Communication Gap In Different Organizations Of Pakistan

Communication:The word communication is derived from a Latin word Communis which means To Share. Thus the act of sharing of information, ideas, feelings, thoughts is called communication. According to Robert Anderson: Communication means the interchange of thoughts, openions or information by speech, writing or signs. According to Keith Davis: Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another.

What Does Communication Gap Means?

Communication gap is a state that occurs when what is being said is not been communicated to the addressee properly and completely. Communication gap is the biggest hurdle in achieving the organizational goal and does not help at all in achievement of organizational goal. Communication gap in an organization means that the goals and objectives that are set by the top management are either not communicated to the employees of the organization at all levels or if communicated they are not been understood properly by the employees. This can be because of improper communication channels, unrealistic goals, inappropriate language etc. Communication gap is that in any organization the people of this organization dont understand the language and that what their managers said to them.

Importance of Communication in an Organization:Communication plays an effective role in achieving the organizational goals. It is an effective tool for coordinating the activities of different persons engaged in running a business. It is helpful in conveying the formulated policies to those who are really responsible for the execution of work to achieve the organizational goals.

 Communication is helpful in receiving the suggestions from the employees to improve the working conditions in order to increase productivity. An effective communication is also very helpful for: Decision making Results measurement Dealing with customers Negotiating with suppliers Job satisfaction Employees recruitment.

Causes/Reasons Of Communication Gap:There are so many causes of communication gap between different organizations in Pakistan which are given below:

Age Difference is one of the barriers of effective communication in an organization.

Age difference can occur when members in an organization have a wide range of age gap between the employees that will cause the different perceptions among them. These different perceptions will cause the hardship in communicating among one another. For example, a young employee will remember easily the message convey to them compared to an older employee. The amount of time for both employees to capture the message conveyed to them will be different as well.

Mistrust
The second barrier of effective communication is management and employees are having mistrust. Mistrust between management and an employee happens when either the management or employee or both parties do not have confidence towards each other.

Language Difference
One of the barriers that lead to mistrust between management and employees is language barrier. Language barrier exists when a person say things in his or her terms of language which may cause barriers to others who are not familiar with the language. The other person might misunderstand the meaning intended to relay.

Gender Difference
It is the third barrier of effective communication in an organization. It is a common barrier of communication that men and women will communicate for different reasons in different styles. Men and women have their own perception, feelings, beliefs, actions and value, respectively. Both of them are motivated by different things that make them communicate

in different ways. For example, women might use softer voice volume to encourage permission and approval while men will use louder voice volume to attract attention and maintain control. There are some men who whenever they communicate with women, they tend to communicate in autocratic manner in order to maintain their pride and egoism.

Cultural Difference
Another barrier might be the cultural differences. It will be difficult to communicate with the people having a different culture and background. There will be miscommunication when we make the wrong assumption that others peoples attitudes and lives are similar to us. Communicating with colleagues using different native language might be a problem as well. Therefore, it is important for us to understand that not everyone will behave and communicate in the same way with us. Culture with collaboration and open communication will enhance communication in the organization. Trust and openness to express ideas and perceptions are very important. Barriers of communication that exist will affect the effectiveness of communication in organization. Level of effective communication will actually affect the level of satisfaction of members in organization. Satisfaction of the member will affect the whole operation of the organization.

Information Overload
Too much information is as bad as too little because it reduces the audiences ability to concentrate effectively on the most important messages. People facing information overload sometimes try to cope by ignoring some of the messages, by delaying responses to messages they deem unimportant, by answering only parts of some messages, by responding inaccurately to certain messages, by taking less time with each message, or by reacting only superficially to all messages.
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Message Complexity
When formulating business messages, you communicate both as an individual and as representative of an organization. Thus you must adjust your own ideas and style so that they are acceptable to your employer. In fact, you may be asked occasionally to write or say something that you disagree with personally. Suppose you work as a recruiter for your firm. You've interviewed a job candidate you believe would make an excellent employee, but others in the firm have rejected this applicant. Now you have to write a letter turning down the candidate: You must communicate your firms message, regardless of your personal feelings, a task some communicators find difficult.

Unethical Communication
An organization cannot create illegal or unethical messages and still be credible or successful in the long run. Relationships within and outside the organization depend or trust and fairness.

Inefficient Communication
Producing worthless messages wastes time and resources, and it contributes to the information overload.

Comfort, Needs, Physical medium, Suitable environment for carrying out communication, Religious and social differences, Stereotypes and Personal feelings also caused communication gap between different organizations.

Techniques To Overcome Communication Gap:Following are the techniques or ways that are helpful in reducing the communication gap between different organizations. To overcome information overload, realize that some information is not necessary, and make necessary information easily available. Give information meaning rather than just passing it on, and set priorities for dealing with the information flow. Some information isn't necessary. To overcome the barriers of complex messages, keep them clear and easy to understand. Use strong organization, guide readers by telling them what to expect, use concrete and specific language, and stick to the point. Be sure to ask for feedback so that you can clarify and improve your message.

To overcome status barriers, keep managers and colleagues well informed. Encourage lower-status employees to keep you informed by being fair-minded and respectful of their opinions. When you have information that you're afraid you boss might not like, be brave and convey it anyway. Status barriers can be overcome by a willingness to give and receive bad news. To overcome trust barriers, be visible and accessible. Don't insulate yourself behind assistants or secretaries. Share key information with colleagues and employees, communicate honestly, and include employees in decision making. For communication to be successful, organizations must create an atmosphere of fairness and trust. To overcome media barriers, choose the richest media for no routine, complex message. Use rich media to extend and to humanize your presence throughout the organization, to communicate caring and personal interest to employees, and to gain employee commitment to organizational goals. Use leaner media to communicate simple, routine messages. You can send information such as statistics, facts, figures and conclusions through a note, memo or written report.

 To overcome ethics barriers, make sure your messages include all the information that ought to be there. Make sure that information is adequate and relevant to the situation. And make sure your message is completely truthful, not deceptive in any way. Reduce the number of messages by thinking twice before sending one. Then speed up the process, first, by preparing messages correctly the first time around and, second, by standardizing format and material when appropriate. Be clear about the writing assignments you accept as well as the ones you assign. To overcome physical distractions, try to prepare well written documents which are clear, concise, and comprehensive. When preparing oral presentations try to find a setting which permits audience to see and hear the speaker clearly.