Managing Communication

Contents
AC1.1 Understand the background to organisational strategic change, ..................................... 4 Stakeholder in Burger King: ................................................................................................................ 4 AC 1.2 Explain the systems used for communicating key information to the stakeholders in your chosen organization. ................................................................................................................... 5 1.3. An analysis of potential barriers to effective workplace communications. ........................... 6 AC 2.1. How communication is influenced by values and cultural factors. Evaluate these influences within the organisation you have researched. .............................................................. 7 AC 2.2 The use of technology how it helps communication and whether it also hinders communication. Support your work with examples......................................................................... 8 Communication Is Quicker:............................................................................................................. 8 Expanded Communication Opportunities: .................................................................................... 8 Communication Must Be More Deliberate: .................................................................................. 9 Communication Is More off-putting: .............................................................................................. 9 Task 3 Interpersonal communication ........................................................................................... 10 AC 3.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of your own communication skills. ...................................... 10 The Communication Quiz : ........................................................................................................... 10 I have evaluated my communication skill based on the following quiz : ............................... 10 Score Interpretation: ...................................................................................................................... 11 AC 3.2 Include theories of interpersonal communication in your evaluation. ........................... 12 AC 3.4Plan your own personal development to improve your own communication skills: ..... 13 AC 4.1 :Communications audit of Burger King : ............................................................................ 13 AC 4.3 Recommendations : .............................................................................................................. 14 AC 4.4 Evaluation and conclusion: .................................................................................................. 15 References: ......................................................................................................................................... 16

AC1.1 Understand the background to organisational strategic change, Identify the key stakeholders in the organisation and for each stakeholder
analyse the key information and knowledge they need. Compare your findings with the knowledge and information needed by stakeholders in other organizations.

Organizations can be seen as systems operating in multidimensional environments. Organisational change is often motivated by major external factors, for instance, extensive cuts in funding, decreased market opportunity and dramatic increases in services. Usually, organisations undertake technical, structural or strategic shifts in the organisation to evolve to a different level in their life cycle, for example changing from a highly reactive organisation to a more stable proactive environment. Many organisations are undergoing a radical process of transformation to adapt with present business needs [1]. Now the question is what is the strategic change in a particular organization? Strategic change can be defined as a difference in the form, quality, or state over time [2] in an organizations alignment with its external environment. A restructuring of an organization's business or marketing plan that is typically performed in order to achieve an important objective. For example, a strategic change in the Burger King might include shifts in a corporation's policies, target market, mission or organizational structure.

Stakeholder in Burger King:

They key stake holders of Burger King are Share holders, Management and employees, Customers, Supplier, Financial organisation, Government, Trade unions, City council who can influence the change and can be affected by the change in the organization. The key information and knowledge stakeholder needs depends on their role and the interest they have on Burger King. shareholders specifically looking for company performances such as periodical financial data. In addition, suppliers are interested in sales figures of business. Moreover, government is interested in company performances to create the employment opportunities to make the country wealthy. For example, Burger King shareholders keeps their eyes on financial data to see whether business is losing or getting profit or Burger King HR manager look at staff information in order to recruit and retain the right staff in right position.

AC 1.2 Explain the systems used for communicating key information to the stakeholders in your chosen organization.
Various way of communication system used in my chosen organization i:e: Burger king. The effective use of this system are very crucial for development of the business. Some of them are briefing, emailing, performance appraisal, periodical meeting, training, publishing financial data in news paper, websites, sending information using letters, advertising product in paper, manuals, booklets, sponsoring. For example, in Burger King, employee's promotion, salary increase depends on performance appraisal communicating through sending email and letter. In addition, Burger King publishes the financial data in newspapers to inform their shareholder about their present condition of business. Moreover, Burger King promotes their product to customers through advertising in websites, using periodic, leaflet etc.

1.3. An analysis of potential barriers to effective workplace communications.

Communicating can be more of a challenge than we think, when we realize the many things that can stand in the way of effective communication. These include filtering, selective perception; information overload, emotional disconnects, lack of source familiarity or credibility, workplace gossip, semantics, gender differences, differences in meaning between Sender and Receiver, and biased language. There are four main barriers to effective communications [5]: 1. Cultural Barriers: There are many factors that make up what we refer to as culture but to me, cultural difference is about attitudes and beliefs that come from our personal environment and experience. As such, two people could get the same message but interpret it in two entirely different ways simply because their frames of reference and language differ. 2. Linguistic Barriers Variance in expression or colloquialism is common even among those who speak the same language. 3. Biases We all have them. Bias is, after all, shaped by our experiences and who we are. It becomes an obstacle to effective communication though when we consciously or subconsciously choose to speak only to those who are more likely to understand and agree with us. Its natural. But in leadership, it is also important to extend the reach of our message to those whose biases do not necessarily align with our own. 4. Assumptions: Assumptions sabotage effective communication and have the potential to lead everyone down unintended paths. For instance, you may assume that because people are nodding while you speak, they understand and agree with what you are saying. Similarly, if you invite questions about your message and get none, it would be easy to assume there are none.

