Effective Business Communications: Challenges and Solutions for XXX

This report analyzes the communication challenges faced by XXX, a multinational organization operating in multiple countries, particularly focusing on internal communication issues. The report identifies difficulties in communicating with diverse stakeholders, including language barriers and cultural differences, and examines benchmarked practices of other global organizations like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Microsoft, and Volkswagen. It critically evaluates initiatives such as Coca-Cola's ambassador programs, Unilever's geocentric approach, Microsoft's social media marketing, and Volkswagen's cross-cultural training. Based on these analyses, the report recommends strategies for XXX, including the implementation of technology for improved internal communication, leveraging social media for customer feedback, and adopting traditional communication methods like newsletters and meetings where appropriate. The report also addresses cross-cultural conflicts and suggests training programs to promote understanding and teamwork within XXX's diverse workforce, ultimately aiming to enhance communication effectiveness and overall business performance.

Running head: EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Effective Business Communications
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1EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Executive summary
The aim of this report is to discuss about the challenges by xxx in terms of communicating with
the stakeholders. In the recent years, xxx is facing issues regarding their internal
communications. Due to their presence in various countries, it is going to be a difficult task for
them to effectively communicate with the lower level employees in different countries in their
own individual languages. Different benchmarked measures being taken by various
organizations had being discussed. Critical analysis of the benchmarked initiatives by different
organizations helps to determine the measures they have taken in order to prevent the
communication issues in the organization. Accordingly, various steps and measures had being
recommended and designed keeping in mind the requirement of xxx.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Critical analysis of the effective practices by different organizations.............................................3
Recommended strategies.................................................................................................................6
Implications.....................................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
Reference.......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Majority of the contemporary business organizations are operating in the global market.
Thus, they have to maintain the diverse aspects in the global business scenario in order to
effectively providing their service or product to their customers. In the international business,
one of the key challenges that are being faced by the organizations is the difference in the culture
around the world (Dunning, 2012). Due to this factor, workforce in the global organizations
comprise of diversified employees. Thus, organizations face challenges in communicating with
their employees having different cultural and social backgrounds (Barak, 2016). Moreover, the
approaches of the employees in different regions are different from one another, which also pose
challenge for the organizations. Xxx is a multinational organization currently operating in
countries such as India, Australia, Vietnam, Oman and Nigeria. They are the manufacturer and
distributor of agricultural equipments. However, there are a few issues regarding their internal
communication are being faced by them.
This report will discuss about the challenges by xxx in terms of communicating with the
stakeholders. In the recent years, xxx is facing issues regarding their internal communications
(Ruck & Welch, 2012). Due to their presence in various countries, it is going to be difficult task
for them to effectively communicate with the lower level employees in different countries in
their own individual languages. They are also facing various other issues related to the internal
communication. Examples of various benchmark initiatives by different organizations in
overcoming these issues will be analyzed in order to promote strategies for xxx.

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Critical analysis of the effective practices by different organizations.
Coca cola is one of the leading global organizations, which have effectively maintained
the internal communication in their organization. According to Agrawal, (2012), the key for
improving performance in the diversified workforce is enhancing the effectiveness of the internal
communication in the organization. He also stated that, Coca cola involved various initiatives
such as introduction of Coca Cola ambassadors for their employees. With the help of these
policies, they enhanced the level of engagement of the employees in the organization. According
to Agrawal, (2012), the more engage will be the employees in their organizations, the more will
be the effectiveness of communication between the higher management and the employees.
Unilever is another global leading organization operating in the field of fast moving
consumer goods category. They have also initiated various schemes in order to reduce the
language barriers in the communication among the diversified workforce. As stated by Chidlow,
Plakoyiannaki and Welch, (2014), Unilever initiated the geocentric approach in their
international human resource management. Initiation of geo centric approach helped them in
recruiting both the employees from home and host countries according to the requirement. For
instance, the managerial level of Unilever in India comprise of employees from India as well as
from other countries. Thus, it helps them in maintaining their global organizational culture in
India as well as effective communication with the local employees due to having managers from
India also. Chidlow, Plakoyiannaki and Welch, (2014) also stated that providing training to the
employees and managers who are not comfortable in local cultures and languages is also an
effective tool to enhance the level of communication with the employees. Unilever also initiates
training program for their employees and managers in the particular country. It enables them to
communicate effectively with the local employees in their local language.

