THE EFFECT OF COMMUNICATION BARRIERS IN ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Communication is a discipline that embraces all aspect of human life. It informs all our actions and inaction in relations to others and it takes place all the time. It can manifest itself in symbolic, verbal and non-verbal forms we can communicate with all apart of our body, our posture, smile and even the dress we put on communicate one thing of the other. Different scholars have defined the word communication variously. However, there is the central theme that runs through all these definitions. That is the giving of information, ideas, opinions attitudes etc. by one person or group of persons to another person or group of persons. Communication particularly in a business organization provides a means by which people in the organization interact, exchange information, ideas, plan proposal and execute them. It is a medium through which relationships are established and maintained. It is also a means by which commendation is given and condemnation is handed down.

Business and organizational communication helps to orientate workers to their jobs as well as helping the supervisors monitor activates of the workers. Communication is an extremely invaluable asset in human organization. His is because at all levels in the organization among and between executives, managers, staff, supervisors, foremen and employees, the communication process is always in action conveying information, ideas, attitude and feelings among individuals and groups. 

Communication affects all the management function since none of them can be effectively performed without it. Plans and innovation cannot be executed unless they are communicated to those who will carry them out. The organizational structure is designed to set up channels of communication through which information is passed downwards, upwards, horizontally or laterally. Interference are barriers to effective communication because of changes in a desired direction.

The effectiveness of communication discourages better performance, high productivity and job satisfaction in an organization. This reduces the essentials for the internal functioning of an organization, which could integrate the managerial; functions. The problems in an organization as a result of communication problems reduce and obstruct the chance of such an organization achieving their goals. For the purpose of this study we shall focus all our attention on the major courses of communication problems with a particular emphasis on the Mercedes Benze Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company (MB-ANAMMCO).

MB – ANAMMCO limited was incorporated on January 17, 1977 and the plant was commissioned on July 8, 1980 by the firs executive president of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. It started official production in January 1981 and has to date made enable mark on the nation’s industrial growth, adding over 25,000 vehicles to the nation’s transportation sector, backed up effectively with a network of over 36 after-sales service pints and spare parts supply depots. The company’s central spare parts deport stocks over 35, 000 line items.

Mercedes Benz ANAMMCO is a joint ventures between the federal Government of Nigeria and the Daimler Chryster AG. MB ANAMMCO manufacturers Commercial vehicles and leads in the commercial vehicles markets from five tine payload and above in Nigeria. The plant, which occupies a sprawling 300,000 square meter site in Emene, near Enugu, is a shine example of a profitable and viable economic and technological corporation between the government and people of Nigeria and Daimler Chrysler AG and so there exists a combination of white/black system of administration. As a result of the white/black relationship there are time when one system administration disagree with other both in the formulation and implementation due to communication problems.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

Communication is a very important instrument in every organization. The problems of effective communication is pre-requisite for improper understanding and interaction of people in an organization. Poor communication system makes for ineffective and inefficient management and this affects the preset goals. Some of these problems include

1. Lack of proper channel of communication in the organization. This can explain why there still exist, situation where minor problems which could be sorted out by discussion and understanding between the workers and the management escalate into major problems which causes some set back in the company.

2. The management is not willing to share information with employees. As a result workers normally get information from the grapevine which usually lead to unfavorable actions in the company

3. MB – ANAMMCO is a multi-national company that carries information from different parts of the federation and outside the country too. The information is so much that the channels cannot handle all the messages that are been sent. Sometimes the telephone lines cannot get through of all the lines are in use at the same time. This information overload occurs when ,ore message are transmitted than the human receiver can handle, this leads to reduced efficiency.

4. Since the company does not fully consider communication as a very important aspect of the organization and therefore allows communication gaps to exist between it and the workers the productivity level of the company will suffer.

1.3 OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The objective/purpose of the study is to survey the effect of communication barriers to organizational success. The smooth operation of any business undertaking lies largely on its efficiency in the circulation of information with and outside the organization and the presences of barriers in this circulation could be very disastrous therefore the researcher is going;

i. To determine communication problems create improper coordination of the organizational functions.

ii. To find out the communication channel that exist in MB-ANAMMCO.

iii. To determine it the desired organizational goals achieved through this communication channels.

iv. To find out if good business opportunities be lost by an organization through communication ineffectiveness.

1.4 SIGNFICANE OF THE STUDY

It is through communication that understanding information, motivation cooperation and job satisfaction necessary for groups efforts is being provided. Better communication get better job performance and more work satisfaction. In MB-ANAMMCO the challenges posed ineffective communication in the part of the management and the staff nearly grounded the multi-national promising enterprise that has supplied succor to teeming population made up of Nigerian and expertise so it is believed that the analysis of data, findings and solutions proffered in this write-up will be beneficial to;

i. Mercedes Benz Anambra Motor Manufacturing company (MB – ANAMMCO) who will make use of the communication to solve any problem arising from ineffective communication.

ii. Managers of other companies in the course of improving their knowledge will find this write-up useful in that they will not want to fall into the same unfortunate situation before implementing the solution proffered in this study.

iii. Although already dealt with by many authors, it is believed that this is yet another contribution to such existing materials. Also students and other researchers who may want to carry out a project of this nature will use this as a reference point.

1.5   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The object of this research work is to fine out the effect of communication barriers on organizational success. Its scope is limited to the Mercedes Benz Anambra Motor manufacturing company (MB-ANAMMCO) which is the organization under study. However, this study will go a little further to discuss communication in some details.

1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. Does communication problems create improper coordination of organizations?

ii. What is the communication channel that exist in MB – ANAMMCO?

iii. Are desired organizational goals achieved through this communication channels?

iv. Can good business opportunities be lost be an organization through communication ineffectiveness?

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

ACHIVEMENT: The successful finishing or gaining of something especially through skill or hard work.

BARRIERS: Objects consciously or unconsciously placed in the way that prevents other objects from going forward or backwards.