The essence and significance of corporate reputation. Image and reputation in business communications Reputation communications

Nesterov A.K. Reputation of the organization // Encyclopedia of the Nesterovs

Forming an organization's reputation subordinates its behavior to the values ​​that reflect the organization's corporate culture and distinctive features that can distinguish it from its competitors.

Organizational reputation structure

- this is a comprehensive characteristic of an enterprise, including the perception of this organization and its products on the market by buyers, clients, suppliers, competitors, as well as the vision of the organization on the part of its creators, owners, and employees.

Consequently, the behavior of the organization should be subordinated to maintaining the positive reputation of the organization, which is determined by the attitude of interested groups towards it. Thus, the reputation of an organization reflects a strong opinion about the qualities, advantages or disadvantages of the organization in a certain market segment.

Organizational reputation management pursues the goal of maintaining this opinion in a form that meets the interests of the management and owners of the organization.

The constituent elements of reputation have different effects on both the organization itself and the actions of the organization. As part of reputation formation, points of application of managerial influence include the following:

• the image of the organization and its positioning in the market,
• authority of the first person,
• the organization's reputation in the market,
• organizational culture.

Previously, a company's reputation was considered only from a psychological, social or cultural point of view. Today it has become one of the most important components of a firm's intangible assets, measured in its annual balance sheet. The business reputation of the company in its new status can be expressed in economic terms. Another thing is that there is no single methodology for assessing reputation in Russia. But it's a matter of time.

Until recently, there was only one so-called “accounting” approach to financial reporting. The main indicator that companies focused on was profit. The value of companies and the efficiency of their functioning were assessed by the current state of its material assets: real estate, equipment, working capital. In the end, everyone came to a dead end because, in essence, they were focused on the past, on short-term goals. The time horizon for the company's activities turned out to be limited. Now companies wishing to look to the future have chosen a different benchmark.

In modern business, the formula for achievements has begun to look like this: “The value of a company is the value of its material assets plus (or minus) the value of its reputation.”

It is possible that Peter Doyle’s book “Value-Based Marketing” helped to take a fresh look at the company’s strategies, in which intangible assets - market knowledge, the presence of retail networks, customer loyalty, qualified management - were given a special role in shaping the company’s market value.

So, in the new reality, a completely different view of reputation is being formed:

Reputation is the sum of a company's intangible assets - market knowledge, the presence of retail networks, proprietary technologies, customer loyalty, qualified management, brand reputation, etc.

Reputation is a real asset of a company. This quality is based on its ability to create additional shareholder value.

Reputation is an object of stock exchange quotations. Today, the main commodity on world exchanges (for example, NASDAQ) is not just the share of a high-tech company, but its image and the level of public confidence in its profitability.

Reputation is a more stable asset than property. The value of tangible assets is extremely unstable. This is evidenced by noticeable price fluctuations in different markets. In the area of ​​reputation, the situation is different. Changes in the value of reputation are not so significant: the value of reputation accumulates slowly, but cannot disappear overnight.
The reference point for reputation is the future. It is long-term goals that have become the foundation of reputation as a value factor.
Reputation is based on information. Any effective organization continually produces information that has the potential to impact shareholder value. When uncontrolled flows of such information become “reputation,” the impact of such reputation on value can be unpredictable. In any case, it is impossible to stop this process. The question is to evaluate and wisely use this information in order to increase capitalization.

Reputation is close to the concept of socially responsible business. In the West in recent years, the concept of “reputation” is increasingly associated with the concept of “social responsibility” and “social mission”. Corporations strive to prove to their corporate audiences (customers, employees, shareholders) that they are conscientious citizens of their country who care about the public interest.

The recent increase in attention to the problem of forming a positive reputation is not accidental. A positive business reputation is becoming a necessary condition for achieving sustainable and lasting economic success. Many companies proudly declare that they have a positive reputation, others stubbornly defend the damage to their reputation in court, and others sincerely consider their reputation to be their competitive advantage.

Scientists have given dozens of definitions of corporate reputation, designating it as a significant intangible asset of a company and even developed various methods for assessing such a seemingly ephemeral concept. But the efforts to manage this very reputation do not always bring the expected success, preferably expressed in additional profit and calculated using one of the methods. So what is business reputation management and why are the actions of PR managers often ineffective?

The growing role of corporate reputation cannot be denied, as well as the fact that a positive business reputation is an intangible asset that can bring additional profit to a company. And even more so, everyone has at least once encountered the interpretation of reputation itself - this is a collective opinion about a company, formed over time in the minds of target groups based on an expert assessment of the economic, social and environmental aspects of its activities.

Reputation always exists, whether the company wants it or not. The main task of business is not to allow a reputation to form spontaneously, to ensure that society’s attitude towards the company corresponds as much as possible to what is desired, that is, to manage this very reputation. The stronger the competition in the market, the greater the role of reputation. All marketing moves have long been studied; reputation is now one of the most important arguments when a customer chooses a company.

How to ensure that the funds and efforts aimed at creating or improving the company’s business reputation are not in vain?

Necessary means necessary.

Purposeful formation of reputation begins when the head of the company realizes that image and reputation have a material side. Then it truly becomes an asset to the company. Otherwise, the situation becomes similar to PR activities in the mid-90s. At that time, it was considered fashionable to have a PR manager on staff, whose functions were not clear even to the owner or general director of the company. The presence of such a specialist was an important condition for the company to be considered trustworthy and to have reached a certain level. And if it’s necessary, then it’s necessary. Indeed, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of newly minted public relations professionals have worked for companies without any specific responsibilities.

The position “it is necessary means it is necessary” is quite often found in matters of corporate reputation management. And in order to avoid such a situation, the manager and the top management team must make a decision, develop a reputation management strategy, and then strictly follow these plans. In the future, both the PR specialist and other company employees should be involved in the business reputation management process. Business reputation management covers not only the work of the PR manager in creating a certain information background, but, perhaps even to a greater extent, the work of the personnel service, customer service departments, service departments, etc. As you know, the client forms his opinion in accordance with his impressions from working with a specific employee - one can hardly expect positive responses to the company from a person to whom, for example, a sales manager was rude.

A principled approach to business reputation management should be embedded in the company’s value orientations. Some experts believe that a reputation strategy should be clearly defined. It can be reflected in the corporate governance code, in the company's strategy, in regulations describing its corporate culture. Alfa-Bank has a “Code of Corporate Governance” and a “Code of Corporate Ethics”, which set out the mission, the basis of relationships with all internal and external audiences, and the bank’s corporate values. The “Corporate Governance Code” pays attention to the main function of the Public Relations Directorate - creating, developing and maintaining a positive image of the Bank in Russia and abroad.

In addition, the importance of the mission for the company should not be diminished. When it is formulated, even the smallest manager has at hand a permanent mechanism for solving many problems. For example, Volvo's mission is to be a respectable, safe car. When any of its engineers comes up with another mechanism that increases the speed of a car to 360 km/h, he remembers the mission of safety and refuses it, since it reduces safety, that is, it contradicts the mission of the company.

Thus, we can say that it is impossible to manage what the company itself and its management does not define as something important and does not strive to convey to all employees.

Changes within the company.

This point is a logical continuation of the previous one. Once management has realized and accepted the need for reputation management, the company may fall into the next trap, namely, to deal only with external changes in the company's activities, completely excluding improvement of work within the organization.

