INTRODUCTION
The word communication has a rich and complex history. It first appeared in English language in the fourteenth century, taken from latin word “communicare” which means to impact, share or make common.
Batman (1999), defined communication as the transmission of information and meaning from one party to another through the plays of shared symbols. It is a well known fact that communication plays coordinating and integrating role in the management of the affairs of any organization, whether in the functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading or controlling.
Gerald (1995), defined communication as the interaction in which a source transmits a message to a receiver, who upon receiving and decoding the message gives back to the original source. Communication is one of the primary areas for understanding human behavior.
Rami (2000), communication is an essential tool of management, which is used to carry the whole organization as a single being.
According to Drucker (1985), the manager’s effectiveness depends on his ability to listen and to read, or his ability to speak and write. Unfortunately, the importance of communication has not been well recognized in organizations. Most managers write to impress and not to express.
Effective communication is a fundamental aspect of job performance and managerial effectiveness.
Communication is a vital management component of any organization, whether the purpose is to merely update employees on new policies, to prepare for a weather disaster, to ensure safety throughout the organization or to listen to the attitudes of employees. Effective communication is an integral issue in effective management. Every organization has some set goal and objectives, which it intends to achieve, and the achievement of these goals and objectives indicates the success of that organization. For organization to achieve its goal, it has to perform certain functions and tasks describes the level of performance of that organization. These functions cannot be performed without the use of both human and material resources which have to be organized in such a way as to bring out the best in the particular organization do not work in isolation. They interact with one another and in this process, they interdependently achieve the organizational goals some organizations seem to be performing their functions more efficiently than their counter parts and a lot of reasons are responsible for this. Even in the personal life and career prospects of individuals, the importance of effective communication cannot be over-emphasized. In-fact, effective communication is so important that without it, an organization cannot function.
The Enugu State Rural Electrification Board, used as a study in this research is an organization with some set objectives, goals and functions which have to be performed effectively if the organization with board of management, department and operatives is to achieve its goal.
The corporation is faced with three major communication problems.
The corporation under study has a general manager, functional manager, functional managers as well as top management board of directors.
Therefore, there is a great need for an effective co-ordination of activities and operations of these groups to enhance the achievement of the board mission of Rural Electrification in Enugu State. Hence, this research among other things is to find out the Role of Effective Communication in achieving organizational goals using Enugu State Rural Electrification Board as a study.
This research is aimed at examining the roles which effective communication can play in improving organization performance, with particular reference to the Enugu State Electrification Board. Specifically, the purpose of this study includes:
This study is meant to cover the impact of effective communication in improving organizational performance in Enugu State, using Enugu State Rural Electrification Board as a study.
From the problems of the study following questions are guiding the work.
More often than not, organizations in Nigeria are faced with increasing and unprecedented challenges and problems which adversely affect their performance, hence, organization goals cannot be achieved.
Therefore, this study will help in exposing some of these problems for possible solutions. The research report will also help the general public to understand the mode of communication system as practiced in various organizations with a view to accessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the system.
Again, the study will assist the Nigeria public and private sector organizations to understand the actual meaning of effective communication and its operational techniques.
Furthermore, this research will assist bureaucrats, policy makers, managers and the members of the various private and public organizations in Enugu State and Nigeria in general, to understand the impact of effective communication in solving most of their identified problems which will result to the improvement in performance and achievement of organizational goals. The barriers to effective communication would also be exposed and solutions provided.
Finally, this research work will be of so much significance to the research for the award of National Diploma Certificate in office Technology and Management by school of Distance Learning and continuing Education, Federal Polytechnic Oko (FPO), Anambra State.