Chapter one

1.1 Background of the study

Communication plays a pivotal role in the success and sustainability of organizations, serving

as the lifeblood that ensures the seamless flow of information, ideas, and directives.

Communication is a many-sided phenomenon that means different things to different people.

It is a process of a means of access to the mind or thought of another. According to Kramer

(2019), communication can also be seen as a reduction of uncertainty, thus, communication is

an exchange of meanings Accordingly, for organizations and humans as a social being,

communication has a vital importance, whether pros or cons are an inseparable piece of life

and also it has an important role on all activities aimed at gaining organizational objectives.

Today, workers find out that an important aspect of their work is communication

which is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the receiver that leads to

effective and efficient work performance in an organization because it’s the essence of

management. Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as

to perform the basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and

Controlling. Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities.

Communication serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be

communicated to the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement

them. Organizing also requires effective communication with others about their job task.

Similarly, leaders as managers must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to

achieve the team goals.

Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication. Managers devote

a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote approximately 6 hours per

day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or telephonic communication
with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers. Managers also use

Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral communication is

not feasible. Organization managers use effective communication strategies to develop a

supportive work environment that fosters organizational success and performance (Keyton

2013). Managers spend more than 75% of their work time actively communicating with

employees (Farahbod, Salimi, & Dorostkar, 2013).

According to Bass (1985), employees choose to perform tasks out of identification

with the managers or with the organization’s goals and objectives. This relationship results in

the employee’s basic agreement with the norms to which they are required to perform. Thus,

the flow of communication can create identification with workers internalizing desirable

values, as regarding an organization’s goals and objective. However, better performance can

be achieved only when there is a reasonable level of expectation-fit and when the social

exchange between managers and employees is fair and equal (Wang 2005). Within the

perspective of human resource management, it has often been theorised that employee

knowledge, abilities and skills will enable them to be good performers when they are hired.

Thus, the management must gear its policies and objectives in such a manner that employees

perform their work and do their assigned task.

In the contemporary business landscape, effective communication is more critical

than ever, particularly within the dynamic and multifaceted realm of organizational

management. As organizations strive to adapt to the ever-evolving global business

environment, understanding and implementing efficient communication strategies become

imperative for maintaining a competitive edge. Champion Breweries Uyo, nestled in the

vibrant economic landscape of Uyo, Nigeria, stands as a poignant example of a company

navigating the complexities of the brewing industry. With its rich history and commitment to

delivering quality beverages, Champion Breweries Uyo faces the challenge of optimizing
communication within its organizational framework. This research endeavours to explore and

analyse the communication strategies employed by Champion Breweries Uyo in its quest for

organizational excellence.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Within an organizational context, managers are required to engage in a variety of

communication strategies, encompassing reading, speaking, writing, listening, observing, and

supervising. Written communication, such as letters and memos, is a fundamental aspect of

managerial communication. The act of conveying or receiving information about an

individual's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or emotional state is broadly defined as

communication. However, the effectiveness of communication varies among firms. Managers

employ effective communication strategies to cultivate a supportive work environment

conducive to organizational success and performance (Keyton, 2013). With over 75% of their

work time dedicated to active communication with employees (Farahbod, Salimi, &

Dorostkar, 2013), managers leveraging communication effectively gain insights into how

their strategies motivate organizational performance (Bisel & Messer smith, 2012).

Ineffectual communication can lead to increased misunderstandings, damaged

relationships, broken trust, and heightened anger and hostility. The root causes of ineffective

communication may range from misaligned strategies, failure to execute strategies,

inappropriate communication vehicles, poor timing, to subtleties such as word choice or tone

of voice. The specific challenge lies in some organizations lacking effective communication

strategies to inspire higher performance from their employees. It follows that the utility of

organizational communication strategies may vary among businesses due to differences in

environments, practices, noise, contexts, and cultures, among other influencing factors.
 Despite the acknowledged importance of effective communication in organizational

management, numerous challenges and impediments hinder its seamless implementation.

Champion Breweries Plc, Uyo, akin to many other organizations, encounters issues related to

communication breakdowns, misinterpretations, and inefficient dissemination of information.

These challenges manifest at various levels, encompassing internal communication among

employees, communication between management and staff, and communication with external

stakeholders.

