BUSN20017: Data Solutions - Professional Written Communication Report

This report addresses the internal communication challenges faced by 'Data Solutions,' a company specializing in data management software. The report identifies three key problems: ineffective communication of executive-level decisions, a flawed organizational hierarchy leading to poor supervis...Read More

Running head: PROFESSIONAL WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Effective Business Communication
[Professional Written Communication]
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1PROFESSIONAL WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Executive Summary
To:
From:
Date:
Subject: Ineffective internal communication can potentially be an issue
1) Opening
As mentioned in the case study, ‘Data Solutions' has certain problem areas in the context of the internal
communication. The company though good at making promotions and external communications, faces
persisting issues in terms of internal communication as mentioned in the case study. As mentioned, the
executive level decisions are not being conveyed effectively to employees. In most cases, supervisors and
employees do work in different offices and because of that, there is an evident communication gap
between supervisors and employees. Emails communication lacks the professionalism as well. Being the
CEO of the case company, the learner is aware of issues. Hence, this memo is in context to that purpose
only. The memo has information being derived from feasible research works to identify the exact
problems and the most suitable solutions for those.
2) Objectives and background
a. The specific purpose of this memo is to find solutions for issues which are affecting the internal
communication in ‘Data Solutions’.
b. The general purpose is to identify the situation-based problems and finding appropriate solutions to
those problems.
c. The main context of this memo is the internal communication which needs to be effective in order to
avoid the communication gaps and its subsequent consequences on organizations. The main objective of
this memo is to find some ways to improve the level of internal communication in the case study
company. ‘Data Solutions’, the case-study company, has few issues in terms of internal communication.
These issues are impacting a fair communication between the executive level staffs and employees. There
is ineffective coordination between supervisors and employees. It does not only affect the feedback
system but also the level of performance. Consequently, most of the employees are not being into a
professional style of Emails drafting (Holmlund, Kowalkowski & Biggemann, 2016).
3) Problems
a. Problem one
Problem one could be an inappropriate briefing for every decision being made at the executive level. It
can be a case that things are not communicated at the most appropriate time. It may also be that
employees were unaware of something which later on got implemented. An ineffective approach towards
communicating the important decisions could seriously cause the unfavorable tides being spread at the
organizational level (Turnage & Goodboy, 2016). In case of change management, for example, it is

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essential that employees are supportive towards it. Changes can be either bigger or smaller depending on
the circumstances compelling for it. However, in bigger changes, management generally has a fair
amount of time to organize the whole process whereas, in smaller changes, they are needed to do things
quickly. In the context of smaller changes such as implementing an ‘Accounting Software', employees
need to be made aware of it in quick times. This is required to know whether the management has a
supportive and feasible environment for the change (Van der Voet, 2014). Considering these facts, it can
be said that the case-study company may land into troubles while dealing with such a process. There can
be the possible conflicts at the employee level leading to the disintegration of the workforce.
b. Problem two
Problem two could be due to an ineffective organizational hierarchy. This is because employees have
options to work separately to avoid any face-to-face working with their supervisors. An effective
organizational hierarchy could have asked for working together and facilitating also the work-related
feedback system. Working closely with supervisors is important for various reasons such as it helps to
reduce the communication gap between employees & the supervisors, facilitate a channel of
communication between executive-level staffs & employees and promotes the monitoring of performance
(Sadia et al., 2016). The case company faces the issue in terms of executive-level decisions being not
conveyed appropriately to the employees. In the case-study company, the only medium of communication
between supervisors and employees, in most cases, are the Emails. However, Emails are not being drafted
professionally, so that, it makes any sense. Considering the fact, it is better to work together than
separately. This is because the existing hierarchy will require employees being trained on the professional
way of drafting the Emails. This will require a significant investment being made on the process and will
also consume a fair amount of time. On the other hand, the suggested organizational hierarchy will also
have the option to communicate verbally which is more impactful than the Emails. It is because all
queries cannot be explained over Emails; however, it can be done by verbally speaking to employees
(Henderson, Cheney & Weaver, 2015).
c. Problem three
The problem can be either due to the casualness of employees and also due to their inability to draft a
professional Email. Professionally drafted emails are important to have an effective communication
between employees and supervisors working in different offices. Possibility for employees being casual
while drafting the Emails looks quite certain. This is due to a fact that supervisors and employees work in
different offices and therefore, have a rare opportunity for meetings. Such circumstances can affect a
disciplined work and also the learning process. For a disciplined workforce, it is important that they are
regularly instructed about the work-etiquettes (Graham, Ziegert & Capitano, 2015). Human resource
executives will not poke for etiquettes every time. It is rather the supervisors who can push in a number of
times. Moreover, supervisors while working closely with employees can also guide them to the
professional way of writing the Emails. An ineffective organizational hierarchy is perhaps the ultimate
reason for employees being involved in drafting the unprofessional Emails.
4) Recommendations
a. Problem one
Problem one is related to flaws in communicating the decisions being constructed at the top management
level. The problem can be dealt with effective connectivity between the top management and employees.
Connectivity can be improved by promoting cooperation between top management and employees,
inspiring the employees, by being rational to resolve the conflicts and encouraging the feedback system.
Cooperation can be boosted through seminars, workshops, office luncheons, training programs and other
activities. Inspiration can be promoted by promoting a casual day, distributing the gift cards, giving the

