Specifics of C ommunication within Public A dministration S ystem

Specifics of Communication Specifics of Communication

within Public Administration System within Public Administration System

Natalya ALYUSHINANatalya ALYUSHINAChair of Public Administration and ManagementChair of Public Administration and ManagementPhD in PsychologyPhD in Psychology, , Associate Professor Associate ProfessorNational Academy of Public AdministrationNational Academy of Public Administration, , Office of the President of UkraineOffice of the President of Ukraine

Issues for discussionIssues for discussion

1.1. Specifics of Communication within Public Specifics of Communication within Public Administration System - the theoryAdministration System - the theory

2.2. Importance of Communication in Public Importance of Communication in Public AdministrationAdministration

3. The Communication Process and How to Improve 3. The Communication Process and How to Improve Communication in Public AdministrationCommunication in Public Administration

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The term communicationThe term communication

In general the term communication is defined as a transmission of information between two or among more subjects within certain time and certain place, or as a transmission of various information contents within various communication systems by the utilization of various communication media, particularly through language.


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Within the process of communication, Within the process of communication, it is important to answer the following it is important to answer the following questions:questions:

Who is the recipient of my information? What information does this recipient demand? What

information may I / do I have to give him. Which way of the transmission does he or she prefer? What do I want to achieve by providing the recipient with

the information?


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Without any regards to the form of communication, the process of communication plays a very important role in public administration.

Every member of an administrative organization needs certain information for making a decision. Characteristics of information flows determine features of the communication within public administration system.

The above mentioned basic questions are applicable in the field of public administration, that is represented by a very large group of formal organization within which many formal and informal relationships do exist.


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According to Herbert A. Simon, who is known for his theory of administrative behavior (bounded rationality concept), “without communication there can be no organization”. In his concept, communication in organizations is a two-way process: it comprehends both the transmittal to a decisional center or orders, information, and advice; and the transmittal of the decisions reached from this center to other parts of the organization. It is a process that takes place upward, downward, and laterally throughout the organization.

The organization provides channels of communication running in all directions through which information for decision-making flows. These channels are both formal and informal. The formal channels are partly based on, and partly separate from, the lines of formal authority, and the informal channels are closely related to the informal social organization. The communication must reason, plead, and persuade, as well as order, if it is to be effective.


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Communication exists across the whole system of public administration. It is a sectional issue. It always relates to the called intergovernmentalism.

According to the OECD’s document Managing across levels of government (OECD 1997) this phenomenon comes in response to the twin pressures of budgetary deficits and calls for better quality democracy.

In this context, the main concerns underpinning this work are to: facilitate the achievement of national objectives, e.g. fiscal strategy; remove unnecessary duplication and overlap; obtain better value for taxpayers’ money; make services more responsive to local needs; and empower citizens to participate more in decision-making.


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The basic problem of complex organization (which is a case of public administration) relates to the fact that not all information relevant to the decision-making are in hands of a subject of the decision-making. That is why the communication is considered to be a necessary part of the more complex form of cooperative behavior - coordination. According to Simon, failures in communication result whenever it is forgotten that the behavior of individuals is the tool with which organization achieves its purposes.

“The question to be asked of any administrative process is: How does it influence the decisions of these individuals? Without communication, the answer must always be: It does not influence them at all.”


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In the simplest situations, the individual participant can bring his activities into coordination with the activities of others through simple observation of what they are doing. In most situations, however, the successful performance of a task by a group of persons requires a slightly higher degree of coordination. According to Simon, the process of coordination in these more complicated situations consists of at least three steps:

(I) the development of a plan of behavior for all the members of the group (not a set of individual plans for each member);

(2) the communication of the relevant portions of this plan to each member; and

(3) a willingness on the part of the individual members to permit their behavior to be guided by the plan.

The mentioned requirements are applicable not only on individual behavior, but also on the organizational behavior as can be seen in many benchmarking-like analyses.


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The lateral character of communication and its feedback aspect are often stressed in theory. According to Garnett, key functions of lateral communication include task coordination, information sharing, multidisciplinary problem solving, and mutual emotional support. The lateral character of communication is a prerequisite of the communication network - “process whereby decisional premises are transmitted from one member of an organization to another”. This network has a potential to be an integrating device for bringing together frequently conflicting elements of an organization to secure cooperative group effort.


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In the public administration, the process of communication may be often blocked due to many circumstances. For example Long speaks about the following critical types of communications blockages: barriers of language, frames of reference, status distance, geographical distance, self-protection of the individual who reports actions, the pressures of work and censorship. It is also necessary not to forget what Weber already claimed - the modern communication (it means “written” in his context) was one of the factors of growth of the bureaucratization of society life.


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Importance of CommunicationImportance of Communication in Public Administration in Public Administration

The field of public administration, including government and nonprofit agencies, attracts people with a commitment to public service. They work in jobs in which they will face multiple demands from their agency stakeholders. However, public administrators must use effective means of communication in order to succeed in practicing open and honest government.


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Different StakeholdersDifferent Stakeholders

Before focusing on why communication is important in public agencies, consider how communication impacts the job of a single public manager.

A person in a leadership role works with many different stakeholders, including other employees in the same agency, members of other agencies, legislators, public voters and agency program beneficiaries.

Information exchanges with each of these types of stakeholders affects the outcomes achieved by the agency.


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Special InterestsSpecial Interests

Communication also takes place between public administrators and members of special interest groups. This is particularly true when special interests, including private corporations, hire a lobbyist to influence legislation and administrative rules that will affect their business model.

A public administrator must free herself from the unnecessary influence of special interests, and therefore strong assertive communication skills are essential to the job.