In the brewing industry, characterized by the paramount importance of precision,

timeliness, and collaboration, any breakdown in communication can have cascading effects

on overall operational efficiency and, consequently, the bottom line. Identifying specific

communication challenges within Champion Breweries Uyo is imperative for developing

targeted strategies to enhance overall organizational communication. This research seeks to

address the following key questions: What communication strategies are currently in place at

Champion Breweries Uyo? What are the main challenges and barriers to effective

communication within the organization? How do communication breakdowns impact the

day-to-day operations and overall performance of Champion Breweries Uyo?

1.3 Objectives of the Study:

1. To assess the current communication strategies employed by Champion Breweries

Uyo.

2. To identify challenges and barriers to effective communication within the

organizational structure.

3. To evaluate the impact of communication breakdowns on organizational performance.

1.4 Research Questions:

1. What communication strategies are currently in place at Champion Breweries Uyo?

 2. What are the main challenges and barriers to effective communication within the

organization?

3. How do communication breakdowns impact the day-to-day operations and overall

performance of Champion Breweries Uyo?

1.5 Significance of the Study:

This research holds significance for Champion Breweries Uyo and similar organizations

operating in dynamic industries. The findings will contribute valuable insights into the

importance of communication strategies in organizational management, potentially guiding

improvements in existing practices and fostering a culture of effective communication.

Lastly, researchers and students interested in a similar field of study in the future will find

this work useful as a conceptual guide and reference material.

1.6 Scope of the Study:

The scope of the study is confined to Champion Breweries Uyo, and while the findings may

offer valuable insights, they may not be entirely generalizable to other industries or

organizational contexts.

1.7 Limitations of the study

It's important to acknowledge that this study may face limitations related to the availability of

data, time constraints, and potential biases in participant responses.

1.8 Operational definition of terms

Communication: The process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, or feelings

between individuals or groups through verbal, written, or non-verbal means. In an

organizational context, communication involves the transmission and reception of messages

to achieve understanding and convey intentions.

Strategies: Purposeful, planned, and systematic actions or approaches designed to achieve

specific goals or objectives within a given context. In the realm of organizational

management, strategies encompass a set of deliberate plans or methods implemented to

address challenges, leverage opportunities, and guide the overall direction of the

organization.

Effective: The degree to which a communication or strategy achieves its intended purpose or

produces the desired outcomes. In the context of organizational management, effectiveness

relates to the ability of communication and strategies to contribute positively to the

organization's goals, fostering productivity, collaboration, and overall success.

Management: The process of planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling resources

and activities to achieve specific organizational goals. Management involves decision-

making, leadership, and the effective utilization of human, financial, and material resources

to ensure the organization operates efficiently and effectively.

Organisational Management: This refers to the systematic coordination and oversight of

various elements within Champion Breweries Plc to achieve predetermined objectives.

Organizational management encompasses planning, organizing, directing, and controlling

resources and activities to ensure the organization's sustainability, growth, and fulfilment of

its mission.
References

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Bisel, R. S., and Messersmith, A. S. (2012). Organizational and supervisory apology
effectiveness: Apology giving in work settings. Business Communication Quarterly,
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Farahbod F, SB Salimi, KR Dorostkar (2013) Impact of organizational communication in job
satisfaction and organizational commitment. Interdisciplinary Journal of
Contemporary Research in Business, 5 (4), 419-430
Keyton J (2013) investigating Verbal Workplace Communication Behaviour, Journal of
Business Communication 50(2) 152 –169
Kraemer, H. M. J. (2011). From values to action: The four principles of values-based
leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Review of concepts

2.1.1 Concept of Communication and Organizational Communication

What Is Communication? Communication is the exchange of thoughts, messages, or

information, either by speech, signals, writing, or behaviour. Communication serves essential

functions in every organization. It disseminates information needed for employees; builds

relationships; and involves a range of skills including the use of words, but also non-verbal

conveying of information effectively (Nabie & Ome, 2016). Originating from the Latin word

"communis" meaning to share. Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient,

although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at

the time of communication. Thus, communication can occur across vast distances in time and

space (Zaremba, 2003).

The earlier notions of communication began with Whitney in the year 1872 with the

conception of language as the sum of words and phrases by which any man expresses his

thoughts because communication is primarily facilitated by using language (Bakar &

Mustaffa, 2013). Communication in the organizations has been studied not only by

communication scholars but by scholars in most of the social sciences. Among many

functions of communication in the organization are the sharing of information, decision

making, influencing, planning and coordination, motivation, and developing good

relationships internally and externally (Tkalac Verčič, Verčič, & Sriramesh, 2012). Functions
of communication in the workplace also including creating and maintaining daily

performance among organizational stakeholders.

