The Impact of the Communication Process on Organizational Effectiveness

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Citation. Mohamed A. B., Alili Z. (2025). The Impact of the Communication Process on Organizational Effectiveness. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 8(1), 1174-1187. doi: 10.56352/sei/8.1.75.

Sci. Educ. Innov. Context Mod. Probl. P-ISSN: 2790-0169 E-ISSN: 2790-0177 Issue 1, Vol. 8, 2025, IMCRA

• 1.    Introduction

• 2.    The Nature of Internal Communication

  • 2.1 . Definition of Internal Communication:

• 2.2    Elements of Internal Communication:

Formal organization relies on a set of elements and components that help achieve organizational effectiveness and efficiency, aiming to ensure continuity and adaptability to the environment. Organizational conflict requires a high degree of competence and maturity from management to control all elements related to followers within the organization, thereby managing the overall climate in a way that ensures efficiency and effectiveness, and handling conflict in a manner that saves time, effort, and money for the administration, transforming it into a positive context that fosters competitiveness and creativity.

In this context, the following question arises:

Does the internal communication network play a role in producing the components of organizational effectiveness?

Internal communication refers to the process of transferring and exchanging information within and outside the organization. It is a means of sharing ideas, directions, desires, and opinions among its members, helping to foster connection and cohesion. Through it, a manager or their assistants can influence the group towards the goal. Communication is also an important tool for bringing about change in human behavior.

• •    Sender: The individual who prepares the message. This can be one person or more acting simultaneously. The sender may also become the receiver and vice versa, as in the case of a doctor-patient interaction, where the doctor starts by sending a message and then receives a response, exchanging roles between sender and receiver.

• •    Message: Comprises a set of words, grammatical rules, ideas, the sender's appearance, body movements, voice, and aspects of personality that are apparent to the recipient. It also includes the impression the person gives about themselves (e.g., confident, fearful, hesitant) and their manner of expression, whether good or poor.

• •    Medium (Channel): The medium is the path through which the message travels from sender to receiver. Natural channels for transmitting messages include light and sound waves that allow us to see and hear others clearly. Various tools are used by people to convey their messages, such as books, newspapers, magazines, films, radio and television broadcasts, audio-visual tapes, pictures, telephones, computers, and other social media.

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• •    Receiver: The receiver analyzes and interprets messages by translating them into specific meanings. The receiver can be an individual, a group, or even an organization. As previously mentioned, the receiver can also become the sender and vice versa. The receiver's task involves three main issues: receiving the message, decoding it into meaning, and responding to the message. It is essential to explain the meaning of decoding messages by the receivers.

• •    Feedback: Feedback is another important element of communication, representing the response sent by the receiver back to the source. The importance of feedback lies in informing the sender whether the message was received and understood as intended, ensuring accurate meaning. The sender must correct any inappropriate messages and misunderstandings by the receiver and resend any messages that did not reach them accurately and specifically.

• •    Communication Environment and Context: The general climate refers to the psychological and physical surroundings in which the communication process occurs. The environment includes situations, feelings, perceptions, relationships between communicators, and characteristics of the place, such as its size, colors, and arrangement. Undoubtedly, the communication environment affects its nature and quality. For instance, delivering a scientific lesson requires a quiet, appropriate environment, not a noisy, disturbing, and confusing one.

• 3.    Models of Internal Communication

• •    Linear or Unidirectional Model: Sixty years ago, experts considered communication as an act performed by one person with another. In this model, the sender presents their ideas and feelings in a message, then transmits it through a specific medium (speech, drawing, writing...) to the receiver, who decodes it in a manner similar to what the sender intended. If the message follows a clear path without distortion, it is considered successful in achieving its purpose.

• •    Interactive Model: Since communication is more complex than previously thought, both the unidirectional and bidirectional models fall short of fully explaining this process. Communication depends on the environment in which it occurs, whether physical, social, or cultural, and on the psychological and subjective factors of both parties involved.

• •    Transactional (or Bidirectional) Model: The unidirectional model is easy to understand for explaining communication but does not accurately reflect the communication process. Communication often occurs in both directions simultaneously. In this model, the sender and receiver roles are interchangeable, with each party sending and receiving messages continuously.

