Effective communication throughout a workplace is an essential ingredient to align people’s efforts
towards achieving organisational goals. Yet it seems that ‘communication problems’ are continually
mentioned as one of the main difficulties for most organisations. Your boss, the CEO of ABC Company,
has asked you to investigate the question:
'why managers should make effective communication a priority'?
In so doing she expects you to examine personal communication channels - including personal networks,
the grapevine and written communication
• What are personal communication channels?
• Individual communication styles and preferences.
• What do we mean by the grapevine?
• Different types of grapevines
• What is its role in an organisation?
Start your web-based research with a search of popular business publications, even trade journals,
professional journals and cu
ent affairs journals, for any information about workplace communication
issues. Finally, use academic research to support your findings in relation to your selected theme.
Search for 10 sources. 4-5 must be peer reviewed journal articles.
• In the reference list you need to highlight the peer reviewed references:
Smith, FC, Jones, M & Wilson, J 2016, ‘Communication in the workplace’, Journal of Communication, vol.
28, no. 2, pp XXXXXXXXXX.
Wilson, A & Smith, J 2000, 'Managing the Communication Process, Journal of Strategic Communication ,
vol. 81, no. 8, pp. 40-5.
The most important thing to remember is that:
You will be rewarded for linking ideas together to draw conclusions, and discussing the implications of
what you have described.
You will be rewarded for questioning the material that you have researched for preparing your
assignment.
You will not be rewarded for simply the number of words you write.