Traditionally communication was seen as a linear process comprising a sender who

sends a message to a receiver, and a message which is understood, internalized and used as

the basis for action. The research in the field of organizational communication has

concentrated on the way this process can be managed to improve performance, productivity

and profitability. For Taylor (1949), communication was extremely important in the hierarchy

whereas, for Fayol (1972) cited in Vinnicombe, (1984) horizontal communication was

essential for both the communication between managers and employees is seen as a crucial

organizational function.

Similarly other scholars have emphasized the importance of communication as a way

of delivering, sharing and transferring messages, emotions and thoughts from one to another

and as a function that plays a vital role in order for organizations to carry out their business

activities. Kuhn & Jackson (2008) discovered that organizations cannot meet goals except by

practicing good communication because this is a function of framing and reframing

messages, as well as a function of organizational problem-solving. Communication is a

central process where employees share information, create relationships, establish meaning

and develop their own organizational styles. Garicano & Wu (2012) expanded this process

focused definition of communication, by stating that communication is an integrating

mechanism storing the memory of organizational processes. Consequently, it is important for

organizations to understand a process that involves people, messages, meaning, practices and

objectives.

Early models defined communication as a one-way transmission of messages

(Lasswell, 1948). However, as mentioned previously, communication process requires quality

in meaning during the communication. It requires that the communicating parties share an

idea of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the

receiver has understood the message of the sender. This process will not be complete without

feedback as a measurement of the receivers ‘understanding. This is still critical to complete

effective communication during a conversation (Grindstaff, 2011). With regards to the

communication process, Lammers (2011) believed that it is about the input of the messages

because individuals share their opinions and thoughts especially in workplaces.

Other scholars to question the one-way model include Hogler, Gross, Hartman, &

Cunliffe, (2008) who demonstrated that communication includes how, why, and when people

communicate. For example, during an argument, what people don’t say and how people say

something covers gestures, postures and expressions. Experts agree that communication plays

an important role in organizations and it is through effective communication, that

organizational managers lead (G. Yukl, 1981). In fact, being able to communicate efficiently

allows those in middle management to move into a senior management position (G. A. Yukl

& Becker, 2006). By communicating effectively, managers improve their ability to manage

(Barrett, 2006).

Consequently, communication with the right channels may provide employees with

important information needed to complete their jobs, as well as information crucial to the

organization such as environmental changes and so forth. Harris & Nelson (2007) agree that

communication is one of the most dominant and important activities in organizations. To

these ends, proper communication may contribute to effective relationships and help increase

motivation, build trust, create a shared identity and spur engagement. It provides a way for

individuals to express emotions, share hopes and ambitions. The overriding theme in these

studies is that communication is the basis for individuals and groups to make sense of their

organization. The implication is that high levels of effective communication may lead to high
levels of job satisfaction, and favourable perceptions of satisfaction may enhance job

performance (Goris, Vaught, & Pettit, 2000). In the workplace, effective communication is

essential in building and maintaining relationships between the top managers and employees.

2.1.2 Forms of organisational communication

Downward Communication: Downward communication consists of messages that start at the

top of the hierarchy and are transmitted down the hierarchy to the lowest rungs of the

hierarchy. Downward communication can be considered a top-to-bottom approach for

organizational communication. The earliest thinker in the area of downward communication

was Max Weber.Weber, M. (1930). Weber believed that there were two ways to get

employees to follow one’s directives: power and authority. Weber defined power as the ability

to force people to obey regardless of their resistance, whereas authority occurs when orders

are voluntarily obeyed by those receiving them. Weber argued that individuals in authority-

based organizations were more likely to perceive directives as legitimate.

While this process sounds simplistic, individuals in management positions have often

had to determine how to communicate with employees. Randy Hirokawa noted that there are

two general types of downward communication in modern organizations:

 information concerning the current/future status of specific aspects of the

organization, new organizational policies, recent administrative decisions, and recent

changes in the standard-operating-procedures; and

 information of a task related nature which generally provide subordinates with the

technical know-how to accomplish their tasks or assignments with greater efficiency

and productivity.
While Hirokawa’s two-prong approach to downward communication is fairly consistent with

the type of communication that occurs in modern organizations, this type of communication

was not always present.

Upward Communication

Upward communication consists of messages that start at the bottom of the hierarchy and are

transmitted up the hierarchy to the highest rungs of the hierarchy. Upward communication

can be considered a bottom-up approach to organizational communication. Randy Hirokawa

noted that upward communication serves four very important functions in the modern

organization.

