The Critical Role of Communication in Business Success: An Analysis

This essay delves into the critical role of communication within the business environment, emphasizing its function as a "social glue" and the nervous system of an organization. It examines both verbal and non-verbal communication, highlighting the four basic functions of communication: control, motivation, information, and emotional expression. The essay further discusses communication blunders exemplified by cases like Malaysian Airlines, General Motors, and Microsoft, pointing out how ineffective communication can lead to significant organizational setbacks. It emphasizes the importance of effective listening, customer-oriented marketing communication, and the need for robust internal and external communication strategies, including open-door policies and the utilization of diverse communication channels. The analysis underscores how effective communication is pivotal for achieving organizational goals, fostering positive work environments, and ultimately determining the success or failure of a business.

Communication can be described as a “social glue” that keeps organization
together (Alvesson,2002).it is also known as the nervous system of the
organization(Davis,1953).there are two types of communication verbal and non
verbal communication which means that it is not necessary that communication
should be done with sound it can also be done in silence. This essay will talk
about the importance of communication in business, communication blunders in
business and ways of communication.
Communication is a vital tool for the success of organization. Effective
communication plays very important role in business, not being able to inform the
right thing in a right way can be costly. Communication has four basic functions:
control,motivation,information and emotional expression.(Tourism and Hargie
2017).communications in the firms can be done through electronic
mail,letters,press etc (Hargie2016) communication failure can cause
dissatisfaction, trust, stress(Basteen,1987,Malmein,2007). Effective
communication always requires effective listening, zeno (in Godefroy and Clark,
2000) argues that “we have two ears and one mouth to listen more and speak less.
Many communication blunders occur due to unresponsive and talkative listeners.
Every firm must be customer oriented even in marketing communication
companies must take care of customer emotion and wants. (Wernerfelt
1994a).Marketing communication is very important in any business. It plays an
important role in promoting brands and products. It helps to provide information to
the customers whose purchase decision is risky. Customers who are brand loyal are
more receptive to non informative advertising.(Krugman 1965;Leclerc and little
1994;Petty, Cacioppo, and Suman 1983 ) .communication skill is something that a
person or business must have , without proper communication organizational goal
cannot be achieved. Organizational activities are not possible without effective
communication. Even the college graduates should be able to communicate with
confidence before entering organization. Poor communication skill will not help in
controlling the administrative tasks. Organizations are now competing in global
context so effective communication skill is must to outperform the competitors.
There should be good communication inside the organization to make a effective
marketing communication. Even the low level employee can give the best
marketing idea so the subordinate must be liberal to all the employees to bring the
best for the company. Morley et.al(2002.p.69) stated that” organizations having

effective communication have positive work environment and are more likely to
achieve their goal. Communication contributes higher job satisfaction. Effective
communication is important for various reasons. The key element of
communication is (Hargie 2004) communicators (people involved), goals (what
they are trying to achieve), message (verbal and non verbal message), channel
(written, face to face), feedbacks, context and effects. Every day in every step in
our life, where ever we go we need effective communication. It is a process that
goes until the grave. Hence communications must be done clearly and efficiently.
As it has great impact in companies. There must be effective between
administration, employee’s sellers and buyers. Effective communication is
important for business managers and team managers to reach the goal. Effective
communication helps to motivate employees, impress the clients, and in removing
controversies. Channel means direction where information moves. The art of
effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills defines the quality of
communications in business. The study of communication is very important. A
person communication skill effects both personal and communicational
effectiveness (Burn 2010; summers, 2010) the problem in any element of
communication can effect a lot in organization communication.
Big corporations make communication blunders, clients and employees. for
example in year march 8, 2014 Malaysian airline flight 370 carrying 227
passenger and 12 crew member flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing was
disappeared mysteriously . No one till date knew where the airline is and the
reason behind the disappearance of the airline. The disappearance of airline is
connected with sentiments of lots of people. But right after the incident twitted
“want to go somewhere but don’t know where?”For its promotional campaign
trying to appeal travelers the sense of adventure. But the tweet was badly criticized
by the people as it was not the right way to promote at that particular time. As the
airline was disappeared with many people it was a sad moment it was the time
company should apologize for its service and tweet the words of sympathy rather
than that. It was no way adventure but a very worst incident. Moreover the
company was in critical stage for its service so the company employees should
have talked with exports before tweeting. They should not have been that careless
regarding the incident as it was no way a fun incident. Similarly the company
should have thought from customers perspectives. How would they react, will it be

