A DISCUSSION ON THE

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY OF
NEXT IT LTD
BASED ON A STUDY OF THE CURRENT
COMMUNICATION PRACTICES AT THE COMPANY
 A DISCUSSION ON THE
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY OF NEXT
IT LTD

BASED ON A STUDY OF THE CURRENT

COMMUNICATION PRACTICES IN THE COMPANY

Submitted to
Rezwanul Huque Khan, PhD
Associate Professor
Institute of Business Administration
University of Dhaka

Submitted by
Group- 5
Farhan Uddin Ahmed (ZR-10)
Rafsaan Muhab Shams (ZR-14)
Eqra Md. Resalat Ohee (ZR-34)
Mir Saklaine Iqbal (ZR-96)
Kazi Md. Zulkarnain (ZR-114)
Section: B
BBA-26
Institute of Business Administration
University of Dhaka

Date of submission: November 15, 2018

 Institute of Business Administration
University of Dhaka Dhaka-1000

November 15, 2018

Rezwanul Huque Khan, PhD

Associate Professor
Institute of Business
Administration University of Dhaka
Dear Sir:

Here is the report titled “Communications Strategy at Next IT Ltd.” as assigned by you
for the partial fulfillment of the course “C103: Business Communication.”

As you will see, our report shows that Next IT Ltd. has maintained an excellent
communication strategy in its workplace. However, some barriers exist. The company is
trying its best to combat such barriers. We provide some recommendations on how the
company can overcome such barriers and develop an effective communication strategy.

We sincerely hope, Sir, you will be pleased with our assignment. We truly appreciate this
assignment. And should you need any extra information, we will be happy to help you.

Sincerely,

Farhan Uddin Ahmed Eqra Md. Resalat Ohee

Rafsaan Muhab Shams Mir Saklaine Iqbal

Kazi Md. Zulkarnain

i
Contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ iv

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Definition of Communication Strategy .................................................................... 1
1.1.1 Development of an effective communication strategy ...................................... 2
1.2 Statement of Problem ............................................................................................ 3
1.3 Objective of the Report .......................................................................................... 3
1.4 Limitations of the Report ........................................................................................ 4
1.5 Significance of the Report ...................................................................................... 4
1.6 Methodology........................................................................................................... 5
1.6.1 Background of respondents ............................................................................. 5
1.6.2 Interview of Managerial Employees ................................................................. 5
1.6.3 Interview of Employee ...................................................................................... 5
2. Literature Survey ........................................................................................................ 6
3. Company Overview..................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Rationale for Company Selection ........................................................................... 8
4. Findings ...................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Intra-organization Communication ......................................................................... 9
4.1.1 Upward Communication by meetings ............................................................... 9
4.1.2 Downward Communication by use of technology............................................. 9
4.1.3 Horizontal Communication by usage of both meetings and technology ......... 10
4.1.4 Reports and Minutes- an additional communications strategy ....................... 10
4.1.5 Communication through modern technology .................................................. 10
4.1.6 Access to HR Department by direct communication ...................................... 11
4.1.7 Lateral communication without any barriers ................................................... 11
4.1.8 Informal Communication by refresher sessions ............................................. 11
4.2 Inter-organization Communication ....................................................................... 12
4.2.1 New Orders for ERP ...................................................................................... 12
4.2.2 Complaints by a three-step protocol............................................................... 12
5. Analysis .................................................................................................................... 13
5.1 The Importance of communication for Next IT ..................................................... 13

ii
 5.2 Communication in Next IT .................................................................................... 14
5.2.1 What works for Next IT ................................................................................... 14
5.3 Barriers to Communication ................................................................................... 15
5.3.1 Absence of non-verbal clues .......................................................................... 15
5.3.2 Information Overload ...................................................................................... 16
5.3.3 Perceptual Differences ................................................................................... 16
5.4 Measures taken by Next IT to clear barriers ........................................................ 16
5.4.1 Social gatherings to improve relationship ....................................................... 16
5.4.2 Quick and accurate response to reduce miscommunication .......................... 17
5.4.3 Familiarization with the office culture and jargons through refresher sessions
................................................................................................................................ 17
6. Recommendations .................................................................................................... 18
7. Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 20
References ................................................................................................................... 21
Appendix ....................................................................................................................... 24
Appendix A: Details of Interviews ............................................................................... 24
Appendix B: Interview Questionnaire ......................................................................... 25

List of figures

Figure 1 Three-step process of fixing complaints by Next IT Ltd. ................................. 13

iii
Executive Summary

Communication plays an important role in the daily operations of an organization. The

employees in an organization need to communicate with both people within and outside
an organization on a regular basis. An effective communication channel leads to success
of projects whereas failure in communication channel can create massive problems for
the organization.

