Communication Project: Solving Business Problems at Vodafone

This report identifies and analyzes communication-related business problems at Vodafone Group PLC, applying relevant communication models such as Berlo's model to understand the communication gap between management and employees. It discusses issues like lack of feedback, over-connectivity, avoiding difficult conversations, lack of standardization, and misunderstandings. The report proposes practical solutions including improving communication skills, seeking feedback, managing stress, and fostering a positive organizational culture. An implementation plan is developed, focusing on strategic positioning, organizational planning, and budget setting. A SWOT analysis is conducted to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the proposed solutions, culminating in an evaluation strategy to measure the effectiveness of the implemented changes. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Communication Project Applied
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1. Identifying a business problem relevant to the theories..........................................................1
2. Analysing the business problem by applying relevant communication models.....................3
3. Discussing the relevance of the communication theory and concepts used by Vodafone......4
4. Developing a practical solution to the business problem to achieve a positive success.........5
5. Implementation plan for business solution.............................................................................6
6. SWOT Analysis......................................................................................................................7
7. Preparing an evaluation strategy.............................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
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INTRODUCTION
Vodafone Group PLC is a well-known brand in telecommunications situated in the UK.
Communication is an essential part of business in which employees and management interact to
reach organizational goals and objectives. The present report will provide detailed information
about Vodafone's business communication problems and issues. The case study describes
various theories and concepts of communication-related to the workplace. The case study will
provide description guide about achievement of leadership success. The company should adopt
proper communication theories and models. Further, the project will predict the possible
outcomes in SWOT analysis and discuss the pros and cons. The study will also prepare a
relevant strategy to measure the effectiveness of solutions to achieve business success.
1. Identifying a business problem relevant to the theories
Communication plays a vital role in the business to achieve success and organizational
goals. Communication is the method used by Vodafone, sharing relevant information between
top-level management and employees within and outside of the firm (Bishop et al., 2020). To
reach business targets, the company should focus on effective business communication between
management and employees. Communication main aim is to improve the conversation gap
between the bottom and top-level management and avoid errors while communicating Typical
business problems include various issues and situations related to communication, they are:
Lack of feedback- To work potentially and favour the company, it is essential to attain or
provide effective feedback. Collecting feedback from employees with the help of different
concepts like surveys and questionnaires will help to know about company culture (Lee & Kim,
2021). If the company managers doesn't collect feedback from their employees, then
communication strategy will become ineffective.
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Overly connected- It is mandatory to maintain the lines between working hours and
employees' personal lives. Thus, it is noted that employees are spending more time in the office
that means they risk being over-connected to the company. Due to this, many workers or
employees may feel the pressure of work, which will further lead to underperformance.
Ultimately, it will negatively influence the business, and employee engagement within the firm,
and they might face challenges.
Avoiding difficult conversations- In many companies, there is a conflict between the top
and bottom management because of a lack of communication. This situation occurs just because
they avoid difficult conversations related to business activities. The managers of the present
company must provide clear and actionable feedback even when they are facing communication
issues.
Lack of standardization- Vodafone needs to decide where and when to communicate
about business topics. Lack of standardization will ultimately increase confusion between
employees and managers. It will create problems for business activities or its operations, and it
will become challenging to achieve organizational goals. Additionally, standardizing
communication will bring a positive advantage to a business.
Misunderstanding and assumptions- In the company, employees and managers often
assume, based on the information they read or hear, whether the notification is accurate or not.
Employees who sometimes fail to listen or don't know how to react to the situation are likely to
misinterpret and create problems within the company.
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2. Analysing the business problem by applying relevant communication models.
Communication theory is a scientific method of receiving and sending relevant
information. Many forms and elements can affect communication models and concepts. The
company must keep track on them and take practical actions to solve business issues.
Berlo communication model- This method is used by the present company to solve the
business communication problems within the organization. The model shows the details about
the sender and receiver who sends and receives the messages.
Attitude- In the communication strategy, a positive attitude of sender and receiver plays
a vital role. It can change the way the message has been accepted and delivered. Without
effective workplace communication, the company will face many challenges. A positive attitude
towards communication strategy helps to build relationships between senders and receivers.
