EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: THE KEY TO BUSINESS SUCCESS

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background Of Study

There is need for effective communication for any organization to function effectively. Communication is the hallmark of business success, the wheel on which the affair of business revolves. Without communication, an organization is life-less.

Communication gap makes an organization ineffective communication has in recent years attained such level of competence that these days, the one concept that is recognized allover the universe is the concept of information dissemination. In our business world today, communication is geared towards establishing and maintaining mutual understanding between organization and her employees to enhance operational efficiency.
What is communication?

Communication according to Anthony Robbins (2007) is the process of exchanging information between one or more persons or among people. It may be between organization and her customers. Here the writer is not interest about communication but on effective communication.

Effective communication according to Robins Anthony (2007) is all about conveying a message to other people clearly and unambiguously. However effective communication is , and always has been, the glue that bind the organization together. Just because the predominant direction or that communication have shifted from top-down bottom-up does not mean it is any less important. Its more expensive to correct misguided information than dispensing an effective information. It is important to note that poor or ineffective communication is responsible for a situation where the receiver doesn’t understand what he or she has read or heard and thus cannot give any positive feedback.

This implies that the hallmark of effective communication is a well packaged message. That is a message, that is capable of attracting the receivers response in form of positive feedback. The employees of an organization will put that extra effort that is required of them when they are kept informed openly and honestly on the aspect of their job\\duty, and the business. Lack of effective communication brings in disintegration within an organization that is why it is perceived as the hob of an organization. An effective communication brings about integration among the parties that are involved in the business (Employer, Employee, Customer and Prospective customer). Effective business communication is the key to business success in the sense that it ensures proper co-ordination.

In a working environment, production of goods and services involve different departments of the organization, such that the work of one department depends on the other. For instance in production process, the purchasing department will communicate with production department to know the specification of raw material required and the quantity needed. And the design department will communicate with the production. Remember, effective communication leads to production efficiency which in turn lead to cost and time reduction and the moment an organization minimize cost, profit will be maximized. Lack of effective communication creats tension and destroys personal and business relationships. One simple e-mail, or SMS to a client letting her know that you need to push back the deadline can be the difference between ending a business relationship or getting repeat business from a happy customer.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Most business in Nigeria have suffered a major set back as a result of ineffective communication. When communication is not effective, it is likely to result in production inefficiency and lack of customer patronage. Poor marketing communication has negatively affected some business productivity and ultimately the bottom line. A business organization may offer the best product or services in the world, but without a solid and effective marketing communication, the prospective customers may never know about the product.

Ineffective communication lead to double expenses and most cases delay in employees making an expensive mistake which shouldn’t have occurred , should there had been effective communication. Lack of effective communication may be attributed to the following problems:

1. Delay in production process
2. Production inefficiency
3. Lack of customer patronage

1.3 Purpose \\ Objective Of The Study

This research work will x-ray the need\\importance of effective communication been deduce that, effective communication play a vital role in the life and growth of any organization. The issue of effective communication cannot be over emphasizing

Nonetheless, it should be noted that the issue of business communication is in broad terms buying and selling (price, discount, sales, payment etc). Indeed the basic objective of this research study is aimed at the following

1. To enhance customer patronage
2. To Increase production efficiency.
3. To integrate employer-employee relationship
4. Ensure cost minimization and market maximization.

1.4 Research Question

These research questions will help the researcher to carryout a comprehensive research. The research questions are as follows

1.  Does effective communication have any effect on customer patronage?
2. Does effective communication enhance productivity
3. What is the relationship between effective communication and business success?
4. How does lack of clarity of information affect an organization?
5. What type of communication structure exist in your organization?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1. Ho: Effective communication has no effect on customer patronage
   Hi: Effective communication has effect on customer patronage
2. Ho: There is no relationship between effective communication and business success
   Hi: There is a relationship between effective communication and business success

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The outcome of this research work, will be beneficial to manufacturing and service companies, including small scale firms.

When communication purely for business transactions, such as contracts, agreement, receipts sales, promotion etc the message has to be packaged in a way that gives no room for misinterpretation, by that it will increase the effectiveness of the organization.

Again, it will reduce unnecessary mistake and delay in production process. A successful business organization is that organization that achieves her goals, she must communicate effectively through clearness of expression because every business communication aims at invoking some material and immediate response. It is important to note that the hallmark of effective communication is well park aged and properly tramsimitted message. Therefore, its advised that every organization should embraced effective communication. Note, the beneficially of this research work are manufacturing companies and service companies.

1.7 Scope / Delimitation Of The Study

This research work will consider three firms in Owerri, UBA (Douglass Road Owerri), Vinal Aluminum (Onitsha Road) and Cel-Bez Publishing company Rotibi street Owerri). The study will have to ascertain how effective communication can induce production efficiency.

The research would have had a broad coverage than this but due to limitation of time and finance, the researcher is restricting this work to three firms in Owerri.

1.8 Limitations Of The Study

One of the major challenges the researcher faced during the course of carrying out this work was finance. Finance posed major threat to the success of this research work.

Again, time factor; due to short time frame given to this research work. For the researcher to get accurate result on such a mountainous topic, adequate time will be of great befit.

1.9 Definition Of Terms.

Effective: –

Understanding the content of the message

Efficiency: –

Minimizing cost and time, at the same time achieve the desire result

Market Maximization:-

Getting the larger share of the market.

Mountainous: –

Very large or wide

Unambiguously: –

Not been unclear that is to say something is clear.

Hallmark: –

A symbol used to identify something.

Information: –

This is a processed data.