Next IT is a software company providing software solutions to mainly readymade

garments industry. The company operates in the ever-changing IT industry with a
workforce of 22 employees. The organization maintains quick and flexible
communication between employees and external stakeholders.

Interview with key personnel and research studies have shown that the intra
organizational communication is conducted through “Messenger” app and issue tracker
software. The instant messaging service can ensure quick responses from the other
employees whereas the issue tracker is used to assign and keep track of allotted work
to the employees.

The Inter-organizational communication maintains a formal structure. At first, the support

team gets in touch with the external stakeholders and tries to resolve their queries. If
they cannot resolve it themselves the problem gets passed on through a specific
command chain to the top of the organization.

Next IT has an effective communication system in place. However, its system is not
perfect. The organization faces some communication barriers especially in case of inter
organizational communication. The company has to find new strategy to keep their
communication strategies up to date. Otherwise, inefficient communication may become
a huge problem for Next IT in the near future.

iv
1. Introduction

Communication can be rendered as the building blocks for any organization. As

communication is what allows ideas and vision to transcend into reality. If there are lapses
of communication exists, their implication can hardly be over stressed (Abourbih et al.
2015). Furthermore, not just for the smooth running of the business activities but also on
a individual level it is important to have proper communication and contingency
mechanisms in case of miscommunication within the organization (McCabe and Healey,
2018). The organizations that are the most successful heavily rely on effective
communication channels both inside and outside the organization and thus
communication strategy is a vital part of any organization in any sector.

The IT sector is one of the most prominent rising sectors in Bangladesh following rapid
industrialization and entrance of various multinational corporations (Daily Sun, 2017).
Effective communication strategies for IT companies to succeed in the world market
(Goldman,2018).

1.1 Definition of Communication Strategy

Communication strategy can be defined as the set of actions taken and rules set by an
organization to ensure that people inside and outside the organization can obtain relevant
information easily and with minimal deviation from the facts (Barten, n.d.). Acting as a
framework for the communication plans developed to implement the strategy, it makes
the corporate communication function relevant in the strategic management process by
providing the link between key strategic issues facing the organization and
communication plans. In addition, it is seen to be the outcome of a strategic thinking
process by senior communicators and top managers taking strategic decisions with
regard to the identification and management of, and communication with, strategic
stakeholders (Steyn, 2004).

1
A good communication strategy helps an organization communicate effectively with it's
external and internal stakeholders, including employees, management, the public etc. It
facilitates interactions among business functions which helps management, human
resources and marketing maintain a unified voice and consistent messages. And more
importantly, developing a solid corporate communications strategy can help a business
thrive by preventing both tangible and intangible costs of mistakes that always result from
miscommunication (Pedrotti & Behlau, 2017).

1.1.1 Development of an effective communication strategy

The first step toward creating a strategic corporate communications plan is gathering key
management, human resources and marketing personnel to present the case for formal
planning and seeking a unified decision on the idea.

The second step is to determine the key aspects of concern. The main focus should be
on the challenges than might have to be faced and the successes that have been
achieved in the past tackling these situations.

And finally, a plan is to be formalized which will specify how the key business units will
integrate and share information internally and externally.

While writing a communication strategy for business, Pearson & Culver (2016) suggest
the following outline:

● Introduction: summary of project

● Mission and vision
● Objectives or aims
● Key audiences, messages, channels
● Timetable of key activities with dates
● Resources – who will do the work and who will pay
● Risks and mitigation
● Means of evaluation
● Approvals/sign-off process

2
1.2 Statement of Problem

Little has been done to know the communication strategy of Bangladeshi companies. As
IT is a relatively new sector in Bangladesh, work on communication strategy in this sector
is non-existent. Moreover, with an ever-changing technology landscape, new
communications channels are rising up and companies are facing challenge to adapt to
the changing channels (Hannah, 2018). So, the question arises, “What is the
communication strategy of an IT company in Bangladesh like Next IT Ltd.?”