In this case, management may sincerely believe that they are managing reputation because they are seeking the publication of positive-toned materials in the media. Press releases are written and sent out, work with the media is carried out, the company participates in exhibitions, and charitable activities also do not go unnoticed. But the reputation of the company “among the people” was far from perfect, and remains so.

An obvious condition for the formation of a favorable corporate reputation is a focus not only on external, but also on internal changes. At the same time, positive internal changes in the company, in my opinion, should be a priority.

The company should change itself, turn its face to employees and clients, then positive assessments from these audiences will not be long in coming. It is foolish to expect a miracle from the PR service - it is not omnipotent, and cannot influence public opinion if the company itself does not pay due attention to fundamental functions.

I suspect that when a company has problems with personnel management - employees quit, working conditions are far from ideal, social guarantees are not met, then everyone who leaves again will speak unflatteringly about their previous employer, which will immediately affect the company’s reputation. A similar parallel can be drawn with the sales department. If customers are unhappy, for example, with service, they will not fail to mention this fact in the business community. And then all efforts to manage business reputation may be useless.

Only recently have people begun to pay attention to internal reputation. However, many companies still do not have a clear understanding of who should be involved in creating an internal corporate reputation background - the HR service or the PR department. For example, Alfa-Bank has an internal communications manager who is responsible for creating a corporate brand that is attractive to employees.

Today the formula “to be, not to appear” no longer applies. The condition for the success of a modern company is the correspondence of the image that has developed among internal audiences with the one that it seeks to convey to external ones.

Turn to face me...

Many are accustomed to perceiving a company’s reputation as an important factor - but only in relations with banks, investors, shareholders: one-sidedly, and solely for the purpose of short-term gain. But is this really so?

Another tactical mistake in the field of business reputation management can be considered the disproportionate distribution of attention between various market participants. For example, the main activities to improve reputation are carried out in terms of working with the media, investors and business partners. But there is nothing to do with clients, end consumers.

Undoubtedly, most companies focus on the media, IR, GR, financial institutions and business partners. Meanwhile, end consumers and employees (including former ones) successfully form and spread their negative opinion about the company. All of these aspects of business reputation are related but independent. After all, the opinion of the media can influence the opinion of consumers, or it can reflect it. If authorities actively dislike a company, investors are likely to view this as a serious risk. In any case, state-owned enterprises are in good standing with the authorities, but consumers’ opinions about them may not be so unambiguously good, etc.

A good example of reputation management among end consumers is Volkswagen. In March 2006, the Golf Club was created - a program that unites Golf car owners. During the same period, an event was organized in one of the Moscow clubs, where more than 200 owners of this car gathered. Subsequently, the Golf Club program was continued, and today it unites owners in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Interestingly, this action allowed us to establish feedback with Volkswagen brand consumers. Firstly, the company saw its consumers, and secondly, consumers “humanized” this company and felt attention to themselves.

In addition to all the active efforts to create a favorable reputation among the media, investors, shareholders, etc., efforts were aimed directly at customers - those who influence the company's reputation the most, especially today, during web 2.0 marketing, when non-professional users create content and they themselves consume it. Think about your consumers, make them become advocates and advocates for your company - this is one of the best reputation management tools.

3. The relationship between reputation and corporate image

In specialized literature and in PR practice, the concepts of “reputation” and “corporate image” are very often replaced by one another. Some put an equal sign between them. Others give too broad definitions:

For example, Dorothy Doty in the book “Publicity and Public Relations” writes about image this way: “Anything and everything that has anything to do with a company and the goods and services it offers ... It is a work constantly created in both words and images.” , which are intricately mixed and turn into a single complex in the public consciousness.

Still others, when introducing the concept of “corporate image,” do not explain its relationship with “reputation”:

“Corporate image is usually understood as the image of an organization in the minds of certain public groups,” write V. Tulupov and Yu. Polevoy. This is “her generalized portrait, which is created in the minds of various groups of the public on the basis of what she declares and, especially, does,” echoes V. Korolko.

This term is somewhat artificial. Essentially, it reflects a combination of two concepts - image and “how to make it”. In general, activities related to PR and make image are relatively new, appearing in the world in the 20th century, and in Russia they have been doing it for no more than ten years.

A. Chumikov and M. Bocharov in their book “Public Relations. Theory and Practice” dots the i’s. “In our opinion, image is a declared (ideal) position, i.e. one that a person or organization has planned and intends to promote to target groups. Reputation is the (actual) position perceived by the audience, the “dry residue” of the image. Thus, image construction activities are the positioning of one’s own reputation.”

They explain the reason for so much obvious substitution of these concepts. In their opinion, any structure is interested in the identity of these concepts, but in reality they differ to a greater or lesser extent.

A similar opinion is shared by Andrei Serov in “Notes of a PR Consultant”: “Image is a company’s product on which it works, develops its image, which it likes itself and the general public. And reputation is the public’s response to some actions of the company.” For clarity, he cites an interesting statement from a company owner he knows: “Image is the cologne that a person uses, and reputation is the smell of this cologne that remains when a person leaves the room.”

F. Koshmarov and G.S. Kuznetsov agree with him: “Reputation is, first of all, what those around it imagine about its bearer”... Correlating it with the image, they suggest turning to the image of a nesting doll for help: “Reputation contains the image - like a large nesting doll, it contains smaller ones.” In the structure of reputation, in their opinion, two irreplaceable components can be distinguished: image and content. The “image” part is “formal” and answers the questions “who” (team, management) and “how” (corporate style, appearance, ability to build communications). Content answers the questions “what” (says) and “why” (does it).

American professor Graham Dowling distinguishes three concepts in his works: “corporate personality”, “corporate image” and “corporate reputation”. "Corporate identity" is a set of identifying signs and corporate symbols, that is, what helps people find and identify a company. “Corporate image” is a set of beliefs and feelings associated with the organization that are planned to be created among target audiences. The construct of “reputation” is already based on its inherent values ​​(such as authenticity, honesty, responsibility and integrity.

Of particular interest is the work of A.E. Bogoyavlensky “The concepts of “image”, “reputation” and “image” in the context of I. Kant’s “Critique of Pure Reason”. According to him, the first part of the proverb “they meet you by their clothes, they see you off by their intelligence” best corresponds to the designation of the image. The second part of the proverb corresponds to the concept of “reputation”. Image is based on emotional impact; it is one-way external communication.

Reputation is a rational perception, acquired evaluative knowledge through multilateral (mediated and direct) communication. That is, it is what people think about the company based on their experience. “Image” is the highest level of cognition, based on faith and idea. This is the correlation of a multilateral communication process with deep internal experience (in PR theory - impact on the deep layers of the subconscious, archetypes and stereotypes).

So, if we follow A. Bogoyavlensky, “reputation” is a more complex concept than “image”. It consists of an image (superficial level) and a content part, based on personal history (myth), which, in turn, is based on stereotypes and archetypes of the audience. Reputation management is based on combining all levels of reputation into a certain general idea of ​​an object, into a certain stereotype.

Therefore, taking into account the above assumptions, the following definitions can be distinguished:

Corporate image is the image of a company that is planned to be created in the minds of the target audience through communications.

Reputation (reputational capital) is the sum of intangible assets, external (image) and internal characteristics of an entity that increase the shareholder value of the enterprise and are part of its market value.

