Answer To: Identify a relevant communication issue in your organization (in a unit of it, or on a team) that ...
Asif answered on Apr 06 2023
RUNNING HEAD: Communication 1
Communication 2
Using a Problem-solving Approach to Address a Significant Communication Issue
HSAD 305 Assignment 3
Course Name and Number:
Instructor’s Name:
Student’s Name:
Date:
Executive Summary
This paper addresses a communication issue in Walmart that involves a lack of clarity in project expectations and goals among team members. The contributing circumstances relevant to the problem include ambiguous project requirements, poor communication channels, varying communication styles among team members, and external factors. To address these issues, the paper recommends the establishment of clear communication channels and expectations, the use of effective communication skills, conflict resolution strategies, and effective time management skills to ensure adequate time for communication and working towards shared goals.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 2
Introduction 4
Purpose 4
Analyzing the Issue and Contributing Circumstances 5
Issue 5
Contributing Circumstances: 6
Goals and Strategies to Address the Issue 8
Strategies to Achieve Goals 9
Integrating the Key Elements of the Course 12
Conclusion and Recommendations 13
References 14
Introduction
Effective communication is a significant process of swapping sentiments, philosophies, knowledge, views and information to receive and understand the message with clarity and purpose. Therefore, effective communication is decisive for the success of any organization. But, communication issues/problems can arise in a team, unit, or department, leading to confusion, misunderstandings and reduced productivity (Verhoeven & Madsen, 2022). This paper will address a communication issue in Walmart that involves a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities among the sales department team members. This paper will also analyze the contributing circumstances relevant to the communication problem, including external factors that affect the company’s functioning and the personalities involved. Moreover, three clear goals will be set to address the issue and create specific strategies to implement to meet these goals. Finally, the critical elements of the course will be integrated to address the communication issue.
Figure 1: Importance of Communication
(Source: Mason, & Reeson, 2016).
Purpose: The primary purpose/objective of this paper is to analyze and address a communication issue while integrating critical elements of the course.
Analyzing the Issue and Contributing Circumstances
Issue:
Walmart is one of the leading, largest, and fast-growing American Multinational Retail companies founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Today, it is the biggest retailer, with over 11,000 stores in 27 countries. The company provides various products, including clothing, electronics, groceries, pharmacy products/services, and home goods. The company strongly focuses on low prices and aims to provide its customers with the best possible value. Overall, Walmart is a significant player in the retail industry, focusing on low prices, innovation, and customer satisfaction (Walmart, 2023).
Figure 2: Walmart Worldwide Revenue FY2012- FY2023
(Source: Ozboun, 2022).
The above statistics show the company’s revenue is 611 billion U.S. dollars worldwide. The company has increased its revenues by seven per cent compared to 2022. Hence, it is considered one of the most valuable brands in the world (Ozboun, 2022). Moreover, it is analyzed that the company’s sales department has a communication issue involving a lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities among team members, resulting in reduced work productivity, conflicts over parts, un-empowered employees and a lack of motivation among salespeople (Musheke & Phiri, 2021).
Contributing Circumstances:
The contributing circumstances relevant to this issue include:
Poor Communication Channels:
It can be defined as a situation where various factors like physical distance, technological limitations, language barriers and cultural differences hinder communication among team members, groups, or individuals. Due to these circumstances, the message cannot be conveyed entirely and accurately, leading to misunderstandings or conflicts among the team members. For example, Walmart is a multinational company with offices and branches in countries (like the UK, Chile, Canada, India, China and South Africa). The sales team is working on a new project in China. Nevertheless, communication is becoming challenging due to time zone differences and language barriers (Cohn, 2007).
If the team in another country sends emails, it takes more than two days to respond due to the time and language difference. Additionally, the emails include some technical terms that the team misunderstood, leading to miscommunication. On the other hand, cultural difference is another factor that breaks communication. The above scenario shows that poor communication channels could result in delays, errors, and loss of productivity, among other negative consequences. At the same time, it is also essential to know that most team members rely on diverse communication channels, leading to misunderstandings, confusion and misperceptions. For example, some sales team members prefer to communicate via email, while others prefer face-to-face communication (Shrivastava & Prasad, 2019).
Lack of Formalized Job Descriptions:
This can be defined as a situation where a company or organization does not have a clear, comprehensive job description outlining the duties, qualifications, responsibilities, functions and other details related to a particular job. This...