1.3 Objective of the Report

The aim of this report is to understand the communication strategy of NEXT IT. Ltd. This
is done on the basis of the following objectives:

● To determine the different strategies adopted by Next IT for communications within

and outside the organization
● To find the barriers related to communications at Next IT Ltd
● To investigate barriers such as customer trust issues with digital security, data theft
etc. that are exclusive to the IT industry
● To find out how Next IT Ltd solves barriers related to communication

The purpose of this report is thus, to find out possible ways using which IT companies like
Next IT Ltd. can develop an effective and efficient communication strategy.

3
1.4 Limitations of the Report

The interviews we conducted were in an organizational setting where employees may not
have been completely honest about their opinions. They may have withheld their true
opinions about sensitive topics (like communication blunders and dissatisfactions) since
the interviews were arranged through their superiors and conducted within the
organization.
Moreover, we have conducted interviews in just one organization. Visiting a greater
number of organizations would have given us a better picture.

In addition, we have limited our organizational visits to a certain industry. As a result, our
efforts may not give us an accurate idea about the strategies followed in other industries

1.5 Significance of the Report

The significance of this report is two-fold. First, observing and deducing inferences from
the communication practices of an IT firm would help understand the need of effective
communication strategy in the corporate world. Second, it would help us in strengthening
the understanding of the theoretical concepts of managerial communications.

A third significance lies in the broader implications of this report. Upon taking power in
2009, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina has adopted the plan for “Vision
2021” which aims for a transformation of Bangladesh from a low-income country to a high
middle- income country by 2021 (Planning Commission, 2018). One central aspect of
“Vision 2021” is the concept of “Digital Bangladesh”- a technologically advanced
Bangladesh. IT companies play a huge role in this regard. As our report concerns IT
companies, the implications can be used by IT companies in Bangladesh to achieve
growth and help the country achieve its vision as well.

4
1.6 Methodology

In order to get practical insights about communications strategy in organizations, we have

conducted a primary survey. Afterwards, we have analyzed our findings. Finally, we have
analyzed secondary sources regarding this particular topic.

The primary survey was conducted at Next IT Ltd.- an IT company based in Dhaka. We
conducted judgement sampling so that we could talk to employees who could best give
us information regarding the communications strategy and practices of the firm. Since
Next IT is a small firm, we surveyed only three respondents.

1.6.1 Background of respondents

We have conducted interviews of two managerial-level employees as well as a

subordinate to ensure we have a good idea about both perspectives. A detailed list of the
respondents can be found on Appendix A of this report.

1.6.2 Interview of Managerial Employees

These interviews were conducted to find out the existing communication strategy
adopted by the management and how managers communicate with their subordinate
according to the strategy.

1.6.3 Interview of Employee

The interview with an employee gave us information about employee perception of the
communication strategy at Next IT Ltd. and how it could be improved. Interview with an
employee was important as employees often waste a lot of valuable hours due to
miscommunication (Dynamic Signal, 2018).

5
2. Literature Survey

In almost the entirety of the 20th century, most existing literature emphasized the
importance of communication in corporations. Hill & Jones (1994) talked about the
importance of communications among different hierarchical level. Thompson (1997)
stressed the importance of communications in corporate organizations for both internal
and external relationships.

It is to be noted that these literatures emphasized the importance of communications in

strategies but not of the importance of a communications strategy. Thompson (1997)
stressed the importance of communications in making employees understand the
strategies of business. But he did not mention specifically about communications strategy.

The talk on corporate communication strategy began when Mohr and Nevin (1990)
developed a model to highlight the importance of communication strategy mainly in
marketing. According to their model, channel conditions and communication strategy lead
to qualitative outcomes which in turn, lead to qualitative outcomes.

However, it was Moss & Warnaby (1993) who are credited for initiating the conversation
on the importance of corporate communication strategy. They noticed the paucity and
dearth of literature on corporate communication strategy and began formulating models
using existing literature to create a communication strategy for organizations.

