Section 1: Introduction
The competitive business environment is characterized by factors that are within or beyond the control of managers. Businesses are striving to survive in the dynamic environment by adjusting and adapting to the rapid changes that are affecting the functionality and operability of most organization ( Carnall, 2018 ). Such implies that organizations are necessitated to remain flexible. Any organization with a fixed concept, goals, and objectives is doomed to fail in the end. With the idea of viability and sustainability becoming a critical aspect of business discourse, managers and business leaders are devising ways of staying in line with the current trends. One of the ways that organizations are considering is revising the goals and objectives. Businesses have similar goals depending on the creators’ motivation and inspiration to establish a business ( Carnall, 2018 ). However, in achieving the objectives and goals, managers and business owners take different approaches. Some leaders prefer to create goals that will take an extended period to attain, while others consider a short period for achieving specific goals.
To stay put with the rapid changes in the local and global business system, organizations must consider changing their methods and techniques ( Cameron & Green, 2015 ). Changes ensure that the business gains a competitive edge over its rivals. However, managing or successfully initiating change in a well-established organization is a big challenge for most organizations. As such, before enacting any reform in the business, it is important to enlighten the stakeholders by giving substantial reasons for the change. Organizational change can only be supported if all the stakeholders on board unanimously agreed to support the changes ( Cameron & Green, 2015 ). Disputes and internal acrimony on the policies and actions taken by the business may sabotage the attainment of organizational goals. In other words, stakeholders must be convinced on the need to have a change in the organization. Studies have shown that business organization that has an effective communication plan is three times more likely to manage and overcome crises and challenges ( Cameron & Green, 2015 ).
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As mentioned earlier, changes can be necessary for an organization. Various reasons can instigate the need for change. First, a crisis can be unseen or seen depending on the nature of the business. For example, events that were unfolded by the terrorist attack on September 11 led to dramatic changes in business organizations such as the airline companies. The government also introduced stricter measures to curb both domestic and international terrorism. Such events affected the business activities of many organizations with many managers complaining of reduced profits and loss of revenues. Another aspect of the crisis that may require an organization to change its practices is a financial and economic crisis. The lexicon of the financial crisis has always led to discussions on the best way to manage the situation ( Hayes, 2018) . In most cases, organizations have tried to find ways of remaining viable by taking measures that enhance business survival.
The performance gaps can instigate change in the organization. When businesses are created, the owners have expectations on the business performance regarding aspects such as profit margin, market capitalization, shares, and customer loyalty. Therefore, when a chasm exists between the business and the expectations, it is incumbent upon the owner or managers to fill the fault lines by revising and reviewing the strategies ( Hayes, 2018) . Organizational needs can only be met when all leaks are plugged. Plugging the holes may require a different approach compared to the previously established methods of mitigating the problem. The last issue that may lead to an organizational change in this context is new technologies. Technologies enhance efficacy and efficiency in production and performance of work. Adapting new technology in an organization requires the full support of stakeholders ( Hayes, 2018) . The business owners must justify to the stakeholders why the organization is better placed by adopting a specific technology.
The stakeholders in a business are the individuals whose direct or indirect input affects the company. In the real world, the stakeholders in the business include the managers, employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders and the community ( Matos, Simoes, & Esposito, 2014 ). The business has the duty of ensuring that all the needs of the stakeholders are met. The level of influence of the stakeholders in the business varies. Such implies that some stakeholders are more influential than the others. It means that when a company wants to make changes in its policies and practices, the information will be communicated to the stakeholders at different times using different communication channels ( Matos, Simoes, & Esposito, 2014 ). In many businesses, the primary stakeholders include the employees and the shareholders. The significance of the two groups is predicated on the level of influence they can exert on the business. Successful implementation of change depends on employees’ support. The shareholders have voting rights and must be consulted if the business wants to enact change. The support or opposition of the plan has immense effects on the business.
A communication plan is instrumental in enacting changes in the organization. An effective and robust communication plan concerning organizational changes aims at ensuring that the stakeholders receive timely information and feedbacks ( Felix & Stolarz, 2013) . The plan also sets a way of removing communication barriers that can hinder the business prospects of the organization. The plan defines specific information that will be disseminated to particular individuals regarding proposed changes in the organization. The plan will also explore on the power or authority that is vested in individuals regarding the release of confidential information to the stakeholders. Additionally, the plan will define the communication channels that are effective on three aspects including security of the information, solicitation of feedback, and documentation and preservation of the information for future reference.
