Inadequate management-employee communication

Incidence

American, French and British employee surveys show that, in spite of an increase in internal corporate communications programmes and company mission statements, employees do not believe top managers are interested in a dialogue and believe managers are interested in only getting their message across. They believe that the only way of finding out what is going on in a company is through the corporate grapevine, that is, rumours are more reliable than management statements to employees. Employees are convinced that managers fail to take into account their suggestions.

Claim

Managers, joining the fad of employee participation in business, have increased tremendously the type and scope of communications systems within their business in the hope to increase control over the business. Until managers go beyond the rhetoric of dialogue with employees to the reality, management and workers will be at cross purposes.