AC 2.1. How communication is influenced by values and cultural factors. Evaluate these influences within the organisation you have researched.
It is a fact that effective communication is the key to success in both personal and business relationships. In the absence of proper communication between two people, actions will not be in tandem with the actual motive. Many a time, the reason behind the lack of effective communication between two individuals is, the cultural differences between them. Be it an informal or a corporate setting, a gap is created in the communication between individuals coming from different cultures, as a result of which the message to be conveyed is misinterpreted or not understood. The factor that influenced the communication are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Social and Economic Conditions. Cultural Background. Language and accent. Behaviour and Nature. Religion

Burger King is an organisation that serves customers from various backgrounds and cultures. This makes it extremely important to manage communication in the most delicate manner as possible. The organisation has to keep in mind that not all customers consume all the menus the company offers. For example: customers who are from an Indian background wont eat beef, customers who are from a Muslim background wont eat pork. It is vital information like these that the organisation has to keep track of in order to meet the needs of people who are from different backgrounds and cultures. Burger king culture means how improving ethics in organisation that means moral rights and wrong of any decisions in burger king. How people behave in organisation for example in burger king company had made some rules and regulation so all the staff should follow those rules, and how all the staff behaves with each other and how they behave with customers. By providing staff proper training to maintain company values so that all member of the organisation should learn proper way of work. For example in the burger king the company setting standard of all food and safety like temperature , holding time of all products, and the culture of burger king includes standards ,language ,way of behaving, way of communicating, way of dressing .

Standards: Setting standard of products temperature, holding time and the entire staff member follow these standards. Language: They have different staff form different culture and ethics values but at work place all the staffs speaks only English language. Dressing: Company having dress of all staff so that dress communicates any one is working in burger king. Way of behave: Every staff behaves politely and friendly.

AC 2.2 The use of technology how it helps communication and whether it also hinders communication. Support your work with examples.
Technology has transformed business in many ways, but its affect on communication is debatably the most significant. In reality communication through email, text messaging, instant messaging and even budding tools like social networking have been "among the most deep effects of technology on every area of business." However, while technology did make business communications quicker and easier, it has also made, at times, communication more off-putting and less obvious. Communication Is Quicker: Whether you need to speak with an employee who is travelling in another state or country or you need to communicate with your supplier half way around the world, technology allows you to do so instantaneously. In fact, thanks to email and text messages, you can now send messages to people in other time zones before you forget without worrying that you will wake them up. In fact, according to Walden University, the Internet has allowed business people to communicate easily regardless of time zone and language issues. Expanded Communication Opportunities: Technology allows individuals to communicate and carry on a business relationship without ever meeting face to face, so people in all parts of the world now have the chance to interact with a company in a rural part of the United States. For example, technology allowed for the emergence of the virtual assistant, a worker who completes tasks for her client online without having ever met him, in the 20th century.

Communication Must Be More Deliberate: Although technology has made communication instantaneous, so you don't have to spend hours planning and composing before you communicate and wait for a long period for the reply, it has also made planning deliberate communication periods more important. First, companies that do take advantage of telecommuting and virtual offices need to deliberately plan to communicate with individuals in teams to avoid employees losing touch and to make sure all are working toward the same goals. Second, even if you work in a physical office, instantaneous communication regarding quick decisions and memos cannot replace specific communication times where big decisions are discussed and progress reports given. However, when employees are communicating in multiple ways every day, it can be easy to forget to schedule these types of meetings.

Communication Is More off-putting: From constantly overhearing cell phone conversations, to the worker who is constantly emailing or texting you to the incessant "ding" of your office's instant messenger, communication tools that were designed to make you more productive can actually do the opposite. Instant communication can make it harder for workers to deal with one task at a time when their work is constantly being interrupted by comments and questions that relate to other projects or even personal issues. In fact, some employees must make an effort to turn off communication devices while they work to meet deadlines.

Task 3 Interpersonal communication AC 3.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of your own communication skills.
Communication skills are some of the most important skills that you need to succeed in the workplace. We talk to people face to face, and we listen when people talk to us. We write emails and reports, and we read the documents that are sent to us. Communication, therefore, is a process that involves at least two people a sender and a receiver. For it to be successful, the receiver must understand the message in the way that the sender intended. The Communication Quiz :

I have evaluated my communication skill based on the following quiz : 1

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm

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Score Interpretation:

Based on the quiz I am capable communicator, but I sometimes experience communication problems. I have to take the time to think about my approach to communication, and focus on receiving messages effectively, as much as sending them. This will help me improve.

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AC 3.2 Include theories of interpersonal communication in your evaluation.

Theories of Interpersonal Communication [6]: Some of us may believe that interpersonal communication is a matter of common sense or that skilful communication is an innate ability that you either have or you dont. In the text, Denise Solomon and Jennifer Theiss demonstrate that interpersonal communication skills are not just common sense; nor are they mysterious qualities that defy learning. Interpersonal communication (IPC) has been defined many ways. Some scholars define IPC based on the situation and number of participants involved (e.g., Miller, 1978). Using Millers definition, IPC occurs between two individuals when they are close in proximity, able to provide immediate feedback and utilize multiple senses. Others define IPC based on the degree of personalness, or perceived quality, of a given interaction (e.g., Peters, 1974). In Peterss view, IPC includes communication that is personal and occurring between people who are more than acquaintances. Another view of IPC is a goals approach; that is, IPC includes communication used to define or achieve personal goals through interaction with others (e.g., Canary, Cody, & Manusov, 2003).

