Communication
Every living being is not isolated from communication, since from birth it is faced with the need to communicate. Before there is communication, we must first soak up data, this is where we enter the knowledge stage; later the latter are recognized and then reasoned, to later convert them into information. Since you have this information, it is when you understand it and then know it. The fact that we all communicate does not mean that we know how to communicate.
It could be said that all of our activities are based on some communication event. Therefore, when speaking of communication, we do not understand it as a simple phenomenon of exchange or relationship, with the simple Outgoing-Message-Receiver scheme, but as a basic capacity and attitude in the human being, where it also drives development of man.
It is the best instrument, not only to coexist and relate to others, but to defuse a conflict, clear up misunderstandings, stop and correct dissolution if communication is missing, everything is missing. Contrary to popular belief, communication is highly difficult to understand, as it is the most complex form of involvement that exists; and if explaining it is complex, it is even more to study it.
The word communication comes from the Latin communis which means "Common" and from there communicate means "Transmit ideas", but there are several definitions of Communication, so some will be cited:
Habermas, in his Theory of Communicative Action, says that communication is a key component of social action. He proposes it as the action that makes it possible to carry out social actions. There are four types of Actions that Actors can develop when interacting:
- Theological or Teleological Action.- An Actor chooses the best means to achieve an end. The key concept is the decision between different alternatives of action in a world that is presented to us as an object. Action Regulated by Norms.- The members of a social group guide their actions according to common norms. The key concept is observing the norm in a social world. Dramaturgical Action.- The participating Actors act in interaction where some contribute the public of the others. The key concept is self-staging in a social world. Communicative Action.- It is the interaction of at least two subjects (Actors) capable of performing a language and an action that establishes an interpersonal relationship.
Manuel Martín Serrano, in his Theory of the social production of communication, says that communication provides society with the information necessary for the processes of production and reproduction and, at the same time, a mediating process that allows social subjects to articulate with their Representational models daily experience, to be able to operate in Reality.
Continuing with Martín Serrano, in the act of communicating, at least two Actors (Ego-Alter) who have (psychological) and cultural (in the human case) aptitudes are essential, since the actor performs an expressive act.
Communication could be defined as the interaction and transfer of information between two or more Actors where they make their knowledge with the help of Instruments, Expressions and Representations.
With this definition and taking up the four elements mentioned by Manuel Martín Serrano, for there to be communication, an Actor (Ego) uses a Matter, carrying out an Expressive Work that modifies the matter and uses it as an Expressive Substance or Expressions, producing Signals. What will happen next is that one or more Actors (Alter) use Instruments (organic or inorganic) that will be in charge of decoding the Expressive Substance or the Signals.
When this substance is decoded, it is obliged to admit the existence of the cognitive capacity necessary to put into practice a model or a pattern of behavior, that is, a Representation of interactive behavior and thus imply two possibilities: 1) that Alter interact with Ego and continue to exchange information and establish communication; or 2) Alter terminates the interaction when he does not or does not indicate anything that involves Ego. The Representations change as time passes and will depend on the context and the region where the communication is established.
Forms of communication
As human beings, communication is essential for our life, however, there are different ways of expressing what we think and feel. We generally use verbal communication, oratory, but we do not realize that in addition to the spoken word, we make use of other physical elements, including chemicals that serve as references to other people of how our mood is, for example. In short, the two forms of communication that exist will be explained: Verbal and Non-Verbal.
Verbal communication
This type of communication can take two forms: oral, through oral signs, such as language; and the written one, which would be the graphic representation of the language. The primary form of oral communication would be yelling, screaming, whistling, and anything that involves sounds, but the evolutionary form of this type of communication would be articulate language, giving structure to those sounds by producing syllables, words, and sentences.
In written communication the forms are very varied and numerous, from primitive ideographic and hieroglyphic writing, so difficult for us to understand, since we do not know this complex system of signs, to syllabic and alphabetic phonetics.
Non-verbal communication
Currently, this type of communication is taking on great importance in communication studies, since between 60 and 70 percent of the information captured by Alter is transmitted through gestures, expressions, appearance, posture, gestures, etc.. Semiotics (in the Anglo-Saxon tradition) or semiology (in the European tradition) defined by Ferdinand de Saussure as the science "that studies the life of signs within social life".