Existing literature has since continually emphasized the needs for a effective
communication strategies in businesses. Argenti (2005) showed with examples how
companies such as Exxon and AT&T had suffered due to the lack of effective
communication strategy. Bacal (2008) showed companies often develop a
communication strategy only after problems occur but often neglect them once the
problem is solved.

6
Although research has shown the need for communication strategy in corporate, few have
discussed the structural elements of communication strategy. Moreover, very few have
researched on specific media that can be used for communication strategy. This is
important, as modern technologies are continuously changing the communications
landscape (Hannah, 2018).

Bottazzo (2005) has looked on one specific media- Intranet. According to him, companies
should adopt a within company network system. This would give two-fold results. First,
employees can get all the information they need from one place without the need of much
filtering. Second, an individual employee can have access to the network anytime and
anyplace.

Another research that focused on a particular aspect of communication strategy is that of

Clampitt & Down (1993). Their research mainly focused on the importance of employee
perception on communication in organization. Their research showed that service
industries require much better communication strategy for success. They also found out
that personal feedback in the communication strategy played an important role in the
productivity of an organization.

The need for personal feedback has also been stressed by Goldhaber (1978). His
research showed that personal feedback is a primary need for employees. Goldhaber
also showed the importance of grapevine in communications as well as the barriers to
communications caused by bureaucracy. His research has thus shown the need for
informal communication channel, employee feedback for the strategic framework.

7
3. Company Overview

Next IT Limited is a software company with office in Banani. Founded in 2009, it provides
software services mainly Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to garments and
accessories factories. It also provides web design support, digital marketing and cloud
services.

The company at present consists of 22 employees, including the ground level staffs.
There are two broad departments in the company- IT and Administration. Both of the
departments are divided into sub-departments.

3.1 Rationale for Company Selection

There are certain reasons for which we have selected Next IT as our organization.

Firstly, the exact ways in which communication is performed by IT companies can be

explored by visiting Next IT. That is, it gives us a general idea about intra and
intercompany communication of IT companies.

Secondly, a company like Next IT can help us understand various barriers that it may
face. This is because, turnover rates in IT sector is quite high (Petrone, 2018). Effective
communications can reduce turnover intentions among employees (Nwagbara et. al,
2013). An effective communication strategy is essentially the key to developing effective
communication practices.

Finally, since Next IT is comparatively a small organization, the communication activities

of the company are not as well-regulated and structured as some large-scale companies.
As a result, the management has to constantly deal with various communication issues
and barriers. This can help us understand the overall communication strategy in a more
effective manner.

8
4. Findings

Upon conducting the survey, we found the observations as shown as follows. Next IT Ltd.
has both intra and inter-organizational communication strategies. They use a wide range
of strategies for different types of communications and use both online and offline
technology for effective communication.

4.1 Intra-organization Communication

Intra-organization communication is important as it is often the key to achieving linkage

among departments, receiving feedback and learning within organizations (Duncan &
Moriarty, 1998). Since most work in corporations are team-based, a communications
strategy intra-organizational wide is necessary. Collaborative communication strategies
must act as a particularly important and powerful tool in enhancing team outcomes (Peters
& Fletcher, 2004). Our survey among managers and employee at Next IT Ltd. gave us the
following intra-organization communication strategy practices.

4.1.1 Upward Communication by meetings

Upward communication is usually done during meetings. For day-to-day operations,

employees talk to their respective superiors during departmental or project-based
meetings. If any emergency situation demands the attention of any manager, he or she
can be approached by an employee by setting up a meeting.

4.1.2 Downward Communication by use of technology

Downward communication occurs more frequently than upward communication. In case

of downward communication, most of it also occurs through messengers and issue
trackers. The management assigns tasks through issue tracker and informs the
employees about deadlines. But employees are directly approached whenever managers
need to bring rapid changes to the workflow.

9
4.1.3 Horizontal Communication by usage of both meetings and technology

Horizontal communication is defined as communication between departments (in the

same level of the organizational hierarchy). In case of direct horizontal communication,
employees contact each other directly as necessary. Communication is usually performed
through certain tools (like Messenger communication app). Horizontal communication is
also necessary in case of certain projects. In that case, project specific meetings are
necessary for communication between different departments.