Knowledge and communication skills- Sender or receiver must know about the topic of
conversation. If both of them are not familiar with the excellent conversation topic, then
communication will be ineffective. Strong communication skills are essential to understanding
the message being shared. The managers need to arrange a workshop on the same to achieve
business goals. If the sender has poor communication skills, then the receiver will not understand
the conversation. Thus, it may create confusion and misunderstanding between them.
Organizational culture and social system- The positive and hostile environment will
also affect how messages have been accepted and delivered (Nafchi, Saeedi & Fathi, 2021). The
situation of receiver and sender can be determined by the social systems and norms of the
company. Values and experiences can help the acceptance and delivery of effective
communication. The top-level management must keep track on a positive environment to avoid
any future communication barriers.
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There are many ways to deliver a message, including helpful content, presentation, body
language, and eye contact (Asatiani et al., 2021). In communication, the news being transferred
by the sender can positively and negatively impact the understanding level. The channel is as
important as other means of communication (Importance of communication strategy, 2021). If
the sender selects the wrong track, then the receiver will not understand the purpose, leading to
misinterpretation. So, the company must take the effective steps to achieve practical
communication goals.
3. Discussing the relevance of the communication theory and concepts used by Vodafone
The communication theory and model show various aspects that will surely help the
researchers understand the structure of a conversation. This structure is being used to understand
the pattern of communicating visually and verbally. The model shows the objectives and goals
related to messages sent and received, creating a relevant picture. To understand the inflexibility
nature within the firm, the model can be taken into consideration. The theories and concepts
involve presenting elements that can be used as a sample for future investigation. Experts
commented that the communication process is a complex issue, so it is mandatory to find out the
solution to achieve effective presentation. With the help of Berlo's model, this complex problem
can be presented and solved quickly.
Berlo's model represents that for proper communication, the company needs to focus on
the level of sender and receiver. It means the receiver and sender of a message need to be at the
same level for an effective communication strategy (Alshanqiti & Khozium, 2021). Both should
be similar and have communication skills, a positive attitude, knowledge level, and
understanding level. This model focuses on the emotional aspect of the message delivered and
accepted. This theory shows the role of the listener who ultimately determines and evaluates the
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concept of any particular message delivered. The method identifies the factors that may affect
the sender and will lead to a communication gap between them if it is not satisfied. It will
forecast the failure or success of a specific communication process.
4. Developing a practical solution to the business problem to achieve a positive success
Communication theories help to understand the structure, which includes communication
skills and social systems. It also represents how information is being accepted and delivered by
people and the acceptance or rejection of innovations in society. A solution to a business
problem is the process that removes obstacles that prevent the firm from achieving goals.
Discuss the problems- In the company, two employees working at the same level may
disagree and create a wall between them while communicating. Negative attitudes will cause
business problems; thus, it is essential to solve them (Foster, 2021). Whether the team members
have a difficult time professionally or personally, it may lead to mental stress. The manager must
take specific actions such as arrange a meeting on weekly basis and discussing issues with
employees.
Seek feedback- The freedom to express opinions will allow employees to speak up and
feel involved in the decision-making process. Their positive or negative feedback is going to
help them achieve success and solve problems.
Stress- A stressful atmosphere can make employees frustrated, and it will lead to low
employee engagement. A high level of pressure within the company may lead to arguments
between employees and top-level management (Zhao & Burke, 2021). Therefore, the manager
needs to coordinate or communicate with team members. The top-level management needs to
focus on empathizing with employees. This includes understanding emotional reactions and
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listening carefully to find out the solution. This will lead to practical and positive problem-
solving to achieve objectives.
Positive Organizational culture and business ethics – A business without a proper
culture and policies may experience a problem with employee communication and other business
problems (Ermasova, 2021). It is essential to provide positive company culture and maintain
policies or rules to improve standardization (Liu, Tsui & Kianto, 2021). With the help of
business ethics, the managers promote integrity among their employees.
5. Implementation plan for business solution
For the success of any business project, the company uses a tool called a project
management plan. An implementation plan highlights the steps for the implementation of a
strategy within the business project. Experts commented that the firm may face many challenges
while making any strategic decisions (George, 2021). The implementation plan finds out the best
strategic plan and effectively manages it to achieve the business target. This plays a vital role in
the business's overall success and helps team members have a sense of ownership within the
firm's future requirements. An implementation plan helps to improve cooperation among all team
members within the firm. Additionally, the significant benefit of this tool is to meet long-term
goals and project goals.