really adventure for them or not. The promotion campaign was not effective at all
and the tweet should not be the best words for the airline that doesn’t know where
one of its planes is. Though the airline tried to give the customer adventures feel
and things to do before die, it was not the right time to post such tweet right after
the two months of flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down
killing 298 people. In another example of general motors’ rather than admitting
their mistake the supply chain head tried to cover the mistake. There was a very
simple problem that could be fixed for 56 cents. But that hide it for decades which
in result cause d death of many people. Even after they figured out the problem
they hide it and tried to cover it with other good things they did. Covering the
mistake was the communication blunder they made. They should have admitted the
mistake and try to fix out the problem and apologize for what the did.
Similarly in another company Microsoft when celebrating women in
computing, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella speaking at a conference said that the
women’s should stop asking for pay raise and wait for their good work to
recognize. He was highly criticized in traditional and social media. Later he
apologized and tried to fix the error but there was still a question that why the
company choose that CEO who don’t have sense of saying good things instead of
dominating the audience. So we must know how to use communication strategy.
What to speak and who the audience might take your words.
The company must have effective communication channel in order to sustain in
the market. An inefficient communication channels can cause the communication
blunders as mentioned above which can be very costly. Before delivering any
information to the audience the company should highly focus on its reliability and
effectiveness. Reliability means checking that the content will function well and
there will be positive feedback of that information. Effectiveness refers to choosing
right channel to develop the organization. Effectiveness means the goal are
fulfilled by the communication (Westmyer et al.) Organization must think about
the communicative result before doing business communication. What feedbacks
might and soon. The companies like Malaysian airlines, General motors and also
every organization should conduct a online or face to face meeting. Talk about
their communication strategies and see if any employees and exports have any
recommendation and complaints or not. Ask for their opinion and appreciate their
thoughts. Internal communication must be good. It the company fails to

communicate with employees and staff it cannot go in long term. New employees
may not be known about the history of the organization which can create a high
chance of communication blunders from them hence the organization should make
internal knowledge easily available to them. Proper communication with the
internal employees should be done through emails and other media. Each and
everything should be properly discussed before delivering it to the public. There
must be” open door policy” in organization. Many employees are afraid and
hesitate to share their thoughts with their boss with will block effective
communication. Keeping “open door policy “(Shenhar, A, 1993) will always
employees to feel comfortable and can share their opinions. Which will be highly
beneficial for business? Hire it exports and communication manager to look after
the social media promotion and make them sure that before publishing anything
critical they must consult every employees which will help to reduce
communication blunders. Every important information and issues should be
discussed in a team. When delivering the news or information to external source
the best communication channel must be chosen. That is close and familiar and
easily accessible to targeted audience (Maibach, kreps and bonaguro, 1993).
Companies should know that sometimes social media is not only a reliable source
to communicate but they can communicate through traditional ways like word of
mouth. Hence, effective communication plays an important in determining the
success and failure of the organization. It is a building block of successful
organization. It is a crucial and strategic partner for organizations to meet their
goals.(Markaki,Damianios, Chadjipantelis, 2013). Communication is the ticket to
success if attention is paid and it is effectively (Theo, gold, communication: the
communication bible)
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https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/marketing-sales/managing-
relationships/communicating-
effectivelyhttp://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/communication.html