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TransparencyTransparency

Communication also matters when you consider the role of a public administrator in the context of a larger group of public servants. Effective communication either leads to the success or failure of their public agencies. Public administrators must develop effective means of sharing information with each other and with stakeholders, especially the public. Open government, or the sharing of non-classified information, will increase government transparency and encourage public trust.04/20/23 Communication of Public

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E-GovernmentE-Government

The importance of communication also falls to the "how" of public administrators, or how they get the message out to constituents about government activities. E-government is especially helpful in delivering information to constituents as consumers. Any agency can use an agency website to provide notices about upcoming meetings, policy initiatives, rules, procedures and other details that affect the public. In the best models, e-government provides an opportunity for dialogue between public administrators and citizens.


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The Communication Process The Communication Process

In our every day life we are communicating or sharing information and ideas. Sometimes we understand what the other person is saying sometimes we misunderstand. And misunderstanding can lead to differences, conflict or grievances etc. How communication affects our life and working in organizations is explained through example:

Example: Most of us are familiar with the game of “telephone,” in which one person whispers a message into the ear of another, who whispers the message to the next person, and so on. Inevitably, when the last person says the message out loud, it is quite different from what was first whispered in the ear of first person.04/20/23 Communication of Public

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This example of “Telephone” illustrates numerous complexities in the communication process. We will highlight three such complexities in the communications model which will be presented to you.

In figure 1 we have tried to show that

(1) communication takes place in relationship between a sender and a receiver,

(2) communication can flow in one direction and end there and

(3) message can elicit a response which is formally known as feedback-from the receiver.

What do we interpret from the figure? The figure is explaining to us that in a simple flow (transmission) of information from one person to another person, it is the feedback which tells us if message is correctly received or not .04/20/23 Communication of Public

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A Model of Communication Figure 1A Model of Communication Figure 1


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We will now see each component of the figure separately:

The sender The sender

The sender (source of the message) initiates the communication with some purpose. In an organization, the sender will be a person with purpose for communicating message or instruction to one or more people in organization.

The Receiver The Receiver

The receiver is a person whose senses perceive the sender’s message. The message can be in words , symbol, gesture etc. There may be a large number of receivers, or there may be just one. The message must be crafted or designed with receiver’s background in mind.


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EncodingEncoding

Encoding takes place when the sender translates the information to be transmitted into a series of words, symbols etc. Encoding is necessary because information can only be transferred from one person to another through representations of words or symbols etc.

Decoding Decoding

Decoding is the process by which the receiver interprets the message and translates it into meaningful information. It is a two-step process. The receiver must first perceive the message and then interpret it. Decoding is affected by the receiver’s past experience, knowledge, position in organization etc.


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Noise Noise

Noise is any factor that disturbs, confuses, or otherwise interferes with communication. Noise can arise along what is called the communications channel, or method of transmission (such as air for spoken words or paper for letters) or external or internal (as when a receiver is not paying attention). Noise can also be referred to as “barriers” to effective communication.

Feedback Feedback

Feedback determines whether the message received by the receiver was understood in the manner in which the sender wanted to convey the message. And that there is no misunderstanding and misinterpretation of message.


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Types of Communication Types of Communication

Communication can be following two types:

1. Formal (written): letters, memos, reports, any document in organization

2. Informal: unwritten, word of mouth, gossip, exchange of information in the informal groups etc.

Other Types

Other types of communication are:

1. Verbal: Instructions, discussions etc.

2. Non-verbal: gestures, dress, body language, a frown, smile, twitch nose etc.


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Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal Communication

We have to understand the difference between communication in general and interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication is the communication that takes place between and amongst individuals. The process of communication in interpersonal communication is same i.e. sender, transmission, receiver, feedback etc. The message must be understood clearly and without any misunderstanding.


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How to Improve CommunicationHow to Improve Communication

Communication, whether interpersonal or general can be improved significantly, if barriers to communication are understood well. How well, those communicating deal with four aspects of the communications.

These following measures are also referred to as “barriers” to communication: Differences in perception; Emotional state; Inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal communications,

and Trust (or distrust) between communicating parties.


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Differences in Perceptions Differences in Perceptions

This is one of the most common communication barriers. People who have different backgrounds of knowledge and experience often perceive the same phenomenon from different perspectives.

Suppose that a new supervisor compliments a worker for his or her efficiency and high-quality of work.

Some may see this praise due to workers “nice behaviour” to the supervisor. Language differences also are often closely related to differences in individual perceptions.


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Emotions all State Emotions all State

Emotional reactions like, anger, love, defensiveness, hate, jealousy, fear, embarrassment etc. influence how we understand others’ with our own messages. When we are in intense emotional state the message can be mis-interpretation can misunderstood. If employees are behaving aggressively or sullenly, managers should get them to talk about their concerns and pay careful attention to what they say.


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Inconsistencies between Inconsistencies between Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

The messages we send and receive are strongly influenced by such nonverbal factors as body movements, clothing, the distance we stand from the person we’re talking to, our posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye movements. Suppose while a manager is using word of praise but has frown on the face, a confused message will be conveyed.


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Trust (or Distrust) Trust (or Distrust)

A receiver’s trust or distrust of a message is, to a large extent, a function of the credibility of the sender in the mind of the receiver. A sender’s credibility is affected by circumstances in the context in which he or she sends the message. In here the history of a work relationship comes to bear on communication, in terms of promises kept and broken. For example: a manager asks workers to complete certain task and output in a given time frame and promises to pay bonus. But when the workers finish the task and output in a given timeframe and are not paid bonus, distrust develops.


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The Importance of Effective The Importance of Effective Communication Communication

Effective communication provides a common link for the management processes of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling and

Manager’s time is spent largely in communication with employees, supervisors, suppliers, or customers. There effective communication skills of managers are very essential to get the work accomplished.


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Specifics of C ommunication within Public A dministration S ystem