In the daily life of organisations, individuals need to deal with situations of social interaction involving colleagues, subordinates and customers with efficacy.

We all communicate, by talking, writing, listening, through gestures, smiling, or even when we are silent, despite the fact that we do not always understand or are understood. By nature, we have the need to communicate, even when we have nothing significant to say.

The overall functioning of the organisation is based on communication among individuals, inside groups and teams, at formal and informal level, and interpersonal communication can be perceived as a set of social competencies, corresponding to a “social behaviour that is effective in meeting the objectives of people who are interacting” (Argyle, 1981).

Adjusting to a context can be difficult when individuals have developed a communication style adapted to a particular context or social role, and have to be part of a distinct context with different demands. For this reason, “learning when to use social behaviours is as crucial as learning what these behaviours are and how to use them” (Hargie, Saunders & Dickson).

It is unquestionable that clarity in communication is essential for us to understand one another. However, not always what is clear to some is clear to others. We all have distinct perceptions of the same situation.

We communicate in order to establish, or re-establish relationships with others, and to strengthen them, but equally to influence, prompt into action, or simply give pleasure.

This way, the means or communication channel is as important as the message one wishes to transmit. The communication channel between the emitter and the receptor may interfere in the way the message reaches its destination, and it may even alter the meaning of what one intends to transmit. In an organisational context, for instance, a top management message may be received in distinct forms by the staff, depending on the means used to transmit it.

When one communicates assertively, the person expresses his/her opinions and feelings openly and honestly, valuing and respecting other people’s points of view. Accordingly, assertiveness is a type of constructive interaction among individuals.

Assertive communication leads to positive emotional outcomes for the individual, at the same time it allows him to act in his own interest, without ceasing to respect others. Assertive competencies are apprehended and adaptable to distinct situations, for which reason there is the need to adapt a correct stance to the situation in question.

In any situation in life, some of the advantages of taking on an assertive stance with regard to communication include: to be honest and respectful, allowing people to be more assertive in the relationship they develop with others, boost their self-esteem, increase positive relationships with others, reduce anxiety in social situations, and increase satisfaction with regard to the expression of emotions.

However, assertive behaviour is also the target of some negative assessment, when, for instance, individuals who communicate assertively, despite being considered to be firm and fair, are perceived as aggressive or dominating. In other words, in some categories of behaviour, the distance between assertiveness and aggression is minimal. Accordingly, the context within which behaviour takes place is a determining factor for that assessment.

Before communication attained the importance it has today, the only skill that was required from the board of management of any organisation was to set up administrative procedures, produce instructions and all the information that was necessary for the functioning of the company. Besides the importance that operational information has for the organisation and for individuals, information that is not directly essential for the operation of the company has been assuming increasing importance.

Organisations only exist through communication. For this reason, it is important that those in charge understand that an intelligent organisation can contribute towards change, which, in turn, contributes to its management (Brault).

An increasing number of members of staff want to be informed about external and internal factors that influence the safety and nature of their work, such as, for instance, new technologies, changes, etc. Ongoing feedback helps avoid the formation of sealed compartments between hierarchical echelons, directors, senior managers, and remaining members of staff.

Communication has several objectives, of which the following stand out: fighting stagnation, fostering a flow of knowledge or information affecting the efficacy of staff, and progress of the organisation.

Any organisational system should have control mechanisms that allow it to adjust to the proposed objectives. Accordingly, in order to ensure work gets done and that its organizational objectives are met, two basic aspects are required: sharing of information, ideas and problems within the group, and an ongoing follow-up and transmission of feedback on the group’s tasks and performance.

Good communication has a positive effect on the internal environment and, subsequently, on the global image of the organisation. In order to build a coherent image, internal communication must become a priority, that is, the messages the organisation wishes to pass on must, in the first place, be targeted at the internal audience. Making this a transparent process is an important strategy, so that professionals know exactly the reason for change, what is to be changed, the aspects that may affect them positively or negatively, as well as the activities or functions that will remain unchanged.

Another strategy to attract the support of staff is to disseminate the benefits brought about by change, show firmness in the decision to implement it, and reaffirm that its implementation resulted from the analysis of a range of factors which aimed to make the organisation more competitive and modern.

Giving staff the power to help in the management of the change process stimulates and motivates them into accepting new challenges, and it helps them adapt to the new situation, in addition to presenting advantages in the process of settling critical situations that may arise during the process. Communication is one of the key factors in a change process which cannot, in any circumstance, be neglected. It is thanks to this competency that one can reduce uncertainty and ambiguity!

Any successful organisation, be it public or private, should follow the path of transparency, given that, if the information does not come via formal channels, informal channels, which more often than not are less credible, will do so, which will lead to the discredit of the change and to resistance to it.

Carla Reis
Facilities Unit
creis@fm.ul.pt

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Bibliography: Caetano, A., Ferreira, J.M. Neves, J. (2001). Manual de Psicossociologia das Organizações. Mc Graw Hill: Lisbon
Pina e Cunha, M., Rego, A., Cunha, R. C., Cardoso, C. C. (2005). Manual de Comportamento Organizacional e Gestão. Lisbon: RH Editora
Rego, A. (2010). Comunicação pessoal e Organizacional – Teoria e Prática (2ª Edição). Lisbona: Edições Sílabo
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