Organisational Communication - The epitome of multi-dimensional interactions

First and formost, an organisation in this context should be defined as such:

"A system consisting of a large number of people working together in a structured way to accomplish multiple goals" - Trenholm, 2005

Now that we are all on common ground as to what a formal organisation is, I feel that the picture below perhaps gives a good perspective of how Organisational Communication flows:

*picture taken from http://www.pureshare.com/images/360degree.jpg

Basically, in an Organisation we see a multi-layered hierachy where different people assuming different roles are intertwined and related through channels of communication. The structure resembles a beehive, where by many individual cells are connected with each other.

This clearly depicts the largely Interdependent nature inside most oraganizations, in which we see individual departments committed to accomplishing certain tasks while at the broader level, we see all these tasks coming together to achieve the common goals of the organization. As such, it is safe to say that the channels of communication that exists between the departments of an organization are extremely vital. Furthermore, the diagram above also depicts the way communication flows in organizations. We can indentify that in most stratas, there is a distinct way that Information flows both Upwards, Downwards, and most certainly also Laterally.

Therefore, for effective communication to take place, the Leadership and Managerial stratas should understand that for efficient processes to take place within formal organizations such as Government bodies or Mega-corporations, it is essential to keep the communication channles open and transparent. This ensures that there is feedback and that reports can be attained so that better decisions can be made at the upper levels. Only when this can be achieved that we see members within the organization being able to work hand in hand to attain common goals.

Should there be a lack of transparency within the communication channels, it is not uncommon to see miscommunications arise. For example, workplace politics will be strife among colleagues and bosses will not be able to ascertain a good idea as to the current status of the organization. Moreover, staff at the lower stratas who are denied from relevant information, or from constructive feedback will perhaps feel unappreciated and lose job satisfaction, thus losing efficiency.

Having seen what a typical Organizational Commmunication structure looks like, let us now examine a somewhat different model:

Clearly, this model of communication represents what we see in MLM - Multi-level Marketing firms. In recent economic times, the proliferation of such firms have been clearly evident and many high profile cases involving such firms have plagued our society. But before we impose any preconceptions about the reputation of such firms, let us plainly examine how this model contrasts with the Typical model we have seen above.

Firstly, Communication in MLM firms flow only in a downward manner. Morever, each strata that extends downward becomes larger and encompasses more members. Members also communicate with one representative in their respective stratas, whom then serves as the Management for that specific strata. As such, those at lower rungs in such a communication model will perhaps never be able to directly communicate with the leadership, thus blinding them to the real decisions that are being made at the top levels.

In truth, such firms are largley profit oriented and members of each strata are highly motivated in purely meeting their sales quotas. There is a lack of synergy or perhaps even a common goal. Furthermore, we see a lack of feedback due to non-existent upward flowing communication channels.

As a result to these flaws of the MLM model of communication, we see why it is not difficult for scams or frauds to revolve around it. In most cases of MLM related scams, higher levels of management are able to get away with such fraudulent behavior because the lower rungs in the organization are clearly unaware of their liabilities. Therefore, by the time most people in such scams realized they have been cheated, it is perhaps already too late.

In your opinion, which Organization Communication model do you think is more effective?

Furthermore, why do you think that such scams can still take place in modern society?

American-ism and the World

What do the War in Iraq, the ousting of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the 9/11 Terror attacks have in common?

Personally, I feel that many critiques and historians might agree that they are the result of America's influence, perhaps even forceful injection of American culture into the global community. In this case, particularly the Islamic community, whom are not be too happy with the way their culture had been diluted with the influx of western ideals. Hence, we see the formation of extremist cells that aim to spread their message through the use of terror tactics.

Of course... some might disagree...

Take a look at the below pictures, what comes to mind?

CULTURAL IMPERIALISM :

"The imposition of a foreign viewpoint or civilization on a people" - Dictionary.com

" ... artificially injecting the culture or language of one culture into another" - Wikipedia

I hope we can all agree that in the above pictures, together with a clearer idea of what cultural imperialism is truly all about, the western, if not American influx of culture into foreign communities is clearly evident.