Section 2: Relevant Documents
Creating a communication plan requires a focus on two fundamental aspects of business existence. These aspects are a strong foundation upon which the business stands. The justification of the communication plan should be predicated on legal and ethical focus. The legal system is diverse and touches across all sectors of the nation. The legislators have formulated regulations that govern operations of the businesses ( Felix & Stolarz, 2013) . Agencies have been established to ensure that business organizations comply with the set regulations and standards. For instance, in the context of change due to new technology, the organization must ensure that the technology will enhance the safety and security of the workers. It means that the business managers or individual tasked with the process of implementing changes in the organization must refer to the regulations and standards stipulated in the laws and Acts. Failure of the business to comply with the regulations is detrimental due to the legal consequences it may suffer.
The important document that the business must examine is more of an internal factor, the organizational beliefs, values, and cultures. It is anticipated that organizations have a strong set of beliefs, values, and cultures that make them unique and outstanding. A person may fail to fit into another organization due to disparities in the organizational culture ( Felix & Stolarz, 2013) . However, the common ground for organizational culture, beliefs, and values is the ethical focus. Communication is one aspect that should be rooted on ethical grounds. It is particularly important considering the credibility and authenticity of the information. Both consequential and non-consequential ethical approaches should be used when defining the communication mechanisms in the organization ( Felix & Stolarz, 2013) . From this perspective, the information that is released to the stakeholders should be credible and verifiable. The credibility of the information promotes harmonization of ideas. Cooked and fake information regarding business practices is an issue that the public domain is well aware of, something that affects the public image of organizations that are implicated in such frauds.
Section 3: Methods
Initiating communication plan is a multistep procedure that involves various individuals and departments within the organization. Business enterprises have different departments tasked with specific functions including the finance department, human resource department, sales, and marketing department, and the public relations department. Before initiating a communication plan, it is of paramount significance to bring on board all the departments of the organization ( Moshiri & Cardon, 2014 ). In the boardroom meeting, the various managers and key figures within the department can deliberate on the best strategies that would suit the interests of all stakeholders. The delegation of duties in the organization means that each unit or sector has its unique and distinct requirements. Communicating impending changes in the entity is construed from different angles ( Moshiri & Cardon, 2014 ). For example, when the organization plans of acquiring new technology, the acquisition has impacts on the financial and human resource department. The finance department is tasked with appropriating funds for the purchase. Conversely, the human resource department might have to hire experts who will work with the new technology or train the existing workers.
Initiating the communication plan in the context of organizational change continues to the next step, which is the analysis of the suggested strategies. As expected, the different departments will offer a wide array of suggestions on the communication plan. All the suggestions should be treated equally and given the weight they deserve. After a comprehensive analysis of the different opinions, a decision should be made on the most appropriate and effective communication strategy ( Moshiri & Cardon, 2014 ). An impasse should be broken in case the members fail to agree on the best method. Once the best approach has been chosen and agreed upon, the communication director is tasked with the duty of ensuring that information moves to the target audience on time with an efficient communication method.
The techniques to be used with the stakeholders are premised on the established methods of communications ( Coombs, 2014 ). The two communication strategies that are critical in this context are electronic and non-electronic form. In communicating with the stakeholders, various factors should be considered. For example, some of the older generations are more likely accustomed to traditional methods of communication such as television and radio announcements, direct mails, or convention of a meeting where the message is disseminated. On the other hand, the new generation, an especially the millennials are more attached to the digital disruption that has revolutionized communication strategies ( Jensen, 2013 ). As such, the young generation and old generation who have a bend to the inevitable force of the digital era will acknowledge the essence of methods such as emails, text messages, teleconferencing, and social media. However, the choice of communication technique is contingent on the nature of the message and specific target audience ( Jensen, 2013 ). A confidential message concerning the change in the processes and procedures of the organization will be communicated through individualized emails assigned to the critical stakeholders in business such as the managers and the shareholders.
The methods of relaying information to the stakeholders will also allow factor in the response or feedback. The response or feedback that arises from the information disseminated is crucial when making important decisions in the organization. As such, the communication plans not only works to the effect that stakeholders are enlightened on the changes in the organization but also the thoughts, opinions, and sentiments of the concerned parties ( Lando, 2014 ). Feedback can highlight loopholes or concerns that should be fixed for the change to be successful. In other words, the method chosen should allow for feedback from the targeted audiences. The most appropriate means of business communication in the context of enacting organizational change include text, voice calls, video calls, and in-person.
Conducting the procedure requires stakeholder management approach for the communication plan to be effective. The first management approach that should be taken is to identify the stakeholders in the business. Generally, the majority of the companies have the same range of stakeholders. However, disparities are evidenced by the nature of the business ( Jensen, 2013 ). For example, a business may not have the immediate community as its primary stakeholder. Such implies that when making changes in the organization, the community will be last on the line to receive the information regarding the proposed changes. On the other hand, the employees who play a significant role in the execution of the changes will be on the top priority of receiving the information regarding the new proposals.