First, upward communication allows management to ascertain the success of

previously relayed downward communication. Second, upward communication allows

individuals at the bottom of the hierarchy to have a voice in policies and procedures.

Hirokawa clarifies, “Perhaps even more importantly, upward communication, because it

allows subordinates to participate in the decision-making process, also facilitates the

acceptance of those decisions which they had a part in making.” Third, upward

communication allows subordinates to voice suggestions and opinions to make the working

environment better. Lastly, upward communication allows management to test how

employees will react to new policies and procedures. Often before radical changes are made

to an organization, management will try to use focus groups of subordinates to gage their

reactions to impending changes. These reactions can then be used in the framing of the

communicative messages about the impending changes to the entire organization.

Horizontal/Lateral Communication

Horizontal or lateral communication consists of messages that are transmitted to other

individuals on the same rung of the organizational hierarchy. In essence, horizontal or lateral
communication occurs when individuals who have roughly the same status interact with one

another in an organization. Occasionally, these lines of communication are firmly established

within the organizational hierarchy chart, but typically these lines of communication are not

part of the traditional hierarchical chart.

2.1.3 Barriers to Effective Communication

Activities undertaken by employees in their official duties require a flow of information and

communication with other members of the organization. Indeed, ineffective communication

can cause many problems that can impact relationships, productivity, job satisfaction, and

morale in organizations. There are several factors which may disrupt the process of effective

communication. Jay (1969) stated that overall, the barriers to effective communication are

many, but the most important are preparation, language, time and having an understanding of

receiver before and after dealing of communication.

Lunenburg (2011) stated that said the words we choose, how we use them, and the

meaning we attach to them cause many communication barriers. The problem is semantic, or

the meaning of the words we use. The same word may mean different things to different

people. Patoko & Yazdanifard (2014) stated that jargon words are one of the barriers to both

sides in communication as often the real meaning of the intended message is lost and the

communication is unclear. ―Jargon makes employees feel irritated and left out, hence they

end up misunderstanding whatever has been communicated to them and that affect individual

productivity as well as the organization’s productivity and its profit margin.

Physically, F. Khan & Khan, (2012) identified barriers to effective communication

which affect employees’ performance, such as marking out areas in a particular territory,

different sized working areas, and separate areas for the people of different positions in the

organization. Singh & Raisoni, (2015) stated that physical communication barriers include
differences in education, values, norms, listening habits, gender, and socioeconomic status,

and that these barriers contribute to the affecting of employees’ performance and motivation.

In addition to frequency of communication, content, and physical barriers, Luthra & Dahiya,

(2015) defined deficiencies in planning as one of the barriers which delay the effective

communication process. They are as follows:

 Lack of planning and purpose before communicating with others restricting a

manager to communicate effectively with teams. Even if planning is done by a

manager before communicating, without keeping in mind the nature of audiences this

will make communication process ineffective.

 Choice of inappropriate tools and techniques by a manager for communication with

the team will act as a barrier and reduce the level of exact understanding of the

message.

 Choosing the wrong language or terms is also one of the biggest planning barriers

which makes manager communication ineffective.

 Lack of trust and disrespect is another factor which makes manager communication

ineffective.

 Wrong assumption about listeners by ignoring their emotions and sensitivities, change

communication into miscommunication.

 Use of signals, postures and gestures which do not support the words used during

communication.

 Ignoring feedback while communicating is also a planning barrier

 Lack of self-confidence, values, courage, and knowledge also stops communication

becoming effective (a long-term planning failure)

 Lack of major management qualities also causes a manager to communicate

ineffectively. Effective communication must involve a well-prepared plan. Senior

 managerial communication must match with actions and should be two-way

communication.

2.1.4 Management Communication in an Organisation

Torrington & Weightman, (1987) reviewed middle management serving these essential

functions in organizations: 1. technical, 2. administrative, and 3. managerial. Professional

work is that done by managers because of their profession, experience, or qualifications and

is closely associated with the main tasks of the organisation or unit. A great deal of middle

managers' time is spent attending to administrative work, which frequently involves

compiling and disseminating information. 'Managerial work' involves setting precedents and

influencing people. In organizations, the middle manager is known as the one ―linking pins

(Darkow, 2015) who has the opportunity to create strategic initiatives and to enable, delay or

even harm the implementation of strategies. When it comes to strategy implementation, the

commitment of middle management teams and the role they play has an impact on the

success and performance of an organization.