• 4.    The Role of Informal Organization in Decision-Making

Often, managers are unaware of the impact that informal social organizations can have within the organization, whether in business, social, or governmental activities. To highlight some of these effects or

Sci. Educ. Innov. Context Mod. Probl. P-ISSN: 2790-0169 E-ISSN: 2790-0177 Issue 1, Vol. 8, 2025, IMCRA functions in decision-making within the organization, they can be divided into two categories: positive effects that generally support the organization's philosophy, mission, and goals, and negative effects that hinder the organization's developmental path. These are presented as follows:

Positive Effects or Functions:

Cooperation:

Cooperation is considered one of the most important elements of social interaction between individuals and informal social groups. It is the participation of two or more parties to achieve common goals. This principle lasts for a certain period based on what is exchanged among the cooperating social parties. The need for cooperation is an urgent necessity because an individual alone cannot achieve their goals without resorting to cooperation with others within a framework of mutual assistance. This assistance may be mandatory, meaning it has a formal nature, or voluntary. Cooperation is a social phenomenon that an individual learns through interaction in their social environment and through socialization institutions, including the family institution.

“Tisbet” distinguishes between three types of cooperation: traditional, contractual, and spontaneous. Informal organization falls within the framework of spontaneous cooperation, which provides noble human motivations that overcome selfishness and self-interest. Thus, this type of communication contributes to decision-making through fruitful cooperation in gathering information, discussing decisions, and ensuring their implementation as required.

Communication:

Many specialists in the field of management have highlighted the considerable benefits of informal communication to organizations, as it provides necessary channels for expression for all professional categories. It also enables the leader to listen to others and understand their emotions. Furthermore, it serves as a tool for providing information and prepares the ground for receiving unpleasant news that cannot pass through the organization’s official channels.

Communication is the fundamental pillar in information gathering, and this is what the informal organization can offer due to its flexibility, speed, and adaptability to existing organizational changes. Therefore, its effective and rational use by management can make it a key pillar in decision-making.

Supporting Organizational Goals:

Many leaders and managers believe their ideas and capabilities are sufficient to manage the organization rationally. However, studies have proven the significant influence of informal organization, both internally and externally. One study found that only 9% of managers believe that scientific knowledge and effective training are the most important determinants of career success in the public

Sci. Educ. Innov. Context Mod. Probl. P-ISSN: 2790-0169 E-ISSN: 2790-0177 Issue 1, Vol. 8, 2025, IMCRA sector, while 90% believe that experience and practice, in addition to social relationships, are among the most important determinants of career success, which is associated with informal organization.

Negative Functions:

In addition to the positive functions mentioned above, the informal organization also performs a set of negative functions with varying degrees of seriousness at the level of decision-making within the organization. This necessitates that leaders remain vigilant and alert. Experiences have confirmed the seriousness of the matter to the extent of causing the collapse of the formal organization (the entity itself). Resistance to change, organizational conflict, and the activation of work-related problems are the most important negative functions in relation to decision-making in the organization.

Resistance to Change:

Resistance to change is one of the most significant influences embraced by members of informal organizations, especially regarding organizational aspects that require the adoption of new behavioral patterns or incoming values. This resistance takes various forms, such as high employee turnover, job instability, decreased performance levels, and subsequently lower productivity rates. The extent of resistance varies depending on the nature of the change—some are considered important and thus resisted, while others are deemed trivial and ignored.

Contrary to popular belief, not all resistance to change is inherently negative. It is logical to resist all forms of change that affect the credibility of the informal organization and its material and moral gains, as these are perceived as changes into the unknown.

Conflict:

Informal organization plays a pivotal role in generating organizational conflict, which takes various forms and patterns, whether at the individual level, among workgroups, or at the organizational level as a whole. There is both implicit and explicit conflict. Informal organization holds a significant responsibility in this regard, whether it's linked to increased employee turnover or to the communication aspects of social interaction among members within the organization.

Undoubtedly, there are disruptions related to employee performance, intense negative competition over scarce resources within the organization, and attempts by informal organization members to control areas of uncertainty to gain power and influence to ensure continuity and stability. The role of these organizations becomes more negative when they assume the role of unions and engage in protests and strikes that disrupt the organizational climate.

Activating Work-Related Problems:

Work-related problems are linked to organizational and social aspects that employees within the organization suffer from. These are numerous and varied, including continuous absenteeism, high

Sci. Educ. Innov. Context Mod. Probl. P-ISSN: 2790-0169 E-ISSN: 2790-0177 Issue 1, Vol. 8, 2025, IMCRA turnover rates, occupational injuries and illnesses, and fluctuating wage levels that do not align with purchasing power, creating a problem of economic and social security for employees.

Here, the informal organization plays a negative role by reactivating these problems to serve its interests, particularly in the form of union organizations that express their rejection through protests and strikes that affect the organization's stability and threaten its very existence.

