REFORMED CHURCH UNIVERSITY
(A REFORMED CHURCH IN ZIMBABWE INSTITUTION)
ASSIGNMENT MARK FORM
FACULTY: COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT:
STUDENT NUMBER: B08241162
NAME: TAKUNDA GWESHE
PROGRAM: BACHELOR OF COMMERCE HONOURS DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING
COURSE: HACC 114
LECTURER: MAPANGA
CELL NUMBER: 0774219270
EMAIL: takundamitchelgweshe@gmail.com
TOPIC: Poor business communication in organizations will make business unsustainable and a lot
of them will crumble .Validate this claim. (25 marks)
Due Date: 14/09/2024
MARKER’S COMMENTS:
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overall mark
Communication is the sending and receiving of information to achieve a specific goal. According to
Brooker 1949, communication is anything that conveys meaning that carries a message. Communication
is the heart of an organization and a disconnect in it will lead to failure. Poor communication is a
disconnect of what is said and what is understood. In simple, poor communication occurs when the
receiver of a message interprets the message in a way not intended by the sender.
Poor communication affects businesses to a greater extent. This is so because when objectives, plans and
goals are not transparent it may be hard achieving them .Employees feel left out if they are not aware of
their company’s plans which may cause employee turnover. If people fail to put their ideas on the table,
innovation may be impossible and in this world of technological advancements there is need for constant
innovative ideas.
An unsustainable business is one that is not viable in the long term. Poor communication will make
business unsustainable in a number of ways. When there is poor communication, there is poor planning
and decision making as a sound decision cannot be made in isolation. Poor decision making can have far
reaching consequences and can lead to a company’s downfall. Clear lines of communication must be put
in place so as to make informed decisions that will help a business position itself for long term success
and avoid crumbling. Lack of engagement from all stakeholders can lead to biased decision making which
will affect the sustainability of a company. A catastrophic decision can be made if there is no engagement
from all stakeholders. For instance because of poor communication, Blockbuster made the worst decision
by passing on the opportunity to buy Netflix in 2000 because they made a decision basing on the present
and not the forseeable future. This decision caused its downfall as it eventually went bankrupt in 2010.
Furthermore, when there is poor communication there is failure to implement plans. Plans and decisions
of a business should be effected to those who can translate them into action. Any discrepancy here means
that plans and decisions will not be implemented effectively which makes business unsustainable because
for it to thrive, it should have plans. When managers fail to convey the goals, policies and procedures
there is lack of oneness. For instance if employees are unaware of basic procedures like their company’s
standard operating procedures then there is inconsistency, reduced efficiency and poor output which all
can make an organization unsustainable.
Poor communication leads to low levels of production and subsequently unsustainability which may in
turn result in the crumbling down of a business. When there is poor communication there is no
transparency within an organization which causes misalignment and disconnection. This misalignment
causes lack of trust resulting in increased conflicts and misunderstandings that will affect teamwork and
cohesion. When there is poor communication time is wasted solving conflicts and misunderstandings
which affects production levels. Also because employees cannot work together as a team, production
decline. The 2012 McKinsey study found that effective communication increases productivity by 25%
and if you remove this percentage it may be difficult if not impossible to get back in line. People cannot
simply produce if they are not well equipped with information on what needs to be done for them to reach
desired goals. When production levels are low a business can fail to meet demand making it unsustainable
in the long run.
Poor communication results in low levels of morale and high labor turnover. If workers feel that they are
not appreciated or wanted or that their concerns are being taken for granted, then they might leave. If
employees are not aware of how they fit into a company’s objectives and mission then there are high
levels of low morale which will increase turnover. If workers feel neglected, sabotaged or unheard they
might leave. When there is poor communication there is no delegation nor decentralization and this
reduces morale of workers. For instance in 2018, female workers reported sexual harassment and gender
discrimination but the human resources brushed off these allegations saying there was no proof. This saw
Nike being sued by its former employees on behalf of over five hundred women.
A business can suffer decreased profitability because of poor communication. This is so because in order
to maintain sales, there need to be proactive communication lines between the organization and its
customers to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat sales that will raise the profit margins. If customers
are unable to give feedback on product they are unlikely to buy again. If there are no corrections made
regarding a product’s fault which can only be known if customers give feedback then that company will
crumble in the long run. For instance because of poor communication Nokia failed to take into
consideration customer feedback to acquire a versatile operating system that met its customers
expectations and that made it unsustainable.
Lack of innovation comes with poor communication. If people cannot give ideas, concepts cannot be
developed. In this world of rapidly changing technologies one has to be highly innovative in order to be
sustainable. There needs to be clear communication across teams, and departments. When there is poor
communication, there is wrong allocation of resources including time, talent and funding which will
impede innovation .A company that fails to keep up in technological advancements will crumble. For
example, Kodak which developed the world’s first digital camera missed the digital revolution and failed
to innovate resulting in bankruptcy.
When there is poor communication, there is failure to sustain discipline. This will craw over to the
organization because an organization that cannot enforce discipline can never succeed. When employees
are informed of what is expected of them it allows management to enforce warning if there is misconduct.
However, if the communication line is broken the organization may become unsustainable .
However, other than poor communication, other factors play a role in the unsustainability of a business.
Ineffective marketing can make a business unsustainable, this iso so because failure to reach target market
leads to losses and consequently unsustainability. Resistance to change also will cause unsustainability in
business. When people fail to keep ahead and insist on old ways of doing things, business may crumble as
the world is constantly changing .
In conclusion, poor communication in organizations will make business unsustainable and a lot of them
will crumble. Almost every aspect of the business requires communication for smooth flow of operations
from top down to the end user and it as to reciprocate. Failure or any disconnection in this process can
cost a business.