4.1.4 Reports and Minutes- an additional communications strategy

Because of the nature of communication of the organization, reports are usually not
necessary for communication. The small size of the organization allows for direct
communications whenever necessary. But minutes are maintained for every important
meeting.

4.1.5 Communication through modern technology

Next IT Ltd. uses the following tools as part of its communication strategy.

Messenger: The Messenger is an instant messaging application owned by Facebook Inc.

It is used by the employees in general to communicate with each other. This is a cheap
and efficient alternative to creating a new messaging app/system.

Issue Tracker: An issue tracker is a tool that is used to keep track of each employee’s
work progress and responsibilities. This is used by the top-level management of the
company for effective Human Resource allocation.

10
4.1.6 Access to HR Department by direct communication

The employees can directly contact the HR department for any sort of issue that he/she
faces. There are no formal or informal barriers in this scenario. Similarly, the HR
department directly sets up meetings with employees and passes on information that is
necessary.

4.1.7 Lateral communication without any barriers

Employees can set up a direct one-to-one meeting with anybody. To set up a meeting,
one employee usually ‘knocks’ another employee on messenger and proposes a meeting.
The other employee responds and usually sets up an ideal time for both of them to meet
and discuss the required agenda. Because it is a small company with a relatively low
number of employees, there is no significant barrier to direct communication.

4.1.8 Informal Communication by refresher sessions

Like any other organization, employees also engage in informal communication in Next
IT. They engage in personal communication (not relevant to the organization) on a regular
basis during lunch-breaks. Furthermore, the company also encourages informal
communication by arranging picnics or outings for the employees where they can interact
with each other in a comfortable environment.

The intra-organizational communication strategy of Next IT Ltd. shows that the company
has a wide range of options for communications at different levels. The company uses
both modern technology as well as face-to-face meetings as part of its communication
practices

11
4.2 Inter-organization Communication

Interorganizational communication describes the structures, forms, and processes

created by the exchange of messages and the co-creation of meaning among
organizations and their stakeholders (Shumate et. al, 2016). Next IT mainly needs to deal
with companies ordering ERP system. So its main inter-organization communication
strategy deals with client companies ordering ERP from it. A second strategy involves
managing complaints from clients.

4.2.1 New Orders for ERP

If any company wants to purchase a new ERP from Next IT, they can directly contact a
representative of the company from the Support Department. The representative can then
set up a meeting to discuss the details of the ERP.

4.2.2 Complaints by a three-step protocol

There is a particular protocol in place for any sort of complaints regarding bugs in their
products. Next IT adopts a three-step process regarding this.

1. Firstly, complaints are received by the Support Department. The Support

Department immediately logs the problem.
2. Afterwards, the complaint is sent to the corresponding project manager. If the
problem is a minor issue, the project manager takes steps to solve the problem
immediately.
3. The third step is not required for minor problems. If the problem is a major issue,
the problem is sent over to the top-level management by the project manager. The
top-level management takes according steps depending on the exact contingent
situation.

12
 Figure 1 Three-step process of fixing complaints by Next IT Ltd.

5. Analysis

Using available communication theory, we analyze the communication strategy of Next

IT Ltd on the basis of these theories. Though Next IT has a lot of strategies regarding its
communication strategy, a few problems persist. The main aspects of Next IT Ltd.’s
communication strategy is shown as follows.

5.1 The Importance of communication for Next IT

Communication is very important for an organization, especially in the IT industry where

the world can change overnight. Today’s workplace is more connected than ever before.
But while technology provides nearly endless options for improved efficiency and
communication — conference calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, productivity
tools — it’s also, in many ways, pushing employees apart.
13
Next IT uses messenger for internal communication and through the Issue Tracker they
can instantly pass on updates or queries related to work. The Issue Tracker is an example
of intranet- an internal organizational network. The intranet network supports teamwork
and enhances organizational learning (Bottazzo, 2005).

The external communication is handled by the support department. The employees have
excellent communication skills and they help the external stakeholder understand the
application. A slight mistake in communication in any of these steps can result in failure
of the whole project. This is deadly as inter-organizational communication is proven vital
to sustain relationship between organizations particularly between consumers and
suppliers (Redza et. al, 2014) .

