COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 2
Abstract
Businesses are constantly changing the way they operate, thereby changing the way
communication is transmitted internally and externally. Effective communication plays a
dynamic role in working through complications, promoting collaboration, and driving
performance in the business environment. Various pieces contribute to the role of
communication in business. Included are the impact of technology, the role of communication in
a changing organization, leadership communication, cultural practices, consumer behavior, crisis
communication in the digital age, and emotional intelligence in business communication to name
a few. An assessment of some of these facets was explored along with recommendations and
strategies for more effective communication to understand the role that communication plays in a
contemporary business environment.
Keywords: communication, business communication, communication strategies,
communication role
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 3
Introduction
Successful business operations in today’s rapidly changing climate, depend significantly
on effective communication strategies. Communication strategies are imperative, given that the
digital transformation continues to alter business interactions and engagements with
stakeholders. With globalization and advancement in technology presenting businesses with new
and varying challenges and opportunities, effective communication emerges as an essential tool
for encouraging collaboration, driving innovation, and building teams for competitive advantage.
The role of communication in the emerging business environment will be explored. Adaptive
communication strategies will be highlighted and explored for the technological advances of
wide-ranging audiences. In dynamic and complex environments, businesses can adopt the power
of communication to emerge successfully.
Argenti (2023) introduced a communication strategy framework for the effective analysis
of communication in business. The framework encompassed several key components. Firstly, by
diagnosing the company’s reputation, an effective organizational strategy was set. It determined
objectives, and decided the availability of resources, which included human resources,
technology, time, and finances. The second part of the framework involved analyzing various
audiences. An organization needs feedback from its audience on how they feel toward the
organization and about how the communications toward their intended audience are handled.
The third part of the framework is delivering the messages effectively by identifying the target
audience, and choosing the appropriate communication channels, thereby, structuring the
communications appropriately. The final part of the framework is listening to the audience and
determining if the communications met the desired impact. These techniques will create a
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 4
coherent corporate communication strategy. These strategies impact numerous aspects of
business operations, as outlined by Zorlu and Korkmaz (2021).
Communication in Business
Zorlu and Korkmaz (2021), highlight that organizational communication is the key to
managing functions properly and achieving organizational goals. Organizational communication
plays a significant role in addressing various issues including controlling employees' behavior,
developing workplace relationships, boosting motivation, facilitating adaptation, crisis
management, bargaining skills, and negotiations. Effective communication fosters harmony,
consensus, and coordination within the organization as well as the adjustment and flow of
information with the external environment. Organizational communication is the process of
sharing information between managers and employees and making sense of this information.
Policies, goals, management information, employees’ responsibilities and authority, distribution
of tasks, and technological developments are communicated to every level of management and
employees to continue their work more effectively.
Communication is valuable, but it depends on the message and the format it is
communicated to employees, as stated by Vercic and Spoljaric (2020). Organizations use a range
of channels to engage their internal audiences. Channels vary in level of formality, cost,
complexity, and capacity. Organizations take into consideration the needs, and preferences of
employees, delivery methods, goals, and the message when communicating. The size of the
organization, its structure, employees’ qualifications, or technical level also determine the
channels used. Once organizations can find the channels that employees and stakeholders are
satisfied with, these channels lead to successful organizations. The environment of internal
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 5
communication has changed due to new technologies. Communication technology is not
straightforward or easy but should be incorporated into internal and external communications.
Technological Impact on Business Communication
Communication technology is occurring in every country, although the level of
digitalization varies greatly between high and low countries, according to Gaglio et al. (2022).
The changing aspects of digitalization have not been equally spread across countries; however, it
is altering the way organizations operate, develop, and market goods and services. Digitalization
contributes to organizations in a few ways. Gaglio et al. (2022), show a relationship between
innovation and productivity. In addition, they show that organizations are forced to adopt
revolutionary automation technologies.
In keeping with Gaglio et al. (2022), innovation has been influenced by digital
communication technologies such as the use of social media, the use of mobile phones to browse
the internet, communicating with customers, and online sales through marketing. This supports
interaction and knowledge sharing between the organization and customers. Culture has
conditioned the use of technology so much that employee productivity has increased. With
ongoing technological advancements, organizations need to improve infrastructure, human
resources, cloud computing, and other services on the digital platform continuously. Larger
organizations will be able to benefit from digitalization more quickly than smaller organizations
due to their financial leverage.
Organizations have connected in real-time regardless of geographical location due to
technological innovations according to Sashi (2021). Social media, other digital platforms, and
the use of mobile devices to connect to these platforms have encouraged organizations to adopt
new digital media applications. New conferencing platforms such as Webex, Zoom, and Teams;
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 6
emails, text, chat, smartphones, tablets, and computers are used for collaboration activities.
Digital communications using these technologies and tools allow organizations to overcome the
limitations of communication and marketing. Multiple organizations can connect to different
industries and locations to solve problems and meet needs.