Middle managers spend most of their time communicating in one form or another

such as during meetings, face to face discussions, letters, e-mails, and reports. Defining

management in an organization as a process makes the concept available to everyone — not

just a select few who are ―born to rule‖. More importantly, it means that management is not

restricted to just the one person in a group who has formal position of power such as the

formally appointed manager (Glenn Rowe, 2010).

Most of the literature on management functions found the main function of managers

is to create mutual understanding between managers and employees in achieving

organizational goals with additional factors to support the efforts. Management

communication is the controlled, purposeful transfer of meaning by which individuals

influence a single person, a group, an organization, or a community (Barrett, 2006). Barrett

further explained that management communication requires using the full range of

communication abilities and resources to connect positively with audiences, overcome

interference, and create or deliver messages that guide, direct, motivate, or inspire others to

action.

Ayub (2014) discovered management communication is about building relationships,

inspiring employees, and being competent, fair minded, and supportive as admired manager.

These are especially important in the manager-employee relationship. In discussing in the

theoretical model of work, management communication consists of employees’ performance

and motivation. Ayub (2014) also discussed how management communication conveys the

endless message that managers need to strategically plan and become efficient through the

communication process. With understanding management roles (to cope with the effective

communication), a manager will be able to communicate effectively while providing

direction across the organization, notwithstanding employees alone in coping with

stakeholders’ expectations and perceptions.

2.1.5 Effective Organization Communication Strategies

Fletcher and Major (2006) contend that the world is growing smaller as technology advances

and the creation of more advanced technology introduces organisations to different strategies

of communication, spanning both time and geographical distance. Fletcher and Major (2006)

suggest four basic strategies are used in workplace communication (1) face-to-face meetings,

(2) audio or telephone exchanges, (3) video mediated conferences, and (4) computer-

mediated text transfers. In addition to those four, Charles (2005) notes organisational

publications, such as the company newsletter, are also a strategy for information.
 Recent literature on communication strategies almost exclusively focuses on media

richness theory. Salmon and Joiner, (2005) defines media richness theory as a “prescriptive

model in which achieving a match between information processing requirements (e.g.,

uncertainty and equivocality reduction) and communication strategies (e.g., face-to-face

interactions and written memos) was posited as essential for organizational effectiveness.

Essentially the premise is that lean media is used by managers for simple topics and rich

media is for more complex topics (Sheer & Chen, 2004) so the focus of media richness

theory is on the choices made by the managers, not necessarily the employees.

According to this perspective there are four factors that influence media richness: “the

ability of the medium to transmit multiple cues (e.g., vocal inflection, gestures), immediacy

of feedback, language variety, and the personal focus of the medium. Media richness theory

typically places strategies on a continuum from rich to lean media with face-to-face

communication considered the richest followed by telephone, email and written documents

(Salmon & Joiner, 2005). The media richness continuum places written documents as the

leanest strategy of communication. Sheer and Chen (2004) state that there are three separate

categories of written documents within media richness theory: personal written text (letters,

notes, memos); formal written text (documents, bulletins) and formal numeric text (computer

output, statistical reports).

2.1.6 Audio/Telephone Communication Strategy

According to media richness theory, the telephone is the second richest strategy after face-to-

face communication; however, Salmon and Joiner (2005) state that recent research suggests

the telephone “as a mode of transmitting and receiving management information, has been

superseded by the use of email, because of the superior functionality and usability features of
email. In agreement, Salmon and Joiner, (2005) also notes that the telephone is not a good

choice for equivocal communication with “refuses to answer the phone.

Telephone communication is one of the most important forms of communication

within the company. Although today its use is being replaced by other forms of

communication (such as email), phone use is one of the most common means by which to

materialize both internal and external communications. It is very important in business

because it is the medium through which the first contact with, or from the company is made.