Second: Organizational Effectiveness

• 1.    Concept of Organizational Effectiveness:

• 2.    Sociological Approaches to Studying Organizational Effectiveness:

One modern definition is given by “Mills,” who defines it as “the ability to achieve a minimum level of satisfaction of the desires and aspirations of stakeholders.” These stakeholders include individuals, interest groups, owners, customers, suppliers, importers, and competitors.

• •    Social Function Approach:

These approaches rely on a model of organizational effectiveness that goes beyond mere job satisfaction of organization members. It encompasses a broader area of social functions and public services provided by the organization to society, of which it is a part. This approach sees the organization as an open system that considers its reciprocal relationship with the surrounding environment, thus contributing to the success of the organization overall.

• •    Dysfunction Analysis Model (Charles Perrow):

Perrow believes that most effectiveness studies are a kind of variable analysis, where the focus is on isolating variables related to measuring effectiveness. Instead, he proposed a model that focuses on analyzing overall dysfunction, seeking to answer the question: “Effectiveness for whom?” Dysfunction analysis is used as a method of isolation.

• •    Parsons’ Systems Model:

Parsons views organizations as social systems that exchange energy and components among themselves, consisting of interdependent subsystems and units. They must solve four main problems:

• •    Adaptation to face challenges and rapid environmental changes.

• •    Goal attainment by defining objectives and directing resources toward achieving them.

• •    Integration through coordination and unification of relationships between individuals and the system in one entity.

• •    Latency or pattern maintenance to preserve the organization's motivations and patterns.

• 3.    Methods for Measuring Organizational Effectiveness:

Effectiveness is measured by the extent to which these problems are resolved and the organization's contribution to stabilizing the larger system (society), with attention to feedback and organizational learning from past experiences.

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In order to use organizational effectiveness as a means of assessing how well an organization achieves its goals, adapts to its environment, and grows and develops rationally, a set of indicators or measurement tools must be adopted, including:

• •    Determining the Type of Goals and Measuring Their Achievement:

There are two types of goals for measuring organizational effectiveness. The first are formal goals, which can be easily identified through official documents of the organization such as charters, internal regulations, and other documents adopted by top management.

The second are operational or actual goals, which are represented by indicators such as production levels, productivity, and the quantity and quality of goods and services provided to the market within a specific timeframe. These indicators, especially when subjected to objective analysis, provide a true picture of the organization’s success in achieving its goals—whether formally documented or observed through practical follow-up.

Thus, the degree of organizational effectiveness lies in its ability to invest in the available resources and capabilities. This becomes evident through solving various problems and addressing different organizational phenomena that hinder the actual achievement of objectives. The more an organization achieves what is known as dynamic interaction while maintaining dynamic balance, the more capable it becomes of using those various resources more effectively and efficiently.

• •    Measuring Adaptability:

• 4.    Factors Influencing the Measurement of Organizational Success and Effectiveness:

(Mott) pointed out that adaptability is very important in measuring organizational effectiveness. It is the organization’s ability to anticipate and detect internal problems that threaten it, as well as external threats it may face in the near or distant future. This enables continuous efforts to find solutions and methods to control these various problems. This highlights a fundamental truth that constantly accompanies an organization in its pursuit of achieving various objectives—its ability to meet the needs of its employees and maintain their morale to push forward toward development and progress

• •    Technical and Technological Factors:

These consist of all elements related to buildings, equipment, machines, tools, working conditions, and the general climate.

• •    Factors Related to Human Resources:

These particularly include the moral aspect of employees, issues related to their attitudes, motivations, desires, and needs, as well as the networks and quality of communication available to them.

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It also includes types of organizational conflict, the work environment, methods and approaches to handling different organizational problems, and negative phenomena occurring in workplaces.

• •    Factors Related to Organizational Outputs:

These include the feedback received from beneficiaries or the external environment in general— whether in terms of integration or adaptation to their actual needs, or the organization’s continuous and consistent ability to meet satisfaction at the right time and in the predetermined place, and of course, at an appropriate price. These variables, results, and effects are of utmost importance in creating a purposeful and rational alignment between the organization and its environment by providing a set of requirements responsible for achieving its goals.

Here, it becomes evident that these variables and factors have a two-way, interactive effect in determining the organization's capabilities and its ability to continuously increase its effectiveness and efficiency.

It is also essential to note that the intended impact in the realm of effectiveness is a positive one. There are many actions that only leave negative impacts, but these cannot be described as “effective,” as effectiveness is inherently a positive concept. It increases as the impact becomes deeper, broader, more beneficial, longer-lasting, and more aligned with existing and prevailing values.

Third: Human Resources

• 1.    Concept of Human Resources:

• 2.    Human Resources and the Major Challenges They Face:

Human resources are the total number of individuals making up the workforce in a particular institution, business sector, or economy. Some use the term “human capital” interchangeably with “human resources,” although human capital typically refers to a narrower perspective. Other terms sometimes used include: workforce, talent, labor, or personnel.

