CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

All human interactions are forms of communication. In this business world, nothing can be achieved without effectively communicating with employers, employees, clients, suppliers, and customers. If one looks at the most successful business people in the world whether in the public or private sector, one will see people who have mastered the art of communication (Shonubi & Akintaro, 2016).

The public sector all over the world today is very challenging because of the complexity of productivity. To stay efficient while rendering services to the people, in the current highly challenging and competitive global market economy all factors of production, must be wisely managed. Among the factors of production, human resource constitutes the biggest challenge because unlike inputs, employee management demands skillful handling of thoughts, feelings and emotions to secure highest productivity. Effective organisational communication plays an important role in this challenge (Shonubi & Akintaro, 2016).

Communication is a means of bringing about change in the society or an organisation. It is the mainstream of any organisation growth. There is the need for interaction and understanding of management-employee relations this will bring about increased performance of all parties involved in the communication process or chain. Banihashemi (2014), communication is a medium, a means to an ends, or as constitutive, as the end in itself. Communication is a process of transmitting information from one person to another. Similarly, Stephen (2015) posited that communication is a critical factor in directing and mobilizing the workforce towards the accomplishments of the organisational goals or objectives. By creating understanding it enhances co-operation and promote effective performance. Moreover, Williams (2013), submitted that smart managers understand that to ensure employees’ productivity, appropriate communication between managers and employees is essential for success.

In contemporary society, organisations no longer focus only on bureaucratic and formal management and communication to achieve employees’ productivity. The interpersonal interaction among employees in the organisation is increasingly paid attention to. People do not only formally disseminate information related to work and their organisation, but also talk about themselves and their emotions. Talking about non-work related topics for social reasons occurs commonly among members of organisations. Through this kind of communication, social networks can be built among employees in the organizations to achieve better employees’ productivity (Kreps, 2017).

Organisational communication remains a vital process and mechanism for achieving high employees’ productivity. Despite the fact that the widespread literature in the field of organisation and management places emphasis on empowerment and open communication channels, observations showed that many of employees complain that their organisations fail to support their communication, and sharing information and overt and covert knowledge; which may lead to poor employees’ productivity (Pozveh & Karimi, 2016).

Therefore, the undertaking of this research will analytically assess the effect of organisational communication on employees’ productivity in the public sector.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Organisational communication and employees’ productivity in the public sector has become a herculean task to achieve. The quality and quantity of employees’ productivity by the public sector for two decades now had generated some serious national outcries. There have been sharp drop in effectiveness and efficiency with which the employees in the public sector discharge their constitutional responsibilities. This may not be totally unconnected to the poor organsational communication that exists between employees and the managers of the public sector (Uzodike & Subban, 2015).

Moreover, agitation for improved productivity in the public sector in Lagos State has remained a frequent demand by the people in the public scene. The poor state of service delivery in the public sector in Lagos state has been a source of incessant debates, as public administrators, opinion leaders, policy analysts and even humanitarian activists incessantly call on the Lagos State government to effectively communicate and articulate policies to improve on its service delivery to the people.

Furthermore, employees in public sector often complain that their organisations do not support communication and sharing of information and knowledge which are some of the reasons why change management programmes fail.

Many reasons can be given for the prevalence of in-effective internal organisational communications, which in most cases trigger off industrial unrest or conflicts between workers and their employers at any time, in various circumstances and in various organisations. But at the heart of most of these reasons almost always lies that fact that often times there are no two-way communication system.

Many industrial disputes originate due to failure in communication. In the view of Okoye (2016) communication goes beyond reception of information but understanding and feedback. Most organisational conflict has been traced to breakage in communication. In spite of the laudable roles of effective communication in improving employees’ productivity in the public sector, it is regrettable that some government departments or ministries pay lip service to the maintenance of effective communication systems.

Hence, this research study seeks to examine the effect of organisational communication on employees’ productivity in the public sector.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to examine the effect of organisational communication on employees’ productivity in the public sector. The specific objective includes;

        i.            to examine the relationship between organisational communication and employee performance in the public sector.

     ii.            to assess the relationship between organisational communication and service delivery in the work place.

   iii.            to identify the impact of communication on industrial peace/harmony in the work place

1.4       Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions;          

        i.            In what ways can organisational communication affect employees’ performances?

     ii.            How does communication affect service delivery in the work place?

   iii.            What is the relationship between communication and industrial peace/harmony in the work place?

1.5       Statement of Research Hypotheses

        i.            There is no significant relationship between organisational communication and employees’ performance.

     ii.            There is no significant relationship between communication and service delivery in the work place.

   iii.            There is no correlation between communication and industrial peace/harmony in the work place.

1.6       Significance of the Study