End Of Semester Exam Assignment Organizational Communication Course

END OF SEMESTER EXAM ASSIGNMENT ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION COURSE Questions: 1. Identify what is the organizational communication problem in the school in the case above! Explain and give reasons why you categorize it as an organizational communication problem! 2. What kind of communication should the principal do to dynamize the performance of teachers and education personnel in the school? Why? 3. Here, you are required to describe and explain the organizational communication tactics and games that can be done in an organization. (5) what can an organization do to gain an advantage or to protect itself? (6) what are the main organizational communication games you see in an organization? (7) what games or tactics can you do to make a difference in an organization? (8) in the context of organizational education, think about the extent to which organizational communication has gone well or badly and explain why (9) imagine, how does a boss view organizational communication in an organization? (10) is he/she a victim of organizational communication or a skilled player? Explain your answers in English or Indonesian. Answer: 1. Before answering the problems in the case, it is better to understand the definition of organizational communication itself. Communication or in English written communication, is defined by Hafied Cangara (in Prietsawany, 2021, p. 1) as an effort to make togetherness or build togetherness between two or more people. Another definition is presented by Berelson & Stainer (in Prietsawany, 2021, p. 1) who say communication is a process of conveying information, ideas, emotions, expertise, and others. Weaver himself defines communication as a procedure by which a person's thoughts can influence others. Based on several expert opinions, we can conclude that communication is a method or procedure carried out between two or more people to influence each other's thoughts either directly or through media. The organization itself is a container or place for several people who have the same interests and goals to work together in achieving their goals. Organizational communication means a process of conveying information from one person to many people who work together to achieve the desired results. In the activities of an organization or institution, especially an organization that focuses on educational management, it certainly will not be separated from the communication process that occurs. Sutisna (in Prieisawany, 2021, p. 13) suggests that "formal communication occurs in selecting information for reporting purposes, irregularities can easily sneak up. Furthermore, people usually want to hear favorable reports. As a result, there is often a transfer of embellished or biased information". Informal communication itself is expressed by Ukas (in Prietsawany, 2021, p. 13) which explains that informal communication is unofficial communication and occurs when organizations exchange thoughts, suggestions, ideas or information privately. This informal communication is of course carried out freely and more familially, for example in daily conversations over lunch, so that the flow of communication that occurs is more familiar and serves to build bonds and friendships than when communicating in a formal atmosphere. If a leader pays more attention to informal communication, he will know the interests and concerns of personnel as well as the attitudes of members towards the organization and the problems they are facing. Therefore, an education management will be successful if there is a good communication process (formal and informal) where ideas are discussed between leaders and members to find the right solution to the problems being faced. In the case study above, a principal complained that he felt antagonized and disliked by the teachers at the school. After communication through the media, a direct interview was conducted to find the cause of why this happened. The teachers at the school revealed that the work system implemented by the principal did not suit them. The principal's work system, which is too democratic and free, does not suit the teachers who are not used to it because they usually always have clear directions. In my opinion, based on the explanation above, the problem faced by the principal is the incompatibility of the work climate that he applies to the teachers at the school. Miller (in Dian, 2020, p. 68) explains that work climate is a fundamental spirit value in how to manage a relationship and organize it. Another opinion related to work climate is given by Wirawan (in Dian, 2020, p. 69) who explains that work climate is the perception of organizational members (individually and in groups) and those who remain in contact with the organization (e.g. suppliers, consumers, consultants, and contractors) about what exists or what happens in the internal environment of the organization on a routine basis, which ultimately affects organizational attitudes and behavior and the performance of organizational members who then find organizational performance. Steve Keineer (in Dian, 2020, p. 69) quoted from the Dimensions of Work Climate (Martinz & Shilpzand, 2015) states that there are six dimensions of work climate that mutually influence the performance of organizational members, including: • Flexibility Conformity (flexibility conformity) Flexibility conformity means freedom of behavior for members and also adjustments to the work tasks that have been given. This relates to the rules set by the organization, existing policies and procedures. • Responsibility This relates to employees' feelings about the state of the organization in which management pays attention to the implementation of tasks properly, the goals that have been set and also tolerance for mistakes or things that are less appropriate or less good. • Standards This relates to employees' feelings about the state of the organization in which management pays attention to the performance of tasks properly. • Reward This relates to employees' feelings about appreciation and recognition of good work. • Clarity This relates to employees' feelings that they know what is expected of them and relates to their job, role, and organizational goals. • Commitment theme This relates to employees' feelings about their pride in belonging to the organization and willingness to go the extra mile when needed. So it can be concluded that the problem being faced by the principal is the existence of a mismatch in the work climate from that given by the principal to the teachers as its members. 2. After discussing the problems being faced by the principal, namely the existence of a mismatch in the work climate given by the principal to the teachers, then to fix everything the principal as a leader must carry out appropriate communication. It is understood that communication has a very important role, especially in organizations in which many people are interconnected. Communication is a means of interaction needed by an individual as one of the most basic social processes in human life. Organizational communication is said to be a system because the organizational communication process will involve leaders or superiors and members who interact with each other. In organizations, the type of communication that is believed to be most effective in changing individual attitudes and behavior is interpersonal communication (Budi, 2021). Discussing organizational climate, Davis & Newston (in Aselina, 2019, p. 63) define the quality of the maximum organizational climate will certainly affect motivation, achievement, and job satisfaction. Arni Muhammad (in Aselina, 2019, p. 63) broadly defines that every organizational leader must pay attention to the organizational climate because it greatly affects the behavior of members and the process of achieving the desired organizational goals. In her book, Aselina (2019) wrote that there are 4 (four) management styles that affect the organizational climate, including: • Directive management style, a method used by superiors who require their members to follow what they say or order. • Coach style, where the leader or principal asks his/her members to do his/her bidding through two-way interaction. • Supportive style, where a leader is confident in the abilities of his or her members so as to free members to implement their ideas and provide full support. This communication occurs both ways, both formally and informally. • Delegation style, where members are given the authority to carry out their tasks in accordance with organizational goals. The leader only provides direction and conducts control and evaluation. Of the four management styles above, I think the management style currently applied by the principal at his school is a supportive management style that allows teachers to implement their ideas freely. However, because the teachers feel that there is a mismatch of work styles between the teachers and the principal. So the first thing that the principal should do is to change his management style in order to influence and improve the working climate of the organization, which in turn will have an impact on the quality of the results and the performance of the teachers. Based on the case study above, the principal may be able to change his supportive management style to a directive management style or a coach management style. This is because these two management styles are communicated through two channels, the principal as a leader and the teachers as members. So that teachers will no longer feel neglected or completely released without direction. 3. Communication strategy is the best combination of all communication elements ranging from communicators, messages, channels (media), recipients to influences (effects) designed to achieve optimal communication goals (Fadhli, 2021). Effendy (in Fadhli, 2021) explains that the communication that occurs within the internal organization is divided into 3 (three) parts, namely: vertical communication, horizontal communication, and diagonal communication. • Vertical communication, is communication whose flow occurs from top to bottom (drownward communication). This means that in this communication flow, the communicator is on the side of the leader or superior, while the member is in the position of the recipient of the information. Vertical communication in organizations has a considerable contribution to the course of the organization. Because usually the form of vertical communication itself is a superior order or direction from the leader to its members. • Horizontal communication, which is communication that occurs between members who have the same position, for example, communication between middle members and middle position members as well. This communication usually occurs in informal life and is more relaxed than the vertical communication flow. Horizontal communication itself is usually done to build friendship or familiarize relationships. • Diagonal communication, which is a combination of communication flows carried out by work members either staff or leaders in an organization. This diagonal communication is also often called cross communication where the flow of communication carried out is not only limited to leaders to members or members to the same members, but also members to leaders and or low members to members in higher positions. a) One of the organizations that I feel I can benefit from or protect myself from is writing organizations such as copywriters. Because for me, writing is the same as communicating with many people but through an introductory medium, namely writing. For me personally, writing can give me time to think and pour out my thoughts so that others can take the same thing from it. b) The most dominating person in organizational communication that I have seen in organizations is a principal or department head in my department. Because he acts as a leader therefore he holds the most important role in the flow of communication that occurs in the organization. c) The communication tactics or strategies that I use in the organization from the three types of communication strategies above are diagonal communication strategies. Because diagonal communication does not only include and is limited to a one-way strategy where members only listen to superiors or leaders, but can also move and innovate with their ideas after communicating to their superiors. d) Based on the case example in number 1, one of the best communication styles or management in my opinion is the directive management communication style and coach communication style. This is because the directive management communication style is characterized by a leader as an example and as a superior giving directions to his members regarding the work and targets of the goals to be achieved. Similar to the directive management communication style, the coach's communication style gives directions and orders to its members with two-way communication. This means that members are not only obliged to obey and follow the leader with their orders, but also have the right to convey their thoughts so that in this way both can exchange ideas to find solutions so that the goals to be achieved can be achieved. While the bad organizational communication style in my opinion is a supportive communication style where members work alone without direction from their leaders. We find many examples of this in everyday life. Many of the principals who served only gave unclear directions and let the teachers work alone. Even many principals who should also be obliged as supervisors or supervisors of teachers when carrying out the process of teaching and learning activities (KBM) do not do their job properly and some even do not do it at all. e) When I am a leader myself, rather than being a dictatorial leader with full power, I am more of a leader who can be a partner as well as a place to exchange ideas with members. f) In my opinion, the principal is classified as a skillful player because he quickly realized the changes in the work climate and the changing attitudes and declining performance of the teachers in the school.