Example research essay topic: Kuala Lumpur Effective Communication - 1,364 words

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1. Describe the Barriers to Effective Communication that exists in the situation. Communication exists when two parties enact in any behavior, non-verbal or graphic, that is perceived by another argues Dwyer (1999). It does not necessarily mean the presence of dialogue, or even acknowledging body language. Communication can occur when as Dwyer (1999) referenced from Watzalawick, et al. (1967) thought that people cannot not communicate. Even when a person ignores another person, something is being communicated.

This is one of the barriers to communication in the case study, where Mary Ong is not getting the response or help she requested from Tom Ballard. Mary Ong, Supervisor of in-flight services Kuala Lumpur Division was trying to obtain various statistics and figures from Tom Ballard, Passenger Services Kuala Lumpur Division was met with an ignore response from Ballard. This communicates to Ong a sense of disapproval from Ballard and a sense of what she has the initiative of improving is not worthy of Ballard's time. Ong was met with a degree of unresponsiveness and in-cooperation that held her back from her task. Failure to meet expectations also leads to the disruption in communications in the case study.

As Ong grew too frustrated at Ballard's lack of response, she had to direct a memo at Harry Lee, the Vice-President of In flight Services for Kuala Lumpur about the behavior of Ballard. Van Der Wall (2000) describes a possible loss of morale in cases of non-communication. Ong was trying to make the system more efficient and fluid for personnel and passenger alike. Ballard's behavior was not fitting to the effective and productive communication aspect of group culture that firms support in their culture. Effective and productive communication occurs as defined by Dwyer (1999) when a party can transmit their ideas / values to another through verbal, non-verbal or graphic means. Communication on the receivers part is then defined as the process by which people select, organize and interpret data in order to give a message meaning.

Select, Organize and Interpret. In this example, Ballard has received the request, assessed it and then interpreted it to be unimportant. This created intra-organizational conflict by the means of a break in communication between the different divisions of the airline. Intra-organizational conflict occurs whenever people or divisions inside that organization perceive different or even incompatible goals to a given situation. Cart and March (1963) defined organizations as a series of interdependent units with often competing interests. In the case study, this is held so because of Tom Ballard's excuses during the meeting held the Vice President of In-Flight Services, Harry Lee about why he did provide Mary Ong with the requested information.

Ballard held that it was generally not his job description to report to Mary Ong and that he had not the time to process her request. His interests were not in the same way as Ong's interests and so he did not aid her in her project. Ballard's Division was not ultimately answerable to Ong's Division and hence, did not aid Ong in her initiative of change. This then promoted another barrier to effective communication: task conflict.

John (1995) defined task conflict as existing "when there are disagreements among group members about the content of tasks being performed, including differences in viewpoints, ideas, and opinions" (p. 258). In the case study, Ballard held a different opinion to Ong about the ways one can go about in the organization attempting to gather information to facilitate a change. He held to Harry Lee that he himself had ideas about ways to change the system to better streamline it, You know Ive also had ideas on how to improve the system for quite some time. Barrier to Effective Communication in this area of the case study is the apathy of Ballard to put forward his motions of change to the establishment or even go about in the correct channels. His retort of Anyway, shes going about it all wrong also serves to further demonstrate his diminutive viewpoint of Ong's initiative. VanDer Wall (2000) on conflict described unresolved conflict can lead to litigation, strikes, poor morale, loss of important relationships, reduced opportunities for learning and change or all of the above.

It was a very discouraging attitude that can lead to further heightening of Barriers to communication by discouraging Ong and other people like her searching for information internally to not request Ballard for help, even though he may be the only person that has the information. Therefore, there were four barriers to effective communication in the case study. One, the sense of unimportance an irrelevance of her work that Ong received through the ignore communication response Ballard was projecting. Two, Failure to meet Expectations, which lead to Ong sending a memo to Harry Lee that suggests a fall in Ong's morale of the company.

Three, communication on the receivers part not in the interests of group productivity. Four, task conflict. There was no division of labor that was recognized by Ballard. Five, Ballard's apathy in instigating change of his own ideas to Lee and creating an intra-organization awareness that work on this project was being undertaken already. 2. What can Harry Lee do to negotiate a successful resolution to this conflict? Kennedy (1997) wrote that negotiation is about the management of movement from conflicting positions towards an agreement, which often means getting beyond the positional posturing of some of the people with whom we must negotiate.

Kennedy discusses a great deal in work about negotiating not only on the professional level, but also how the other partys personalities come into play. Harry Lee is in a position as such where he has to negotiate a successful resolution to the conflict. He must also calculate as Kennedy (1997) argues how the partys personalities affect the situation. Lee must make an assessment of the situation and personalities to better facilitate the resolving of the conflict. For example, Lee could find out if one of the reasons why Ballard was so un-cooperative in providing information was that he feared that if Ong's proposals were used and his ones rejected, it would put his job in danger.

Perhaps Ong and himself were competitors for an upcoming promotion and this particular issue could swing it either way. Kennedy (1997) wrote It helps when resolving disputes to focus on the interests of the parties concerned. Harry Lee should, in the name of good management, pay attention to the issues undercurrent to the face value of improving an aspect of passenger service. Goldsmith (1999) suggests a technique of being able to negotiate collaboratively rather than aggressively, look for values, standards, or rules that will help resolve the dispute fairly, to mutual satisfaction. Adler (1989) also agrees with the addition of how the mediator must always be assertive and not choosing between their needs and others. Harry Lee, in this difficult conflict situation must be able to follow these guidelines to help resolve the problem.

An aggressive approach to negotiation, Goldsmith (1999) argues, will only lead to further conflicts involving personalities and a situation will arise where people will be further away from effective dialog and further away from a mutually acceptable resolution. Aggressive approaches to conflict resolution only ever lead to a further spiraling away from mutual resolution. A more Collaborative angle of conflict resolution where parties involved work together to collaborate a mutual ground and then finding an acceptable solution in this middle ground is a much more successful technique. All parties involved will participate in the drawing up of the final solution and hence, all peoples concerns may be discussed when it arrives in the collaborating. Looking for values entails also what Kennedy (1997) argues in that the people involved in the conflict must take into account the interests of the other party involved, not only their professional interests and angles but their personal agendas or nuances.

Standards and Rules in helping to resolve conflict are also an aid. If the Airline has a memo or a manual defining the proper process and channels of how one goes around requesting information and / or aid outside their division, Harry Lee may be the objective voice of the airline...

Research essay sample on Kuala Lumpur Effective Communication