We cannot deny that many traditional Asian communities, even China itself, has become "victim" to the diffusion of American ideals and culture. We see clear signs - where once used to be dignified local eateries, replaced by Macdonalds, Starbucks, Burger King and Pizza Hut. Children all over the world have the foundations of their childhood built upon the magic of Disney whereas school children and working adults alike don attire and footwear adorned with the ever so familiar Nike tick.

My friends, in case you haven't noticed, American already has "invaded" the world... the marketing world that is. But we should be truly concerned with the impact this will have on the local culture...

Nonetheless, the influx of one dominant set of culture might not necessarily be bad. In fact, the key argument that cultural imperialism effects - the Cultural Imperialism Debate, is actually as such:

Cultural Imperialism provides a one-way flow of international products and messages to outlying societies that might eventually benefit from it. However, this might prove negatively and impose messages of imperialism and possibly also ideological propaganda.

The point that I am trying to make here is that we cannot reverse or prevent the actual occurance of Cultural Imperialism. But we certainly can curb the impact it has on the extent of dilution of our traditional roots and culture. The fact is, we should not and cannot blindly accept all forms of seemingly "dominant" trends and ideals, fads even, as being the most correct way of life to adopt. In case you hadn't noticed, Americans have demographics that illustrate their rather unhealthy way of lives, with staggering percentages in obesity and other social problems. Not that other cultures do not, but the fact is that sometimes the "coolest" things might not necessarily be the best.

The biggest problem is that we cannot actually curb the influx of Western culture because of the economic and commercial way the media operates.

Still not convinced that American Cultural Imperialism can be demeaning? Take a look at the trailer of the movie below:

This movie is entitled The Wrestler and depicts the life of an American wrestler. The problem with this American production is that there is scene within the plot that illustrates how the main actor outright defeats an Iranian competitor by ramming an Iranian flag pole under under his neck. Talk about insulting!

Furthermore, most of us might remember last years epic, 300:


I dare say most of us were unaware that Hollywood had been slammed by critiques for the way it chose to portray the Battle of Thermopylae. Specifically, how it depicted the Persians as having been "ugly violent creatures other than human beings" Althought it is true that the West actually posses a Globally dominant media presence, but should the world merely sit back and perhaps allow the Americans to continue their onslaught on our cultures?

For the full report: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3740936/Hollywood-film-The-Wrestler-insults-Iran.html

So you see, sometimes we ought to take a step back and realize that not everything popular might actually be good for us. Afterall, he who controls the media, gets to say something and will say it loud.

How then, can we prevent ourselves from succumbing to the ill effects of Cultural Imperialism?

The Invasion of the Cows: Revolutionizing the Mass Media

The concept of Mass media and Mass Communications is definitely not new to society. Newspapers, Tabloids and Magazines have been so thorougly intertwined with our lives that they are usually only passively acknowledged. Nonetheless, it has only been in more recent times has techonology helped to re-define the way Mass Media reaches out. Moreover, we should also note that Mass Communications, as a scholarly subject, is a fairly new field of study and is still in its infancy.

Basically, Mass Media can be defined as:

" A form of Communication through which institutional sources address relatively large, heterogeneous and anonymous audiences physically separated from one another".

With this in mind, we see that Newspapers, Television, Radio, Magazines and perhaps even the Internet are inclusive. Now we should note that the Internet is a controversial medium because it does allow the user to discern what he or she pleases to view. As such, it should in more ways than one be considered Interactive and not merely Passive although it does have the ability to extend its reach to a multitude of communities.

Having said that, i would now like to bring you attention to local advertising firm, Moove Media:

I am pretty certain that the majority of the populace in Singapore find the cows in the pictures above familiar. They belong to local advertising and mass media firm, Moove Media. The reason I have chosen to bring your focus to this is because Moove is not only a successful practitioner and provider of Mass Communication, but also a pioneer in revolutionising the local mass communication scene.

You see, Moove is a partner entity with mass transportation operators here. As such, they have the ability and access to mobile vehicular platforms to which they can implement their "products". And might I just add, I feel that they have done a great job at squeezing their creative juices all over the buses, trains and taxis here.

The above pictures have been sourced from Moove's official website. Clearly evident is the company's ability to transform existing media platforms into something unprecedented. Their use of 3-Dimensional effects and utter emphasis for details surely out-rivals any previously known forms of mass communication. I dare say thay many would find these advertisements more appealing than the relatively more traditional forms such as television and newspapers.