So, before any personal contact, the usual thing is to make a phone call to arrange an

interview or to specify any matter or topic. The interlocutor at the other end of the line will

form an idea about the company depending on the impression after this first telephone

contact. In any case, beyond the business sector, it is also crucial to follow a proper technique

when having telephone conversations, as it is an essential tool to achieve our goals in a phone

call, either as its senders or its recipients. From the standpoint of business communication,

telephone use has an enormous advantage: interlocutors don’t see each other, and this may

work for solving tricky or unfavourable situations. As interlocutors don’t see each other, the

arguments provided in a telephone conversation may be more solid and credible if we apply

the proper techniques and procedures. Another advantage of this type of communication is

that we can do other things as we speak, such as taking notes, search for something on the

computer, ask something to a work mate (always with discretion), and so on. Thus, we may

say that applying the appropriate telephone techniques is essential to get the most out of this

communication tool in business. Thanks to advances in technology, telephone communication

devices have evolved generating new services and expanding its capabilities

2.1.7 Face-To-Face Meeting Communication Strategy

Face-to-face communication is considered the richest strategy primarily due to the ability to

give immediate feedback as well as the amount of information shared during the interaction

in the form of verbal cues (tone of voice, pitch, and volume) as well as non-verbal. Non-

verbal communication is defined in its broadest sense as “communication that transcends the

bare elements of the written or spoken word. According to Gabbott and Hogg (2001) there are

four key strategies of non-verbal communication including “proxemics (the use of personal

space and distance); kinesics (body postures and movement); oculesics (the communicative

aspects of eye behaviour such as gaze and movement) and vocalic (paralanguage such as

vocal tone and intonation).

In addition, Gabbott and Hogg (2001) emphasize that non-verbal communication

takes place in every interaction, whether intentional or not, and can be impacted by three

specific variables: gender, culture and personal traits. These factors can affect the

interpretation of the non-verbal cues and often creating misunderstandings. Each of these four

key strategies of non-verbal communication are particularly important in the context of media

richness theory, as the media richness varies depending on the strength and presence of

nonverbal and verbal cues (Sheer & Chen, 2004). The proponents of face-to-face

communication suggest that it is the most preferred method of communication by employees

with interactions between managers and staff widely commended as beneficial (Ko & Yeh,

2013) and more effective than information from a central communication department. Face-

to-face team briefings are considered a vehicle for sharing the philosophy and values of the

organisation, the strategy and “give people the opportunity to ask questions, offer opinions,

and give and receive feedback – unique advantages over even the best print publications,

video programs and e-mail messages. Additionally, rich media can create a closer

relationship between a manager and subordinate as well as a more personal focus.

2.1.8 The Role of Organizational Communication in Organizational Management

Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the

basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling.

Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication

serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to

the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing

also requires effective communication with others about their job task.

Similarly, leaders as managers must communicate effectively with their subordinates

so as to achieve the team goals. Controlling is not possible without written and oral

communication. Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally

devote approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to

face or telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or

suppliers. Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos

wherever oral communication is not feasible. Thus, we can say that “effective communication

is a building block of successful organizations”. In other words, communication acts as

organizational blood. The importance of communication in organisational management can

be summarized as follows:

 Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees

about the task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to

improve their performance if it is not up to the mark.

 Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for

decision-making process as it helps identifying and assessing alternative course of

actions.

 Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well-

informed individual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual.

 Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and

written communication help in moulding employee’s attitudes.

 Communication also helps in socialising. In today’s life the only presence of another

individual foster’s communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without

communication.

 As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps

controlling organizational member’s behaviour in various ways. There are various

levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow

in an organisation. They must comply with organisational policies, perform their job

role efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors.

Thus, communication helps in controlling function of management.

2.2 Review of empirical studies

Shannon, W. (2018). Effective Management Communication Strategies. Doctoral Study

Proposal Submitted to the School of Business Administration, Walden University.
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection.
The purpose of this single-case study was to explore effective communication strategies

within an organization and determine how managers used these strategies to increase

employee engagement, productivity, and organizational effectiveness. Data were collected

from organizational documents, observations, and semi-structured interviews with 6

managers of a corporation located in the midwestern United States. All participants were

working full-time for at least 3 years, had a managerial title, and were responsible for

departmental communication. Moustakas’s modified van Kaam method was used for data

analysis. Communication theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Three

themes that emerged from the participants’ interviews, observations, and data analysis were

coaching employees, motivation, and consistency in communication.

