Understanding communication as an opportunity to meet with the other, raises a wide range of possibilities for interaction in the social field, because it is there where it has its raison d'être, since it is through it that people achieve understanding, coordination and the cooperation that enables the growth and development of organizations.
The relationships that exist between the members of an organization are established thanks to communication; in these exchange processes functions are assigned and delegated, commitments are established, and it is found meaningful to be part of it. How else do you predict and interpret behaviors, evaluate and plan strategies that mobilize change, propose individual and group goals in a joint effort, of common benefit, if not through motivated, consensual and effective communication?
For these reasons, any respected institution must prioritize within its organizational structure a communications and information system that streamlines the processes that internally vivify the entity and project it towards its area of influence.
Internal institutional communications promote participation, integration and coexistence within the framework of organizational culture, where the exercise of functions and the recognition of individual and group capacities makes sense.
The lack of communication strategies within the institution, the lack of channels or their underutilization, generates slow processes and actions, delays in responses and misinformation about policies, all of which make true interaction impossible. internally. On the other hand, they are essential so that the coherence between the actions carried out within the institution with the reality of the environment is not lost.
The ideal of an educational institution is to achieve excellence between the administrative and academic levels, which is achieved if the information flows unhindered in both areas and levels.
JUSTIFICATION
Internal communications are a daily construction as Daniel Prieto Castillo says: in the meetings, in the daily, permanent exchange, in the spaces for discussion and reflection (seminars, meetings, classes), in the dissemination of messages (notes, memoranda, phone, billboards, posters), in casual encounters, in recognition and respect for the expressions of the other.
The diagnosis aims at the failures that are occurring in the information flows, which may be caused by the lack of means, their mismanagement or the lack of response from the people who are part of the identity.
The report is organized as follows: A first part intended to present the justification.
It can be thought that the fact of handling the same code guarantees a successful communication; This is not enough, since there are many ingredients that in one way or another contribute to bringing people closer and closer ties: living common experiences, sharing meanings, participating in institutional life, being one but at the same time a team.
Ignorance of this reality leads to interpersonal relationships that develop on rumors and assumptions that distort and / or block all attempts at communication; in this way, the group disintegrates and falls into an everlasting monologue, unproductive or useless activism.
The problem arises due to the absence of a communicative environment that fosters a pleasant work environment that allows for the generation and implementation of the changes that are required to respond effectively to the demands of the current and future world. Indicatives such as "low level of graduates", expressed in: "They are not trained", "they do not handle concepts but they know how to do the job", and understand the meaning of communication in today's world, where the communication horizon covers all spheres of human action: epistemological, social and emotional, leads us to look at how in a communication faculty, sometimes it is disqualified or emphasized in the media or works around the virtual and other forms of intercommunication are unknown.
Others point to the conditioned responses to the requirements of a higher authority in an organizational chart of hierarchies, where some only have the floor, perhaps there is no dialogue because the other is not heard; each attends his own monologue, when monologues of two, ten or more people are not established.
Managing communication processes involves considering the areas and levels of processes that occur within the organizational system. If the members of the group have defined responsibilities and roles, this allows them to establish a flexible work scheme, where meeting spaces are given so that there is an efficient flow of communication that draws and provides feedback to the different academic programs and projects and dynamize projects and people.
It should not be forgotten that the organization as such has a pre-established professional mission and objectives that respond to the vision, a mission that ultimately is the compass that guides, channels and promotes all actions.
The creation of a communicative environment that stimulates and encourages individual and collective actions, that integrates efforts, that commits wills so that the Faculty is strengthened, must be the commitment and responsibility of all the members.
For this reason, the team's approach came at first with the preparation of a diagnosis, which aims to assess the communication needs, aptitudes and abilities of individuals who are affected by adverse circumstances that arise within the same.
Any person committed to the organization interacts cooperatively, wants to be accepted, and expects that their opinions will be taken into account even by some people in the company; But when this is an educational institution, full consensus is needed to achieve the proposed objectives.
But the lack of listening, not wanting or not knowing how to read the other, slowly deteriorates communication and the group loses strength and is easy prey for destabilizing agents that lead it to collapse, since man as a social being, needs the group their subsistence, for defense and to develop.
Fortunately, human organizations have begun to realize the value of communication and information as a strategic resource to develop and survive in a highly competitive, open world, where closed, isolated mental structures impede decision making, confrontation, frank dialogue, the valuation of individual and collective actions and harmonious relations.
The survival of the group depends on the state of the organization's objectives, personal and motivations.
