An analysis of the Intra-Organizational Communication flow at the SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA): its implications to management

Date

1990

Abstract

"This is a naturalistic case analysis of the organizational communication flow at the SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture iSEARCA). SEARCA is a regional organization hosted by the UNiversity of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB). It provides graduate education and research support to nationals of its member countries in the Southeast Asian region.Data were gathered from 84 (77.787.) staff members of SEARCA belonging to the supervisory, technical and administrative levelsthrough a survey questionnaire and interviews.Participant observation and content analysis of documents were also employed while ""who-to-whom' communication matrices were drawn out to determine the existino communication networks in SEARCA.Official and non-official communication in SEARCA took thein-formai -Form of communication through face-to-face interaction(upward, downward and ari:ontally) among staff members.However,official communications flowed significantly downward following the organizational lines since the majority of the respondents considered the management/immediate supervisor as the main source of ""adequate""to ""much"" information on their jou and other office matters.Except for the informal communication network, this pattern of downward communication flow along the organizational lines was generally observed in the formal, feedback and technical communicationnetworks. However5 the flow of tecnnical communication sometimesdeviated from the formal organizational structure as lateral flow wasalso, observed.SEARCA staff members performed different communication functions at any given communication situatic,n. The variation in thecommunication functions a staff member performed depended on the organizational level 2+ the other staff member he is communicatingwith.As regards -feedback activities in SEARCA. most of the respondents said the management/immediate supervisor ""seldom"" responded to thefeedback they gave on office-related matters. Moreover, they 'seldom""received feedback their job performance from themanagementiimmediate supervisor. most of the staff members preferreD give and receive feedback through generalfunit staff meets 'g andface-to-face interaction.Tne Center's decision-making system was generally perceived to be""centralized"" by majority of the staff members. However, variations in staff perception were observed among the organizational level. A majority of thempreferred the decision-making system of SEARCA to be ""moderately decentralized.""In general, communication problems in SEARCA were either organizational, personal and thannels and mellia-related in nature. "

Document Type

Master Thesis

Language

English

LC Subject

Communication in organization, SEAMEO

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 995 1990 D46 F47

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