Interpersonal and organizational communication (Research Paper Sample)

Evolution of Interpersonal and Organizational Communication
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Institution
Abstract
Interpersonal and organizational communication are two aspects of communication that have slowly evolved. Interpersonal communication is the most common and oldest form of interaction among two or more individuals. On the other hand, organizational communication refers to the interaction that occurs among people in a corporate situation. The evolution of information and communication technology has led to many changes, especially in the communication sector. People are able to communicate faster without physical limitations. However, interpersonal communication seems to be suffering from the use of technology while organizational communication is benefiting. More people are tending towards and applying organizational communication concepts in their daily lives at the expense of intimate interpersonal communication. This trend affects people’s relationship both at work and in social places. However, it is important to foster both interpersonal and organizational communication. This is because effective management and peaceful coexistent requires close relationships that are fostered by good interpersonal relationships and efficiency from organizational communication principles.
Introduction
Communication is a vital element in society. Without communication, there would be no way to spread information or ideas and the world as we know it would cease to exist. The importance of good communication cannot be undermined in any setting. Human beings rely on communication from the early developmental stages well into adulthood.
There are two major classifications of communication: interpersonal and organizational communication. As the name suggests, interpersonal communication refers to the communication between two or more people at a personal level (Kanu, 2011, p. 56). This is the most common kind of communication. Effective interpersonal communication is one of the key aspects that define a good manager. A person in a managerial position should exhibit good interpersonal communication skills so as to better perform some management practices. On the other hand, organizational communication refers to the type of interaction that occurs in an organizational structure. It defines all kinds of communications that are observed in all organizational settings despite the size or structure of the organizational.
Even though both types of communication are important, changes in modern society have led to a decline in the quality and length of interpersonal communication. People in a modern society tend to favor and use organizational communication while undervaluing interpersonal communication. It can be argued that people are becoming less social and more corporate or business oriented. Personal relationships are not as strong and important as they used to be. Whereas advances in information and communication technology have introduced faster and better ways for people to communicate, the value of interpersonal communication can be said to have reduced while organizational communication has improved.
Interpersonal Communication
Different types of communication are classified according to the number of people involved. There are six types of communication namely, intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, organizational, mass and public (Verderber & Verderber, 2012, p. 19). The different kinds of communication exist in a hierarchical manner with intrapersonal communication having the least number, one, and mass communication involving the most number-millions of people. However, these kinds of communication are not mutually exclusive. This means that the different kinds of communication can occur at the same time in different contexts, for example, interpersonal communication is common in many organizational settings.
However, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the different kinds of communication based on the setting. Interpersonal communication can be defined as an ongoing sequence of interactions acting linguistically (Daly & Viemann, 2013, p. 36). If this definition is considered, then it is not possible to state a clear difference between interpersonal communication and organizational communication. In order to bring out the difference between the two, it is important to consider the background of the communication. The biggest difference between the two based on an environmental setting is that, whereas interpersonal communication occurs in almost any environment and situation, organizational communication is limited to an organizational setting.
Interpersonal communication today is not the same as it was a decade ago. Elements of communication as well as the barriers of communication have changed (Solomon & Theiss, 2013, P. 200). The factors that promoted or hindered communication a few years ago are no longer the same factors at play today. Hindrances to interpersonal communication such as distance have been eliminated with advancement in technology. In essence, interpersonal communication is easier to achieve now than it was 50 years ago. However, even though it may be easier to communicate with an individual several miles away at the touch of a button, people have changed the way they communicate at a personal level. It can be argued that people do not spend the same time communicating and that the things they talk about have changed.
Nevertheless, among the different changes, it is clear that interpersonal communication has expanded. More people are able to connect and interact than ever before (Wood, 2012, p.56). This presents different advantages and also disadvantages. A clear advantage of increasing interpersonal communication is increased productivity and improved personal connections. On the other hand, improved personal communication has led to some privacy concerns. With the available communication tools open for exploitation, privacy concerns have led to several complaints.
Evolving Interpersonal Communication
The biggest factor that has contributed to the change in interpersonal communication is technology. Advances in communication technology have made it possible for people to communicate from any geographical location. Using Email, social networking sites and Instant Messaging services, people can communicate faster and more efficiently than before. However, it is important to note that improved telecommunication technology has increased the amount of information sent and received, but has not improved listening capabilities. This means that, in as much as people can send and receive huge amounts of data and information over the internet, they have not improved their listening process.
For effective interpersonal communication, the involved parties need to share ideas and come to a common understanding. However, technology just makes it easier to create confusion by giving people a way to bombard each other with information. With so much information going around, it is easy to stray away from the major purpose of communication.
The second factor that has changed interpersonal communication is the state of the modern world. In the old times, interpersonal communication was shared mostly in a social setting. However, in the modern world, interpersonal communication has evolved into other settings in daily interactions. People spend more time at their workplaces than they do in social environments. This affects interpersonal communication by bringing a more formal approach to social settings. Interpersonal communication at the work place does not involve fun activities, but more of work related chores and activities. Therefore, people do not interact intimately as they used to.
Inferred Trend in Interpersonal Communication
Changes in interpersonal communication have also led to changes in relationships between people. According to Kalbfleisch (2013), “relationships among people are affected by time and the information the people share” (p.10). The more time people take to share information, the stronger a bond or relationship they form. This means that a long lasting relationship is based on how long two people share information. However, modern society views time differently. In modern society, people strive to achieve as much as they can in as little time as possible. This is brought about by the nature of current jobs. Managers expect their subordinates to meet tight deadlines and schedules which puts people in a general mood of haste.
Therefore, in creating relationships, people tend to apply the same principles from organizational settings to social situations. The need to know someone better has been replaced by the need to meet someone and interact. This means that people tend to spend less time getting to know each other but more time searching for people to connect with. This can be observed from the popularity of online social networking sites like Facebook. Whereas someone can have a list of over a thousand virtual friends, in reality, such a person may know only a few people in the list.
Nonetheless, effective management requires a good interpersonal relationship between a manager and his/her subordinates. This means that the manager needs to relate on a personal, as well as a professional level with the people under supervision. Good management practice entails nurturing a close personal and professional experience (Floyd, 2011, p. 98). Therefore, it is important to promote interpersonal communication in all situations. Since improved communication leads to a better understanding, it is necessary to promote situations that encourage sharing of information. When people share personal information, they can relate better to each other and thus accomplish more tasks together.
Organizational Communication
Organizational communication is another aspect of communication that is evolvi...