How Can Communication Barriers Affect Organizations?

by Neil Kokemuller, Demand Media

Sometimes, employees simply lack motivation to make good communication a priority.

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Effective communication is integral to the success of any organization. This is especially true in smaller organizations that usually rely on a smaller workforce to produce results. Top-down, horizontal and bottom-up communication flows are all important as every level of the small business needs to function with consistent objectives, strategies and focus.

 

Inaction

One of the biggest effects of communication barriers in businesses is that it causes employees to fail to deliver on requested directives. According to Better Communication Results CEO Lee Hopkins, a weak delivery of a message can cause the intended receiver to fail to act. This weakness can mean the receiver is uncertain about the request. Often, it can mean the sender has failed to present the request in a way that motivates the receiver to take immediate action and perform up to par.

Misinterpretation

Misinterpreted messages are also an effect of communication barriers in many large and small businesses. While this can stem from poor communication efforts by the message sender, the Management Study Guide website also discusses two common barriers that can lead to misinterpretation. Language and communication differences are common as companies become more diverse. Additionally, noises and distractions in the work environment can cause confusion during the reception and interpretation of messages.

Related Reading: Main Barriers to Communication

Bad Work Relationships

Several common communication barriers can lead to disengaged and even conflicting relationships among colleagues, or between supervisors and subordinates. However, a barrier commonly tied to this negative affect is emotions. When a workplace becomes overly affected by the emotional state of one, a few or several workers, in can significantly affect the ability of people to work together. A supervisor who routinely expresses negative emotions can overwhelm workers. Co-workers who routinely project emotional outbursts can create hostile working relationships.

Lack of Knowledge

Improperly structured organizations and communication processes and several other common barriers can ultimately contribute to an environment in which employees generally lack knowledge about the company, its products and their jobs. This can contribute to poor production, creativity and results within the organization. It can also lead to poor communication and ineffective results during interactions with clients or customers. Top management should take on the responsibility of making certain each employee has knowledge to do his job.

References (2)

• Better Communication Results: Organizational Communication Barriers; Lee Hopkins
• Management Study Guide: Communication Barriers -- Reasons for Communication Breakdown

About the Author

Neil Kokemuller has been an active writer and content media website developer since 2007. He wrote regular feature articles for LiveCharts for three years and has been a college marketing professor since 2004. He has several years of additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business, and he holds a Master of Business Administration from Iowa State University.