WAHAB, A. N. (2019). Assessing Effective Communication in the Organizations for
Success, Performance and Motivation: Perspectives of Middle Managers in Malaysia.
An Unpublished Doctoral thesis submitted to the Department of Communication and
Media, La Trobe University Victoria, Australia.
The study sought to identify evidence of effective communication among middle managers in

Malaysia. Literature regarding the importance of effective communication between managers

and employees was reviewed and an appropriate theoretical framework was applied. Five

focus groups and seven in person interviews from a total of 34 middle managers working in

public and private sector organizations in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor formed the data

sources on which this study was based. The shared findings from both sources suggest

Malaysian middle managers identify seven main factors of effective communication, among

them communication skills, leadership styles, knowledge, culture, attitude, listening skills

and the environment. This study also found that lack of attention during communication,

inclinations, unclarified assumptions, lack of communication skills, overloaded instructions,

noise and the keeping of important information for personal use are seven problems identified

by middle managers in Malaysia. The results also indicate that the effectiveness of internal

communication is perceived as highly important to an organization’s success, and that the use

of preferred communication mediums is positively inter-related to effective communication.

These preferred communication mediums were identified in the findings as e-mail, face-to-

face communication, and regular meetings. The study’s findings indicate that middle

managers in Malaysia who want to improve effective communication and overall

organization performance can do so by providing the right, conducive environment for

employees; building a trustworthy organization; encouraging an environment of learning in

the organization; and removing communication barriers.

Daniel, C. O. (2018). Effects of Communication Strategies on the Performance of Public

Organisations in Nigeria. The International Journal of Science & Technology. 6(8), 55-
74.
Daniels study examines the impact of effective communication strategies on the performance

of public organization. The survey research method was adopted for the study was adopted

for the study and the study relied much on secondary and primary data. The population of this

research work was 1573 employees drawn from the six (6) broad categories, based on

mandate and the following core functions: financial; Marketing; regulatory; training and

research, human resource and customer service. The sample size of 319 was determined using

Taro Yamane technique and stratified sampling. Multiple regression analysis was used to test

and analyse the hypotheses. The study revealed that effective communication strategies have

a significant impact on the performance of organisations in Nigeria particularly Nigerian

communications commission. The study conclude that effective communication is the remedy

to effective and efficient management performance of employees in an organization and

recommends among others that management of Nigerian communications commission should

introduce training programmes in the organization whereby junior workers would be taught

how to communicate effectively. This is necessary because poor academic background of

these workers constitute problems to effective communication in the organization

2.3 Theoretical framework

2.3.1 Systems Theory

Systems theory is a comprehensive interdisciplinary framework that studies the interactions

and interdependencies among various components within a complex system. It views

organizations as dynamic entities composed of interconnected and interrelated parts that

collectively work toward achieving common goals. Systems theory emphasizes the holistic

perspective, recognizing that the behaviour of each component influences the system as a

whole. This theory originated in biology and engineering but has been widely adopted in

fields such as sociology, psychology, and organizational management.

 In 1956 the Canadian biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy first published his “general

system theory” which proposed that traits found in biological systems could be applied to any

system. A decade later, the notion of applying the theory to organizations was popularized in

an influential book by Daniel Katz and Robert Kahn, in (1966). The old metaphor of the

organization as a machine was replaced by the metaphor of a biological organism. As a result,

the conception of the organization as a closed system was replaced by that of an open system.

Where a machine operates on its own, a biological organism can only survive by interacting

with and gathering inputs from its surrounding environment. Thus, compared to the input-

output of a machine, the operations of a biological organism involve input-throughput.

Through systems theory, other principles from biology have been applied to

organizations. Like an organism, an organization is not an undifferentiated mass of parts but a

system with a hierarchical ordering. Further, these ordered parts are interdependent since they

rely on one another to properly function. Being interdependent, the system enjoys the

property of holism or of being greater than the sum of its parts. But since the parts of the

system must work together, feedback is required both to correct deviations and spread

information that fosters growth. In addition to communication within the system, the

organism requires exchange with its environment. Unless the system exchanges outputs in

order to acquire the inputs, it needs to function, then the organization will feed on itself and

eventually die. But because the system is open and its boundaries are permeable, the

organization benefits from negative entropy—that is, because needed resources can pass

freely into the system, it can grow. Yet to handle inputs from the environment, the system

needs the requisite variety to do so.

In the present research on effective communication strategies in organizational

management, systems theory provides valuable insights. Champion Breweries Uyo can be

conceptualized as an organizational system in which communication plays a crucial role. If

the management recognizes and establishes a robust communication culture, it will foster a

sense of unity of purpose, facilitating the achievement of set goals. Effective communication

ensures that staff members are motivated, leading to increased job satisfaction, and ultimately

contributing to enhanced organizational productivity.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter gives detailed information on the methodology used for this study. Every bit of

information used for gathering and analysing the data has been recorded as well. The chapter

is divided into different sets; the research design, population, sample size, sampling

procedure, instruments of data collection, techniques of data collection and methods of data

presentation and analysis.