Human resource management faces numerous significant challenges, especially as the objectives and processes of HR evolve and become more complex. Some of the most important challenges include:

• •    Technological development, which has brought about radical changes in organizational structures, particularly in business organizations.

• •    Cultural diversity, due to the perceived differences among employees, especially in terms of age, job specialization, profession, and gender.

• •    Economic conditions, such as recession or boom cycles. For example, the global economic crisis has had major impacts on HR management. Some large companies, like General Motors, announced their intention to cut nearly 10,000 jobs at the beginning of 2009, similar to what Nissan announced around the same time.

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There are two groups of factors to consider when planning human resources: internal and external influences.

• •    Internal Influences:

These are organizational factors related to the internal environment that affect the determination of the quantity and quality of future HR needs. The key internal factors include:

• •    Organizational goals: These form the main base for identifying required HR types and qualifications. However, HR management often finds it difficult to plan for itself based on organizational needs alone.

• •    Financial status: The organization’s financial capacity affects its ability to plan and define HR needs. It also impacts other key activities like recruitment, retention, training programs, and incentive levels.

• •    Organizational changes: These include employee redistribution or structural changes, which influence HR demand, especially in terms of training, development, and adapting to workforce turnover.

• •    Workload: The volume of required human resources may depend on the type, scope, and intensity of the tasks or activities to be completed, ensuring sufficient staffing to meet work demands.

• •    External Influences:

The size and composition of an organization’s human resources may also be affected by changes in its external environment. The most important external influences include:

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• •    Economic factors: Conditions like inflation or high unemployment rates can create a surplus in the labor market, giving organizations a better chance to select qualified personnel.

• •    National labor policies: These include labor laws, regulations, minimum wage requirements, and policies related to employment.

• •    Technological factors: The type and extent of technology used may influence both the quantity and quality of human resources needed, as well as the training and development programs required.

• •    Labor market conditions: These reflect supply and demand changes in the labor market, affecting the organization’s ability to meet its HR needs.

• •    Social factors: These include demographic movements and internal migration, which influence the availability or shortage of human resources in different regions, and consequently, impact the organization as a whole.

• 4.    The Role of Human Resource Management in the Organization’s Overall Strategy:

Human Resource Management (HRM) plays an important and central role in shaping and reinforcing the overall strategy of the organization by actively participating in implementing this strategy. This is achieved by aligning and integrating its functional strategies—whether related to recruitment, hiring, training, or promotion—with the organization’s general strategy.

In this context, Dessler states that the role of HRM in formulating and building the overall strategy of the organization and executing it includes the following:

• •    HR’s Role in Strategy Formulation and Development:

Formulating the organization's strategic plan necessitates identifying and analyzing the alignment between two types of forces in the external environment: threats and risks on one hand, and opportunities on the other, simultaneously with internal environmental factors such as strengths and weaknesses.

Here, HRM can play a distinct role in conducting environmental scanning, which enables the organization to analyze and identify various external opportunities and threats that significantly influence the success or failure of the organization.

HRM can also participate strongly in formulating the organization's overall strategy by providing valuable information about the internal environment—its strengths and weaknesses—and working to create opportunities for improving internal conditions.

• •    HR’s Role in Strategy Implementation:

Strategy implementation is the core function where HRM can significantly contribute. For example, the competitive strategy of Federal Express (FedEx) is to offer services superior to competitors, particularly through excellent customer service and precise, on-time deliveries. Since the technology

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This imposes significant constraints and pressures on HRM to develop a committed and capable workforce aligned with customer expectations. Furthermore, HRM supports strategy implementation by aligning its operations with various strategic plans such as downsizing, restructuring, and ensuring employees are placed in roles that match their personal qualifications. It also involves creating appropriate compensation plans while reducing healthcare costs and employee training expenses.

Fourth: Organizational Structure

• 1.    Concept of Organizational Structure:

The organizational structure is a framework that defines the divisions, units, and administrative departments making up the organization, arranged hierarchically in a pyramid shape. These levels are connected by lines of formal authority, through which orders, instructions, and directives flow from top to bottom. This structure also clarifies decision-making points and centers of power and responsibility.