Besides their outstanding product concepts, we should also realize that Moove has a great, albeit "funky" advertising campaign for themselves. The wooden Cows we are now so familiar with that have been strewn all over the island surely managed to capture our attention, so much so that some people felt compelled to steal a few for themselves as a souvenir:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_335725.html

So, the point that I have been trying to make is thus simple:

Media Determinism can break the Spiral of Silence.

To elaborate, Media determinism referes to the fact that the medium used to convey the message is faily important and usually, is the crux of the message itself. Furthermore, the Spiral of Silence refers to the tendency for people to refrain from expressing unpopular ideas and views. As such, I believe that with the influx of new techniques in mass communication, such as those exemplified by Moove, society should soon be able to open up and perhaps bring themselves to react to the appeal brought about by innovative breakthroughs in Mass Media.

A penny for your thoughts:

It is typical for many to think that only Modern Technology has the ability to fuel breakthroughs in the way we communicate. However, Moove and their Cows certainly have captured our attentions with nothing more than creative application of traditional ideas.

Is there any other way that advertising firms can successfully break through the clutter and reach out to us?

Group Communication: Monkey Business or Facism?

A group can broadly be defined as:

"a collection of individuals who, as a result of interacting with one another over time, become interdependent, debeloping shared patterns of behaviour and a collective identity" - Trenholm (2004) .

It is thus clear that communication between colleagues at the workplace, better known as office politics, constitutes a great deal of group communication. In any workplace, we assume that employers seek synergy between their staff and co-workers. In modern mega-corporations, Human Resources tend to have specific requires in the hire of new employees. Specifically, they seek potential staff that encompass various characteristics such that a balance may be struck and that all "roles" of the office can be filled up. By "roles", i refer to the need to have a handful of leaders while at the same time also having a large body of maintainance roles to help support the leadership. Only when such an ideal demographic is sought in the office may there then be optimal efficiency in productivity.

However, having the right people in the right amounts will just not be enough. As can be seen from the video, an office, no matter how well equipped or well staffed, may still turn out to be a Zoo if no common identity and/or objectives have been established. It is necessary to have sincere and positive interaction between colleagues at work to expedite work processes. Colleagues should not mock or undermine the abilities of their coworkers as this may arise in resentment and conflict. Moreover, a group cannot rely just on one member should it want to achieve effective productivity standards. The effect of having members of a group perform below expectations because they assume others will perform more than is required is known as Social Loafing.

The fact is, we cannot just assume that the inherent Group Pressure will help motivate members into performing optimally. Instead, we should practice effective Group Socialisation, whereby members will take the initiative in approaching others for help, so that members can serve to ultimately support and complement each other, thus achieveing the common goal. This is especially true in the context of the workplace as there is tendency to overlook the individual or even group needs of co-workers. Such insensitivity may prove dire in the competitive environment of the corporate world.

Nonetheless, we should be aware that at the other end of the spectrum of group communication, an excessive obession with regard to practicing Group Synergy may eventually result in a regrettable occurance of the Groupthink phenomenon. Like the picture above suggests, employers tend not to get honest opinions from employees in the event that the staff feel it more beneficial to appear cohesive than be actually so. This is unfortunate as it will deprive the firm of a diverse range of ideas and opinions and thus may ultimately cause it to lose it competitive edge.

It is clear that effective Group Communications are necessary and highly desired at the workplace. Nonetheless we should all avoid exerting too much pressure to achieve unanimity so as to avoid Groupthink

How do you think we can achieve an optimal balance in Group Communication?

"Mein Kampf" - The man who betrayed the World

The world is without debate, a much better place void of Fascism...

Before i continue, perhaps you should all know that this post has been inspired by the recently released historical blockbuster starring Tom Cruise : Valkyrie





For those of you who have absolutely no idea what all this may all be about, Valkyrie depicts the events in late 1944 in which a conspiracy was hatched amongst the top German officials to absolve the world of Hitler's reign. Operation Valkyrie (pronounced Wal-Ku-Re in german) was thus used as a platform for which an attempted coup was launched to wrestle supreme command away from the dictator. Nonetheless, this post is by no means, about the movie. Instead, it is about the man who inspired the movie - Adolf Hitler.

