Brit Tech: Enhancing Communication & Cultural Awareness Post Pandemic

This report examines the communication challenges faced by Brit Tech, a UK-based IT company, as employees return to the office after working from home. It explores various communication theories, including Communication Accommodation Theory, Organizational Information Theory, Cultural Approach to Organization Theory, and Coordinated Management of Meaning Theory, to understand the dynamics of workplace communication. The report identifies physical, emotional, organizational structure, perceptual, and interpersonal barriers that hinder effective communication. Strategies to overcome these barriers, such as conducting vaccination camps, providing official transport, adhering to government policies, and holding virtual meetings, are discussed. The importance of cultural awareness in fostering collaboration and respect among employees from diverse backgrounds is also emphasized. The report concludes by highlighting the need for effective communication channels and strategies to enhance productivity and create a positive work environment at Brit Tech.

Business
Communication
Assessment 2
Individual Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
Theories of communication.........................................................................................................3
Challenges and Barriers to effective Communication................................................................4
Strategies to overcome the communication barriers...................................................................5
Importance of Cultural Awareness..............................................................................................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
For any business organisation, the most considering factor is revenue. Every organization
wants to increase the productivity level of its employees in order to generate more revenues.
Employees should develop connectivity network in the organization through effective
communication so as to execute teamwork efficiently. Business communication refers to the act
of sharing information within and outside the organization. There should exist interpersonal
communication between management and employees as well. Management must strive to reduce
the barriers that employees face in communication (Warren and Aloia, 2022). In the following
report, the barriers to effective communication that the employees of Brit tech (a UK based
multinational IT company) face in returning back to organization after work from home, the
strategies for removing those barriers and importance of cultural awareness for the organization
will be discussed.
TASK
Theories of communication
There should exist effective channels of communication in the organization to create a
strong culture for the employees and to enhance their productivity level. There are various
theories of business communication that are followed worldwide by the business organization to
build a strong structure of the organization.
 Communication accommodation theory : This theory states to consider the motivation
related aspects . It offers two ways of communication i.e. convergence and divergence. In
divergence, employees depict ethics and morale in communication to increase the
significance of their status in the team. In convergence theory, individuals communicate
showing low capability and need to be accepted.
 Organizational information theory : When management communicates with the
subordinates in an ambiguous way i.e. do not use detailed explanations for making the
tasks clear, it affects the productivity of employees. Employees need to be sensible to
understand the required information through their own interpretation (Lai and Yu, 2022).
The organization should be able to deliver the relevant information through effective
communication so that employees will be able to execute the tasks effectively.

 Cultural approach to organisation theory : It focuses on the importance of culture of
the organization. It states that every organization has its own symbols to convey
information and deliver a particular meaning of the communication. It lays emphasis on
the culture of the organization i.e. its customs and rituals.
 Coordinated management of Meaning theory : This theory states to create meaningful
communication through a coordinating conversation. When information is conveyed, the
connection is made through which coordinative communication is possible. It focuses on
connectivity and hierarchy in the organization that facilitates the effective flow of
communication.
Challenges and Barriers to effective Communication
An effective communication system between managers and workers ensures better explanation
of strategic decisions by the management among the employees that facilitates productivity in
their work. Lack of communication leads to unclear understanding of tasks to be performed and
affect the effective organization of activities according to the plans set.
 Physical barriers : These barriers refer to the geographical distance between the
management and employees that impact effective communication (Baylis, 2022).
Employees of Brit tech are unwilling to come back to the organization so as to avoid any
infection of Covid19 due to public transport. To adopt safety measures, they do not want
to travel via any crowded transport system.
 Emotional Barriers : These barriers lead to inefficiency in the work of employees due to
anxiety and stress. As regards Brit tech, employees have set their own schedule of work
as they are working from home. They feel inconvenient to enhance their productivity due
to their changed schedule in the organization.
 Organisational Structure Barriers : These are the cultural barriers that affect working
in team with colleagues at the workplace. Due to the imposition of policies by the
government on businesses such as social distancing norms, wearing of masks,
sanitization of workplace etc., employees of Brit Tech are troubled regarding safety
measures in the organization.
 Perceptual Barriers : These communication barriers arise due to the perception or self
erected ideas of the employees about being judged (Moore and et. al., 2022). To avoid
covid19 infection, those who have got vaccinated feel inconvenient to interact with the