Determining the strategic position- The Vodafone group PLC needs to know the
performance of the business to review companies vision and mission statements. A clear image
of failure and success will give information about the company's culture. The firm must identify
the issues that need to be taken into consideration.
Organizational planning- Once the company has identified its current performance and
market position, it's time to prioritize the objectives (Lal, 2021). This method is the high-level
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process to locate and measure the goals. Ultimately, it helps to build specific strategies to meet
them and create a plan of action. The firm's objectives need to be set correctly, and thus, it
outlines the acceptance of new challenges.
Improve, execute and review the plan- After setting goals, the company needs to
improve and develop the planning strategy. The managers should design the timeline and clear
communication strategies to view business processes. Additionally, it is essential to review the
strategic position for long-term success and track progress charts using balanced scorecards to
evaluate company performance.
Set a budget- The company needs to set a budget and determine an appropriate price
range. In order to provide training and learning to employees the firm needs some funding. So, it
is necessary to avoid financial issues, and the firm must control the budget.
6. SWOT Analysis
Strengths
 Working on projects together requires
the cooperation of employees. It will
lead to business success and improve
collaboration.
 By choosing a positive organizational
culture that can become a strength for
business operation. This will increase
Weaknesses
 Poor communication skills will create
problems between top-level managers
and team members (Nekhaeva, 2021).
A lack of communication leads to
negatively in the company's
environment.
 If the company is not focusing on
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expectations of a strong future among
employees.
 Positive business ethics will lead to
employee engagement and motivate
them to achieve goals. Good communication skills will
enhance coordination and improve goal
alignment between the managers and
employees.
communication strategy, then it will
create bad relationships.
 Lack of knowledge and experience may
lead to low productivity and stress
among employees (Swot analysis,
2021). An emotional barrier like fear
can become a weakness for business
operations.
 If the manager cannot manage the stress
and emotions of employees, they will
come under weakness.
Opportunities
 To improve opportunities, the company
must develop its communication
strategy among employees (Prentiss,
2021). By doing so, the company will
be able to achieve more success as
teamwork.
 The company must provide
opportunities like training, courses,
workshops to make employees
effective for business. The managers must arrange
Threats
 Negative attitude and
miscommunication of employees is a
threat for the company.
 Organization size is treated as a threat
as it becomes exponentially more
challenging for management.
 Work environment such as noise may
affect the communication in the
company. The atmosphere must be
comfortable for everyone to achieve
effective conversation.
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presentation skills learning classes to
avoid any uncertainty.
Pros
 Good communication is delivered in simple language to avoid misunderstandings
between employees. Responsibilities are distributed equally to the team member to avoid the burden, and
communication time is well-organized to prevent any distraction.
Cons
 If the company is not giving regular and supportive feedback, employees may feel
isolated, like they aren't a part of the company; thus, it will decrease employee
motivation. Lack of feedback affects employees' performance and productivity in
business activities.
 The major limitation of not discussing problems while working together will create
conflicts between team members and reduce flexibility of work among them. As a result,
employees with solid knowledge will often try to dominate others it may affect team
morale.
7. Preparing an evaluation strategy
Evaluation strategy takes place after completing the project and presents detailed
information about outcomes and project activities. The evaluation method can be done by proper
utilization of methods like goal-based and process-based plans.
 The first step is to clarify the goals of the evaluation strategy; thus, it will help identify
the significant program the company should be evaluated after that company needs to
develop evaluation questions and methods.
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 By adopting the potential evaluation method, the company can determine the outcomes
and improve project activities accordingly. This can be done with the help of surveys,
personal interviews, and feedback forms. Additionally, the firm needs to set up a timeline
for the business activities.
 With the help of a performance tracker, the managers can evaluate the position of
employees and provide them grades, job promotions, certificates to motivate them.
 The company needs to manage the financial reports to control unnecessary expenses on
employees' development, like providing training related to skills improvement.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, communication skills play a vital role in achieving organizational goals.
The case study concluded that the company must ensure the message is conveyed as effectively
as possible to have a proper conversation. By a survey of communication models and theories,
the company can evaluate the potential effectiveness of communication. At last, the report
prepares an evaluation method to measure the solution.
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