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Another key issue being faced by the contemporary business organizations in operating in
the global market is determining the feedback from the customers. This is due to the fact that,
feedback of the customers is important for the organizations to improve and modify their
products or services according to the requirement of the customers. According to Erdogmus and
Cicek, (2012), social media marketing is one of the most effective tools in determining the
requirement and suggestions of the customers regarding a particular offering (Bhingardive &
Dhole, 2016). Microsoft is the leading organization, which uses the social media marketing most
effectively. They have multiple benefits from their social media activities such as determining
the requirement of the market as well as the identifying the trend in the market. This is due to the
reason that, social media marketing is a two way process of communication and customers can
share their feedback through this concept. Moreover, social media marketing helps in generating
and effective transmitting of word of mouth. According to Microsoft, new age employees are
also comfortable in accessing social media. Thus, it is beneficial for them due to the fact that
more employees and customers will be in touch effectively. Thus, garnering the customer
information for them will be easier with the help of social media marketing. Hence, Microsoft is
effectively overcoming the issue of gathering customer feedback with the help of social media
marketing.
Various cross-cultural issues are also been faced by the global organizations in operating
in the international market scenario. These include difference in cultures and social traditions of
the diversified workforce. This cause issues in the teamwork due to the reason that different
employees will have different approaches and customers to a certain topic. Thus, according to
Jandt, (2012), the best way of avoiding the cross-cultural issues is to provide effective training to
the internal stakeholders in the organization in order to make them comfortable with the diverse

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cultures. Volkswagen group is known for their effective maintenance of the diversity in their
workforce. They have their operations in various countries around the world. Thus, employees of
them are belonging from the diverse backgrounds. Due to this reason, they provide training and
counseling to their employees to get accustomed with the local cultures and traditions in a
particular country (Landis & Brislin, 2013). This eventually helps them in gaining more inputs of
the local market. This is due to the reason that, employees comfortable with the local culture will
gather more information about the market more effectively.
Bloom, Garicano, Sadun and Van Reeenen, (2014), shared the importance of using
technologies in communicating with the employees. According to them, organizations operating
in the global market face the problem of timely communication with all the stakeholders in the
organization around the world. This pose challenges in their inter management. Thus, according
to the authors, initiation of the technologies in the internal communication management will help
the organization in communicating with their employees more effectively. Google maintains the
benchmark in leading the way of implementing technologies in their internal management. All
the employees are being enrolled in a global portal, which is being accessible to every employee
around the world. Thus, the decisions taken by the higher organization can get communicated to
every employee more effectively and in time. This helps them in effective management of their
internal organization.
Recommended strategies
One of the key issues being faced by xxx is the inadequate and inefficient communication
channel in their internal management (Daim et al., 2012). This is leading in breakdown of their
communication process between the top management and the lower level employees. Thus, the

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top down and bottom up approach of the internal management is getting affected. The employees
do not able to communicate their views to their superiors and the decisions and vision of the
superiors are not being effectively communicated to the lower level employees. Thus, the
recommended step in this case will be the initiation of technologies (Bhingardive & Dhole,
2016). As implemented by Google, using of technologies in the communication process will help
to reduce the gap between the higher and lower level employees. Employees will have the access
with the higher managerial levels. Thus, the communication gap between the employees and the
higher managerial levels will get reduced and will be more effective.
Customer satisfaction is one of the key criterions to measure the effectiveness of the
business organizations. Thus, organizations are initiating various strategies in order to enhance
the customer satisfaction (Jahanshani et al., 2014). However, to enhance the satisfaction level of
the customers, one of the key factors to be considered is garnering information of the market.
Feedback from the customers helps in determining the trend in the market as well as the
requirement of the customers (Rego, Morgan & Fornell, 2013). However, in the case of xxx, the
mechanism of gathering customer data is being ineffective due to their inadequate policy of
communication. Thus, as done by Microsoft, xxx should also initiate social media marketing. It
will help them to engage with the customers and garnering required information from them.
Social media marketing will also help in having the feedback from the customers regarding the
existing products (Tuten & Solomon, 2014). Thus, the customer feedback will be effective as
well as it will help in creating brand awareness and exposure.
However, one of the key issues that may be faced by xxx in initiating social media
marketing is their area of operation. This is due to the fact that xxx operates in India, Nigeria and
some other countries. Several areas in India and Nigeria are entirely digitally illiterate and

8EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
having no access to the internet (Eshet, 2012). Thus, in these areas initiation of social media
communication will have no favorable results. In this case, it is being recommended that xxx
should take the traditional route of communicating with their stakeholders. Traditional
communication channels with the employees include releasing of newsletters and initiation of the
periodic meetings with the stakeholders (Kauffeld & Lehmann-Willenbrock, 2012). Proper and
effective release of newsletters will help the employees in having the idea about the decision
making process of the upper level of management (Pettigrew, 2014). However, the disadvantage
of this process is that it only covers the top down approach rather than the both way. Thus, in this
process, employees do not have the options of conveying their opinions to their superiors.
Periodic meetings between employees and the managerial levels will help to initiate a
two way communicating approach in the organization. It will help the upper management to
convey their vision to the employees and vice versa (Sethi & Adhikari, 2012). Thus, in the
absence of the modern mode of communication, these methods can be beneficial for xxx in
communicating with their employees (Thompson, 2013). However, one factor that should be
taken in to consideration by them is having the singular approach in communicating with the
employees. Xxx is having their operations facilities in several countries and thus the
communicating message should be the same in all facilities.
Another issue being faced by xxx in the recent years is the cross cultural conflict in their
workforce (Hurn & Tomalin, 2013). This is due to the reason that xxx is currently operating in
various countries and their workforce comprise of employees from different social backgrounds.
Thus, generation of diversified opinions are taking place in the organizations which is leading to
team conflict. Hence, in order to prevent this issue, it is being recommended that training
program should be initiated for the employees in order to accustom them in knowing the

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advantages of diversity (Dongfen, 2012). As being implemented by Volkswagen in their internal
organization, xxx should also initiate the training programs for the employees. The training
program should be designed in such a way that it will aware the employees about the benefits of
diversified workforce (Landis & Brislin, 2013). The team work should be designed in such way
that it will involve the employees from different social backgrounds. Hence, equality in the
representation of the employees in the workforce will help to enhance the connectivity among
the employees along with enhancing the organizational productivity.
Language barrier is one of the key cross cultural barriers being faced by xxx in their
internal organization. Due to the fact that they comprise of employees from different social
backgrounds, the employees are facing difficulties in communicating with one another due to the
differences in their language (Tenzer, Pudelko & Harzing, 2014). In this case, the strategy
implemented by Unilever should be initiated by xxx in their internal organizations. Unilever has
taken the geocentric approach in order to strike the balance between the home and host countries
employees. This approach will help xxx in reducing the language barrier. This is due to the
reason that, geocentric approach will involve selection of employees from both the host and
other countries (Shah et al., 2012). Thus, having the home country employees will help to
maintain the organizational culture being followed by them. On the other hand, having the
employees from the host country will help to communicate with the lower level of employees
more effectively in their local language (Gareis, 2012). Moreover, training program can be
initiated for the foreign countries employees in order to enable them in having the understanding
of the local language.

10EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Implications
Having analyzed the communication structure of xxx, it is being identified that they are
facing huge dilemma in enhancing the communication with their employees (Block, 2013). It is
being identified that the employees do not have the access of communicating with their higher
management and vice versa. Thus, a gap has been aroused in the organization. If these issues will
get continued then it will be difficult for xxx to survive and compete in the market. This is due to
the reason that ineffective communication structure in this organization is creating the barrier in
knowledge and information transfer in the organization. Thus, higher management does not have
the access regarding the requirement of the employees and the employees do not have the idea
about the vision of the upper level management.
Moreover, due to the reason of ineffective communication in the organization, the
customer feedback mechanism is not providing the desired output. Thus, xxx is being deprived
of having the latest information about the market. Hence, the dissatisfaction among the
customers is increasing which will further reduce their chance of serving in the market (Ruck &
Welch, 2012). Cross-cultural issues among the employees will reduce the competitiveness and
productivity of the employees. Thus, it will eventually reduce the organizational productivity,
which will have adverse impact on their performance (Uddin, Luva & Hossain, 212). Hence, it is
of urgent requirement for xxx to modify their existing communication structure as well as
initiates new policies keeping in mind the policies taken by other organizations.
Conclusion
Having discussed and analyzed the benchmark measures being taken by various
organizations in enhancing their communication policies, it can be concluded that xxx is much

11EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
behind in the industry. Due to this reason, they are facing various issues in their internal
organization. Thus, in this report, different benchmarked measures being taken by various
organizations are being discussed. Critical analysis of the benchmarked initiatives by different
organizations helps to determine the measures they have taken in order to prevent the
communication issues in the organization. Accordingly, various steps and measures are being
recommended and designed keeping in mind the requirement of xxx. It is been expected that
effective implementation of these recommendations will help the organization in preventing their
issue with the internal communication. It will also help them in enhancing the productivity of the
employees in the organization which will eventually helps to gain the higher level of customer
satisfaction.

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