Miscommunication can result in corrupted software, multiple employees working on the

same task, losing trust of stakeholders, misinformed decision making and reduced
productivity. So, the organization must maintain a flexible communication channel at all
times.

5.2 Communication in Next IT

We now take a critical approach in determining the effectiveness of Next IT Ltd.’s

communications strategy. We analyze the strengths and weaknesses of Next IT Ltd.’s
communication strategy.

5.2.1 What works for Next IT

The Upward communication in Next IT is pretty efficient. The employees can simply ask
for guidance over messenger group and meet the seniors for a meeting when they have
time. The organization also has good HR management which can be contacted about any
problems.

14
The upward communication style thus shows the effectiveness of Next IT Ltd.’s
communication strategy. This also helps Next IT in retaining employees as often
miscommunication between employees and managers lead to turnover.

The Downward communication is done through messenger and issue tracker. Both of
these allow for fast communication. The issue tracker can quickly notify the employee
about his next task.

For Horizontal communication the messenger group is a very effective tool. It is a cheap
and efficient tool for people to keep in touch. The employees also get a chance to socialize
not only with their own department but with people from other departments too.

The company also nurtures the grapevine. The friendly management encourages
employees to interact in lunch breaks and even arranges occasional informal treats for
employees. This strengthens the relationship among employees and managers and
enhances communication among the two parties.

5.3 Barriers to Communication

In spite of having effective communication strategies, Next IT faces challenges. The

communication in Next It faces a lot of challenges while conducting communications.
Some of these challenges that we observed are explained as follows.

5.3.1 Absence of non-verbal clues

Next IT conducts most of its communication through messaging apps, software or over
phone. In such cases, the non-verbal cues maybe lost in communication.

15
5.3.2 Information Overload

Next IT support department have to explain complex application usage to external

stakeholders. In many cases these phone call can be very instruction intensive and
become confusing for the other party. In such cases, they face problems with information
overload.

5.3.3 Perceptual Differences

Because the employees of Next It change very frequently it is hard for the new employees
to keep up with company jargons and these new employees can sometimes feel left out
of the communication process.

5.4 Measures taken by Next IT to clear barriers

Fortunately, Next IT understands there are limitations to its communication strategy.

Therefore, it has undertaken steps to combat them. Some salient measures taken by the
company to remove communication barriers are explained as follows.

5.4.1 Social gatherings to improve relationship

Next IT arranges many social gatherings and ice breaking sessions to welcome new
employees to their organization. These events help to clear any feelings of discomfort for
new employees and helps them settle in the new office culture. Furthermore, these type
of social event increases inter departmental communication among employees. This
along with the small size of the organization have helped to ensure a bonding among the
employees. This bonding has helped them to manage conflicts sometimes even without
the presence of any fixed conflict management techniques.

16
5.4.2 Quick and accurate response to reduce miscommunication

The introduction of the Messenger as an official tool of communication in the workplace

has led to quicker response among the employees. This has led to an effective grapevine
communication system within the organization. As Messenger is used by employees and
managers alike outside their workplace, the familiarity and ease of use will fasten the
communication in the organization. Additionally, it can be used as a tool for inter-
organizational communication (Sellberg, 2018).

Alongside, the “Issue Tracker” on the other hand helps others to know the progress of an
project distributed earlier on. As a result, everyone is having a greater access to accurate
information.

5.4.3 Familiarization with the office culture and jargons through refresher
sessions
Next IT through its social gathering works to ensure that the new employees are getting
familiarized with individuals within the organization. But Next IT through these sessions
are trying to create a perception about the kind of organization it is in the eyes of the
employees. Besides, the arrangement of both inhouse and outside training of the
employees make them acquainted with the jargons and norms of the company. These
measures help to reduce the possibility of miscommunication. The reason being that such
measures increase organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Several aspects of
organizational communication are directly linked with organizational commitment and job
satisfaction (De Nobile, 2016). As a result, communications increase among employees
and managers in the organization.