CONCLUSION

Very often, the differences between these two concepts: image and reputation are determined by the content that we put into them. More precisely, in the concept of “image”: if reputation can be defined more or less unambiguously as a set of opinions about a company or person, then the term “image” has a wide range of meanings.

In a narrow sense, image is the external image of a company, which is symbolic in nature. In a broad sense, this is all that is known about the company.

Image (in the first of the given meanings) is a label that we begin to use, replacing it with the companies or people behind it. The purpose and significance of the image-label is to initially attract attention and identify the company.

Reputation is the established general opinion about the merits and demerits of a subject. It consists of real actions and facts, but, of course, to a certain extent under the influence of the image-picture.

For example, a firm's reputation among professionals may be much worse than among a wider audience. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is the discrepancy between the image and the true essence of the company, which is still little known to the general population.

The main channel for creating an image image is visual. Logo, brand name, slogan - components of the image. The main channels that form reputation are auditory and textual: reputation is created from oral or written text messages.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Business reputation is an intangible benefit that represents an assessment of the activities of a person (both physical and legal) from the point of view of his business qualities. Modern economic dictionary.

The business reputation of an organization is one of the key factors influencing the creation of a positive (sometimes negative) attitude of counterparties to the activities of the company. It develops as a result of the impact on various spheres of public life: economic, political, legal, social, spiritual, etc. Business reputation can work in two opposite directions: it can be both positive and negative. Positive is associated with positive emotions, confidence, trust, prestige in relation to the activities of the organization as a result of customer cooperation. A company's business reputation also largely determines its ability to attract funds, search for strategic investors and partners, and build relationships with authorities. A negative business reputation shows a negative situation that has developed in the mass consciousness due to distrust, instability and other factors.

According to current legislation, a company's goodwill is the difference between the acquisition price of the business and the book value of assets reduced by the amount of liabilities. If a company's shares are publicly traded, reputational damage will be measured by a decline in share price as a result of decreased confidence in the company among shareholders and potential investors. Otsenchik.ru.

One of the most important functions of an organization, which determines the success of a company’s activities, is the regulation of those factors that directly affect the organization both from the inside and from the outside. The most important components of business reputation are:

Quality of company products and services

Attractiveness of image, image of a leader

Strength of personality, charisma of a leader

Ethics in relations with external partners - fulfillment of obligations, responsibility, credit history, integrity, openness

Ethics in relations with internal partners (corporate governance) - responsibility of managers to shareholders, majority shareholders to minority shareholders, financial transparency of business

Publicity of the company

Reputation of top managers

Financial condition of the company, dynamics of financial indicators

Availability of information about the company, information openness

Company position in terms of market share, dynamics of market share

Company fame.

The most important tasks solved in the course of this activity are the formation of a positive image, the achievement of trusting relationships with partners, consumers and suppliers and, perhaps most importantly, the creation of a high reputation that would work for the company and bring concrete results.

There are a number of features that a positive reputation of an organization helps to achieve:

Firstly: increasing the professionalism of existing personnel and attracting more qualified employees to the company.

Secondly: strengthening relationships with current customers and attracting new ones if they are faced with a choice between functionally similar goods or services.

Thirdly: strengthening market positions.

Scheme of factors influencing the formation of an organization’s business reputation:

Magazine "Human Resource Management" (N3 2005) article: "Business reputation as one of the most important strategic advantages of a company." T.Solomanidina, S.Rezontov, V.Novik

It is difficult to find a company that has a program to protect and improve its reputation for its internal and external audiences. One of the obstacles to building a reputation management system is the lack of unambiguity in terminology. Many difficulties arise from the erroneous confusion of the concepts of “reputation” and “image”.

Researchers at the College of Business Administration at the University of South Florida (USA) identified 49 original formulations of corporate reputation in books and articles published between 2000 and 2003. The analysis showed that, despite the apparent diversity of interpretations, all available interpretations can be divided into three groups, defining reputation as:

General awareness of the company’s activities, which does not involve in-depth analysis and evaluation;

Some knowledge gained by directly involving target groups in assessing the state of the company - based on one’s own experience or the opinions of third-party experts;

An intangible object that has a value, i.e., in essence, is a financial or economic asset.

This classification makes it possible to formulate three basic definitions that make it possible to clearly separate concepts and identify the managed object.

A corporate image is a stable, emotionally charged image that is formed in the minds of target groups as a result of the perception of information about the organization.

Corporate reputation is a collective opinion about a company, formed over time in the minds of target groups based on an expert assessment of the economic, social and environmental aspects of its activities.

Reputational capital is the monetary value of reputation as an intangible asset of a company.

The variety of visual and verbal features of companies help to familiarize customers with it and compare the characteristic features of the organization with its activities. Such features include a logo, slogan, design, color, corporate business cards, letterhead, corporate envelope, form for a fax message, advertising printing, corporate website design, branded clothing - everything that is commonly called the corporate style of the company. These are means of objective positioning of a company on the market that can be seen, touched, heard, sometimes smelled, in a word - felt.

What do we mean when we say “image” and “business reputation”? Image is a manifestation of the connection between the interests and needs of two parties interacting in the communication process: the one who judges and the one who is judged.

If we highlight the differences between business reputation and image, first of all it must be said that business reputation is a reflection of the stereotyping, repeatability of the assessment of the market behavior of the subject of business reputation (product, company, country) by the object of business reputation in a fairly specific direction, that is, business reputation develops as a single image , presented to the entire target group, manifested in the same qualities, characteristics, features. For example, the reputation of a brand, company, product, etc., but at the same time it can be perceived differently by specific audiences, and, accordingly, different opinions will be built about the business reputation of the same entity.

And the image, on the contrary, is diverse. Our sensations naturally turn into our perception, which is located in our consciousness. This is where the company's image is formed. Therefore, the image is not a permanent feature of the organization, but is a strong impression that has great regulatory properties. From this point of view, an image is a special mental image that strongly and in a certain way influences the emotions, behavior and relationships of an individual or group. Since people have different information, different experiences and different perceptions, a company cannot have one image.

Of course, at the same time, our assessment of how and in what way business reputation correlates with our needs and requirements, as in the image, is significantly emotional. But since reputation is built in one specific subject area, where real facts are of great importance, the rational in reputation is more important than in image.

On the one hand, we can say that business reputation is the rational basis of image. On the other hand, business reputation is “broader” than image. These two concepts seem to intersect, having a common core and their own substantive elements. The fact that emotional assessment plays a major role in image shows that in image management the main way of influence is influencing the emotions of the target audience.

Image is a manipulative, attractive mental image that affects the emotional sphere of a person.

The main function of the image is to form a positive attitude towards someone or something. As a result of the formed positive attitude, trust in the company comes, and, as a rule, high ratings and a confident choice. This is the psychological chain generated by a positive attitude. In addition, a positive image helps to increase prestige, and therefore authority and influence. A positive image is also an important factor in a high rating, which is very important in public activities rich in various information. This is why Americans say that “a positive image is worth billions of dollars.”

The company's reputation is aimed primarily at consumers and reflects the company's desire to make them loyal to the company itself and the products it produces. The high reputation of the company serves as a guarantee for the consumer of the quality of the products sold and (or) the services provided. The confidence of members of the public that a company with a positive reputation will not sell goods of poor quality will be reflected in an increase in the speed and volume of sales of goods.

