Characteristics of organizational behavior in modern technologies of business communications

Lloyd Karchava Doctoral Candidate of Business and Management Faculty of G.Robakidze University

Role of business communications in modern world is of considerable importance.

Current level of technical development of communications enables to run business with the speed of thinking as the world’s richest man Bill Gates notes in his book – “Business @ the speed of thought, 1999). The book covers the theme how information technologies can solve business tasks with completely new approach, (2, page 34) and this is only technical part of business-communications.
Term communication (kommunicatio in Latin) means a connection between two subjects, for instance, connection between cities, human relations etc.
Business-communications cover every stage of business functioning that is connected with information movements. Even if the business is owned by one person, who produces and sells goods (services), he has relations with suppliers of materials, he might use own or rented transport, he puts own goods (services) for sale at the market, or sells it to consumer, businessman pays some taxes and fills in declarations, he might advertise product etc. All the mentioned is impossible without communication. The larger is business in the number of employees, branches and other organizational-functional structures, the more important role is played communications in this organization. As we can see, business communications are playing important role in business. According to former dean of business school at Harvard University, Robert Kent “Communication is everything in business”1.
Business communications might be divided in the following types: intracompany, intercompany and international. This might be also called as “internal and external communications”2. Internal communications cover relations inside organization starting from chief staff to ordinary employees. External communications – imply relations with people and organization outside the company.
There are distinguished vertical and horizontal communications. Communication is considered as vertical when information flows from bottom to the top or from ordinary employee to chief or on vice versa – from the top to bottom – or from chief to ordinary employee. Vertical communication can be ascending and descending. Communication, information flowing from lower layers to the upper management is ascending, while descending is operating on the contrary.
Communication is horizontal when information flows among employees of the same range, for instance among managers of structural subdivisions.
Business communications can be established in the following forms: Written, oral and gesticulation forms. Each written document, starting from the document on establishing of the firm and ending with ordinary letter, or entire business correspondence – is a written communication in business. Meetings, conferences and similar events are communication between chief staff and employees. As a rule, meetings are followed by reports, orders or other inner regulatory administrative acts by the top management depending on how immediate and necessary it is to certify some order in written form. The aim of such communications is to bring down given tasks from chief management to ordinary employees.
Various communications facilities are used in business: transport, telephone, computer, radio-television, press etc. Modern business is inconvincible without such communication facilities. Development of electronic information medium devices is quite noteworthy within last decades. IT technologies enabled online communication not only inside some organization, but also in any point of the world. It became possible to do business, arrange conferences, hold auctions, and make orders and money transfers without leaving offices.
Organizational behavior studies human behavior in an organization. Every manager and human resources specialist tries to direct this behavior in the way that corresponds to business requirements. Therefore, understanding of organizational processes and skills is important for analyzing and diagnosing types of behavior. Effective managerial influence requires manager’s skill to diagnose the system that he is working in and act relevantly.
As humans differ from each other by their abilities, intelligence, origin, culture and other characteristics and affects of external factors, this originates different needs and desires that influences their motivation.
There are two types of motivation: first, human can be motivated by searching and performing the work that satisfies his/her requirements or creates expectation of goal attainment. Second, when employee is motivated by supervisors via methods such as remuneration, encouraging, and praising. Correspondingly, there can be two forms of motivation – internal and external.
Internal motivation is a unity of factors that influence human to act relevantly and move in corresponding direction. External motivation is something done for motivation of another person.
Astrologists reckon that stars are influencing person’s behavior and character. Clear proof of this can be seen in Japan. Before appointing a person on some position Japanese are examining candidate’s personal horoscope and afterward making decision in which field it would be better to employ him/her, at which stage of business can the candidate act most effectively and reveal own abilities. It is notable that King David Aghmashenebeli and other Georgian great kings were using astrology3.
Under conditions of modern market economy, every economic agent is interested in highly qualified work of an employee. This means to pay more attention to such issues as how to motivate person by means of encouraging, stimulation, management and what is more important attention should be paid to the work that employee is doing and to the organization situation that one is working in.
