This paper discusses the importance of effective communication as it relates to business management, based on the claims department of Southern California Edison (SCE).
This paper explores the different variables that come into play in determining the level of efficiency and effectiveness achieved in the communication process by analyzing one successful and one unsuccessful communication example from the experience of the SCE claims department.
“Take, for example, the fact that the organization has invested money, time, and effort in creating a pleasant ergonomic environment that would help employees work more effectively, encourage teamwork and “over-the-back-fence” conversation (Herman Miller, 2004). Of course, many other factors besides the physical environment affect communication such as attentive listening, nonverbal communication, semantics, cultural differences, timely feedback, and status effects. Communication, therefore, is an art that needs to be constantly cultivated and encouraged. Perhaps the fact that communication is easier said than done explains why for every example of successful communication in the SCE Claims Department, there is an unsuccessful one. It is not simply a question of the right or wrong use of key elements of the communication process. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that there are just too many variables involved, including the channel used. Indeed, the very effectiveness and efficiency of communication depends on getting all factors such as the proficiency of the sender, the decoding ability of the receiver, the environment, and the channel right.”