Nowadays, managing business reputation and determining the image of an organization proceed as two inseparable streams. Just as it is impossible to isolate the rational and the irrational-sensual in one person (since they are elements of one whole - the brain), one cannot hope that corporate reputation management itself can replace corporate image management, and vice versa. These are two mandatory components of all large companies. Underestimation of any of the components leads to the fact that the overall result worsens.

The common denominator for the concept of image and business reputation is the concept of “trust”. An effective image is an image that inspires trust in the target audience in the subject of the image. And an effective corporate reputation is a reputation that inspires trust in the subject of business reputation on the part of the target audience.

By influencing the emotions of target audiences with the entire set of information, a trustworthy image and trustworthy business reputation are formed.

The consumer pays for the image and business reputation of the brand, largely focusing on the irrational perception of the brand. But despite the irrationality of such perception, the value of a brand’s image and business reputation is very clearly determined by the “brand premium”.

Corporate elements of reputation, as noted earlier, are defined as both external and internal aspects of reputation. Company employees are the most important target audience. On the one hand, they are the creators and bearers of the organization’s reputation, on the other, its active users. Communications with personnel today require special technologies, which is associated with serious changes taking place in global labor markets.

One of the manifestations of technological progress is the rapid development of labor-saving technologies, which lead to a reduction in employment and structural changes in the labor market. Concepts such as “lifetime employment” and “permanent employment” cease to exist. As a result, many employees do not hold on to their jobs too much and are always ready to change it to a more attractive one. If relatively recently wages played a decisive role when applying for a job, today material conditions in companies have practically become equal: start-up but dynamically developing companies are ready to reward valuable specialists no less than large corporations. The main criterion when choosing a place to work is the authority of the organization. This is evidenced by numerous surveys. For example, a company Stqffline, which conducted a study of factors of non-material motivation of applicants in 2004 and 2007, received the following results:

• o for the applicant, first of all, the stability of the company and favorable prospects for its development are important;
• o interest in the big name of the organization has noticeably decreased, while demands for the possibility of self-realization and recognition of personal contribution have increased;
• o the importance of such factors as the transparency of business processes, the reputation of the organization and its leader.

In other words, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract, let alone retain, a qualified employee; this requires new approaches and technologies to increase employee loyalty, which is impossible without strengthening trust in the organization. Thus, company reputation management should be focused on the workforce as the most important target audience, and the construction of internal corporate communications should be considered as an obligatory component of reputation management. According to Fraser P. Seitel, if an organization wants to “reach” its employees, it needs to be guided by the following principles.

Respect. The personality of each employee should be respected and his work valued.

Candid feedback. An employee must know an honest assessment of his work.

Moral encouragement. An employee should feel recognized by the manager for his contribution to the common cause. Management needs help PR-specialists to develop a mechanism for rewarding worthy employees. Material goods only partially stimulate good work.

The implementation of these principles in practice makes it possible to motivate employees to perform highly productive work and successfully solve many business problems, since any employee is not indifferent to what goals the organization sets for itself, what values ​​it professes, and whether they are close to him. According to Harvard Business School professor John Kotter, a person always wants to find something amazing in what he does and believe that the fruits of his labor are useful to people. This idea is developed by the former head of the company’s internal communications department Xerox Roger D " Aprix, who extrapolated Maslow's pyramid of basic human needs to the key needs of employees. In his opinion, it is, first of all, important for employees to understand stability and their own importance in the company. The employee wants answers to three questions. What is my job? Am I doing my job well? What tools will be used to evaluate my performance?

Successful companies take these employee needs into account and focus on them in their internal corporate activities. As an example, we can consider the practice of the British American Tobacco Ukraine company, which has set itself the goal of rebuilding its brand portfolio and increasing market share, and achieving this by relying on internal communications. The developed communication program was aimed at ensuring staff understanding and trust in the ongoing strategy and achieving personal participation of each employee in the business process. The program was based on the "Mission Possible" concept, in which each employee became a representative Best agents team and received a document with the main goals of the company, strategy and tactics for achieving them. All employees were given special checklists in which they had to regularly answer the question “How does my daily work help achieve the company’s goals?” The company's management organized a special briefing for the workforce, where they explained all the details of the ongoing action, and also showed a vivid video about the planned positive changes in the company's activities. Finally, in case of successful implementation of this project, the team was guaranteed good cash bonuses. Thanks to this communication program, highly motivated personnel were achieved, which allowed the company to successfully solve the business problem.

It is equally important to implement another task with the help of internal communications - strengthening the authority of the organization. Employees are proud of their place of work only if they are well informed about the activities and real achievements of their enterprise. A modern organization cannot function normally in an internal information vacuum. According to a survey of employees of British companies, 60% of those who consider communications in their organizations to be ineffective are planning to change jobs in the next two years. In our country, not every company yet understands the importance of a systematic approach to managing internal communications. Management sometimes does not consider it necessary to share news with the team or comment on certain management decisions. As a result, ridiculous rumors and speculation begin to spread throughout the organization; employees begin to feel insecure about the future and mistrust of top management. Thus, during the merger of TNK and BP, due to a lack of information, workers began to say that a hostile takeover was taking place, companies were being bought up cheaply in order to sell them better later. The tense situation in both teams was caused by the fact that there were no well-functioning intra-corporate communication channels, and ordinary oil workers did not have access to the Internet.

This example clearly illustrates that the internal PR has its own specifics, since its audience is employees of the organization, i.e. those people whose well-being directly depends on the successful activities of the company, therefore their need for information is significantly higher than that of external audiences. In addition, they know better than others about the real state of affairs in the organization, therefore the technologies of reticence, silence, shifting emphasis or focus of attention applied in external communications when working with employees are unacceptable.

Let's consider the stages of building effectively working internal communications (Fig. 4.5).

Rice. 4.5.

At the first stage, it is necessary to diagnose the state of corporate culture and internal communications, determine the basic values ​​and standards that exist in the organization. Next, you should compare them with the standards and values ​​that the organization requires for further development. It is equally important to identify where there are gaps in communication flows and how to close them.

At the second stage, the formation of a unified information space begins, which includes the creation of a system of corporate media with the involvement of employees to work in them. Thus, all information flows are structured and become manageable. Next, you need to determine a list of those problematic issues that require discussion with staff. As a rule, these include the following issues: salary growth and social benefits; opportunity for training and career growth; resignations and appointments; company development plans; corporate events.

The third stage involves the development of uniform corporate rules and standards, which include such important documents as the company’s philosophy, corporate values, corporate culture, etc. An important condition for building employee trust is the elimination of contradictions between real and declared corporate values. This can be helped by describing the goals that the organization strives for and the rules by which it moves towards them in the form of a corporate code.

At the fourth stage, special attention is paid to steps to strengthen staff loyalty. To this end, it is necessary to conduct a broad information campaign aimed at familiarizing the staff with the program of personnel development and social protection of personnel. Don’t forget about such important communication channels as various corporate events.

The fifth and final stage is associated with receiving feedback from the team. It includes assessing the effectiveness of previously carried out activities and comparing the results with the assigned objectives. Based on this, the internal communications system is corrected in the event of changes in the organization or changes in mood in the team, changes in the ownership structure, etc.

The work described above on building a system of internal communications must be carried out constantly, since the team is a living organism and is constantly changing under the influence of external circumstances, changing goals, objectives and business conditions. In this regard, it is very important to provide operational channels for transmitting information. Their choice is large - from network resources to meetings between the team and management.