17
6. Recommendations

On the basis of the problems faced by Next IT Ltd. with regards to their communication
barriers and the steps taken by them, we recommend the company to follow the given
steps in order to develop an effective and efficient communications strategy.

1. Arrangement of formal meetings

Dependence on the Messenger and Issue Tracker app have reduced the formal
meetings as jobs are distributed and the task progress are seen monitored through
it. But in the software side, one-minute detail may hold up the progress at one
position for a long period of time. This might send wrong message to other
members working different projects. Thus, periodic meetings with agenda
discussions among groups overseeing one project and all the employees should
take place in order to ensure everyone is on the same page. This will also help
other members cooperate more effectively as they can prepare themselves
through briefings.

2. Acclimatization of new employees

The programs arranged for new employees are minute in contrast to the effects of
communication in workplace. The new employees who are not accustomed to
Messenger might feel alienated in their own workplace, hampering their efficiency.
Thus, mechanisms to ensure physical meetings are encouraged as well as steps
to make them accustomed to the app should developed.

3. Conflict management techniques

Whenever a conflict arises as a result of miscommunication there is no fixed

mechanism in place in Next IT. As a result, the probability of conflicts spilling over

18
 is high. Thus, Next IT should develop mechanisms, such as presence of
ombudsman, meetings to ensure information overloads are avoided.
Miscommunication should happen, the HR needs to ensure to clear that out
quickly.

4. Creation of Communication Department

Like many Multinational Corporations Next IT should have a communication

department. This department would ensure that any message sent out by any
department are coherent with the company stances and policies. This would
reduce the probability of information lacking or overload at different touchpoints
such as by the sales department while the selling of an ERP software and support
department while handling any complaint.

5. Projector televised training over one on one sessions

Instead of the present one on one session that is being used to acclimatize the
freshers with their tasks and job repertoire should include more of training
sessions televised through projector. According to the freshers, through our
interviews, we learnt that the one on one session with seniors and mentors even
if is really helpful, takes up a lot of time and lacks the opportunity to cover more
within the training period of 1 month. Thus, projector televised training sessions
will equally help more individuals in less time making the best potential use of the
training by both parties.

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7. Conclusion

Communication has always been one of the most important, if not the most important
parts of any organization. Communication. On one hand, communication is absolutely
necessary for organizational growth and on the other hand, effective communication is
one of the things that create the most difference from an organizational perspective
because it fine tunes the company to deliver the highest possible value

The IT industry is the one of the most promising sectors globally in the 21st century. The
growth of this industry has also touched Bangladesh and has started to shaped our
technology-based culture in a whole new way. But due to the unfamiliarity of this sector,
new challenges arise every day. These challenges can be both inter and intra company.
Although there might be lots of technical issues too, miscommunication is one of the
constant factors that lead to lower productivity and higher rates of dissatisfaction both
inside and outside the industry. In addition to that, because of the industry being relatively
new, the need for optimum communication is far more than it ever has been. So, the
companies including the one we have worked on should focus on proper communication
channels and effective methods to tackle communication barriers to ensure higher
productivity and satisfaction, shaping the way for a truly modern and prosperous
Bangladesh

20
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Appendix

Appendix A: Details of Interviews

Interviewee: 1. Mr. Aminuddin

Engineer, Software Department

(Working in Next IT for 1 year)

2. Mr. Mansur Mahamud Quality

Assurance Department,

(Working in Next IT for 8 years)

3. Ms. Anowara Hakim Head,

Administration Department

(Working in Next IT for 2 years)

Date of Interview: 15th November, 2018

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Appendix B: Interview Questionnaire

1. Questions on formal communication

• What are the policies for inter-organization communication?
• What are the customer-touchpoints?
• How do you lay off employees?

2. Questions on vertical communication

• What are the protocols in place for discussing matters with seniors/juniors?
• Can you skip steps?
• How does an enacted policy trickle down? Are the opinions of others taken
into consideration?

3. Questions on horizontal communication

• How do you communicate between departments?
• How do you coordinate projects?

4. Questions on written communication

• How do you summarize meetings? How is it stored/communicated?
• How often do you have to write reports/memos etc.?

5. Questions on informal communication and grapevine communication

o What are the scopes of socializing? o What are the ice-
breaking opportunities (for new-comers)?

25