Case study report
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Case study reportTable PageExecutive Summary (2)1. Introduction (2)2. Discussion (2)2.1. Make changes in the communication process (2)2.2 Care about the effective information (4)2.3. Overcoming the barriers to effective interpersonalcommunication (5) 3. Conclusion (6)References (6)Executive SummaryCommunication in management is defined in understandable information, ideas and feelings of two or more persons in the population of the process of transfer or exchange, the entire management of the work and communication. Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning. Communication acts to control member behavior in several ways. In this case, we will see how the CEO deals with many problems by communicating with his stakeholders and gains a new reputation for cooperation throughout the world.1. IntroductionWhen Douglas Daft became CEO of Coca-Cola, the company was in trouble. Because of a series of problems, the government, the customers and some other competitors were unsatisfied with the Coca-Cola and the internal of company was arguing in different opinions and levels. Then Daft took a series of measures to solve problems. Through the process , the whole staff recognized that the importance of the right ways to communicate with top managers, government regulators, customers and use the right ways to communicate with others and absorb other opinions to solve problem. And we can know that communication skills alone do not make a successful manager. However, ineffective communication skills can lead to a continuous stream of problems for a manager. 2. Discussion2.1. Make changes in the communication processCoca-Cola was in trouble. The previous year, European Union regulators had raided the European offices of Coca-Cola and its bottlers and leveled serious anticompetitive charges against the venerable soft-drink marketer. That same year, the company was hurt by negative publicity when hundreds of people in Belgium complained of headaches and nausea after drinking Coca-Cola beverages. Faced with these circumstances, top managers’slow response lead to some company executives that they departed from tradition and submitted a confidential memo criticizing Coca-Cola’s actions. We can see that because of the top managers’ slow response to their stakeholders, they were unsatisfied. To complicate matters, worldwide sales were slowing due to economic was in some countries, employee morale was lower, and the stock price was lagging. How could these happen? We will discuss from the communication process.2.1.1. The message senderIn this process, the message senders are the stakeholders, the European Unionregulators, the customers of Belgium and some other competitors. They are sending a common message to the Coca-Cola Company: Your company and your drink appeared a series of problems. We are unsatisfied with you! They expressed their attitudes to the Coca-Cola Company.2.1.2. The receiverThe receivers of this communication process are the top managers of Coca-Cola Company. In my opinion, the top managers should always concern about more information and reports about their company that how the government ,the customers, and the competitors to evaluate them and they should always know more about latest market information in order to take full preparation for receiving challenges and the change of market. And once some problem accrued, top managers should respond as fast as they can to solve the problem.2．1．3．The process of decodingThe receiver must be skillful in reading or listing. In the process of communicating with stakeholder relationships, Daft asked what the company had done wrong and paid close attention as the regulator spoke his mind. In this way, Daft not only got a better understanding of their customers’needs, but also made better decisions to change the situation.2．1．4．The channelManagers need to recognize that certain channels are more appropriate for certain messages. It is very important to choose a right method to communicate with their stakeholder relationships. Daft used the method of goodwill tour to meet with the regulator who had pursued antitrust charges against Coca-Cola the year before. Daft also met with Italy’s top antitrust regulator who had presided over an investigation that resulted in Coca-Cola paying a $16 million fine for anticompetitive practices. Daft also directed to top Coca-Cola executive in Europe to find ways of working more closely with regulators, smoothing the way for business practices that to fit both the company’s goals and the European Union’s competitive guidelines. The goodwill tour in clouded meetings and meals with local Coca-Cola managers, the U.S. ambassador to France, several CEOs of French firms, and numerous Coca-Cola executives around Europe. In this face-to-face and internal and external communication, the CEO can listen others’ minds directly and it is very helpful to make better decisions.Of course, face-to-face conversation is the best way to communicate with stakeholders. There are some other methods to get more knowledge of the stakeholders’minds. For example, Daft can also always concerning about the markets’development via sending E-mails to his executive in Europe markets, telephone calls and Internet searching. Or he could send some of his top managers to Europe to participate in managing the local business and send the latest message or information to their CEO in time. In varieties of channel, Daft and his top managers could know more about the sales condition of their products.Otherwise, always keep the lines of communication open is required.2.1.5. The feedback loopFeedback returns the message to the sender and provides a check on whether understanding has been achieved. When the European Union regulators, the customers in Belgium and some other competitors against the Coca-Cola Company, top management’s slow response led to a more serious result. Facing to this circumstance, the managers should find out the way to solve problems and speed up decision making in time and keep the lines of communication open to give their stakeholders a satisfied answer.From the process of this communication. We know that when the