Each of us is part of a large organization called social organization. In addition, each of us may also be part of more specific organizations such as school organizations, student organizations, intergovernmental organizations, health organizations, mass organizations, non-governmental organizations, political organizations, or professional organizations. This organization is generally formed because it has certain goals to be achieved. This is in accordance with the understanding of the organization according to the Big Indonesian Dictionary which states that the organization is a unit (composition and so on) consisting of parts (people and so on) in the association and so on for certain purposes. The organization is also interpreted as a group of cooperation between people who are held to achieve common goals.
Definition
For years, organizational researchers have tried to understand organizational phenomena. The experts then formulated various kinds of organizational theory in an effort to understand the ins and outs of the organization. Organizational theory itself, according to Nicholson (1995) in Onday (2016), is interpreted as a set of academic perspectives that seek to explain the organizational structure and process. In other words, organizational theory is a knowledge system that studies and explains organizational structure, functions, operations, organizational group behavior and individual behavior (Zhu, 1999).
Since the beginning of its emergence until now, organizational theory has developed along with the development of thinking or perspective on the organization itself. It is this development in the way of looking at organizations that makes us familiar with the many streams in organizational theory such as classical organizational theory, neo-classical organizational theory or transitional organizational theory, and modern organizational theory. The diversity of the flow in organizational theory has implications for the perspective of communication.
According to classical organizational theory , communication is seen as a tool for management to supervise employees. Meanwhile, neo-classical organizational theory or transitional theory in organizational communication views communication as a process that involves management and employees. And, modern organizational theory views communication as a tool to integrate organizations and relationships between subsystems.
From this point of view it can be seen the attachment between organizational theory with various types of communication that exist in organizations such as vertical communication, horizontal communication , diagonal communication, formal communication , informal communication , nonverbal communication, verbal communication or oral communication , and written communication. This is due to the organization’s theory explaining the large role of communication in the organization such as fostering and managing relationships between members of the organization and the relationship between the organization and its environment in order to achieve maximum results for the organization.
Thus, the relationship between organizational theory and the type of communication is that organizational theory explains a variety of things, including the following.
- Organizational structure
Each organization has its own organizational structure. This organizational structure describes the specialization of work, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization of decision making, and formalization. Based on classical organizational theory, communication flows through formal channels from the highest level to the lowest level. Usually, communication is used by management to divide tasks and supervise employee performance.
- Direction of communication
As mentioned earlier that according to classical organizational theory, communication is a management tool to communicate the division of labor and supervise. And because of that, management uses formal and vertical communication channels from top to bottom or downward communication to do the division of labor and supervision. Meanwhile, according to transitional organizational theory, communication is not only used for the distribution of tasks or work but also to foster relationships with members of the organization and with parties outside the organization. Therefore, communication not only flows from top to bottom but also from bottom to top and sideways or horizontal communication.
- Content of communication
The content of communication according to classical organizational theory focuses more on matters relating to the task or job. Meanwhile, in the view of transitional theory, the content of communication not only emphasizes matters relating to work but also communication innovation and social communication . Innovation communication focuses more on the interaction of how a job can be done better. While social communication within the organization focuses more on the role of communication in fostering relations between members of the organization and parties outside the organization.
- Employee satisfaction
Employee satisfaction in organizations is very important. However, in classical organizational theory, this is not a concern. In contrast to the transitional theory in organizational communication and modern organizational theory which views that employee satisfaction is an important thing that influences performance improvement. Therefore, interactions that occur within the organization are not only vertical from top to bottom but also from bottom to top, sideways, diagonally, and in many directions. This is intended so that organizational goals can be achieved properly.
- Organizational functions
Theories such as theory X and Y in organizational communication have the assumption that management has a role in carrying out organizational functions such as providing motivation and supervising employees. Theory X which is rooted in classical organizational theory assumes that the organization is responsible for managing financial, material, and human resources for economic purposes. Therefore, according to theory X, employees must be motivated and monitored to suit organizational goals. Here, management must intervene and direct passive employees so that organizational goals can be achieved. Communication that occurs is vertical communication from top to bottom.
