filtering what individuals hear and see to suit their needs. Although Ebbers knew what was happening to WorldCom, personal interests in the company compelled him not to give a true picture of the organization’s financial status. He owned WorldCom a loan of $400 million and was determined to protect his fortune, mostly consisting of the company’s stock (Crawford, 2005). Consequently, Ebbers gave false statements and committed other fraudulent activities for personal gain, leading to the organization’s downfall.
References
Carpenter, M., Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2013). Principles of management (2nd Ed.). Short Flat World Education, Inc.
Crawford, K. (2005). Ex-WorldCom CEO Ebbers found guilty on all counts. CNN/Money. Web.