Large companies typically strive to provide omnichannel interactions between employees. At the same time, to successfully organize teamwork, you can get by with a website and corporate email. The internal website ensures ease of communication between different employees and departments within the company, and is also a source of useful information about the work of various departments. For example, at Alfa-Bank the main tools of internal communications are the internal corporate website and the online magazine Alfa-Navigator, which promptly informs employees about events, changes, and innovations taking place in the bank.

Many companies use mailing lists to provide prompt information. e-mail, which is very convenient. However, you need to use corporate mail carefully, since sending daily newsletters to everyone without exception can lead to messages being deleted after some time without being read, like regular spam.

Solving the whole variety of tasks is possible only through close cooperation between the personnel service and specialists in the field PR, since personnel management and reputation management of the organization become equivalent elements of management strategy. Previously, HR officers were assigned the role of intermediary between management and the workforce, who worked with employees based on official administrative regulations. Modern management standards for building effective communications with employees involve the abandonment of impersonal formal contacts with the team, replaced by a rich arsenal of communication tools that make it possible to convey to each employee key information and corporate values ​​that strengthen the authority of the company. Specialists possess these skills to a greater extent PR-divisions.

Three qualities are very important for an internal communications manager (Figure 4.6).

Rice. 4.6.

Internal specialist PR must hear what is happening in the company, what mood the employees are in, what questions they have. It is equally important to observe the behavior of employees, how they react to this or that information, to new projects and management decisions of management. Finally, an internal specialist PR-communications is equally the “voice” of both the team and top management. He must pass through all the information flows in the company, while looking for adequate forms of conveying it to the audience. Such a specialist is a leader in the company, able to involve employees in various initiatives and make efforts to motivate employees. An indicator of his successful work can be considered the desire of employees to turn to him as an intermediary in conveying information to another department or to management.

Summarizing all of the above, let’s take a closer look at the main communication technologies that help strengthen the company’s reputation and increase employee loyalty.

Introduction

Communication is one of the most complex and controversial problems of organizational behavior.

“Communication” is a collective term denoting the interaction of subjects based on information. It is natural to assume that information processes constitute the core of communication. However, it would be too simple to reduce communication only to the processes of receiving and transmitting information, because this leaves out many important points. These include: the behavioral activity of subjects, which depends in a complex way on the nature of the information being transmitted; the abilities of individuals and their ability to participate in information processes; motivation; self-control; external factors influencing these processes and much more.

G. Mintzberg's classification of managerial roles indicates that interpersonal communications are at the center of the activities of any manager. According to research, managers spend 50 to 90% of their working time communicating with other people. For senior managers, the percentage of working time spent communicating reaches 90%. It is clear that in such conditions the lack of interpersonal communication skills sharply reduces the effectiveness of the professional activities of the manager and the organization as a whole.

Each employee participates daily in the process of information exchange in the organization, and the effectiveness of the communication process affects the success of the business as a whole. If the process of information exchange in an organization is disrupted, then a mismatch in collective actions immediately occurs.

In modern conditions, communication is a factor in creating added value. The value created by the communication process manifests itself in the form of the organization's reputation, business connections, trademark, brand, patents, copyrights, employee potential, core competencies... What makes communications effective and what prevents the transfer of information in an organization? What are the features of the communication process in modern conditions?

1. Concept of communication

Information plays an important role when managers carry out management functions and make decisions. It is received and transmitted through a process called communication. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of communication in the functioning of a management system.

The word communication comes from the Latin communico“I make it common, I connect, I communicate.” The closest meaning to it is the Russian word communication.

Communications- these are connections between functions, divisions of the management system, between people . Communications- interactions, bilateral efforts, without which joint activities are impossible, this is the first condition for the existence of any organization.

Without the communication process, without the transfer of information from the subject of management to the object of management, and vice versa, without a correct understanding of the information transmitted and received, management work is impossible.

At the ordinary level, communication is defined as the transfer of information from person to person. In management, communication is the exchange of information between people, on the basis of which the manager receives the information necessary for making decisions and communicates the decision to the employees of the organization.

Communication can take place if the people communicating understand each other, that is, they have common social experiences or speak the same language. Communication does not exist without information, that is, what is transmitted during the communication process, what people exchange during communication.

2. The meaning of communication

Organizational structures, with their changing sizes, technological intricacies, and a certain degree of complexity and formalization, are designed to be in or included in an information processing system. The very establishment of an organizational structure is a sign that a special path is provided for communications. Power, leadership and decision-making all rely explicitly or implicitly on the process of communication, since they have no meaning in the absence of information.

Organizational analysts cite different degrees of importance of the communication process. Barnard, for example, states: “In a comprehensive theory of organizations, communication will occupy a central place because the structure, extent and scope of an organization are determined almost entirely by the modes of communication.” This approach places communication almost at the heart of the organization. However, other theorists - for example, Aldrich, Cleggand Dunkerley - pay insufficient attention to this topic. Rather than arguing about whether communication is at the center or periphery of organizational analysis, it makes more sense to consider it from the perspective that the meaning of communication varies depending on where it is seen in the organization and what kind of organization is being studied.

Communication is critical to managers and their work. The managers Kanter studied spent countless hours on communications. Typically these were face-to-face interactions with subordinates, superiors, peers and clients. There were also various types of meetings. I had to answer emails and phone calls. In short, the business of managers was communication. Klauss and Bass estimate that 80% of a manager's time is spent on interpersonal contacts. As you move away from the top of organizations, the proportion of time spent on communication decreases. Of course, and this should be noted, the work of clerical staff in the vast majority of cases is associated with information processing. Changes in information technology have a huge and endless impact on the work of management and office, and therefore on organizations.

These intra-organizational differences are important. Inter-organizational differences are equally important. Communication is most important in organizations and parts of organizations that deal with uncertainty, are complex, and whose technology does not allow for easy routinization. The central role of communication is influenced by both external and internal characteristics. The more people- and idea-oriented an organization is, the more important communication is to it. There is no doubt that even in a highly mechanized system, communication lies at the heart of the development and use of machines. Workers are instructed in the use, delivery of orders, etc. At the same time, the routine nature of such operations leads to a decrease in variability in the communication process. Clearly established procedures require little additional communication. Although communication occurs almost continuously in such conditions, its organizational significance is limited. This can happen until they lead to serious disruptions in work.

The communication process, by definition, is two-way: at a given moment in time, one side is the sender and the other is the recipient. Obviously, this aspect of communication affects the process as a whole. The social relationships manifested in the communication process affect the sender and the recipient as they interact. If in the process of sending a message the sender is afraid of the recipient, then this will be reflected both in the message itself and in its interpretation. Fear is one of many factors that can derail a simple sender-receiver relationship. Differences in position, different patterns of perception, sexual attractiveness, etc. can distort what was sent and received.

Ignoring the possibility of distortion has been the reason why many attempts to improve organizational performance by increasing communication have failed. Once the importance of communication was realized, many organizations became overly concerned with the issue, believing that with sufficient communication between all members of the organization, everyone would know and understand what was going on, and most organizational problems would disappear. In the 1980s This fascination with communications was at the center of a renewed interest in organizational “culture” as a panacea for all the problems that arose. Unfortunately, organizational life is not that simple, and relying on more connections and improving them alone will not bring about major and positive changes.

Communications in organizations must provide accurate information with appropriate emotional content to all members who need it. This assumes that there will be neither too much nor too little information in the system and that it will be clear to those using it from the outset that it is available. But it is obvious that this condition cannot be achieved in a complex organization. Of course, organizations collect more information than they use, but continue to request even more. This is explained by the need to make a decision within the framework of the law.