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AC 3.4Plan your own personal development to improve your own communication skills:
Based on the previous quiz I am capable communicator, but I sometimes experience communication problems. As I am not perfect communicator, I need some plan to improve skill. I need a process to develop my communication skills. The following steps will help me to develop the communication skills:

Aware of my own communication style: Each person has a unique way of communicating. This step will identify my exact position. Adjust to the other styles of communication: Practice with friends or family. Objective listeners may be able to identify unclear presentation of ideas. Have other people read my work. With regard to writing, sometimes we become too close to our work and no longer see where we may be making errors. An objective observer can point out overlooked mistakes. Read. Reading has many benefits. Its like exercising the mind. It keeps us mentally sharp. Take a public speaking class. It could help me to be a more sensitive and deliberate communicator. Public speaking courses encourage an examination of our thoughts and beliefs and thus may lead to clarity of thought. Ask for an objective opinion. I could ask my friends, family members or teachers whether they agree with my self-evaluation.

AC 4.1 :Communications audit of Burger King :

In Burger king there various methods of communications such as telephone, fax, internet, E- mail, etc. There are two types of networks: LOCAL AREA NETWORKS (LANs): where all the electronic machines are connected with each other and close to each other. WIDE AREA NETWORKS (WANs): where computer communicate with each other via telephone lines or wireless transmission. Some examples of networks in burger king are: Minder: Thats electronic device which connected with PHU (PRODUCT UNIT HOLDER) calculated which product is expires after a certain limit so the screen of minder communicate with staff which chicken patty is expired. 13

Drive thru system: that electronic device which can communicate between burger king staff and customers. Internet: communicate managers with head office via emails. Telephone: this is also good source of communication in business. Electronic device: to help taking order on front counter and drive thru and that system connecting with main computer in the office.

AC 4.3 Recommendations :
Communication is the key to maintaining any relationship. When you feel that the person you are having a discussion with is not hearing you, or you do not understand what he is saying to you, it causes you to disconnect from the conversation. Business and personal relationships will improve when you spend time learning to communicate. The following methods can be used to improve work place communication: 1. Open Communication: If you are in management then you need to use these tips for improving business communication skills and focus on open communication throughout the business and with all staff members. The reason for this is employees have specific knowledge of their focus area and can provide insight you are not privy to in management. This will help the business grow and be more successful. 2. Consistency If you are interested in tips for improving business communication skills and in communicating effectively then you always need to be consistent. When you are not consistent you cause confusion which leads to misunderstanding. When you are consistent in your thoughts, actions, and treatment of others you create a calm environment where individuals feel respected and open. 3. Clear Communication Always be clear in your communication style. Never say anything without thinking about it and how it will sound to others. Do not fail to use these tips for improving business communication skills. This is important because what you say can be interpreted in numerous ways if you are not clear.

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4. Listening Listening involves many tips for improving business communication skills and is a communication tool you cannot afford to not have. The reason for this is when you listen you hear what your employees are saying, you can prevent problems and misunderstandings before they start, you can get more business because you know what the markets needs are, you can achieve more in business by listening than by talking. 5. Cultural Gap: Minimize the gap in multi cultural environment by respecting each one individually and treating equally.

AC 4.4 Evaluation and conclusion:

Todays technology has offered business organizations multiple methods to communicate. Some forms of communications are more effective than others. Communication is one of the most important elements of a successful business. When writing a business communication it is crucial that you know who the members of your audience are and communicate with the visible purpose. Effective communication achieves its objective to persuade, respond or gain information by considering the style, format, purpose, organization and by tailoring the communication style to meet the audience requirements.

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References:
1. the University of Adelaide. (2006). Leading Change, Transition & Transformation. Available: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/hr/strategic/leading_change_toolit.pdf. Last accessed 20th Jan 2013. 2. GM SPREITZER . (1997). Toward a Theory of Strategic Change . Available: http://webuser.bus.umich.edu/spreitze/rajagopalan%20%26%20spreitzer.pdf. Last accessed 20th Jan 2013. 3. Strategic Change, Available: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/strategic-change.html, Last accessed 21st Jan 2013 4. EXAMINING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION PROCESSES IN BURGER KING, Available : http://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/examiningbusiness-communication-processes-in-burger-king-business-essay.php Last accessed 21st Jan 2013 5. Barriers-to-effective-communication , Available: http://gwynteatro.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/4-barriers-to-effectivecommunication-what-to-do-about-them/ Last accessed 23rd Jan 2013 6. Explaining Theories of Interpersonal Communication. Available: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/4984_Dainton_Chapter_3.pdf, Last accessed 21st Jan 2013

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