non- vaccinated workers that creates anxiety in the non vaccinated for being
discriminated at the workplace.
 Interpersonal Barriers : Low self esteem or confidence in making connections with
others fall under these barriers. Brit Tech employees are returning to the organization
after a very long period that they have low confidence for interpersonal communication.
They feel that they have lost the connectivity skills for networking with the colleagues.
Strategies to overcome the communication barriers
The organization should take appropriate measures to make communication system
effective. It should adopt effective strategies to overcome the barriers to communication. The
following strategies should be adopted by Brit Tech co. to to ensure effective communication
and make employees willing to come back to the organization :
 Conduct of Vaccination camp : Brit Tech company should conduct its own vaccination
camp in the organization to get all the employees vaccinated. This will remove the
perceptual barriers that employees face while communicating and coming back to the
organization. The fear of being discriminated will also get removed after the introduction
compulsory vaccination policy in the company.
 Official transport system : To adopt safety measures for the employees and remove the
fear of getting infected through public transport, Brit Tech should give its own official
transport system to the employees to cover the distance from home to office. It will
ensure safe travel and remove physical barriers.
 Adherence to government policies : As government has made it imperative to follow
the social distancing norms in the organization, Brit Tech should also adhere to these
policies by regularly sanitising the workplace and making it mandatory to wear masks to
ensure safety of its employees and remove organizational structure barriers.
 Conduct of virtual meeting : Brit Tech should conduct virtual meetings and conferences
for those working from home so that on coming back in the organisation, employees will
not feel lack of connectivity as through virtual conferences, they will get interacted with
management and team members regularly. It will help in overcoming interpersonal as
well as emotional barriers to communication.

Importance of Cultural Awareness
In an organisation, there are different employees with their own set of values and
different cultures. So the organization needs to maintain collaboration among the employees of
different cultures and insist on spreading cultural awareness. For better communication,
employees need to understand as well as respect the people from different cultures. Culture of
the organisation refers to the standard customs and rituals followed in the organization and set of
values among the employees that they hold for colleagues (Shen and Kim, 2022). For example,
an organization may follow the culture of strict hierarchy and status that focus on top individuals
being worthy than employees, another organization may follow the culture of equality . So the
workers need to be aware of the culture and respect it.
Cultural awareness assists in increasing the productivity level of the employees and
overcoming the cultural barriers. It enhances self esteem and make the employees with different
cultures feel respected, valued and deserved. As it facilitates communication and collaboration
among colleagues, they are able to understand and sympathise with each other and avoid being
judgemental for others' culture (Canefe, 2022).
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it has been concluded that for every business organization,
business communication is imperative to achieve the objectives of the organization as per
planned. To organise the activities and achieve the high productivity from the workforce, it is
required to maintain effective channels of communication in the organization and follow suitable
communication theories. Every organization must strive to remove any physical or interpersonal
barriers to communication by adopting the appropriate strategies and making the employees
willing towards work. It is required to spread cultural awareness in the organization to ensure
collaboration and effective communication among the employees.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Baylis, D., 2022. Principles of telemedicine. InnovAiT, 15(1). pp.49-51.
Canefe, N., 2022. Gender, Dispossession, and Ethics of Witnessing: Method as Intervention.
In Gender, Identity and Migration in India (pp. 81-97). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.
Lai, C.H. and Yu, R.P., 2022. How do public organizations communicate their alliances on
Facebook and how does the public react? A longitudinal analysis. Public Relations
Review, 48(1).p.102144.
Moore, D.E., and et. al., 2022. What do children think about doctors' communication at the
Teddy Bear Hospital?. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 58(2). pp.243-247.
Shen, Y. and Kim, N., 2022. Successful Expatriation and Repatriation for Both Employers and
Assignees: A Developmental Relationship Perspective. In HRD Perspectives on Developmental
Relationships (pp. 335-365). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Silva, C., Lopes, M. and Dias, A.M., 2022. Revealing the strength of Gross Potential for Cycling
as a Planning Support for Starter Cycling Cities. Case Studies on Transport Policy.
Warren, R. and Aloia, L., 2022. Parental Mediation of Cell Phone Use and Adolescent
Autonomy. Journal of Family Issues, p.0192513X211066955.