Managers spend from 50 to 90% of their time on communications. This seems incredible, but it becomes understandable when you consider that the manager does this to realize his roles in interpersonal relationships, information exchange and decision-making processes, not to mention the management functions of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling. It is precisely because the exchange of information is built into all major types of management activities that we call communication a connecting process.

Although it is widely accepted that communication is critical to the success of organizations, surveys have shown that 73% of American, 63% of British and 85% of Japanese executives consider communication to be the main obstacle to their organizations' effectiveness. These surveys show that ineffective communication is one of the main areas of concern. The manager has to comprehend large volumes of information, among which there is information that does not affect the management process. The exchange of information that influences the management process is called effective communication. An effective manager is one who knows how to quickly select effective ones from the general flow of communications, i.e. useful for the management process.

3. Communication process and management effectiveness

Organizations communicate with existing and potential consumers through advertising and other promotional programs. In the field of public relations, primary attention is given to creating a certain image, the “image” of the organization at the local, national or international level. Organizations must submit to government regulations and must complete lengthy written reports. In its annual reports, any company provides financial and marketing information, as well as information about its location, career opportunities, benefits, etc. These are just a few examples of the variety of ways an organization can respond to events and factors in the external environment. Discussions, meetings, telephone conversations, memos, videotapes, reports, etc., circulating within an organization are often a reaction to opportunities or problems created by the external environment.

3.1 Inter-level communications in organizations

Information moves within an organization from level to level through vertical communications. It can be transmitted downward, i.e. from higher levels to lower ones. In this way, subordinate levels of management are informed about current tasks, changes in priorities, specific tasks, recommended procedures, etc. In addition to downward exchange, the organization needs upward communication, i.e. from bottom to top, which perform the function of notifying the top about what is happening at lower levels. In this way, management learns about current or emerging problems and suggests possible options for correcting the situation. Upward exchange of information usually occurs in the form of reports, proposals and explanatory notes. The transfer of information from lower to higher levels can have a significant impact on productivity.

3.2 Horizontal communication

Coordination of tasks and activities between multiple departments of an organization requires the exchange of information between them. Therefore, horizontal information flows between departments are established. This is how the activities of working groups on cost control, resource allocation, new production methods, and product sales are coordinated. Heads of various departments inform each other about the progress of introducing new technology. In addition to coordinating actions, horizontal communications contribute to the establishment of equal relations between departments, which has a positive effect on the work of the entire organization.

3.3 Communications between manager and subordinate

Perhaps the most obvious component of communication in an organization is the relationship between manager and subordinate. Research has shown that 2/3 of this activity is carried out between managers and managed.

Some of the many types of communication between manager and subordinate involve clarifying goals, priorities, and expected results; ensuring involvement in solving department problems; with a discussion of work efficiency problems; achieving recognition and rewards for the purpose of motivation; improving and developing the abilities of subordinates; with collecting information about an emerging or real-life problem; notifying a subordinate about an upcoming change; and receiving information about ideas, improvements and suggestions.

Since subordinates are united in work groups, the manager’s communications with them are an important component for achieving management effectiveness. Participation in the exchange of information by each member of the work group allows for the development of more correct relationships between the group and the leader, and for the leader to more actively involve subordinates in the affairs of the organization.

3.4 Informal communications

Organizations are made up of formal and informal components. The channel of informal communications can be called a channel for spreading rumors. Rumors "float around the water dispensers, in the hallways, in the cafeterias, and anywhere else people gather in groups." Since information is transmitted much faster through rumor channels than through formal communication channels, managers use the former for planned leaks and dissemination of certain information or information of the “just between us” type. Information transmitted through informal communication channels, i.e. rumors often turn out to be accurate rather than distorted. According to Davis' research, 80-99% of rumors are accurate in terms of consistent information about the company itself. He believes, however, that the level of accuracy may not be as high when it comes to personal or highly emotional information. Moreover, regardless of accuracy, “everything points to the influence of rumors, whether their impact is positive or negative.”

Typical information transmitted through rumor channels:

– upcoming reduction of production workers;

– new penalties for lateness;

– changes in the structure of the organization;

– upcoming moves and promotions;

– a detailed account of the dispute between two managers at the last meeting;

– who makes dates with whom after work.

4. Communication process

Communication process is the exchange of information between two or more people.

The main goal of the communication process is to ensure understanding of the information being exchanged, i.e. messages. However, the very fact of information exchange does not guarantee the effectiveness of communication between the people participating in the exchange. Of course, you yourself have encountered cases of ineffective information exchange with friends, family, and co-workers at work. To better understand the process of information exchange and the conditions for its effectiveness, you should understand the stages of the process in which two or more people participate (Figure 1).

Figure 1. A simple model of the information exchange process.

4.1 Elements of the communication process

There are four basic elements in the information exchange process.

1. Source (or sender)– the creator of the message, the person who reports information and transmits it. The source may be: organization; individual; group of individuals.

2. Message - information that a source conveys to a recipient. Most messages are transmitted in verbal (verbal) form, but the message can also be non-verbal (gestures, facial expressions, graphic images). The idea that the sender wants to convey is encoded, that is, transformed into words, gestures, and intonation. Coding turns an idea into a message.

3. Channel - the means by which a message is transmitted from a source to a recipient. Well-known channels are speech and written materials, email, video tapes, etc. It is important to choose the right channel. For the exchange of information to be effective, the channel must correspond to the idea originated in the first stage, be compatible with the type of symbols used for encoding.

4. Recipient – the person to whom the information is intended. Communication occurs for the sake of the recipient. If the recipient has demonstrated understanding of the idea by performing the actions expected by the sender, the exchange of information is effective. These actions are feedback.

5. Feedback– the recipient’s reaction to the message. It makes communication a dynamic two-way process. The more actively feedback is used in the communication process, the more effective it is. Positive feedback informs the source that the desired outcome of the message has been achieved. Negative feedback informs the source that the desired outcome of the message was not achieved.

Feedback allows the boss to determine how effective his communications are and to “clarify the transmitted block of information” in future communications.

In an organizational setting, feedback can be provided in many ways. In face-to-face communication, the administrator can elicit immediate feedback through verbal exchanges with the recipient(s) or through more subtle means such as facial expressions of disagreement or misunderstanding. Otherwise, the administrator will be forced to turn to indirect (indirect) means of feedback. For example, a drop in productivity, an increase in absenteeism and workforce turnover, or a lack of coordination between departments may indicate a breakdown in communication. An effective leader strives to be aware of the results of his communications and appreciate the value of communication in achieving the goals of the organization.

When exchanging information, the sender and recipient go through several interconnected stages. Their job is to craft a message and use the channel to convey it in such a way that both parties understand and share the original idea. This is difficult, because each stage is also a point at which the meaning can be distorted or completely lost.

4.2 Stages of the communication process

The birth of an idea. Information exchange begins with the formulation of an idea or the selection of information. The sender decides what meaningful idea or message should be exchanged. Unfortunately, many communication attempts fail at this first stage because the sender does not spend enough time thinking about the idea. Keith Davis emphasizes the importance of this step: “A bad message will not improve on glossy paper or by increasing the power of the loudspeaker. The slogan of the stage is “don’t start talking before you start thinking.”

