Author Question: Upward Communication Orton is a manager at Hardwire Technological Solutions (HTS), a multinational ... (Read 172 times)

dakota nelson · **on:** Jun 23, 2018

Upward Communication Orton is a manager at Hardwire Technological Solutions (HTS), a multinational information technology company. Alan and Stephanie work in his team as junior analysts. Stephanie was one of the best performers at HTS. However, her performance in the last three months has been faltering and is showing no signs of improvement. This concerned Orton, who requested for a one-on-one meeting with Alan and Stephanie, individually. Why did Orton request for a one-on-one meeting with Alan and Stephanie? How did Orton think this will help Stephanie?

Question 2

Ben, a supervisor who works for you, does not understand why he does not often receive effective replies to his email messages. He asks you to review some messages he has sent over the past several weeks and to provide constructive criticism. What should you look for as you review his messages?

ciecieme · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Orton requested for a personal meeting with Stephanie to discuss her problems, her work and methods of doing it, and her perception of the organization. This type of communication is called upward communication, where the management requests for feedback from lower organizational levels. However, this type of communication can be misleading because Stephanie might be unwilling to discuss her problems with a superior officer like Orton. Stephanie's message might contradict her true feelings and perceptions. Orton, therefore, might have requested for a meeting with Alan to discuss her problems and give feedback. Upward communication paves the way for effective downward communication, in which the communication flows from Orton to the employees. After receiving feedback from Alan and Stephanie, Orton might find himself in a better position to help Stephanie to perform her tasks effectively.

Answer to Question 2

You should check to see if Ben is following email protocol. Here are suggestions for evaluating the message:
1 . Is email the proper communication vehicle for Ben to use for his messages?
2 . Are Ben's messages too long? Or does he appropriately limit each message to one idea?
3 . Are his subject lines accurate and meaningful? If not, employees could be deleting his message without reading them.
4 . Are the messages well organized?
5 . Are the messages precise and clear?
6 . Do recipients understand that a response is needed?
7 . Is there a signature file at the end of the message? If not, do recipients of his messages know how to contact Ben other than through email if needed?