The structure is based on three organizational principles:

• •    Administrative hierarchy

• •    Unity of command and authority

• •    Centralization of authority in a single leadership, which then delegates to lower levels

• 2.    Stages of Preparing the Organizational Structure:

• 1 .Defining the objectives to be achieved:

• 2 .Setting     sub-goals     and     policies     based     on     the     main     objectives:

• 3 .Identifying the necessary activities to achieve the objectives and policies, and classifying and segmenting them:

• 4 .Grouping tasks into units or teams (formation of organizational units): After dividing and segmenting all activities, a considerable number of detailed, specialized jobs emerge, EX

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• 3 . Factors Influencing the Determination of Organizational Structure:

These objectives form the broad framework that the organization aims to accomplish and represent the reasons for its existence and continuity.

Sub-goals are determined based on the organization’s general goals and mission. These are developed across different organizational levels, forming an interconnected chain where each level sets its objectives in line with the one above.

Based on the organization’s general and sub-goals—as well as the relevant policies and plans—its primary activities must be defined. These are then broken down into secondary activities and functions until specific duties, tasks, and responsibilities are determined. These become the job functions assigned to individuals within the organization.

forming unrelated parts of the organization’s total activity. To implement this activity, tasks are arranged in a specific sequence or structure. The importance of grouping similar tasks into departments becomes clear, with a specific individual assigned to supervise each group.

Designing the organizational structure is influenced by several factors. There is no fixed or standard structure in terms of number of levels, communication lines, or decision-making processes. Thus, defining a structure depends on various factors that differ across organizations. Generally, the following are key influencing factors:

• •    Size of the organization:

Small or medium-sized organizations don’t require large structures as they may only involve a few activities and departments. In contrast, larger organizations with extensive operations require larger structures to manage the workload and broader activities.

• •    Nature of production or services:

The organizational structure varies depending on whether it is a service or production-oriented organization. Business organizations also differ based on product variety or production lines. Greater product diversity demands a wider and more complex structure.

• •    Level of technology:

Organizations heavily reliant on technology typically need fewer workers, as much of the work is automated. Conversely, low-tech organizations require more manual labor and, therefore, a broader organizational structure with more departments to meet service needs.

• •    Geographic distribution:

Organizations operating across multiple regions will require a more complex structure with diverse and larger departments compared to organizations confined to one location.

• •    Organizational lifespan:

Organizations vary in terms of lifespan:

• o         The first type has no fixed duration and is considered permanent.

• o         The second type has a limited duration, meaning it is temporary.

• 4 . Designing the Organizational Structure:

The organizational structure can be designed and developed based on one of the following three approaches, each representing a particular model:

• •    Executive Organizational Structure:

Also known as the vertical, military, or authoritarian structure, this is one of the oldest forms of organizational structures. It is based on centralized authority and a hierarchical chain of command that

Sci. Educ. Innov. Context Mod. Probl. P-ISSN: 2790-0169 E-ISSN: 2790-0177 Issue 1, Vol. 8, 2025, IMCRA links all administrative levels within the organizational network. In this model, every superior holds absolute authority to direct subordinates, and authority flows directly and continuously from the top to the bottom of the pyramid. This structure lacks advisory personnel and is best suited to small, simple organizations where quick decision-making and unified command are critical.

Main drawbacks:

• •    Heavy burden on top executives due to lack of advisory support

• •    Lack of specialization and division of labor

• •    Unsuitable for large organizations that adopt decentralization

• •    Functional Organizational Structure:

This model emphasizes specialization by dividing the organization's activities into core and subsidiary functions. Each activity is assigned to a specific administrative unit led by a manager who specializes in that area and has full authority to make decisions and give orders—but only within their area of expertise and designated powers.

Advantages:

• •    Promotes specialization and its associated benefits

Disadvantages:

• •    Can lead to duplication of authority and conflicting orders from different managers

• •    Advisory Organizational Structure:

This structure involves supplementing the executive organization with a group of advisors—such as legal or technical consultants—or administrative units like research and studies departments. These provide general advice and guidance to departments and managers, helping to perform tasks more effectively while reducing workload and work-related stress. It enables rational time use and the making of objective, effective decisions. This model is the most common in both academic and administrative fields compared to the previous two.

Conclusion:

Organizational effectiveness is one of the most crucial goals that institutions strive to achieve. This is done using a set of scientific and practical standards and tools aimed at improving efficiency. Among the key supporting factors is the development of an effective communication network within the organization.

A flexible communication network, in which information flows appropriately and reaches decisionmakers on time, coupled with the delegation of authority to the right individuals (avoiding overcentralization that leads to mental fatigue among leaders), enables the issuance of orders and instructions in the right direction. This, in turn, helps the organization stand out and achieve significant progress in its operations.

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All of this is supported by the qualified human resource element, which can utilize the available resources of the organization to achieve the desired effectiveness in a way that aligns with its capabilities—within the smooth flow of internal and external communication systems of the organization.