Between this field of meanings and signifiers, three important aspects should be located at the moment of interpersonal communication:
- Kinetics.- Signs in motion of the different members of the body are presented isolated or symbolically linked to the verbal signs. Proxemia.- Referring to distance, it is the closeness that members of a group maintain among themselves in their communication processes. Prosody.- Refers to the variations and intensity of the bodily emissions of the voice according to certain established and accepted social rules: intonation, rhythm, cadence, melody, exclamation, etc.
In this way, the elements together give the clear idea that the "body speaks" insofar as it informs us about the identity and personality of people.
Types of communication
Depending on the form of communication that the Actors are managing, they will carry out one or more of the following types of communication, either to reach a small group of people or large masses.
- Intrapersonal.- It is the communication that takes place with itself, that is, the sender and the receiver is the same individual, it is unilateral. It is a process of introspection to reach a self-knowledge, or as Socrates said: "Know yourself." Interpersonal.- It is the direct interaction between at least two actors or people, it is bilateral and reciprocal. A common language is used, that is, speech, which is learning to use a communication code. It is direct and face-to-face, therefore, it is face to face. Intragroup.- It is the communication that has a homogeneous group, that is to say, a relatively small group that has a purpose in common interest, such as, for example, a group of friends, work, etc. Intergroup.- Communication used by a heterogeneous group, that is, a group that constitutes itself as a dispersed public and does not share common goals and interests. They require technological resources to facilitate the Emitter-Receiver relationship and it is unilateral. For example, a conference, a radio or television program, etc.
The objective of communication is expressive acts, that is, interaction with the Other. Therefore, it is a social and cultural process that allows the individual to live in society. The term communication, and even more so its concept, offers difficulties of interpretation and concrete application in its use. This is where misunderstandings arise, where interactions often become conflictive due to the different interpretations that are given to each message. It is here where the intervention of the communicologist is important, since he will be the one who tries to solve these conflicts and study communication from its genesis to the most important events that are emerging over time.
As previously mentioned, the study of communication is very complex, therefore, various fields are developed to make your study more practical. One of these fields is Organizational Communication, which is dedicated to the study of communication within organizations. This field of study will be seen below in the next section.
Organization
In today's society, organizations are found everywhere, from the nucleus of society, the family, to the most complex, such as the State or large institutions, educational, economic or religious institutions. The latter are a great field of research that has not been taken into account, either because of the prejudices that one has about religion or its groups, or because they are very hermetic and are not easy to access. For Organizational Communication, it is very interesting to touch on these types of organizations because within them they present the most basic characteristics that any financial or economic organization has.
They have a complex symbology, not only the signs and symbols that we know, but what the members know and apply it to their small groups to be able to communicate; as well as the different forms of leadership, the different groups that are formed, the flows of communication and internal-external information, the projection in and out, etc.
Religious groups know the benefits of Communication, but what they do is focused on external communication, through their brochures, television programs or posters. They may have some idea of the importance of Organizational Communication, but they need to apply it in a better way so that devotees can still understand what is happening within the Temple or the Church. Generally, these types of groups are very interested in the welfare of the member, in particular, and of the community in general. This is an advantage that it has over other organizations, for example, in the economic and / or financial ones, where what matters is production and not so much what it produces.
Wherever we go, we find an organization, since we are immersed in them. Civil associations, sports, musical, theatrical teams or groups in which they recreate some historical period, where they play, share ideologies, tastes, needs, etc., or also social and community organizations, such as Boy Scouts, groups belonging to a society that their complexity of interaction and structure is unknown, so they are worth investigating. In the case of this work, the Illampú Squadron is a clear example of how an organization created with and for young people is forgotten from the reflectors of the research.
Based on its etymology, the word Organization comes from the Greek organon, which means instrument. If we relate it to the term organism, we will identify that there are different parts and functions that coordinate to carry out a common task or purpose. There are many definitions of organization, such as that of Professor Diego Juárez Chávez, who says that organization is ordered chaos and an unstable balance, where organization is a living system full of memorable moments but also outbreaks of symbolic and even physical violence. But the one that is closest to the interest of this work is the one cited by Carlos Bonilla:
"The organization is a social system in which coordinated action and the interaction of individuals lead, through the division of labor, to the achievement of common ends."