Business-communications cover both intraorganization and interorganization relations (with other organization, state, foreign organization abroad). However, the theme of our discussion this time is communications within the framework of organizational behavior or business relations between various level managers and employees. This is one of the most important segments of management – technologies of human management in modern stage.
In the past centuries, chiefs of the organizations were using dictatorial, authoritative approaches toward employees, there are quite a number of examples of such attitude (Andrew Carnegie, Forrest mars etc)4. Under the conditions of severe unemployment, entrepreneurs were paying less attention to psychological state, mood, and desires of their employees. Quality of the work done was the most important for them and they were solving these issues by administrative decisions. In case of non-fulfillment, employee was dismissed unconditionally and new person was hired. Moreover, in the situation when mainly physical work was necessary that did not require much education.
Attitude between employer and employee has changed since then. Management style has been fully changed and human resources management became more humane within last 3-4 decades. For instance, menace has been replaced by stimulation.
People engaged in business can be divided in three main groups by their features and characters: chief, subordinated and individualist5.
Company’s manager should reallocate people so that their coexistence to be harmonious. This might not or could not be reached always and thus conflict situations are created.
Quite frequently, manager is creating conflict situation due to own incompetence. For instance, manager is giving wrong directives in the situation when employee knows more theoretically and in practice.
Famous scientist, one of the most celebrated physiologists of XX century, Doctor Sigmund Freud said that every our action has two motives – sexual and grandeur aspirations6.
It is scientifically proved that more goods are sold in the shops where young, beautiful, attractive and smiling girls are working than in a shop with the people in age and gloomy faces.
Manager should pay attention to gender and age correlation. Study showed that in the places where gender correlation is equal people’s actions are more ordered and reserved.
People’s inclination to positive and negative features should be taken into consideration. People can be divided in three categories: the one that is on honest worker by vocation and won’t change attitude despite any reasons; second that is looking for a situation to steal something; and third category is hesitant character that varies from one category to another.
Finally, we can conclude that organizational behavior is a part of business communications. Business communication covers entire process of functioning, from planning of production to its realization. This is connected with compilation of the information and its elaboration, transfer and receipt, decoding and utilization. Human is using communication facilities in these processes.
The process of business communication is taking place at any levels – intraorganizational, interorganization and international. While organizational behavior covers relations between manager and ordinary employees inside the organization. As a rule, manager is controlling the situation or creates such atmosphere that develops desirable environment for the relations between employees. Each employee should be assigned by a manager to the work that corresponds his vocation and manager should use stimulation forms that encourages employees and thus increases profitability and productivity.
Nowadays, when special attention is paid to human rights, including employees rights in a company, organizational behavior is accentuated on humane relations, management instead of dictate.
Disciplinary rules of an organization somehow serve as a regulator of organizational behavior. Rights and obligations, prohibitions of employees; fines and other administrative punishment that can be used in some specific cases. Statute has the same destination, it regulates rights and obligations of a founder, relations between supervisory board and directorate. Similar functions have other intra-normative acts such as statutes of various managerial organs and structural units, job descriptions etc. The forms of delivering information are of great importance in the process of business communications (not above-mentioned communication forms), such as expression of moods and emotions that is accompanying any information. For instance, are we delivering information coldly or with some introduction, for creating good mood or just explaining situation? There are special forms of how to start a letter and how to end it. This is regulated by correspondence flow rules. As regards forms of oral communication, there are some rules or etiquette in accordance with various situations and circumstances.
It is important to be familiar with business etiquette and be able to use it in business communications and organizational behavior. This subject requires further discussion and research.
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E-mail: lkarchava@hbg.ge; info@loi.ge
Literature:
1. M. Armstrong, management of human resources (7th edition) educational, translating and publishing center, Tbilisi, 2002;
2. D. Carnegie, How to find friends and influence people, Tbilisi, 1992;
3. L. Karchava, From business lives of famous businessmen, “LOI, Tbilisi, 2006.
4. L. Karchava, How to become a businessman, “Matsne”, Tbilisi, 1993;
5. L. Karchava, Essence and role of business communication in business, magazine “New Economist”, No 2, 2008;
6. M. Tsagareli, TV program “Stars are telling”, TV channel “Caucasus”, 2008;
7. A. Tsomaia, Strategic Management, Academic Centre of Caucasus, 25 August, www.nesgeorgia.org;

8. www.businesscommunication.org