Organisation Commuication

About Dr Richard Blundel

Richard Blundel is a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University and a member of Brunel Research in Enterprise, Innovation, Sustainability and Ethics (BRESE). He has a background in public and private sector organisations, with roles including market research analyst for a small IT sector consultancy and corporate affairs manager for a large industrial company. Richard’s expertise lies in the role of inter-organisational networks in facilitating technological and organisational innovation, emerging models of entrepreneurship, and the growth process in firms and networks.

Press Release Org. Communication Explained
Introduction

One of the key challenges for managers is how to maintain effective communication, both within their own organisation and across its boundaries. While this is true of all organisations, we know that firms responsible for software engineering or the delivery of growingly complex software or IT projects operate in a particularly demanding communication environment:

  • turbulent and highly competitive product, service and labour markets
  • flexible and intensely networked organisation structures
  • rapid growth and the need to bring new project team members up to speed quickly
  • multiple knowledge-intensive projects running simultaneously, demanding the integration of specialist capabilities
  • multi-location and virtual team-working and multi-cultural, multi-language environments as a result of outsourcing.

    For such organisations to perform at an optimum level, they must first understand the key characteristics of the communication techniques and practices they employ during the planning, engineering, delivery and support phase. This greater understanding, coupled with a capacity to reflect on communication processes and outcomes, can then be exploited to improve communication channels, techniques and participation, promoting best practice and optimising performance.  

    'I think there is enormous potential for performance enhancement as managers and project teams can use this software to 'build in' some structured reflection on their communication practices, while still remaining focussed on immediate priorities. Dr Richard Blundel, January 2008

    Publications & activities

    (2004) Effective organisational communication: perspectives, principles and practices (2nd edition)

     (2008) Effective organisational communication: perspectives, principles and practices (3rd edition)

     

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