To carry out an exchange effectively, the sender must take many factors into account. For example, a manager who wants to exchange information about performance appraisals must be clear that the idea is to communicate specific information to subordinates about their strengths and weaknesses and how their performance can be improved. The idea cannot be vague general praise or criticism of the behavior of subordinates.

Managers who communicate poorly may perform poorly because that is how senior management behaves towards them. However, you are in a different position than your superiors.

Encoding and channel selection. The process of transforming an idea into a message that can be communicated.

Coding in the communication process begins with the choice of a code system. The ability to speak, write, gesture, and pose play an important role in the sender's ability to encode the idea being conveyed. The coding system must be known to the recipient. The following can be used as a code system:

– speech systems based on oral speech;

– writing systems;

– signs of body movements;

– sign language;

– video systems; sound systems (eg Morse code), etc.

As a result of encoding, an appeal is formed. The meaning of the address is an idea belonging to the sender. At the same time, the sender expects that the message will be perceived adequately to its intended meaning.

Broadcast. In the third stage, the sender uses a channel to deliver a message (an encoded idea or set of ideas) to the recipient. We are talking about the physical transmission of a message, which many people mistakenly mistake for the communication process itself. At the same time, as we have seen, communication is only one of the most important stages that must be passed through in order to convey an idea to another person.

Decoding. In order for the communication process to be completed, the transmitted block of information must be decoded in such a way as to be acceptable to the recipient. Each receiver interprets (decodes) the transmitted block of information from the point of view of his previous experience and ideas. The more thoroughly the transmitted block of information is decoded, the more effective the communication. Decoding is the translation of the sender's symbols into the recipient's thoughts. If the symbols chosen by the sender have exactly the same meaning to the receiver, the latter will know what exactly the sender had in mind when his idea was formulated. If no reaction to the idea is required, the process of information exchange should end there.

5. Communication barriers

Specific communication barriers may arise when exchanging information . They exist both at the level of interpersonal and at the level of organizational communications.

5.1 Interpersonal barriers

When considering interpersonal barriers, we will focus on:

1) barriers of perception;

2) semantic barriers;

3) non-verbal barriers;

4) bad feedback;

5) inability to listen.

1. Perception can be defined in the most general form as the process of obtaining and processing information. This process consists in the fact that information received from the external environment is processed, put into a certain order and systematized. Each person's perception of reality is different and is always subjective. People interpret the same information differently depending on their experience. The discrepancy between the bases of judgment can cause selective perception of information depending on the range of interests, needs, emotional state and external environment of people. A person, using visual, sound, and tactile channels for receiving information, does not perceive all the information coming to him, but only that which has a special meaning for him. It follows that in many cases people perceive only part of the message they receive, due to selectivity, the ideas encoded by the sender may be distorted and not fully understood. Information that conflicts with our experience or previously learned concepts is often either completely rejected or distorted in accordance with these experiences or concepts.

2. Semantic barriers. The purpose of communications is to ensure understanding of the information that serves as the subject of communication, that is, the message. By making contact and using symbols, we try to exchange information and achieve understanding. The symbols we use include words, gestures and intonation. The sender encodes the message using verbal and non-verbal symbols.

Let's consider the use of verbal symbols - words. Semantics is the study of the way words are used and the meanings conveyed by words. Because words can have different meanings for different people, what someone intends to communicate will not necessarily be interpreted and understood in the same way by the recipient of the information. Semantic variations often cause misunderstandings because in many cases the exact meaning assigned to a symbol by the sender is not at all obvious. A symbol does not have a unique, inherent meaning. The meaning of a symbol is revealed through experience and varies depending on the context and situation in which the symbol is used. Since each person has a different experience, and each act of exchange of information is to some extent a new situation, no one can be absolutely sure that another person will attribute the same meaning to the symbol as assigned by the sender. Semantic barriers can create particularly strong communication problems for companies operating in multinational environments. Semantic barriers caused by cultural differences can seriously hinder the exchange of information.

3. Nonverbal barriers. Although verbal symbols (words) are the primary means of encoding ideas to be conveyed, nonverbal symbols are often used - gestures, smiles, eye expressions, posture, etc. Nonverbal communication uses any symbols other than words. Often, nonverbal communication occurs simultaneously with verbal communication and can enhance or change the meaning of words. Another type of nonverbal communication is formed by the way we pronounce words, that is, intonation, voice modulation, fluency of speech, pauses, etc. Nonverbal barriers can also include cultural differences in people’s behavior (for example, nodding the head in the Japanese means “no” ", and in many other countries - consent).

In many cases, the way we speak is more important than the words we speak. It is necessary to ensure that the non-verbal symbols used for transmission correspond to the communicated idea.

4. Poor feedback. Some messages do not require feedback, but to make the exchange of information more effective, it must be two-way. Feedback is important because it makes it possible to determine whether the message received by the recipient is actually interpreted in the meaning that was originally intended. An obstacle to effective communications can be either poorly established feedback or the absence of it.

5. Inability to listen. Effective communication is possible when a person is equally accurate in sending and receiving messages. You need to be able to listen. Many people think that listening just means being calm and letting the other person talk, but it is just a part of the process of attentive, focused listening. It is important to be able to hear the specific issues being presented. It is not enough to perceive facts - you need to listen to feelings. Listening to facts and feelings is listening to the message in full, which increases the ability to understand the situation.

5.2 Organizational barriers

In addition to interpersonal communication, one must be aware of barriers to organizational communication. Communication in organizations is imperfect. A major consequence of existing communication systems is that messages are transformed or changed as they pass through the system. This means that the final recipient of the message receives something different from what was originally sent, and this defeats the purpose of the communication process.

5.2.1 Space

A gap means “erasing aspects of a message,” and this occurs because the recipient cannot perceive the entire content of the message and receives or misses only what can be caught. Communication congestion, discussed later, can also cause gaps because some messages cannot be processed due to congestion. Whitespace can be intentional, where certain blocks of information are erased as they pass through specific segments of the organization. The most obvious gaps are in upward communication, since a large number of messages are sent by a large number of people and departments located at lower levels of the hierarchy. Gaps appear as communications filter on their way up. In the case of intentional omissions, it is vital to know the criteria for omitting certain types of information. There may be gaps in the form of cutting down details and conveying the essence of the message to the top. This, of course, is ideal, but practically unattainable, since they usually miss part of the content of the message.

5.2.2 Distortion

Distortion means changing the meaning of messages as they pass through an organization. It is clear from the previous discussion of perception that people, either intentionally or unintentionally, selectively perceive what they receive as messages. Since different persons are at different points of sending and receiving messages, there is a significant dissolution of the meaning of the messages in the context in which the transmission occurs. Meaningful criteria at multiple intersection points differ due to different personal and job qualifications and different points of view due to the position of the communicator in the organization.

Distortion in horizontal communications appears to result from differences in goals and values ​​between organizational units. Selective gaps and distortion or “coding” are not unique to organizations. They occur in all communication systems, from the family to society as a whole. But for organizations, they are vital because organizations depend on accurate communications as the basis for decision making.

5.2.3 Overloads

The problem of overloading the communication system is typical for organizations to a greater extent than for other social entities. Overloading causes gaps and promotes distortion. It is also subject to duplication and compensation. In a situation of overload, compensation can be adaptive or poorly adaptive. Gaps and distortions are considered poorly adaptive. But this is a normal situation.

