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Case
5.1: Determining Channel Mix and Usage
Purpose:
The purpose of this case is to determine how to select and effectively
use different communication channels.
Situation:
A paper mill is experiencing "communication problems".
Upon investigation, you determine that there are three major problems:
- Employees do not
feel adequately informed about the direction of the company.
- Employees are not
adequately informed about day-to-day changes.
- There are shift-to-shift
and department-to-department communication problems.
There are four primary
channels used in the mill:
- A monthly employee
newsletter
- Bulletin boards located
at the time clocks
- Departmental meetings
held at the discretion of the manager
- Weekly production
reports
Other facts about the
mill:
- 800 employees (150
of which are office staff)
- unionized, with four
rotating shifts
- 40 departments
- located on a ½
mile stretch of a river
- the operation is
highly profitable
The company lives its
values of customer-focused quality, safety and empowered employees.
The CEO has an MBA from Harvard and an undergraduate degree from
MIT. He is an engineer by training, has excellent interpersonal
communication skills and is committed to "Managing by Walking
Around". He is well liked by the employees but, in a plant
this large, he admits, "it's difficult to keep in touch with
everyone". In his library-like office, he talked about his
vision of having a "world-class communication system".
How should he spend his limited resources in accomplishing this
vision?
Objectives:
- Determine if the
mill needs any new channels.
- Design the proper
channel mix for the various communicative functions.
- Describe how these
channels should be utilized. Consider such elements as the content,
frequency of their usage, and the audience.
- Describe how the
information should be presented to the CEO.
- Provide your rationale
for the above objectives.
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