Organizations can be run successfully, only if effective organizational communication takes

place. A decision, whether strategic or operational, cannot be made without communication and

the necessary information. Hence, communication in any organization depicts an organization’s

structure. Therefore, this paper endeavours to show how communication depicts organization’s

structure. However, the paper begins by defining key concepts such as communication, an

organization and organization structure and thereafter, discusses the main purpose of the paper.

Communication can be defined as the exchange of an information, thought and emotion between
individuals of groups; in other words, communication plays a fundamental role in balancing
individual and organizational objectives. Communication is the activity of conveying
information. Communication has been derived from the Latin word "communis", meaning to
share. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended 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.
Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative
commonality (Johnson, 1993). The communication process is complete once the receiver has
understood the message of the sender. Thus, feedback is critical to effective communication
between parties.

According to Keyton (2011), communication is the process of transmitting information and

common understanding from one person to another. Additionally, communication is defined as

the process of transferring information from the sender to the receiver with the information

understands by the receiver so as to produce feed back to the sender. Communication is also

defined as the exchange of messages between an organization and its environment as well as

between its networks of interdependent subsystems. Communication is the glue that holds an

organization together and harmonizes its parts.

Rogers (1976), sees an organization as a stable system of individuals who work together to

achieve, through a hierarchy of ranks and divisions of labour, organizational goals. To do this,

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the individuals requires information to enable them make appropriate decisions. Therefore,

enough information must be availed to them to dismantle their individuality.

On the other hand, organizational structure is a system used to define a hierarchy within an
organization. It identifies each job, its function and where it reports to within the organization.
This structure is developed to establish how an organization operates and assists an organization
in obtaining its goals to allow for future growth. Argyris (1974) describes an organizational
structure (chart) as an x-ray of the hierarchical structure through which much about a system’s
operation and the organization of its formal communication can be learnt from. One means of
analyzing an organization is to view it as a communication network. The organizational structure
shows how the information flow downwards from the superior to subordinates through the
various levels of the organization and it flows upwards the same network. In addition, Bloisi et
al. (2007: 710) defines organizational structure as a grouping of people and tasks into different
units to boost coordination of communication, decisions, and actions.

Communication in an organization occurs in a highly structured context. The organizational

structure by its rigid structure limits and guides communication flows. Communication structures

in an organization determines the effects of such things as centrality, access to other members,

open channels, communication linkages and effects of information on the group participation,

satisfaction and performance. The communication system of an organization consist of the

process by which requests for information proceed to the point of collection and by which that

information is transmitted back to the person requesting it ( Katz and Kahn, 1978).

Communication is essential component in the success of all organizations. Thus, an

organization’s structure to perceive itself as effective, it has a detailed understanding and

information of its communication system (Trenholm, 2011: 202). Therefore, the notion that

communication depicts an organization’s structure plays a vital role in influencing efficiency and

organizational performance all over the world is indisputable.

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However, there are a number of ways in which communication depicts an organization’s

structure. Some of these ways are discussed below;

One of the ways in which communication depicts an organization’s structure is through control.

Communication acts to control member behavior in several ways. Any organization and its

structure have authority hierarchies and formal guidelines that employees are required to follow.

When its members, for instance are required to first communicate any job related grievance to

their immediate boss, to follow their job description, or to comply with company policies,

communication is performing a control function (Robins, 2003). But informal communication

also controls behavior. When work groups tease or harass a member who produces too much

(and makes the rest of the group look bad) they are informally communicating with, and

controlling the member’s behavior.

In addition, communication also assists in controlling process within an organization structure. It

helps controlling organizational member’s behaviour in various ways. According to Mullins

(2002), there are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees

must follow in an organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job

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

communication helps in controlling function of management. Hence, this helps in depicting an

organization’s structure.

In an open system perspective, an organization is seen as an elaborate set of interconnected

communication channels designed to impart, sort and analyze information from the environment

and export the processed message back to the environment. Therefore, communication depicts

the organization’s structure by providing a means for making and executing decisions, obtaining

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feedback and correcting organizational objectives and procedures as the situation demands

(Rogers and Rogers 1976).

Hicks and Gullett, (1976) further pointed out that communication is seen as a thread that holds
the various interdepartmental parts of an organization’s structure together, thus, this entails that
communication depicts the organization’s structure. For example, if communication were
somehow removed from an organization or industry, it would collapse instantly. However, when
communication stops, organized activity ceases to exist and individual uncoordinated activity
returns within the organizational structure.

Moreover, communication is not only an essential ingredient in the internal functioning of an

organization, but it is also vital in the organization’s information exchange with its environment
or structure. According to Mullins (2002), the communication system serves as the vehicle by
which organizations are embedded in their environments. An organization might emphasize
training and development of other managerial skills, but communication is often taken for
granted. There is an assumption that if an individual can speak, read and writes, and then he can
communicate. Communication is not just reading, writing and speaking; rather it us the transfer
of information and understanding from one person to another.

The principles of communication depicting the organization’s structure is highly depend on both
the sender communicating properly and as well as the recipient receiving the communication in
the intended manner. In this connection then communication depicts the organizational structure,
securing a relentless feedback of a message is the best way to ensure that the recipient has well
understood the conveyed message in the intended manner. According to Bennet (1999), the best
way to depict an organization’s structure in terms of a feedback is by incorporating the visual
cues and body language for example a blank facial expression means a message not understood
well. The second ways is by encouraging the recipient within the organization’s structure to ask
questions which will serve to reinforce the message and correct the misconception in the
organization.

Moreover, Trenholm (2011) alludes that communication enables the employees to easily adapt to
the organizations methods of communication and bring great change which will enhance
accomplishment of the organizational objectives and set targets or goals. It will facilitate quick
response about information delivered to any party in the organization structure hence; objectives
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are achieved from the subordinates and the entire stakeholders including both inpatient and
outpatients in terms of service delivery within the organization.

Besides this, communication increases trust in an organization, which is often associated with its
structure success. Thomas et al. (2009: 306) talked about communication plays an important role
in the development of trust within an organization. They found that in the relationships with co-
workers and supervisors, it is quality, not quantity, of information that best forecasts trust. In
addition, they found that trust was very closely tied to perceptions of organizational openness,
which, in turn, predicted employee involvement. In the light of these findings of Thomas et al.,
organizations should pay a lot of attention in communication as it really affects the
organization’s structure in a positive way. As stated above, especially supervisor and
management communication play an important role.

Furthermore, 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 also helps in socializing. Robins (2003)
posits that in today’s life the only presence of another individual fosters communication. It is
also said that one cannot survive without communication. Similarly, this also entails that an
organization’s structure cannot be depicted minus the presence of communication within the
organization.

In conclusion, an effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency

in depicting an organization’s structure. Therefore, communication helps managers to perform
their jobs and responsibilities in order to arrange their organizational structure. In depicting an
organization’s structure, communication serves as a foundation for planning. Meaning that, 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 within an organization.

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 REFERENCES

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Hicks, G., and Gullett. C.R. (1976). Organizations Theory and Behaviour. Singapore, McGraw-Hill.

Johnson, J. D. (1993). Organizational Communication Structure. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Katz D. and Kahn R.L. (1978). The Social Psychology of Organizations (2nd Edition.). New York:
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Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and Organizational Culture: A Key to Understanding Work

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Rogers, R.A., and Agarwala, G. (1976). Communication in Africa. New York: Binghamton Ltd.

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