Nonetheless, this post is by no means, about the movie. Instead, it is about the man who inspired the movie - Adolf Hitler.

By comparison to most Germans, Adolf Hitler was a man of small stature and awkward appearance yet throughout his reign as Supreme Chancellor, he carried himself with and air of bolstering confidence. Moreover, Hitler had been a commoner and had served as a soldier, suffering in the trenches during the first Great War and was thus familiar with the plight of the common German society when he rose to power. Thus, every Bavarian held utmost respect for him as it was felt that he carried the epitome of Nazi Power and leadership. To his closest Aides, Hitler practiced transparency in his policy making and interpersonal communication, thus making him so highly respected that many would die for him. In fact, the Nazis were so in awe of him that their pledge placed their absolute obedience to him and not to the country.

Moreover, the Fuhrer founded his Nazi regime and gathered support through sheer leadership. In a time where Germany was at its weakest, constantly bullied by its neighbors, Hitler demonstrated political competency by rallying the hearts and minds of the German people and gave direction for the prosperity of his beloved nation. Thus, Hiler integrated the German people and manged to bond them into one massive fascist movement. His motives were thought to be of the best interest of the people but in doing so, he nonetheless expected reciprocity, liking and also absolute obedience from them.

Nonetheless, we now all know that his actions had all been a facade to rally power into his grasp. This power was used to create a military socialist regime that Hitler then used to create his idea of a "master race". Utilizing mass murder and military conquest as his tools, Adolf Hitler justified his acts as the peoples' solution to the dilution of German society. In doing such acts of sheer atrocity, he offended the world and also betrayed humanity. These subsequently resulted in the ultimate defeat of the German people, bringing about constant suffering and poverty due to the Allied bombings and invasion.

These pictures depict the extent of destruction in the the German city of Dresden caused by Allied bombings :

In my opinion, Adolf Hitler was but a cheat whom utterly betrayed the trust of his people. He used flowery political tactics in order to first harness loyalty and gather support, but subsequently abused these and made promises which he failed to deliver.

In addition, his twisted mind and sly political agenda brought the world into turmoil and instead of liberating his countrymen, he brought only suffering upon them. This results in gradual disassociation by his top commanders and patriotic politicians and ultimately, relational dissolution from the closest aides around him. Eventually, his men hated him so much that 15 assasination attempts were plotted and carried out agaisnt him by men he had once dearly trusted.

The lesson to be had here is to always screen and filter content in communication, especially interpersonal. We ought to think for ourselves and not form allegiances solely based on the perception or even on fear, even to a dictator as it may be us who pay the ultimate price. On the other hand, if you were a dictator, do not be too trusting about the men around you; especially if you were a "bad" dictator because you never know when loyalties could turn. Not everything may seem like what it is.

From both historical notes and even abstracts of the film, it is clearly evident that the German people were filled with both vigour and fortitude and were indeed a sophisticated society that practiced honorable values. However, with the arrival of the Nazi regime came turmoil and unrest. Thus, the ultimate pity is that perhaps Hitler's rise to power was the German peoples' fall from grace during one of history's darkest periods.

Food for thought:
With the death of Fascism, along with Hitler, many of us believe ourselves to be roaming in a free world. Yet we do not realise that perhaps some existing government models are highly similar to the Nazi Party and we are perhaps but pawns of "Dictatorship". What do you think?

Need A New Job??

Non Verbal Communication is defined as communication that occurs when stimuli other than words creates meaning in the mind of the communicator and thus, is largely non-linguistic. As such, I believe that we can all agree that this superbowl ad for monster.com is largely non-verbal in nature and actually is quite good, albeit humorous, at bringing forth its key advertising message.

My interpretation of the commercial is as such:

Beginning from the outside of the building, the camera pans in a circular manner, first revealing the largely classy and well-furnished office of a professional executive dressed in suit. The decor of this office consists of antique solid red wood furniture, with a moose head mantle piece being the centre of attraction and it is evident that the suited man is rather idle. The camera then continues to pan, in the next room which reveals a shabby and messy office setting with a single office staff. Here, we see something unusual, in that the remaining half of the moose stands adorned on the office table. Obviously, this is not something we see every day and does in fact, have an underlying meaning.