An organization is one that is within a society, which does not exclude it from the social and environmental changes that exist. So the organization must be prone to change, that is, stay to change and change to stay, this is a flexible organization. To arrive at this flexibility, Professor Mario Revilla mentions that there are three key logics in the constitution of social organizations:
- Logic of Results. It is the logic of efficiency, of the balance between resources and goals. The means that this logic puts into play are: technology, procedures and information / knowledge. Logic of Power / Leadership. Es Poder is the logic of balance that articulates the coexistence of the other logics or dynamics of the organization and leads it against endo and exogenous demands. Power is an order and represents a way of being and doing. Logic of Culture / Affectivity. It is the logic of intersubjective relationships, of ways of feeling and valuing. It is the logic of identities.
Continuing with what Professor Revilla said, these three logics are supported by two basic notions: Horizontability and Flexibility:
“Horizontability is understood as the participation of all members of the organization at all levels of activity. The full participation of the members of the organization is required in the duties and rights, in the sacrifices and in the benefits. A horizontal organization allows the contribution of the experience of its members and it would never have as a solution to its problems the dismissal of personnel, since it is equally important for the organization.
Flexibility is understood as the ability to look from all possible perspectives that it brings to the organization and the ability and willingness to act accordingly. It is the quality of incorporating in the organization's perception / action models the different approaches, aspirations and needs that occur in different positions. Facilitates anticipating change and adapting innovatively without sacrificing success.
Horizontability / Flexibility is defined by a trend towards expansion in inclusion of communication producing sources. It seeks to build consensus on the opinions that give meaning to the organization and its actions. ”
This flexibility must be ad hoc to what the exterior requires, such as consumer needs (tastes, ideas), and the interior, such as the change in technological resources, the need to know the events of the organization, as well as the acknowledgments from high hierarchies to personnel, constant training, etc.
Professor Manuel Vázquez Arteaga defines four problems that organizations go through. These four points will facilitate the analysis and study of the organizations:
- Philosophical problem: Workers do not feel included, therefore, they do not identify with their organizations, they do not know where they are going and that is why they do not “wear the shirt.” Anthropological Problem: The culture of the worker is not recognized and This does not recognize that of the organization, the truth is that there is a culture, which must be accepted and changed in the face of the needs of the environment that manifests itself with the context. Theoretical-Methodological Problem: Research is essential in companies, through Surveys, audits, quantitative and qualitative analyzes will be able to detect the concerns, as well as the symptoms that make staff uncomfortable, because, in general, they do not have communication departments that dedicate themselves to these functions.The internal media have an important role because they are regulators of the information and communication process. There is a problem in its use, dissemination and distribution.
For this reason, the organization is a network of conversations, since it absolutely needs its internal members and to have contact with external members, because they are responsible for keeping the organization alive. In short, being a flexible, adaptive organization holds the key to success and survival.
It is very important to emphasize that for an organization to be flexible, it needs to become an open system. According to Ludwin von Bertalanffy's General Systems Theory, open systems are those that have the ability to interact with their environment, constantly exchanging information flows so that they can self-regulate, that is, know themselves, where learning it must be hermetic and the system of effective and free communication, that is to say, closed organizationally and open informationally; what sustains the organization is its learning capacity.
To facilitate the study in organizations, Professor Manuel Vázquez proposes three types of structure to point out that an organization not only has a material structure, such as the organization chart. These three concepts will serve for the vocabulary that a communication professional must use when conducting an investigation.
- The infrastructure of an organization is made up of all the tools and resources, both human, material and technological. The structure of an organization is made up of all those relationships that its inhabitants have, that is, people. The individuals who cohabit interact within the organization through discourse. The superstructure is made up of all the ideology of the organization, that is, the philosophy and the organizational culture, this is where the organizational identity would enter.
Continuing with the Superstructure point, part of the daily events of the organization is within its organizational culture, which will be influenced by both the climate and the organizational environment. To better understand these concepts, they will be explained below:
- Organizational Culture.- It is the symbolic system that an organization has to obtain a sense of belonging and identity among its actors, and thus, be able to share needs, objectives and feelings. This is where the mission, vision and values come in, which will be the foundations of the organization or ideology. Also, there is the sentimental field, represented by dreams, aspirations and the love that members of it have. The symbols, behaviors, structures and materials are part of the Organizational Culture, since the ways of representing or explaining to the reality in which they live are shown, the patterns of behavior and interaction, the fulfillment of objectives and goals, and the economic, physical, human and technological resources necessary for productivity and well-being.Organizational Environment.- These are the working conditions in which an actor is immersed; likewise, they are the communicative spaces in which said subject carries out his tasks. Also, they are the relationships between the actors and the perception they have about the organization. Organizational climate.- To differentiate climate from environment, a clear example is pertinent: Where does it rain, inside the organization or outside it? Perhaps the example will seem ambiguous, but this way you can have a first approach to this concept. They are all those factors that affect the environment of the organization, since they are within a microsystem, system and a suprasystem. In other words, social, geographic, political, economic, historical factors, etc., that directly or indirectly affect the performance of the actors that inhabit the organization.