Hence the importance of a communication process that is the motivating axis that facilitates interaction and improves the conditions and behavior of the group. The same author assures that when groups achieve direct personal encounters, empathy, positive communication, understanding of strengths and weaknesses, responsible listening, respect and take tolerant positions in constructive confrontation, strong and close relationships are created that revert to greater and better quality of productive actions.
It is about assessing, how information and communication are articulated, how they flow in different areas and levels; if through them, policies relevant to management, structure and organizational culture are dynamized and projected; if informal information and communication are institutionally processed and channeled, so that they transcend the level of rumor, of opinion, of inadvertent comment and become strategic communication that interprets, channels, capitalizes and incorporates the significant value of the information generated in daily life and take from it what is really important for the productive action of the organization. If elements of judgment are offered for decision-making due to the promptness of management,if resources are optimized for planning and contribute to internal organization and the dispersion, effort, human resources, techniques and technologies decreases.
With the best intention, the team tackled the task of searching for data that would allow it to read the current state of internal communications.
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
(After reviewing several authors in the area of internal communications, we decided to work with: Annie Bartoli, Abraham Nosnik, María Isabel León, Alberto Martínez de Velazco, María Luisa Muriel, Teresa del Pilar Niño, Salvador Sánchez and especially with Carlos Fernández Collado).
The daily existence of man takes place in an endless number of organizations such as: religious, family, political, cultural, educational, recreational institutions, among others; in which the individual blends with others to interact and thus express all kinds of knowledge.
“The organization is conceived as a functional and structural unit that exists at the micro social level, which emphasizes a deliberate and rational action of individuals like all social systems; organizations originate from conditions that create demands or needs at the individual, group or institutional level ”.
Membership of the organization, as occurs in groups, can be voluntary and involuntary in nature. We can characterize the organization by the existence of a particular relationship between individuals, governed by shared norms and with defined roles that allow controlling and carrying out different activities.
Organizations are classified according to the type of function: business, commercial, educational, pedagogical, governmental, administrative, military, advertising, cultural and health, among others; where people live and interact with other individuals according to the spaces and rules of the institution. In organizations, it is necessary to strictly control people if the objective or objectives are to be achieved.
The organization is seen as a system that contains a hierarchy of interacting subsystems; within it there are social forces that give it coherence and permanence as a system.
After consulting several authors on communication, we decided to work with the definition found in the curriculum, because as communicators we consider that communication is not defined under a single horizon, since communication is a human activity. For this reason, the research group agrees with the following definition: “It is an activity inherent in human nature that involves the interaction and sharing of meaningful messages, through various channels and means to influence, in some way, in the behavior of others and in the organization and development of social systems. Communication is considered as a human process of language interaction that is beyond the transfer of information.It is more a sociocultural fact than a mechanical process"
Communication is one of the fundamental factors in the functioning of social organizations, it is a tool, a key element in the organization and plays a fundamental role in maintaining the institution. Its activity is possible thanks to the exchange of information between the different levels and positions of the medium; Among the members, typical patterns of communicational behavior are established based on social variables; This supposes that each person performs a specific communicative role.
Communication fulfills a series of functions within the institution such as: providing information on internal processes, enabling command functions, decision making, problem solving, diagnosis of reality. The term function refers to the contribution of a respective activity, in order to maintain stability or balance. In this case, the term function refers to what an organization does or achieves through communication.
Within an organization, communication is studied and analyzed in three functions: Production, Innovation and Maintenance.
In the production function, communication involves all the activities and information that are directly related to the forms of personal training, guidance pertinent to the performance of the work, opening of spaces for formulation and agreement of objectives, conflict resolution and suggestion. of ideas to improve the quality of the service and the product.
Two types of organizational and organizational innovations are presented in the innovative function. The innovations of the organization change the company but do not affect the personnel who work in it. In innovation, the organization requires changes in the behavior of individuals, a fact that affects the entire group as it requires a positive attitude and a great deal of prospective in each and every one of the classes: managers, administrators and employees.
“The innovative role of communication includes communication activities such as general suggestion systems, research and development work, market research and analysis, concern-raising sessions and idea development committees”.
The maintenance function is related to the socialization spaces of people that allow a contact with the physical and human environment through timely, extensive and timely information; which generates better interpersonal relationships and identification with the organization. Maintenance communication seeks to compensate and motivate staff to commit to institutional goals and objectives, recognizes the competent and valuable individual, highlights teamwork and individual creation.