Firstly, this commercial clearly utilizes Objectics (the study of how meanings are conveyed through artefacts), the moose being the centre piece. It is evidently split into 2 parts to convey the idea that bosses in the private sector tend to be glorified and host a relatively dignified appearance. On the other hand, staff holding lower vocations under these bosses tends to get the rather undignified end of the job scope, and this is clearly portrayed when the office staff looks upon the rear end of the moose and winces, imposing an element of "arse" in his daily work. The advertisement also makes use of Kinesics, portraying the body language of both the boss and the staff distinctly, of course with the office worker looking shaggy and haphazard while the boss looks idle and confident. Moreover, there is also an element of Paralinguistics (vocal non-verbal cues) that can be sensed in the use of music and sound effects. The rather dignified setting of the bosses's office is accompanied by soprano singing whereas that of the office is mated only to the sounds as heard in the daily grind of endless work.

All these elements come together to form a successful non-verbal communication which is both Normative and idiosyncratic, which basically means that the subject as portrayed in this ad consists of cues that have socially agreed upon meanings. Afterall, I am sure that most society's white collar workers can identify with the setting as portrayed in the commercial.

I feel that this particular commercial is really effective because it first uses all these non-verbal cues to help the audience recognise something that is familiar, before it ends of with text that then bring forth the key message. Such organisation not only helps to create impact, but also an element of suspense in that the audience does not really know what the "product" is till the very end.

Hope you liked the clip as much as I did! .... Stay tuned!

Chinese History... Reinvented!

Released early this year as the sequel to a two-part Feature Film, Red Cliff 2 completes the tale of the historic battle at red cliff between the rebels and the imperial army during China's Warring States period. Prior to its release, the film had been accompanied by a massive marketing campaign that aimed to project the epic as the must watch movie of the season. Nonetheless, most asians would surely not be strangers to the story of the Romance of the Three kingdoms, of which the plot clearly had been adapted from. In fact, critics had come forth to denounce the authenticity and accuracy of its plot due to numerous historic discrepancies that arose as the plot unfolded. Yet, this 2 part feature film remains a success. So, how exactly has it appealed to today's modern audience?

Foremost, being somewhat familiar to most asians, the storyline had already managed to sell itself and perhaps it is this familiarity that helps identify with the passive audience. Moreover, the relatively long plot has been significantly "modernised" by injecting loads of humour and tons of "wisecracking" within its dialogue. The makers of the movie obviously understand that the movie would be largely unappealing if coupled with stale, draggy dialogue.

In addition, the film appealed to the audience through the use of Cognitive Schematics and also the creation of Perceptions early in the movie. The director has successfully managed to cast the key characters as objectfully as possible. For example, Cao Cao the key villain, appeared awe-inspiring and majestic as the prime minister, almost godly with the ability to weild the power of a massive army. The rebels on the other hand, were depicted as closly-knit, un-wavering and never flinching in the face superior enemy forces. Clearly, Personal Contructs have been defined. This helps create a contrast at the climax of the movie when key character traits all fall apart as the battle is at its most intense.

The last and perhaps most appealing trait of the Red Cliff epic would perhaps be the way its plot is left hanging at key junctures. By this, i refer to the way the film causes the audience to ponder for a moment as to the particularly implicit way dialogues of actions are carried out. Many a times, strategic and tactical decisions made by the rebels seemed to defy logic yet no explanation is evident until the very moment success has been accomplished. This concept of Closure stimulates the mostly passive audience into pre-empting the movie's ending by only providing them with minimal information. Also, the film clearly employs the principle of Figure and Ground implicitly entwined in its plot as it causes the audience to largely miss the insignificant interactions while only focusing on the major battle. Needless to say, these "insignificant" details become decisive tactics at the very end.

For those of you whom have not watched this great film, well you definetly ought to. Nevetheless I don't mind letting you in a bit of the ending: the big baddie Cao Cao succumbed to defeat purely on the very Self-Serving Bias that his forces were largely indestructible and his fort, impregnable, while that of his enemies were inferior. Of course, most history buffs would already have known this but hey, its still great to be able to witness his downfall, literally! Hopefully, we are all now able to better appreciate the movie equipped with these new knowledge!

... Stay tuned for more posts!