3.1 Research Design: This study employs a mixed methods research design, combining

quantitative and qualitative research methods to generate new knowledge (Stange et al.,

2016). It integrates survey research, representing a common method for studying human

subjects, with semi-structured interviews using a phenomenological research approach.

3.2 Population of the Study

Population refers to all those persons or things that fall under the umbrella of the topic or that

can be examined to address the research problem or meet the research objectives. So, the
population of the study concentrated and focused itself to employees of Champion Breweries

Plc, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State which consisted of 132 employees.

3.3 Sample Size

Creswell (2012) says sample is a subgroup of the target population the researcher plans to

study for generalizing about the target population. This allows the researcher to use the target

population as a whole, but used the sample population, that is selecting from the main group

to represent the target group. Therefore, the sample size was calculated using a formula

provided by Yamane (1967) as follow

N
n=
1+ N (e)²
Where n= sample size
N= population (132)
e =Error limit at 0.05
1 = constant
(Taro Yamani 1967)
132
Therefore, n=
1+ 132(0.05)²
132
n=
1+ 132(0.0025)
132
n=
1+ 0.33
132
n=
1.33
n= 99.2
Therefore, n = 99.

3.4 Sampling Technique

Multistage sampling was used in this research. First, simple random sampling, a probability

sampling method, was used in choosing the sample from the staffs. Probability sampling is a

method whereby each member of the population has an equal chance or being selected.
Kitchenham (2002) defines simple random sampling as a method of sampling in which every

member of the target population has the same probability of being included in the sample.

This form of sampling tends to eliminate subjectivity and obtains a sample that is both

unbiased and representative of the target population. Second, purposive sampling was

adopted in choosing 3 senior management staff of the organisation for in-depth interview.

Purposive sampling was instituted by the researcher using her own judgement believing that

those selected are knowledgeable in the field.

3.5 Description of the Data Gathering Instruments

The primary data collected using a questionnaire from the sample employees selected and

interview schedule was used to collect data from key informants. The questionnaire was

designed and divided into two major parts. The questionnaire commenced with an

introductory section to introduce the participants to the main purpose of the study. The first

part involved basic information with regards to a study purpose asking different questions on

the age, education level among others. The second part of the questionnaire involved scales in

order to enable the measurements of the study variables. The participants were requested to

choose how much they agree on the statements given in an increasing manner (1 being

strongly disagrees and 5 being strongly agree). An interview guide was used to guide an in-

depth interview with the management team. There were 8 items on the interview guide. Two

items covered for each of the respective research questions of the study. For clarity, the same

interview guide was also administered on the interviewees. The questions in the interview

guide aimed at providing answers to the research questions.

3.6 Method of Data Gathering

Data were gathered through the administration of questionnaires, personally conducted by the

researcher with the respondents. The questionnaires were distributed and collected by the

researcher at their respective offices within the organizational complex in Aka Etinan. In
addition to the questionnaire administration, the researcher conducted interviews with the

three Heads of Departments: Head of Operations, Head of Administration, and Head of

Project Management. These interview sessions, lasting approximately two hours, were

recorded using the researcher's mobile phone. Subsequently, the recorded content was

transcribed into a typed manuscript by the researcher and edited for accuracy.

3.7 Method of Data Analysis

The quantitative data generated from the use of questionnaire were presented using simple

frequency distribution tables, percentages and numbers to ascertain the opinion of staff

members. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyse data collected from the interview

sessions. This was done by classifying contents arising from the study into emerging themes

and sub themes. Yin (2003) defines themes as umbrella ideas, which are observed by the

researcher before, during and after data collection. Therefore, the data collected was

organized into themes that emerges from the interviews.

3.8 Validity of Instruments: The validity of the questionnaire and interview questions was

ensured using face validity technique. Both the project supervisor and two communication

scholars who were senior lecturers in the Department of Mass Communication at Akwa Ibom

State University reviewed the instruments. Corrections were made based on their feedback.

3.9 Reliability of Instruments: To assess reliability, a pre-test was conducted among

employees of Champion Breweries plc, using a test-retest strategy. Six respondents,

representing 8% of the survey population, were chosen to determine the alignment of

responses with the expected results. The data from the two tests were subjected to the main

reliability test using Pearson's r Correlational coefficient statistical procedure, yielding a high

reliability coefficient of 0.99.