According to Abraham Nosnik, for the function to be effective inside and outside the organization it must be:
- OPEN: It aims to communicate with the outside; This refers to the means most used by the organization to send messages to both the internal and external public. EVOLUTIONARY: Emphasizes the unforeseen communication that is generated within an organization. FLEXIBLE: Allows for timely communication between formal and informal. MULTIDIRECTIONAL: This handles communication from top to bottom, bottom to top, transversal, internal, external, among others. INSTRUMENTED: Use tools, supports, devices; Because today many organizations are malfunctioning, because the information circulating within it does not arrive at the right time or use the appropriate structures for communication to be effective.
"Organizational communication is the total set of messages that are exchanged between the members of an organization, and between it and its environment." In other words, these messages are exchanged between the members of the organization and their environment; These messages can be transmitted at different levels and in different ways, for example:
- WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: It is clear, precise, complete and correct; it is classified as first-hand information and is recorded. Through it, people have the opportunity to return to previous segments of the message, allowing a better understanding of the information. This can be done through:
- Letter: It is the most used medium within the organization for absent people, in which something of personal or group interest is communicated. Memorandum: It is the most used medium, which aims to remember messages or information with reference to internal instructions that employees must perform within the organization. Billboards: They are rated as a key factor in the organization, there information is usually handled through other means on motivational activities or messages of general interest to employees and managers, something very important for them to work, their Location; in other words, the company establishes strategic places where there is a greater flow of personnel. Magazine: It is a more common and widely accepted traditional form of communication within the company, in which the active participation of all activities is encouraged, in order to contribute to the promotion of research and events related to communication; in magazines the reality of the organization is recorded. Newspaper: It involves an area of specialized knowledge, in many cases the newspaper is used to save time in the field of information. Bulletin: It is a means of communication where specialized information is managed for the internal and external audiences of the organization.
- MASS COMMUNICATION: It is permanent communication that generates messages and news in a specific, coherent, direct and sincere way, for the internal and external audiences of the organization. This is given through:
- Interview: It is one of the most used means within the organization for the selection of personnel; in other cases the interview is used as a preliminary instrument to structure internal communication; there a specific conversation can be applied to determine the elements that can intervene in the problems that plague the organization in this area. Meetings: It can be defined as direct communication, where more than two people intervene; The meetings are led by one of the members of the organization, where they receive feedback, information of general interest is transferred and, most importantly, decisions are made with the aim of reaching a common agreement for the benefit of the organization. Closed circuit television and radio: Media that aims to have a good influence and offer great possibilities for feedback; there the managers, administrative and employees can have a more precise vision on attitudes and feelings generated in the interaction and perceive with more facility what is going to be the behavior of the other; This type of information is usually developed in non-verbal communication.
Organizational communication is also understood as: “A set of techniques and activities aimed at facilitating and speeding up the flow of messages that occur between members of the organization, between the organization and its environment; or, influence the opinions, skills and behaviors of the internal and external audiences of the organization, all in order to ensure that the latter better and faster meet the objectives. "
From the previous approach, organizational communication is viewed from five perspectives:
- INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: These are activities carried out within an organization to maintain good relations between the members of the company through the circulation of messages that originate through the various means of communication used by it, with the aim of providing communication, union and motivation in order to achieve the goals established by the organization. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION: All those communications that are directed to its external audiences, in order to maintain or improve public relations and thus better project the organization's corporate image. PUBLIC RELATIONS: They are the different activities and communication programs that are created to sustain good relations with the different audiences that make up the organization. ADVERTISING: These are the different messages emitted through the different mass media that aim to increase the sale of the organization's products or services. INSTITUTIONAL ADVERTISING: It is considered as a public relations tool; since it evokes in the public a favorable image of the organization.
Successful organizations are those that give real importance to communications and information, since they have understood that they contribute greatly to improving the communication environment and the work environment; that is to say “energizer and animator of individual and collective actions in search of integration of efforts and the strengthening of the institution”; for this reason, members guarantee their knowledge and identification with the organization, since they feel they are taken into account for the development of the organization's goals.
Through information, organizations meet a series of goals such as: structuring, planning and distinguishing behavior patterns for internal and external audiences; it is there where the information becomes a feedback instrument for the evolution and control of the organization. A key factor in the information is that it is reliable so that it acts as a bridge between the environment and the organization, that is, the more reliable information, the less job insecurity.
According to Warren Weaver, it can be shown that the amount of information in a message is not related to what is said but to what could be said, this relationship occurs according to the understanding that is obtained of the content of the message of the information, because As the information is known, it loses the informative content.
