The business organisations of today are grappling with conflicting pressures. The organisational milieu, once relatively uncomplicated, is now beset by numerous forces that require business policies and practices to reshape.

Employees demand more challenging work and greater flexibility and employers are responding by seeking to enrich jobs and offering more flexible work scheduling. By threatening to boycott a company’s products or services, consumer interest groups are able to bring about change in pricing or marketing strategy. Through its ubiquitous agencies, the government has reshaped many aspects of business operations which have till now been considered within the private purview of an organisation.

The effects of such changes on organisations and its resultant effects on managerial functions have been widely chronicled.

As an outgrowth of these pressures to adapt, many organizations appear to have realigned their communication priorities. There are many articles now in business publications describing courses designed specifically to teach executives how to communicate more effectiveness with the public and the press. Such courses are intended to prepare the businessman to meet the growing barrage of anti-business criticism. .

There is little doubt that communication is a primary vehicle by which organisations adapt both internally and externally. A review of research available on business communication practices reveals significant changes in the communication policies and practices of business organisations.

In terms of external communication, organizations are much more concerned about enhancing their public image that a decade ago. This increased concern is evidenced in the organization’s greater receptiveness to communication from the public, in their growing emphasis upon truthfulness when communicating to the public and in their slightly increased proclivity to open lines of communication with the public through public speeches by executives.

In terms of internal communication, organisations appear to be attempting to improve the downward flow of communication The flow of upward communication has also improved during this period. Organisations are more actively seeking new ideas from employees, listen more closely to employees on matters of company concern and more willing ness among employees to speak their minds.

In order to survive and thrive, organisations need to live by the dictum “adapt or perish”.