Management and Communication

Management is concerned with making people productive with the aim of achieving Organizational goal in an efficient effective manner. This task is accomplished through the proper activation of planning, organizing, directing, motivating and controlling. And all this activities are possible when there is effective communication. So, communication is closely related with all managerial functions and activities. To clearly understand the relation between communication and management, we have look on the following discussion:

For proper job functioning, management has to maintain communication with executives, officers, and employees of different levels. Management has to supply information to the subordinates in the form of instructions, advices, order and need to hear suggestions and complaints from subordinates. Here communication can be three dimensional i.e. downward, upward and lateral.

The importance of communication in management is clearly understood when co-ordination of activities of different departments is actually felt necessary. Communication used by management here known to be lateral communication. It is used because people like more the informality of lateral communication rather than the chain of command. As Wickesberg said “A study on managers showed that two third of their communication were found to be lateral.”

 To evaluate the performance of various employees from various levels management must get proper information hence performance report of each department will facilitate the purpose. On the basis of report, management should reward and punish the respective employees.

Management should provide various training to its employees to get skilled so that they can produce efficiently and productivity. So, to provide training, management must have proper idea regarding his employees’ performance and therefore give training accordingly.

Management needs to communicate with various stakeholders such as: shareholders, creditors, suppliers, debtors, bank, regulatory bodies, government agencies, consumers and customers and others. This external communication is essential to generate business that enables an organization to survive, grow and make profit.

(Communication relates directly to the basic management functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. It is a pervasive part of almost all managerial activities)