Communication Between Management and Workers in Government-Owned Transport Companies in Anambra State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT This study examined communication between management and workers in Government-owned Transport Companies in Anambra State, Nigeria. The research was inspired by the vital role of effective communication in organizational efficiency. To carry out the study effectively, descriptive research design was used to; examine the kind of communication channels used to send messages to workers by managements of the transport organizations; find out how communication affects the performance of workers in the organizations; determine whether managements of the organizations enhance workers understanding of messages through their communication styles and then proffered strategies that should be employed by management of the transport organizations and other organizations to achieve effective communication. Data for the study were obtained through primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained through face-to-face interviews and questionnaires, while secondary data were obtained from records of the three transport companies, text books, journal 12 articles and internet materials. The tabular presentation and mean statistics were used in the data analysis. The population of the study was the entire 343 staff strength in the three Government-owned transport companies while the sample size of the study was 171 management and other staff of the three companies selected through probability, stratified, systematic, purposive and proportional sampling techniques. The test-retest method was used to test the reliability of the instruments. The results of the study revealed that; managements of the three transport companies send messages to workers through both the oral telephone and written channels of communication; All the workers in the three transport organizations claimed to understand properly messages sent to them in written form, but the workers do not always understand messages sent to them through telephone calls especially in noisy places. Communication has no effect on the performances of workers in the organizations. Managements of the organizations do not enhance the workers’ understanding of messages through their communication styles. Based on these findings, recommendations were made as follows; Managements of the three transport companies should minimize sending of messages through telephone calls to avoid noise interference with the messages being sent. Use more of the written channel in sending of messages to the workers since all the workers understand properly messages sent to them in written form. Send clear messages to workers to facilitate easy understanding. Consider the reactions of the workers before passing information to them in any issue as a way of carrying the employees along in the managements’ plans. Encourage the workers to give feed-back to the managements; and the managements should endeavor to obtain information from the workers to ensure proper coordination. Managements should meet with the workers occasionally and use two or more channels of communication to send a message to workers for more cordial relationships and for better understanding.