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bonuses, offering the free lunches and other activities such as the gym memberships if applicable.
Conflicts need to be addressed timely and by being rational to it as this can seriously damage the work-
motivation of a group or more.
b. Problem two
It was identified that ‘Data Solutions’ lacked an effective organizational hierarchy which resulted in
supervisors and employees working separately in different offices and also that messages conveyed at the
top management level are not being effectively conveyed to employees. There is a need to improve the
existing organizational hierarchy in order to flourish the coordination between supervisors and employees
and the top management as well. There are many types of organizational hierarchy such as functional,
divisional, flatarchy and matrix. However, for the case study company, ‘Flatarchy’ will be the
recommended organizational hierarchy. The structure is suggested because it avoids a vertical distribution
of departments and rather welcomes an association from all. This means employees at any level in the
organization will be able to suggest or give their valuable feedbacks. Moreover, top managers,
supervisors and employees will work closely and hence, coordination will improve and also the
interdepartmental communication.
c. Problem three
As mentioned earlier, being casual while drafting the Emails can be one of the reasons for unprofessional
Emails being sent out by employees of ‘Data Solutions’. Possibility for casualness is probable because
supervisors and employees work in separate offices and they have a rare communication between them.
The one step towards the solution will be to implement the recommended organizational hierarchy in
‘Data Solutions’. This will reduce the distance between supervisors and employees quite a bit which has
been a part of the company for a long span of time. The next step will be to take sessions with employees
generally focussing on Emails writing etiquettes. Supervisors will also be able to know the other reasons
for unprofessionalism in Emails writing. Moreover, a database will be created by having the information
on skills related issues. Supervisors can then send the database to the top management and seek their
approval to conduct a formal training session with employees. The training session will just target the
process related knowledge and will also cover a few practical examples of professional Emails to
establish a resemblance to it. Training will be monitored to check the progress. A feedback system will
also be a part of it to let employees know their capability as an Email drafter.
5) Closing
a. Synopsis of the memo
‘Data Solutions’ supplies data management software to clients in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The
CEO of the company has found the company good at external communications; however, relatively
poorer in terms of internal communication. The CEO with its good research work was able to identify the
issues and their solutions as well.
b. Offer Assistance and provide contact details
Being the CEO of the company, the learner will consider implementing the recommended actions to
counter the current problems. There will be adequate assistance on the related actions. Approachability to
the CEO will be made easier to avoid interdepartmental communication issues and promote a
coordinating and communicating workplace.

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References
Graham, K. A., Ziegert, J. C., & Capitano, J. (2015). The effect of leadership style, framing, and
promotion regulatory focus on unethical pro-organizational behavior. Journal of business
ethics, 126(3), 423-436.
Henderson, A., Cheney, G., & Weaver, C. K. (2015). The role of employee identification and
organizational identity in strategic communication and organizational issues management about
genetic modification. International Journal of Business Communication, 52(1), 12-41.
Holmlund, M., Kowalkowski, C., & Biggemann, S. (2016). Organizational behavior in innovation,
marketing, and purchasing in business service contexts—An agenda for academic
inquiry. Journal of Business Research, 69(7), 2457-2462.
Sadia, A., Salleh, B. M., Kadir, Z. A., & Sanif, S. (2016). The relationship between organizational
communication and employees productivity with new dimensions of effective communication
flow. Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies, 2(2), 93-100.
Turnage, A. K., & Goodboy, A. K. (2016). E-mail and face-to-face organizational dissent as a function of
leader-member exchange status. International Journal of Business Communication, 53(3), 271-
285.
Van der Voet, J. (2014). The effectiveness and specificity of change management in a public
organization: Transformational leadership and a bureaucratic organizational structure. European
Management Journal, 32(3), 373-382.