The Perceived Effect of Power Communication on Organizational Effectiveness: A Case Study of Zeneca Pharma Philippines Inc.

Abstract

It has been said that power is inevitable and that each person exhibits a certain amount of power over another. It is simply a natural part of life. In organizations, although every employee exercises power, the superior is said to command greater power over the subordinates. Literature on communication and management defined power as the act of influencing others and of making them do what they would not normally do. It may be inherent in a person, termed as personal power, or may come from a person's position in the company, known as positional power. On the other hand, communication provides the means through which power is exercised, developed, maintained and enhanced. From these is devised the term power communication, which is defined as communicating to others one's power to induce them to act in certain ways. It is said to occur in all directions of communication: upward, downward, and horizontal. Its manifestation, however is said to be more evident in downward communication. Power communication is viewed to have different effects on the organization. Some theorists say that its existence in an organization is destructive. On the other hand, others stated that power communication is positive. Still, some people believe that power communication in itself is neither negative nor positive. Therefore, this paper's aim was to answer the question: What is the perceived effect of power communication on organizational effectiveness? To answer this question, a descriptive design was adapted. With this design, the researcher was able to describe the perceptions of the employees of Zeneca Pharma Philippines, Inc. Zeneca is an international bioscience group that boasts of making innovative medicines that addresses serious health problems such as cancer and heart disease. The respondents were divided into the managers and the employees to give a clearer view and understanding of the perceived effects. The tools used for data gathering included the survey questionnaire for the managers and the employees, and the interview schedule for the country manager. Frequency and percentages were the tools used for data analysis. These tools described the patterns that emerged regarding the effects. from the respondents, it was discovered that power communication does not intimidate nor does it lessen the creativity and the initiative of the employees. If its effects on the employees are not negative, then it seems to have a high potential to be positive to the company. However, its potential is not fully realized because the superior seems hesitant in practicing power communication. Its use seems to be limited to improving performance and initiating change. Significantly, although power communication is perceived to be positive, it also presents a risk that the subordinate might become dependent on the superior.