stakeholders or the message senders come up with the problems, the receivers or managers should make reflection in time and choose a right channel to listen their minds via face-to-face conversation, oral presentations and contact with many people who are inside and outside the organization. Then find out the right methods to solve problem and give their stakeholders and their own employees a satisfied feedback.2.2 Care about the effective informationAn Information is communicated up though organizational levels it is condensed and synthesized by senders so these on top do not became overloaded with information. Those doing the condensing filter communications through their personal interests and perceptions of what is important. And the more vertical levels there are in an organization, the more opportunities there are for filtering.In the case , Daft bring some of his senior U.S. and European managers together to hear reports on regional results and initiatives, rather than asking them to share written reports. Which means that, the written reports would be filtered if Daft didn’t bring his managers to hear reports, just asked them to share written reports. Maybe Daft would deleted some information that he thought which is not important though his own interests. Then the reports would send to the next level though some other managers’ delete. So fewer and fewer useful information could be stayed up and their employees would not know about the true information. It’s harmful to the development of the company. In order to let the managers could get full knowledge of the whole information by themselves directly and effetely, Daft must bring his senior U.S. and European managers together in Europe to hear reports. It’s very meaningful to make decisions. So, make sure that the whole information and effective information is very important to the process of sending message from high level to the bottom. And it’s useful to the development of the company.2.3. Overcoming the barriers to effective interpersonalcommunication2.3.1. Use feedback loopFirst, he used feedback to his stakeholders. Since his initial goodwill tour, Dafthas return to Europe several times to meet with managers, bottlers, and regulators. To meet with the local managers, Daft could tell them the latest development of his company and he could also to exchange opinions with them and give them a feedback. And it could let them to know whether their minds or advise were effective.Second, after Daft brought his own managers to hear reports in Europe, those top managers were also use the feedback loop to Daft. In line with Daft’s preference for direct communication, oral presentations are shorter, more to the point, and heavier on recommendations. The top managers were also speeding up decision making, allowing Coca-Cola to bring new products and existing markets much faster than before. It means the top managers can understand his means and put in into actions. So actions can speak louder than words.2.3.2. Listen activelyActive listening is listening for full meaning without making premature judgments or interpretations demands total concentration. When his company was involved in an argument, he said that the company had to stop arguing and start listening when competing in other countries. So he listened intently as the regulator explained his reasoning and spoke against the company’s highly aggressive behavior. Then he went to Europe to meet with managers, butters, and regulators and listened to their opinions and advises actively. By listening to many people inside and outside the organization, Daft was developing a more rounded picture of Coca-Cola’s strengths and weaknesses.2.3.3. Constrain emotionsWe know that emotions can severely cloud and distort the transference of meaning. When the Coca-Cola Company was in crisis, some of the internal managers were in different attitudes. Daft said the company had to stop arguing and start listening to others. Yes, they should control their emotions to keep clam and think it over. Only in this way could they analyze the reality and correct what they did wrong.3. 3.4. The different rulesCultural differences can affect the way a manager chooses to communicate. And these differences undoubtedly can be a barrier to effective communication if not recognized and taken into consideration. In the case, Daft met with local managers, bottlers, and regulators and got a better understanding of local rules.On the basis of the local rules, Daft made some decision to fit in with the needs of the Europe markets in order to fit for customers to the best of his ability.In the company, he kept clam and analyzed the current situation. In Daft’s goodwill tour, he met with stakeholders and listened his stakeholders’advises actively. And he understood more about local rules. After that, he corrected the insufficient section and kept in touch with his customers and gave them a feedback. So he came over some barriers to communication during his goodwill tour and gained a new reputation for cooperation throughout the world.3. ConclusionIn the communication process, a sender initiates a message to a receiver. Then the message is received by the sender through a channel. The receiver will get the meaning of the message and give the sender a feedback after deal with it. In the case, Daft’s communication process with his stakeholders show us the way to communication and how to come over barriers to effective interpersonal communication. So we should also develop our own communication skills. References1.Zhang Xiaoqing《By enterprise's management communication》 May 20072.Philip Kotler 《Management communication principle and practice》March 2008 .3.Liu Guangyou《Manager personnel's management communication and trendof development》， April 20024.J.Scanlon “ Woman of substance” Wired, July 2002 p.275.E.Wenger, R.McDermott and W. Snyder,Cultivating Communicates ofPractice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge p.46.Deng Hung《Jan discusses in the enterprise culture construction the Trans-Culture communication and the fusion》 June 20047. H.Dolazalek “Collaborating in cyber-space” April 2003 p.278. D.K.Berio, The Process of Communication(New York: Holt,Rinehart&Winston,1996) p.30。