One of the tools used in overload situations is queuing. This technique consists of arranging messages according to time of receipt or other similar criterion. Taking turns can have both positive and negative consequences. If the wrong priority system is used, then less important messages may be used before those that are actually much more important to the recipient. At the same time, queuing allows recipients to engage with messages as they arrive, without leaving them unattended due to general overload.

The filtering process, which means assigning priorities to messages, is a useful modification of queuing. The critical factor here is the nature of the priorities. Many organizations use a modified triage system that allows the most important messages to enter the system if it is clear that the organization can take appropriate action. Less important messages are received when time permits. Preference should be given to this type of filtration system. The question is always what filtering rule is used.

All of the problems discussed arise from the fact that transmitted information in organizations requires interpretation. In cases of extreme overload due to the abundance of material, the interpretation process becomes ineffective. Queuing and filtering are designed to sort messages by priority. Any system of priorities established in advance means that the interpretation of messages has already been done by recognizing some messages as more important than others. Thus, interpretation occurs regardless of whether priorities have been established in advance or as messages are received.

6. Communication networks

In connection with the above, the manager’s task is to minimize losses and distortions of the meaning of information as it moves through communication networks.

The concept of "communication network" is a very important issue in communication. Communication network– connections of individuals participating in the communication process in a certain way with the help of information flows. It includes flows of messages between two or more individuals, focuses on the flows developed in the organization, and not on whether it was possible to convey the meaning of the message, however, it can influence the reduction or increase in the gap between the sent and received knowledge. A network typically consists of connections.

Of all the organizational characteristics, communication is the most amenable to experimental research and can be studied in laboratory conditions. The main communication networks between members of the work groups were examined (Fig. 2).

A hub network requires that each person on the edge sends its communications to the hub. This implies a hierarchy, since those on the periphery cannot send messages to each other; The hub's job is to coordinate.

In a wheel-type network, each member of the group can communicate in any direction, without priority. The common channel system allows everyone to communicate with everyone.

Figure 2. Basic forms of communication networks.

Repeated studies have found the "steering wheel" system to be the best if efficiency in making the right decision is used as a criterion. Other types can become just as effective if they create a hierarchy, but this will take time, during which time the effectiveness will be reduced. The more complex the task, the more time it takes to structure the communication network. The significance of these results for our purposes is that whether communication is vertical or horizontal, a hierarchical pattern still emerges. In a vertical situation, hierarchy is already present, although the formal hierarchy may be modified by the "power of competence" or personal attractiveness. In a horizontal situation, hierarchy is bound to arise. Communication exists on the basis of the organizational structure; but it also contributes to its development.

The effectiveness of an organization's communication networks, both formal and informal, is determined by how quickly management information reaches the addressee and how appropriate it remains after passing through communication channels.

Ten Commandments for Successful Communication.

1. Before communications, clearly define the ideas put into the message.

2. Analyze the true purpose of each communication.

3. Analyze the entire physical and human environment of any communication.

4. Consult with others when planning communications.

5. Pay close attention to the intonation and main content of the message.

6. Take advantage of opportunities, when they present themselves, to include something useful and valuable to the recipient or addressee.

7. Keep an eye on how communication is working.

8. Establish communication not only for today, but also for tomorrow.

9. Make sure that the actions of the installation do not contradict the words.

10. Learn the ability to listen to others.

7. Improving communications in organizations

7.1 “Remote” work

For most of us, the office will be in the place we choose for ourselves. A modern manager has the opportunity to work anywhere by making his office mobile. Portable workstations, computers, “laptops” - all this has made office information systems more accessible, cheaper and faster to work from almost anywhere.

Portable computer workstations have overcome the limitation of mobility. Now there is no need to gather all employees in one place at the same time. The office can be anywhere - at home (remote work), at a client's place, in a hotel, on a train and even on an airplane - wherever the employee happens to be.

Electronic communications that allow company employees to communicate with headquarters expand the mobility of the office space, allowing people to be virtually anywhere, collecting, storing and transmitting the information they need.

The latest means of electro-optical communication have made it possible to combine text and image and conduct business meetings and conferences.

Teleconferences mean saving time and money spent on business trips or maintaining expensive buildings and premises. Therefore, the effectiveness of conferences and meetings, which are still held traditionally, is greatly increased.

We all know how to use the telephone and know that now there is no need to go to another office to write or dictate a letter, read correspondence or find something in a folder. Work is no longer associated with a stream of papers passing through some desk, it is associated only with a specific employee. Consequently, he can organize his time as it suits him, determining when and where he should do this or that work.

All these factors explain the need for a secretary or administrator at the company's head office to “keep the siege.” If in the 60s a manager or secretary could communicate via intercom with all offices in the office, who in the 90s would argue that a manager cannot be kilometers from the office and continue to manage the work of the organization?

7.2 Information technology

The use of modern technologies is aimed at introducing “paperless” working methods. There is a common belief that managers spend most of their working time in business meetings and on telephone calls.

With the development of modern technology and its implementation in office work, we not only store information in electronic or digital form, but also store paper copies. Thus, the amount of information stored doubles, the metal cabinet with massive folders is in the same place! The era of paperless work is yet to come. People's resistance to implementing a 100% electronic office environment continues. Indeed, storing all the information on your hard drive does not save you from incoming papers. Technology has not yet reached the level we would like. We think we know what we want, but technology cannot yet fully meet our needs.

The positive side of information technology. Information technology allows us to achieve the following goals:

1. Reduce the time for obtaining information (that is, minimize delays in obtaining information due to its possible unavailability, due to mail, due to sending information to the wrong address, or simply because of a company holiday).

2. Eliminate unnecessary and repetitive work (unnecessary tasks such as retyping and tedious sorting and searching of documents).

3. Optimize the use of human resources (for tasks requiring reasoning, initiative, evaluation).

Improving information technology can either increase the efficiency of communications or reduce it.

Therefore, to effectively use technological advances, it is necessary to adhere to rules of effective communication:

1. Determine what information is urgent.

2. What information should be copied or forwarded and to whom.

3. To whom and what information should be received.

4. Set the frequency of destruction of electronic and other documents.

5. Determine response times for each type of communication.

6. Do not exceed the established maximum message volume.

7. Develop rules for the meeting.

Information flow within an organization can be improved by establishing feedback systems to regulate information flows, taking management actions to promote upstream and downstream flows of information flow, deploying solicitation systems, printing informational material for use within the organization, and applying advances in modern information technology.

Conclusion

So, the importance of information and communication at the present stage is constantly increasing. Time and technological progress dictate its own rules, which must be agreed with.

Knowledge and ability to correctly use all communication techniques greatly helps a manager get closer to solving the main management task - making a profit.

The communication process ensures the flow of information during the implementation of management influence and, through feedback, turns it into interaction, which significantly improves the quality of management.

The communication process in any organization is complex, complicated by individual characteristics, biases and differences in abilities, as well as organizational characteristics such as hierarchy or specialization. However, communication is at the center of other intra-organizational processes: power, leadership and decision-making.

The effectiveness of the communication process depends on whether the manager takes into account existing barriers in the communication process. In order to become an exemplary “face” of the company, it is necessary to improve your behavior in communication processes and the ability to analyze information, use the most appropriate methods of communication, and know all the strengths and weaknesses of each technique used in communication processes.

However, the “perfect” communication system has not yet been created, and perhaps it never will be. Naturally, each organization decides for itself which communication channels to use to effectively achieve its goals.

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