Communication

Communication

Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning. Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages through verbal or nonverbal means including speech or oral communication, writing or written communication, signs, signals, and behavior. (Nordquist, 2017). Communication is an absolute necessity to leaders and managers and effective communication is critical is the success of an organization which all starts with the leaders and managers of the organization. However, effective communication wasn’t portrayed in the teaching hospital case in numerous situations:

• There was a lack of downward communication. Downward communication is the flow information and messages from a higher level inside an organization to a lower one. (Management and Communication, 2016). Leaders and managers use it to

assign goals, provide job instructions, explain policies and procedures, point

out problems that need attention, and offer feedback about performance. The lack of downward communication was portrayed when the provost wasn’t present for the meeting the Executive committee schedules to discussed the Flower life situation with the dean. There was no sign of feedback or any given input from the provost about this situation the hospital was dealing with. Dr conrad

• Another situation where there was a lack of downward communication was the Executive Committee not assisting or having a sit down with Dr. Uric about the Flower Life situation. This resulting in him putting the hospital in the news and being sued.
• Additionally, downward communication wasn’t portrayed either when the employees with the dialysis unit weren’t informed about the decision about Dr. Uric being replaced with Dr. Conrad in the unit. This lack of communication from the committee resulted in a turnover in the organization.
• Finally, downward communication lacked where the employees were confused as to why physicians received salaries without patient revenue which was going to the state instead. The provost or the executive committee failed to give a clear explanation as to why this was a policy of the organization^[a].

• Also, there was a lack of upward communication. Upward communication is the flow of information from a lower level in the organization to a higher level. The lack of communication was demonstrated when the employees of the hospital personnel, from the administrators down to the clinic clerks who complained about the inconsistencies between the operations of the hospital and the medical school. The hospital personnel didn’t report their complaints to the provost or the executive committee and this caused the employees to feel detached from organization and feel less motivated. Furthermore, this was most likely due to the lack of access to channels of upward communication, since the hospital and the school were divided and feeling that the physicians were much more appreciated in the organization.

An informal communication network that was used in the case was the grapevine communication. This network refers to the information that stretches throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels (Guide, 2017). This was shown negatively when many stories circulated the organizations about Dr. Uric’s behavior (his drinking and roasting experimental animals), and rumors tend to thrive in the absence of formal communication (communication between the provost and the employees). Gossip is driven largely by employee social networks that managers can study to learn more about how positive and negative information is flowing through their organization. This network can be used positively by the provost in this case by: