Tangible communication proximity must for organisational system: Masrur

By our correspondents
March 26, 2016

Rawalpindi

A one-day workshop on ‘Communication Proximity at Organisational Level’ was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Samina Amin Qadir, Vice Chancellor, Fatima Jinnah Women University at Riphah International University, on Friday, says a press release. 

Rehan Hassan, Director, Riphah Institute of Media Sciences, Prof. Dr. Masrur A. Khan and Dr. Raheela Yasmin, Associate Director RARE accompanied the guest of honour on this occasion. Various university students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad participated in the one day workshop.

Prof. Dr. Masrur A. Khan,  professor at Riphah Institute of Media Sciences said that the existence of tangible and well-knitted communication structure is inevitable in the organisation and its strength entirely depended on communication proximity through social media in present environment. 

The strength of the communication structure is further supported by the absence of dyad and isolates which are assumed as indicators for a weak communication structure in an organization, he added. 

Dr. Masrur Khan further examined the dyadic interaction environment in business community and how communication proximity is reduced uncertainty through social media? It also highlighted the extent a pattern of cliques through dyadic interaction do exist in business community. 

This workshop also examined how proximity through social media have influenced productivity and efficiency not to mention interpersonal interaction and increased use of technology in the organisation. In many organisations, informal networks are the primary means by which employees find information, solve complex problems, and learn how to do their work.

Riphah International University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmad chaired second session of the workshop. At this point, Dr. Masrur Khan also managed hand-on activity while applying a socio-matrix survey instrument of NEGOPY to identify the structure of an organisation and exposed its nature: dyad, cliques, isolate, bridge, and existence of a leader. 

He demonstrated that communication proximity does exist in interpersonal communication network and how patterns of cliques are revealed in examining the communication proximity in an organization. The investigation involved an analysis of communication network using data on individuals while looking at their interpersonal interaction. The data obtained was empirically measured through NEGOPY Network Analysis. 

The results supported the existence of tangible and well-knitted communication structure in the organisation. The strength of the communication structure was further supported by the absence of dyad and isolates which are assumed as indicators for a weak communication structure in an organization.