This leads us to affirm that communication becomes information, because it allows to reduce insecurity about the future of the organization and promote strategies to improve the social behavior of the individual.
Within communications, the communication management model in the organization proposed by Abraham Nosnik is supported, which aims to help all kinds of organizations to develop information-rich environments. Based on the above, it can be affirmed that the well-informed organization is characterized because:
- "The needs of each of its audiences have been studied in terms of information. It has planned a series of strategies (among which are the production of media and the opening and maintenance of information channels) in order to direct information to its audiences effectively (informing what has to be reported) and efficient (with the least waste of available resources). She has planned to actively seek feedback from her audiences. She is convinced that she can generate better communication by working together with their respective audiences ".
It is then when it is necessary to establish a radical difference between information and communication inside and outside organizations. According to Dimitri Weiss, information simply consists of a sender issuing structured knowledge to a receiver. The direction of the data, in the case of the information, produces in one direction only. The recipient for this reason, is always considered a taxable person against the information.
Communication in the meantime consists of exchanges of information with the aim of changing the behavior of organizations. Communication occurs in a multiplicity of senses since each receiver of the message is transformed in turn into products of new and varied messages.
Internal communication includes the entire set of actions that are generated and executed within the organization, for the creation and maintenance of optimal relationships with and between its members; for which you must use different means of communication that keep you informed, motivated and integrated and in this way; work, in a harmonious work climate, contributes to the achievement of the goals and objectives set by the company. The company must be an open space, a place where individuals obtain the recognition, the personal and professional fulfillment that they seek and win if the conditions are given and they take advantage of them.
The internal communication system includes formal and informal communications. The formal ones are constituted by the set of established routes or channels through which the flow of information circulates, relative to work among the diverse populations of the company; its objective is to achieve the efficient coordination of all the activities distributed in the organization's structure; These are regulated in the organization's letters and manuals.
Informal communications constitute a set of spontaneous interrelationships, based on employee likes and dislikes, regardless of position. In this type of communication, the information that is processed may be related to the activities of the institution or at the same time it may not be. The flow of information circulates through the company's open channels; sharing information with all members of the organization is intended to make everyone informed of what they should and want to do; it is a way of promoting participation, identity and a sense of belonging; in this way the work environment is more favorable for the well-being of the organization.
Formal and informal communication complement each other and are related to each other for the continuous improvement of the organization in the field of communications; in other words, there is no border within it. Lastly, it can be said that formal and informal communication aims to send a series of messages in which adequate dissemination is ensured by the procedures stipulated in the organization. These messages often imply the objectives and policies that are handled within of the organization.
Within formal and informal communication we speak of multidirectional communication: descending, ascending, horizontal, transversal, internal and external.
- DESCENDING COMMUNICATION: This type of communication is used to issue messages from the management to the employees, it aims to indicate clear and specific instructions for the work to be done; In such communication, the communicative value of the message is lost. ASCENDANT COMMUNICATION: It is when the workers of an organization communicate with the managers or superiors, informing them of the general panorama that happens inside the organization, especially what happens in the workplace; This information is usually detailed and specific. HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION: “It develops between people of the same hierarchical level. Most of these messages aim at the integration and coordination of staff at the same level. On the other hand, when communication within the organization does not follow the paths established by the structure, it is said to be informal communication and includes all the unofficial information that flows between the groups that make up the organization. Informal communication includes rumor. "
Organizations must develop induction programs that intervene in the culture of the organization, in order to promote collective attitudes to maturely understand the posture and behaviors that are generated within companies. It is about building reliable, sustained, flexible channels of communication among all members; This not only refers to publishing, doing sporting events or frequent meetings, that is, developing a shared vision of the company's objectives, the means to execute the work plan and the importance of perseverance in building a coherent and conscious attitude towards working together, to compete and be better and better.In order to carry out this type of proposal, it is important to create communication strategies that allow productive action for both the organization and its audiences.
"Orient the internal communication flows in such a way that they collaborate in achieving the objectives of both the institution and internal audiences and affect the attitudes and opinions of these internal publics, seeking to reinforce those that favor the achievement of said objectives and modify the that somehow hinder them. "
An organization that plans or guides communication with its internal and external audiences does not understand that sharing quality information in a timely manner to its audiences is today a basic survival requirement to have a good working environment; It is for this reason that organizations depend on communication to coordinate the activities of their members.
