Exploring communication between managers and employees within selected South African organisations

[摘要] Due to the fact that a large number of changes have occurred within the South Africanorganisations it was inevitable that assisting organisations, managers and employees timeouslywas one of the biggest issues. Managers and employees are the driving forces engines oforganisations, and one of the strongest influences between them is that of communications.Communication occurs every single day and is inevitable between managers and employees.Communication is a factor that is being taken for granted without managers and employeeshaving proper knowledge of all it can accomplish. What makes communication so importantis the fact that it is the process by means of which organisations, managers and employeesfunction, convey information, work together, achieve the goals and objectives of theorganisation and improve innovation and productivity. The absence of communication hasmany different negative influences on organisations, managers and employees that makes itimpossible for anyone to accomplish the tasks and goals and allowing operations to runsmoothly under such circumstances. Based on the above-mentioned it is extremely importantto focus on and research communication between managers and employees within SouthAfrica.The objective of this study is to explore the influence of effective and ineffectivecommunication between managers and employees on organisational outcomes within selectedSouth African organisations. The research study was of a qualitative nature, within the socialconstructivist paradigm. A phenomenological approach was further utilised with a view toobtain the objectives of the research study. Purposive sampling was used in the research study,followed by a multiple case study strategy. The participants involved in the study (N=16) wereselected from South African organisations. These organisations formed part of theManufacturing and Construction industries. Semi-structured interviews were conducted withthe purpose of collecting data while data analysis was generated by means of thematic analysis.The results indicated that managers and employees within elected South African organisationsexperience and understand effective and ineffective communication differently with someoverlapping similarities. The results also showed what managers and employees perceivedeffective and ineffective type of communication differently. They provided the research withvaluable types of communication they deem to be effective and ineffective. Some effectivetypes included face-to-face, computer-mediated, verbal, non-verbal and writtencommunications while ineffective types included the same.The results continued by indicating that managers and employees have a different yet similarperspective of what they think the influences of effective and ineffective communication holdsfor the organisational outcomes. Based on their experience, knowledge and expertise theyprovided the researcher with valuable recommendations on how to improve communicationwithin their respective industries. This will allow future organisations, managers andemployees to capitalise on the information or data provided, leading to better functioning, moreproductive and innovative and higher level of satisfaction within organisations, managers andemployees. It would also allow an opportunity to raise more awareness within industries sothat they can utilise this in order to minimise any problems or issues they might experienceconcerning communication.Recommendations were also made with regard to future research and practices. Managersshould raise more awareness and take more initiatives concerning what is regarded as effectiveand ineffective communications and types. This includes how it in turn affects theorganisational outcomes. Organisations should also implement or develop new cultures toinvite effective communication and types as well as take more initiative in implementinginterventions, workshops and training in communication. This will allow managers andemployees to be better equipped with communication skills and knowledge and will grant themmore opportunities to improve and enhance their communications skills.

[发布机构] North-West University