Organizational Communication
In the previous sections it was explained what communication is, what an organization is and how they work. The objective of this section is to explain how these two complex concepts interact with each other and their importance. In our country, many people do not know what this branch of Communication consists of, although they have been studying for more than 20 years. In fact, Professor Xavier Ávila distinguishes that it is still under discussion whether communication is already a science or is only a technical-industrial sub-discipline, which unfortunately is backed by dominant institutional conceptions. He mentions that organizational communication is associated or supplemented by conceptions of external Public Relations, towards suppliers and clients, or advertising such as markets,with the sole function of selling a good image of the organization to the outside. In Professor Ávila's words, the problem of this discipline in Mexico is the following:
“A palpable practical example is the little importance that is given in Mexican organizations to the communicative function of managers when more than 80% of their coordination and management functions are precisely communicative From the minority of remaining organizations (approximately one 25% of the sample) it can be said that 15% of organizational communication gives instrumentalistic value associated with the production of both internal and external media. Usually, the newspaper, magazine or bulletin is what they associates the function of the organizational communicator, who inhabits the most remote and inhospitable corner of the organization and of whom only periodically when it touches the exit of its periodic publication and whose presence does not resist the slightest economic pressure, that is,it is the first to be cut from the payroll ”.
After the fatalistic reality that this discipline lives within the labor field, I will begin by defining what Organizational Communication is. Perhaps the reader has got an idea of the mission of this discipline "obsolete and unimportant." According to Professor Manuel Vázquez, the most complete definition of Organizational Communication was given by Gerald Goldhaber, who for him Organizational Communication is the flow of messages within a network of interdependent relationships.
We understand by flow the roads, circuits, routes and steps through which information and communication travels; by messages the content of the signs and symbols that are downloaded in an oral, written, corporal and iconic way; networked fabric and intentional connections between individuals; by relationships the approach and distance that people make; and by interdependence the affectation and survival within organizations.
Practical and effective uses of Organizational Communication will be as follows, listed by Professor Jaime Pérez:
- It serves as an instrument of dialogue, of approaching the extremes, according to what needs to be done (negotiation). It is an extraordinary conduit for the explanations of the transformation processes (mediation). It reduces uncertainty, concerns and nervousness that disturb a calm change. Helps to channel social action towards the achievement of objectives, basic for obtaining efficiency (leadership and management tasks). Helps cohesion and integration, explains and promotes the unity of aspirations, reduces tensions (tasks of enculturization). It is useful in the transformation of new knowledge, processes and abilities (tasks of education and training). It is an extraordinary organizer of the actions of individuals (coordination and articulation tasks).
By using it solely instrumentalist, they fail to take advantage of all the great benefits that this discipline has within organizations. Organizational communication gives movement and dynamism to the basic structures of the company. It represents the strength that brings cohesion to the group of employees or personnel, and provides the necessary strength to exist and subsist.
In addition, continuing with the praises of this branch of communication, it serves to provide the integration of material with human infrastructure and generate work environments where it is possible to combine the development of the individual with that of the organization.
One of the big mistakes that managers make when communicating is believing that a good discourse / communicative message is enough to have an effective communication, forgetting that nothing that is said is effective if it is not consistent with what it is and it does. The position taken by these managers is that of the old and obsolete organizational school, in which the important thing for them is to use their personnel in a mechanistic way, forgetting through them the well-being of the latter.
However, the important thing about an organization is people, how they feel and identify with the organization. But it is also important to highlight that an organization is not alone, that it needs to be open to its environment, otherwise it could fail. It is important to know that the communication strategy that serves in one organization may not serve another, since, like any living system, it will have a life similar to that of another, but not equal to that of others.