Within organizations you hear comments about communication problems that are proof of the preponderance in the institution's working life, it is very common to walk the corridors of an institution and listen to different languages characterized, in the non-verbal by gestures, looks, clothing and even the manifestation of strong emotions, different from those normally expressed, this reality has had important cultural impacts that are usually called communication problems, a claim that is treated superficially without analyzing that behind it there are important cultural barriers that not being strategically managed will become new threats to the organization.
Communication plays an important role in the interpersonal relationships of the organization, because as workers become aware of their company and are aware of its capabilities, they exchange experiences that contribute to achieving the objectives set by the organization. In most companies conflict situations arose, due to the poor communication of individuals and the interference of personal attitudes in the employment relationship.
“If we conceive the role of communication in the company as a determining factor in maintaining good interpersonal relationships, we must take a position against administrative practices that promote the existence of a single form of communication. This is how the value and importance of good communications in the organization can be appreciated in critical situations or conflicts ”.
The primary objective of interpersonal relationships is to give a true benefit to the employee, which generates a relationship of friendship, companionship, power, company, among others; This is to ensure that the member of the organization is not stressed and that he really feels that both employees and bosses exist respect and understanding. Only in this way will human resources be channeled towards true loyalty and commitment to communication.
The main characteristics of interpersonal communication in the world of the organization according to the conceptualization of: Salvador R. Sánchez Gutiérrez, is as follows:
- “As an initial condition, it requires prior contact by two or more people, physically close. The result of such contact is the input of each of those involved in the conceptual framework of the others. There is no pre-established number of participants, beyond which the interaction is no longer interpersonal, but requires at least two people The previous contact allows to enter in tune, that is to say to initiate the exchange of messages around a focal point of shared attention. A common theme.All people involved in interpersonal communication are, in one way or another, active participants. It is, then, a relationship in which the interlocutors assume different roles. The interaction is carried out through an exchange of messages,in which each participant offers the others a set of signals to be interpreted. As it is a face-to-face interaction, the participants can use all their senses, therefore, they need to be close enough to talk; The modality, style and personal nuances of each will be perceived by the others. Apparently, the interpersonal context is poorly structured, so it is often thought that the frequency, form or content of messages are governed by few rules But it's not always like this".the style and personal nuances of each will be perceived by others. Apparently, the interpersonal context is poorly structured, so it is often thought that the frequency, form or content of messages are governed by few rules but not always it is so. "the style and personal nuances of each will be perceived by others. Apparently, the interpersonal context is poorly structured, so it is often thought that the frequency, form or content of messages are governed by few rules but not always it is so. "
Direct verbal communication between superiors and employees will be a personal meeting in which an interrelation is generated, sometimes about a particular task, sometimes requesting information or help with different degrees of intimacy and understanding depending on the circumstances of the moment, according to the culture or training of those involved, according to their intentions, temperament and expectations. A good interpersonal communication must then promote in collaborators the tendency towards association that consists in realizing and understanding the other, generating an integrating behavior as a way of satisfying the need for esteem and the preservation of the individual in the society to which he belongs..
Verbal communication also includes the spoken word, the written word; that uses all series of paralinguistic codes that can refer to places, environments, gestures, gestures, body positions, movements, postures, tone.
Non-verbal communication is the exchange of information based on the movements of the body, the face, the hands, the place that the interlocutors occupy in space, the elements that make up personal appearance, the intonation of the voice, the rhythm and the inflections of the speech. This kind of interpersonal communication helps to edify the essence of the communicative act, since through it both the manager and the employee can express the feelings and spontaneous attitudes of emotional state that the individual is going through, such as: moving their hands, eyes, frowning, lip movement, laughing, etc.
Regarding group work, most people choose to interact cooperatively. Psychologically the reference group for most people is work, including colleagues and of course the boss or superiors. For a group to optimize its effectiveness, it is necessary that all its members help each other with a direction of effectiveness and fellowship, since the visible head cannot fully fulfill all the functions.
BARTOLI, Annie, Communication and Organization, Barcelona, Ediciones Paidos, 1992, p. 159
FERNANDEZ, Collado Carlos, Communication in Organizations, Mexico, Editorial Trillas, October 1997, p. 27
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NOSNIK Abraham, Communication and Organizational Management, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Faculty of Social Communication, October 28-29, 1996.
MARTINEZ DE VELAZCO Alberto, Practical Organizational Communication, Mexico, Editorial Trillas, September 1995, Page 55
MURIEL María Luisa, Rota Gilda, Institutional Communication, Social Approach to Human Relations. Editorial Andina, Quito 1983.
NIÑO Teresa del Pilar, Organizational Communication, Latin American Symposium, Cali, November 1993
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