Meanwhile, theory Y considers that management should conceptualize employees who are motivated by various needs according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and have the capability to work independently. Therefore, managers do not need to intervene and direct directions too deeply to employees because employees have their own motivation to work and improve their performance. Communication that occurs is vertical communication from the bottom up.
- Decision making
The purpose of implementing communication in an organization is to make decisions. In order to be able to make the best decisions, sometimes, management knows in advance information about production, marketing, finance and so on in more detail before making a decision. In this situation, employees provide information related to the problem through vertical communication from the bottom up and the decision making process can be taken quickly and easily. Here, it can be said that the decision making process involves all levels in the organization as explained in the integrative theory or integrative theory in organizational communication .
- Leadership
One of the main functions of business communication is leadership. This function is related to the ability of management to explain instructions to employees and certain behaviors that allow employees to follow these instructions without difficulty. To provide this kind of instruction, management applies vertical communication from the top down. One theory that examines the problem of leadership, especially leadership style in organizations, is the Likert theory.
- Communication channels
Not a few communication channels in the organization used namely written communication, face-to-face communication, and media communication. In classical organizational theory, the most widely used communication channels in organizations are written communication such as pamphlets, memorandums, handbooks, letters, policy statements, procedures, and electronic news presentation. This written communication channel is usually used to disseminate decisions and policies made by the organization. Because it involves decisions, policies and rules made by the organization, especially the management, the type of communication is in the form of vertical communication from top to bottom in written form.
Meanwhile, in modern organizational theory, more communication uses face to face communication channels or interpersonal communication . This communication channel allows immediate feedback and more nonverbal cues. Therefore, face-to-face communication is more suitable to satisfy human needs, in this case employees.
- Communication style
Classical organizational theories emphasize formal communication as a standard of professionalism and bureaucracy. This is inversely proportional to modern organizational theory which emphasizes informal or informal communication between managers and employees. Referring to modern organizational theory, this type of communication not only aims to shape organizational effectiveness but also to fulfill human needs.
- Monitoring and evaluation
Management often applies vertical top-down communication to monitor the performance of its employees. Supervision carried out by management is generally associated with instructions carried out through communication and this makes employees pay more attention to their tasks and activities. Vertical communication from top to bottom is also often used by management to evaluate the performance of its employees. In classical organizational theories, the problem of supervision and evaluation of management on employee performance is widely discussed.
- Effectiveness of communication
According to several organizational theories included in the integrative theory, the effectiveness of communication in organizations is closely related to not only what happens within the organization but also how an organization communicates with its environment ie consumers or society. In a sense, the effectiveness of communication in organizations depends on internal communication and external communication carried out by the organization.
- Organizational culture
Another thing that shows the relationship of organizational theory with the type of communication is related to organizational culture. In this case, internal communication and external communication carried out by the organization plays a major role in carrying messages about culture and influencing the behavior of each member. The organizational theory that explains this is the theory of organizational culture formation put forward by Edgar Schein.
- Organizational and social relations
Organizational theory including critical theories emphasizes the core of organizational communication to understand organizational relationships and form broader social relations. Here, communication is seen as a means of forming an organization, through which the communication process that takes place in it we can understand the power that exists in the organization, including various kinds of dominant voices that marginalize women and others. These theories propose a value to increase participation and democracy among workers. (Also read: Critical Approaches in Organizational Communication )
Benefits of Studying the Relationship between Organizational Theory and Communication Types
Studying the relationship of organizational theory with types of communication can provide several benefits, including the following.
- We can know and understand the meaning of organization.
- We can know and understand the meaning of organizational theory.
- We can know and understand several types of communication in organizations.
- We can know and understand the relationship between organizational theory and types of communication.
Thus a brief review of the relationship between organizational theory and types of communication. Hopefully it can add to our insight and knowledge about organizational theory and its relationship to the type of communication.
