Introduction
This report presents the transcripts of the interview conducted with Mr. Tony Chan of XYZ Company. The interview is about the effectiveness of communication in the company. The company belongs to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) category with total employees of 30 people. The company has three departments – marketing, operation and general. Mr. Tony Chan is the manager responsible for all the activities of the company engaged in international trading. The questions asked in the interview pertain in general with the lines of communication and issues faced by the company in the communication. The following section presents the questions and answers from the interview.
Interview Questions and Answers
The questions are shown in bold letters and the responses in normal form.
What types of written messages, including email, are used for communication in your department/ company/ organization? What types of written messages are most commonly used?
The company uses email as the main form of communication both internally and with outside agencies and contacts. Employees frequently use inter office memorandum for communication within the organization. In addition to emails, newsletters and promotional fliers are used for marketing communication.
What types of communication technologies are used for communication in your department/company/organization? What types of technology are most commonly used for communication?
Computers with internet connectivity are the most common technology used for written communications. Printed materials are used for marketing communication. Landline and mobile telephones are used for oral communication.
Please share any communication errors/problems you have encountered or observed in your department/ company / organization in the past few weeks. What do you perceive to be the cause for these errors or problems?
In general, there is only lesser amount of errors in communication occurs within the organization as the number of employees is very less. However, sometimes there will be miscommunication among the marketing and operations department on the quantity of certain materials available or the discount structures on the products. The errors in quantitative information arise mainly due to the carelessness of the employees dealing with the inventory. Since the company follows a computerized inventory system, if the employee omits to enter certain transactions this may affect the correctness of the quantitative information passed on to the marketing department. Similarly, when the manufactures whose products are dealt with by the company communicate revised discount structures, the marketing department needs to be informed at once to adjust their offers to the potential customers. On some occasions, the company has lost potential sales due to the lack of proper communication between marketing and operations departments.
What communication skills do you feel are most important for new employees in your department/ company / organization?
Effective written communication skill is very important for the new employees in the organization. As the human beings have the drawback of forgetting things the new employees should develop the skill of putting every instructions and observations in writing which will help them to improve the communication with both the supervisors and subordinates.
What is your opinion of management’s communication in your company/organization/department? What are the most important skills necessary to be a successful manager?
As far as the communication of the management is concerned the company has a well-organized system of two way communication so that there would be complete transparency among the organizational members. In the opinion of the manager of the company, effective two-way communication facilitating communication both ways is very important for the management. Complete transparency and openness, cohesiveness and clarity in the communication are the most important skills that a successful manager should possess.
Does your company/organization/department believe in Theory X or Theory Y? How does this affect your company/organization/department?
The company believes in Theory Y and the employees are given freedom to work and at the same time they are made to understand their responsibilities. According to Mr. Tony Chan “this promotes creativity and organizational commitment among the employees. I am proud to say that there is no attrition in our company in the last three years”. Adopting Theory Y makes the employees work as a natural without performing under pressure.
Do you think your company/organization/department should improve its communication style? Why?
Mr. Tony Chan believes that there is scope for improving the communication in the company. It is imperative that the staff are trained on advanced communication techniques like messaging and use of webinars for improving their knowledge and skills. Since the company is in the international business it is vitally important that the company improves its performance in effective communication with the manufacturers whom the company represents and the customers whom the company serves. An effective communication within the company will also improve the productivity of the company.
What is your organization chart in your company? Does the organization chart affect your communicate to others?
The company follows a simple organization chart of deputy managers for each of the marketing, operation and general departments and all of these deputy managers report to Mr. Tony Chan, the manager. Each deputy manager is responsible for the proper functioning of the respective departments. With this simple organization structure, the company does not face any serious problem in the communication.
Conclusion and Summary
Effective communication is essential for conveying the messages of the managers to their subordinates clearly and unambiguously. Communication also involves receiving and assimilating the information others send to the manager (Mindtools, n.d.). The communication process is prone to errors and there is every possibility that the messages sent and received are misinterpreted by the recipients. The interview outlines the structure and need for an effective communication both internally and externally. With the advent of modern information and communication technology email has been the most effective method of communication in the organization. With the inherent nature of human beings involved in the communication chain, there are chances for occasional errors in communication, which affects the functioning of the organization. It is important that the new employees develop effective written communication skills so that no information is missed out in communicating with others. Since the company is adopting Theory Y, the company will have the advantage of improving the efficiency and productivity of the company. With the company adopting Theory Y the employees can handle responsibility and will become self-directed to meet their objectives. It is also possible to align the personal goals of the employees with that of the organization. With the adoption of Theory Y, the company can not only improve the communication but also can derive more advantages like decentralization and delegation, job enlargement, participative management and institute effective performance appraisal systems (NetMBA, n.d.)
Bibliography
Mindtools, n.d. Communication Skills – Start Here. [Online]. 2009. Web.
NetMBA, n.d. Theory X and Theory Y. [Online]. 2009. Web.