In keeping with Sashi (2021), coordination technologies and contemporary
communication have changed how organizations manage their business networks. This rapidly
changing environment has developed inter-organizational exchange relationships in the business
environment. These relationships meet customer needs from multiple suppliers. Collaborative
partnerships are built through the development of products and services due to digital
communication and technology. Communication is one of the most effective ways to build
relationships.
As researched by Sashi (2021), personal communication between customers and
organizations include face-to-face communication. Some face-to-face communications include
advertisement, publicity, and sales promotions. Communication technologies have emerged from
the internet, social media, texting, chat, and video. These tools have increased communications
internally and externally, proving that digital communication offers advantages over the old way
of communication. It allows for multiple forms of dialogue, where the sender and receiver
control the timing of responses that take place simultaneously.
Communication technologies have inspired corporate social responsibility activities in
organizations, and, in keeping with Benitez et al. (2020), organizations use these activities to
build and improve the company’s reputation, which in turn attracts quality employees and loyal
customers. Digitalization causes organizations using social media both internally and externally
to acquire and share knowledge among the employees and customers. However, social media can
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 7
affect the relationship between corporate social responsibility activities and corporate reputation.
Social media can be ambiguous and can have a positive, negative, or no influence on corporate
social responsibility activities. When social media is managed and leveraged properly, it can
maximize the impact of corporate social activities.
Cultural Practices
Communication creates a succinct working environment, leading to job satisfaction and
improved performance. Paais and Pattiruhu (2020) showed that when there is continued work
motivation, effective leadership, and workplace culture, employees become satisfied. Once
employees are satisfied, individual performance contributes to improved organizational
performance. Managers who have an interest in the activities of their employees have a
personality where communication is important. They deliver orders and mandates effectively
communicated through channels that matter to employees. Managers communicate through
discussions with employees and feedback from employees.
In addition to cultural practices within the workplace, intercultural communication is also
important in the rapidly changing business world. As researched by Adanlawo et al. (2021),
intercultural transactions between businesses require clear and understandable language for
communication. Language diversity spans across geographical regions, which serves as a vital
tool for facilitating smooth business interactions, which takes on numerous forms to address the
various groups involved. This type of communication allows the expression of opinions,
decisions, and cultural identities.
In keeping with Adanlawo et al. (2021), different languages have different approaches
that shape interpersonal interactions. Intercultural communication can encounter many barriers.
Barriers can be differences in language, regional accents, dialects, and lingo, no clear speech, use
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 8
of jargon and slang, word choice, literacy and linguistic ability, and grammar and spelling.
However, there are possible solutions to these barriers. Solutions can be repetition, code-
switching, language training, external translators or interpreters, or machine translators or
machine interpreters. Businesses can hire bilingual employees or persons from the country with
which they do business.
Intercultural communication may also involve virtual teams which require sound
leadership. A study conducted by Newman (2020) shows that a leader’s communication tools
and techniques along with effective communication, have an impact on the team’s performance.
When the teams perceive their leaders' communication tools and techniques as effective, then the
virtual team has a higher level of performance. In addition, the study proved that trust
strengthens the relationship between the leader and employees. The higher the trust, the higher
the team’s performance. According to Presbitero (2021), there are benefits and challenges
associated with virtual teams. Advantages include remote workspaces for employees enabling
them to save time and finances by eliminating unnecessary travel and it allows a 24-hour
workflow that monitors and increases completion of projects. Some challenges with virtual
teams are coordinating everyone’s availability, time zone and language differences, limited non-
verbal communication cues such as body posture and hand, gestures, and technical glitches that
lead to possible misunderstandings and conflicts.
Emotional Intelligence
Workplace culture and intercultural communication are predicated on the leadership’s
relationship with its employees, especially in new businesses. In a rapidly changing business
world, Men et al. (2021) explain that startups and new ventures are vital as they drive innovation
and create new employment opportunities. New business CEOs are very different from
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 9
established corporations when it comes to their relationship with their internal and external
stakeholders. The management style and vision of the CEO for the organization can be used as a
recruitment tool. Employees buy into the CEO and the CEO has the power to shape internal and
external perception of the business.
In keeping with Men et al. (2021), the leadership type needed for new businesses is
charismatic. Communications by charismatic leadership are emotional and value-driven. They
articulate a compelling vision, demonstrate enjoyment, display high expectations, and express
passion, confidence in employees, and care for their employees. This leadership style unites
employees and creates a cohesive family culture. Employees become more engaged and their
psychological need for autonomy, competence, and empathy are met. Employees receive the
emotional support they need during the many challenges of starting a new business which is
developed through an intimate relationship with leadership, and a sense of belonging with the
organization. Emotional intelligence encompasses the ability to not only recognize and manage
emotions in employees but also play a role in crisis communication.
Crisis Communication
In an emergency or crisis, understanding and empathizing with the emotional needs and
concerns of all stakeholders is crucial when responding. Crisis communication is required to
manage risks, maintain trust, and uphold the organization’s reputation during challenging
situations. According to Haupt (2021), it means moving from a reactionary management style to
one that has control and command of emergencies and crises. It requires companies to have an
emergency manager to effectively communicate before, during, and after a crisis while
synchronizing resources to prevent or reduce negative impact. These emergency managers will
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 10
have to develop communication strategies as they will be responsible for the majority of
preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery activities.
