One of the important factors that affect the functioning of an organization is internal communication. Through it, various messages are transmitted that collaborate in the development of internal and external activities. Internal communication affects the progress of the activities of the service and the relations of the personnel in the organization.
For Max Tello internal communication is "transmitting a message with the aim of causing a specific effect, which means not only having the ability to speak, but also to listen, to pay attention to others". The function of internal communication is to contribute to the efficiency in the different functions performed by workers within the organization's system, providing the organization's workers with the ability to respond to the multiple messages that senior management gives to their workers or vice versa.
The position formulated by Kreps guides us towards two channels of internal communication in organizations: formal and informal communication.
The formal communication channels are dictated by the planned structure established for the organization. The contents are related to labor aspects and, generally, uses writing as a medium (communications, memorandum, etc.). In Sedapal this type of communication is the one that is in force.
Internal communication through the written medium is slow because it has to comply with all bureaucratic formalities.
The channels of informal communication are unplanned and emerge from the natural social interaction between members of the organization. The contents that flow in informal communication is that type that, despite being labor aspects, uses unofficial channels (meeting in the corridors, for example) is faster than formal. It is usually loaded with emotional or sentimental aspects.
The informal communication patterns create communication networks. Kreps indicates that a network is a grouping of members of the organization that engage in a modeled interaction. Three types of networks are distinguished: total system networks, diagram communication models throughout the entire organization. Gang network identifies groups of individuals within the organization who communicate exclusively with each other than with other members of the organization. Personal networks are the individuals that interact with a specific member of the organization.
According to the proposed classification, four forms can be distinguished that can be taken by the members of the organization:
Isolates: They are members of the organization that have minimal contact with others, are hiding in the organization or are avoided, they can be isolated within their network or central networks of their organization.
Opinion leader: They do not maintain formal authority in the organization, but they guide behavior and influence the decisions of members of the organization.
The gatekeepers: They control the flows of information between the members of the organization, they are in the middle of a network and carry messages from one person to another or retain the information. This role is important and must be kept by a responsible and informed individual.
The cosmopolitans: They are individuals who connect the organization with its environment. They collect information from environmental sources and provide information about the organization to representatives of the environment.
Bridges: They are members of the organization that connect with a gang to which they belong with members of another.
Links: They connect two gangs without belonging to any, help to share relevant information between gangs.
Formal communication rarely fully meets the information needs of members of the organization. The less formal communication is used to provide relevant information to the members of the organization, the more they depend on the rumor to obtain information and the more powerful the rumor becomes. Conversely, the more relevant information about the organization that formal communication channels provide to members, the less members will depend on the rumor for information.
According to the sense given to internal communication, it can be presented in three forms: ascending, descending and horizontal. This classification affects the development of customer care services because we depend on it for the development of activities (guidelines, directives, regulations, resolutions) if these senses are not given fully, chaos and disinformation will prevail in the organization leading to degradation.
Top-down communication: “It is the one that goes from the management to the other members of the organization following the hierarchical line and tends to be considered as the natural and spontaneous way of transmitting information in the company. The characteristic documents are the reports, reports, suggestions, complaints, interviews, surveys ”.
In organizations, it is easier for an employee to be attentive to receiving information from the boss than vice versa. Communication from the management tends to be considered more interesting, therefore, the problem may be the excess of downward information, without having made the necessary choice and adaptation to the receivers.
The functions of top-down communication are: sending multiple orders throughout the hierarchy; provide company members with information related to the work performed; provide a summary of the work done and indoctrinate employees to recognize and internalize the objectives of the organization.
For Kreps top-down communication is what flows from top management to the lowest levels in the organization's hierarchy, it is the basic formal message system. Send orders to lower hierarchies, provide job-related information, and job performance analysis to members of the organization.
It also indicates that excessive amounts of downward communication messages can confuse and frustrate workers. "Contradictory downward messages can frustrate workers and thus damage morale. Top-down communication is unclear, promptly indicated, and vague. The repetitive messages imply the distrust of the management towards the employees or they lack the intelligence of the same ”.
The problems with top-down communication are that many organizations saturate top-down communication channels by overloading them with messages, and resulting in commands that can disturb and frustrate subordinates.
Management provides its subordinates with contradictory and exclusive orders, causing confusion and anxiety; It is also unclear, many orders are communicated with haste and vagueness; there may be serial communications or forming a chain of messages in one direction, which goes from one individual to another without the security of feedback, with the following cumulative distortion.
Top-down communication may reflect the lack of consideration of superiors towards their subordinates, with repetitive messages that imply lack of trust in the receivers.
According to the proposal, top-down communication is the least suitable to use in companies like Sedapal due to the saturation of written messages. Employees who carry out customer service activities receive constant information on resolutions or repetitive documents about their activities that influence their actions.
Employee suggestions and observations are not considered, or are viewed inappropriately. Usually the staff are crowded and saturated with messages believing that the level of understanding is low and that the messages must be repeated every moment. According to the definition of top-down communicationonly the basic guidelines for the treatment of customers and the regulations of the company in relation to customer service are considered important. If we analyze the messages (which will be done later) the messages that come from the Senior Management are filtered by the Headquarters or the Supervision, the information is processed and notified to the managers through coordination sheets or memoranda (limited and cut messages) The impersonalized message provides an effect of disinterest of the employees (the personality criterion will favor the innovation and provision of the given message) Upward communication: Flows from the lowest level members to the highest level. The purpose is "to provide those responsible with general information about the company's personnel in its broadest sense, that is, from promoting and institutionalizing adequate channels that encourage upward reporting (suggestion boxes, participation in their newspapers, for example)".
In traditional organizations, bottom-up communication is often accompanied by many difficulties that make it non-existent due to the prevailing hierarchical structure, and even more complicated in modern organizations in the sense that communications are generalized. At each new step of ascending an information it meets a competition of messages, which try to climb a progressively narrower channel. The opening of the upward communication path is based on proper planning and a method of selecting the information of interest.
The functions of bottom-up communication are: to provide managers with the necessary feedback on the current issues and problems of the organization; to be a primary source of information return for management, which allows determining the effectiveness of its downward communication; ease tensions by allowing lower-level employees in the company to share relevant information with their superiors and stimulate participation and engagement by all.
The communication channels ascending have problems facilitate excessive control by the address; provoke the anger of the director when the message is unpleasant, thus often, only favorable messages are communicated to the bosses, which causes the isolation of the executives; the little receptivity of the directors; and insufficient channels.
This type of communication provides the organization with vital information on the situation of the employees vis-à-vis the company, perceptions of the organization or modifications that may be established. In Sedapal, this type of communication is low because there are no areas dedicated to receiving suggestions from employees.
For Kreps, upward communication is what flows from lower-level employees to higher-level staff. It provides feedback, and information about the day-to-day operations they need to make decisions about the direction of the organization.
It is the primary source of management feedback to determine the effectiveness of your top-down communication. It releases tension from employees by allowing lower-level members of the organization to share relevant information with their superiors. It encourages the participation and involvement of employees, thus increasing the cohesion of the organization. However, from the employee's perspective he points out that it is risky for the employee to manifest his problems, he fears punishment when providing unpleasant messages. Managers are not receptive to honest feedback from employees, they react defensively.
Specifically, in the areas of customer service, the company Sedapal carries out the program ideas and suggestions which are not correctly structured because there is no individual or group recognition of the ideas, they are ranting or they are not informed. There are no work or financial incentives or congratulations. This program is tax rather than participatory. Sending a complaint, claim, suggestion or observation is seen as a negative element to the organization.
According to the professional experience, in Sedapal there are no formal upward communication channels established in the company due to the solid and traditional hierarchical structure that is made up (it only occurs in the event that the employees have amicable relations with the Headquarters or Management).
Passing over the headquarters to report an incident or event is observed as an act of indiscipline; Likewise, any dealings with other areas in the area of Headquarters or Management must go through the filters of the Supervision and the Headquarters of the new Sedapal customer service services.
This situation, therefore, means that there is no interrelation between workers or that they make their perception of the company known. As long as the rigidity of the hierarchies is not broken or the paradigm of contempt for authority is broken, employees will not be able to offer their ideas to the organization and, obviously, human resources are wasted.
The horizontal communication: " It is the one between those considered equal in the hierarchy of the organization".31 This situation can occur at different levels. The main functions of horizontal communication are to facilitate the coordination of tasks, allowing the members of the organization to establish effective interpersonal relationships through the development of implicit agreements; provide a means of sharing relevant company information among colleagues.
The problems related to horizontal communication is sometimes due to the lack of interest of the workers, due to the lack of time of the employees who cannot coordinate their own area. The absence of established channels also means that this type of communication is relegated to the informal sphere. The typical forms of horizontal communication are: boards, committees, round tables, assemblies, etc.
For Kreps horizontal communication is the one that flows between the members of the organization who are at the same hierarchical level, basically it is communication between colleagues. Facilitates the coordination of tasks by allowing interpersonal relationships to be established. It provides a means of sharing relevant organizational information among co-workers. It is a formal communication channel for problem solving and for managing conflicts between colleagues. It allows mutual support.
