Communication

1. INTRODUCTION

Communication is one of the basic functions of management in any organization and it is very important as it enables the organization to function. We cannot have human relations without communication. Communication is a process of sending and receiving information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans in between various part of an organization. Effective communication in an organization can help individuals to achieve a shared understanding, stimulate others to take actions and motivate individuals to have new ideas. However good and effective communication is required not only for good human relations but also for a good and successful business. The survival of an organization depends on individuals and groups who are able to maintain among themselves effective and continuing relationships. If we can understand organizational communication, we will understand the organization itself.

BLAY INTERNATIONAL (M) SDN BHD, (Company No.635027-T) is a private limited Company incorporated in Malaysia under the Companies Act, 1965 on 20 November 2003. The Company started as a family-owned shoe factory in 1997 under the name of LEE TAT FOOTWEAR and to facilitate its business expansion, the company was converted to private limited company. The company transform from a shoe factory to an international shoe brand despite high competition in the fashion market thru re-inventing and improving its footwear. BLAY has a chain of boutiques across Malaysia. (Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Kedah and Sabah) The group expands its fashion boutique in Saudi, Thailand, Indonesia and India thru franchises. The group is an integrated footwear manufacturer with its own in house designing, manufacturing and marketing capabilities. The products are marketed under its own well known brand of BLAY. Communication is very important in the company as its boutiques are spread all over Malaysia. Moreover the group has to communicate with its franchisees overseas.

2. COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

(i) Purpose of communication in the organization.

Each organization has its own purpose and approach of transmitting information both within the organization and to the outside world. In BLAY INTERNATIONAL (M) SDN BHD, Communication is a very vital part in its organization. In its BLAY, communication can be split into two section (a) internal and (b) external communication.

(a) Internal communication вЂ" In BLAY the board of directors & the managing director communicate with each another to have meetings, usually most of the meetings that are held are formal meetings to discuss the yearly budget, sales target, expectation of the company and matters arising. After getting the sales target and expectation of the company from the board of directors the managing director will hold a meeting to brief all the managers. To meet the target the managing director has to communicate with the marketing & sales manager, production manager and the chief designer at all times to ensure that the sales strategy (e.g. advertising, promotion, new designs & sales), budget and a factory production line up is going according as planned. Communication between managers and all the supervisors are very important as managers need to make sure that supervisors know their task & duty in the factory, boutiques and the design studio. Moreover supervisors have to communicate well with the managers so that they can feedback complains and problems of their staff back to the management. Supervisors will have briefings in the morning to brief all of their staff (e.g. operators, sales representatives and designers). The management will also need to communicate with their franchisees to make sure all of the franchise holders follow the rule and regulations and their operations are not having any problems.

(b) External communication вЂ" Communication is needed to pass information about the product to the customers as most customers of BLAY are walk in customers which are attracted by the advertising tools such as banners, newspaper advertisements and etc. The sales representatives have to use verbal communication to explain the promotions and products so that customers’

enquiries will be answered. The production manager also has to communicate with suppliers at all time to make sure the supply of raw material is sufficient for the factory production and the sales and marketing manager also have to communicate with the customers as they need the customers’ feedback about the product so that they can improve and make it better. In the design studio, the designers have to get in touch with the competitors and the fashion world to get new ideas & to improvise on their designs.

(ii) THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

In BLAY most of the communication process is a downward communication. Downward communication is a communication in which the top management of an organization e.g. the board of directors or the managing director gives an order to the first level manager through that the manager will brief the supervisors & employees so that they will know the goal & objectives of the organization and work hard to fulfill the goal & objectives.

For example: When the managing director decided to have a sales promotion to boost up the company’s sales, he has to call up his sales & marketing manager to work out a sales promotion plan, after that the sales & marketing manager have to inform all his supervisors with a memo stating the details of the sales promotion. With the memo received the supervisors have to brief all his staff and make sure all his staff can convey the message clearly to the customers. At times when staffs are promoted or demoted a memo will be issued by the managing director and faxed from headquarters to all the boutiques and factory. When matter arising, the managers will give instruction to their supervisors thru the internet using MSN (messenger).

Sometimes in BLAY horizontal communication does happen. Horizontal communication is a communication that takes place at the same level, e.g. the communication between the supervisors of different boutiques using MSN messenger to check the availability of shoe sizes, colours & models. In short the same level of communication is called horizontal communication. Through that employees discuss different issues and different plans to make decisions.

For examples: At every new season, the chief designer of BLAY has to come up with a new collection of designs.