The second approach that should be taken by the management is the level of influence each stakeholder has on the business ( Lando, 2014 ). The level of stakeholders’ influence on the business determines the accessibility of private and confidential information. A stakeholder with high-security clearance will access information regarding the business secrets such as patents and innovations. Conversely, the least significant stakeholder in the business will receive such information last or may never receive the information at all. The level of influence in the business is mostly determined the owners of the business ( Lando, 2014 ). For instance, the highest shareholder in the business has more powers when it comes to discussing the progress and the future of the organization. Such a majority shareholder can receive information that may be concealed from other individuals within the organization due to prevailing conditions or the nature of the information and risks associated with its possession.
Section 4: Analysis of Pros and Cons of the Suggested Communication Methods
The text is one of the most convenient ways of relaying information to the stakeholders. The text messages can be sent to the target audience in the form of email, social media, and SMS platform. As a written communication, the text has both the merits and limitations that should be considered when using it as the primary method of relaying information to the stakeholders. The first advantage of the text is that it gets straight to the point of discussion or concern. The concise message that is contained in the text insulates it from imminent divergent views that may arise. Perhaps, this is the most appropriate way of passing information to the stakeholders in cases where immediate actions need to be taken such as when responding to the emergency crisis. The management of the organization can act swiftly to emergencies with limited restrictions from the stakeholders, hence saving the business from collapsing. The second advantage of texts is that messages are recorded. In relaying messages, the stakeholders are expected to react or respond based on the content of the message. The response from the stakeholder depends on how each person interprets the messages. Cases have been reported on disputes and conflicts that affect the peace of organizations due to miscommunication arising from the misinterpretation of messages ( Coombs, 2014 ). The records of message allow for references. A written message enhances precision on how people speak, their thoughts and how to convey the information. All these aspects of communication are imperative if any success is to be achieved by the intended message. Text messages and especially emails lead organization of content into paragraphs and sections. As such, the coherence of information is promoted through text messages.
The cons of text-based messages include the lack of tone. The tone is fundamental as it stresses or emphasizes the key points that should be understood. Lack of tone can lead to disparities in the interpretation of the messages. Another demerit of text-based communication is that is can lead to miscommunication due to misspelling which can distort the entire message. Instances, where implementation of change has forestalled due to misspelling, are frequent in the business scenes, an element that has worked to the detriment of the organization ( Coombs, 2014 ). Communication requires personal interaction, and especially those that require the input or feedback of the target audience. Emails and text are impersonal due to restrained face-to-face interaction.
The second method of communication that can be used is through voice. Voice as a method of communication can be achieved through automated voice calls or regular phone calls. Whereas, the text has monopolized communication, at times voice calls is still an effective and efficient method of communicating with the stakeholders in the business ( Baker et al., 2014 ). The first advantage of voice calls is that it hones the element of tone that is critical in communication. The tone used when passing down information to the stakeholders enables the target audience to differentiate between the essential points of the message. Another advantage of voice calls is that the information can be passed to the many stakeholders concurrently through call conferencing. Such implies that the stakeholders can give their opinions instantly regarding the point of discussion or issues at hand. Voice calls have some disadvantages that affect its credibility as a communication method. The first demerit of the voice call is its propensity to attract interruptions. Interruptions may lead to the distortion and misinterpretation of information. Another fault of the voice call is that it depends on the interplay of factors such as background noise, connection problems, and accents. A person may fail to get the message due to any of the mentioned issues.
The third communication method whose use has proliferated in the business scene is voice calls. With many organizations turning to computers and smartphones, video conferencing has been made easier. The advantage of video calls is that it enhances interaction as the people can see each other including the body language. Video calls can be used to relay information to multiple individuals through video conferencing. Some of the shortcomings of video calls are that it requires stable and efficient internet, which may be unavailable in some areas. Video conferencing is relatively expensive compared to other means of communication.
The last communication technique is face-to-face communication. In-person communication is particularly important in cases where direct feedback is required. Face to face; communication is characterized by tone, facial expression, and body language, which is imperative when relaying critical information to the stakeholders ( Coombs, 2014 ). A connection issue that mars video calls is eliminated through in-person communication. The disadvantages of in-person communication include the impossibility of having all the stakeholders in the same meeting due to different individual schedules and locations. It is also difficult to keep track of individual interpretation of the information unless notes are taken.
Section 5: Conclusion
The communication plan is drafted to assist the organization to counter the challenges that it may face when implementing changes. The comprehensive communication plan considers all the factors that may promote or hinder communication in the business organization. The plan focuses on the stakeholders, type of information to be relayed, and the means or techniques of disseminating the information to the stakeholders. As envisioned in the communication plan, it anticipated that the organization would achieve its organizational goals through robust communication strategies. The stakeholder management approaches play an instrumental role in the initiation of the communication plan. The management approach that is effective in this communication plan is the identification of all the stakeholders and the level of influence. The level of influence determines the type of information receives, as some stakeholders are more important and significant in the organization than others.
References
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