In keeping with Haupt (2021), communication strategies for crisis communication hinge
on the ability to learn and assess a community’s needs, and practices. Strategies should
incorporate a timeline, identification of the target audience, comprehensible messages,
dissemination time, designated leaders, and technological integration. These strategies and
protocols need to be shared with all levels of the company. This allows for the information to be
collected, organized, and disseminated in a way that leads to open, honest, accurate, tailored, and
knowledgeable information. Emergency managers need to constantly upgrade practices of
promoting effective communication regarding policy development and various approaches,
advanced planning for unforeseen events, community partnerships, listening to the public’s
feedback, and understanding the audience. Practices of organization and alliance with credible
sources, meeting media requirements, accessibility and communicating with concern and
empathy, accepting vagueness and uncertainty, and promoting self-efficacy will enhance
emergency managers’ strategies.
Leadership Impact on Business Communication
Saputra (2021) claims that without leadership, the goals and success of an organization
are impossible. A leader motivates employees to achieve organizational goals by their leadership
style. A leader can make sure the exchange of information is achieved. In running a professional
organization, communication is crucial. It must be conveyed accurately, timely, and received
well by others. A leader can communicate strategies that can shape the organization through
training and seminars. The leader through communication can motivate employees and lead to
the success of a professional organization.
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 11
The leaders of an organization that is deficient in communication do not achieve high
performance as compared to those where there is a level of effective communication as studied
by Kalogiannidis (2020). Effective leaders or managers clearly understand the different aspects
of communication and its impact. It enables managers to improve organizational communication
which results in increased employees’ productivity. Managers can successfully control and
monitor the progress of the different activities within an organization when communication is
effective. It enables managers to share both internal and external goals with all stakeholders.
There are various forms of communication in which leaders should engage according to
Kalogiannidis (2020). Horizontal communication is the exchange of information and ideas across
departments within the organization. This helps employees to share information and actively
participate in problem-solving while developing stronger relationships among themselves.
Downward communication involves communication from managers to the employees they
supervise. Employees share information with other supervisors at different levels of management
to motivate employees to perform better. Upward Communication involves communication of
information from subordinates to their managers. This type of communication allows employees
to express their opinions and feelings concerning issues at the workplace. Both upward and
downward communication have a significant impact on employees.
Communication Effect on Change
The upward and downward communications are essential for corporate social
responsibility activities. According to Jiang and Luo (2024), organizations have a responsibility
to the communities and societies where they operate their business. Organizations have to
communicate to the external stakeholders that they are more than profit-seeking entities and can
benefit society. Corporate social responsibility can shape the values, and employee identity and
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 12
in turn influence their behavior and attitudes. Communicating corporate social responsibility
strategies has evolved and organizations need to communicate their activities strategically.
Communication strategies should be more interactive and engaging and involve open, authentic,
and transparent communication. This drives employee engagement, job commitment, and
organizational engagement even during the rapidly changing business environment.
As important as communication is in an organization, there are some challenges when
there is a lack of communication. Campbell et al. (2020) studied what happens when there is a
communication breakdown. Communication suffers due to a lack of interdependence, as some
managers feel they can do it on their own. Some managers lack communication skills and are
unable to pass on or receive communication. Some managers have a laissez-faire style, and some
staff have a negative attitude towards everything, and there are no follow-up meetings. Lack of
communication leads to employees feeling unimportant, demoralized, and unproductive. When
communication is ineffective, plans are neither made nor implemented, leaving everything in the
air, and eventually shutting production down. The right skills and techniques are needed for
leaders to manage an organization and the execution of strategies will help focus and organize
employees to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Effective communication means
talking it out, keeping a still tongue and a wise head, having a mediator, not taking things
personally, being open to another perspective, non-generalization, having a place and time for
proper confrontation, and communicating regularly.
Biblical Integration
James 1:19-20 says “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow
to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (New
King James Version, 1982/2024). The Bible instructs us to be kind and compassionate, forgiving
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 13
each other. This especially applies to communication between managers and employees. This
allows both sides to be heard and bring about a resolution that will make a business successful.
This Biblical principle gives the skills both managers and employees need.
In communication, both managers and employees have to demonstrate understanding.
They need to ensure that what comes out of their mouths is uplifting for each other. As in
Romans 14:19, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by
which one may edify another (New King James Version, 1982/2024). For the success of the
organization, it has to be communicated to employees that they belong and are valued. This
attitude from managers and employees will then be translated through the communication that is
being received externally.
Conclusion
The studies have confirmed the positive impact of business communication on employee
performance Kalogiannidis (2020). Campbell et al. (2020) conclude that for effective functioning
in every part of an organization, communication is essential. This applies to managers as well as
the employees. More effective communication means more productivity. Problems from lack of
communication can be resolved if parties are willing to fix it, and managers are willing to listen
to subordinate employees.
COMMUNICATION AND THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS 14
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