Exploring barriers to effective communication In public institutions: The case of Dar es salaam Institute of Technology- Dar es salaam
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Mzumbe University
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A Dissertation submitted to Mzumbe University Dar es Salaam Campus College
as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Master of Science
in Human Resources Management (MSc HRM) of Mzumbe University
This study aimed to explore barriers that affect the effective communication in public institutions in Tanzania. The study was conducted at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology which was used as the case study. The study was guided by four specific objectives which are; to investigate barriers of communication at DIT; to identify methods of communication within DIT; to identify communication patterns at DIT and to assess the efforts made by DIT to overcome barriers to effective communication. The researcher used case study design to accomplish the empirical study and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyse data gathered through interviews, questionnaires, observation and documentary review. This study found that at DIT the methods of communication which are used are meetings, telephone communication and memos and that those methods are effective. Also it was found that vertical and horizontal are the popular patterns in public institutions. Moreover, the researcher found that there were barriers of communication such as different perceptions among staff, emotional barriers, information overload, feedback barriers, psychological barriers and institution set up whereby some offices were located outside the campus. These offices could not access information on time and sometimes information could not reach at all because of physical distance. Public institutions should strive at making sure that they improve communication in their institutions. It was found that at DIT there is poor telephone connection between one room to another and one block to another. Therefore, to overcome this problem, the institute should introduce modern technology in order to avoid the miscommunication from one department to another.
This study aimed to explore barriers that affect the effective communication in public institutions in Tanzania. The study was conducted at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology which was used as the case study. The study was guided by four specific objectives which are; to investigate barriers of communication at DIT; to identify methods of communication within DIT; to identify communication patterns at DIT and to assess the efforts made by DIT to overcome barriers to effective communication. The researcher used case study design to accomplish the empirical study and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyse data gathered through interviews, questionnaires, observation and documentary review. This study found that at DIT the methods of communication which are used are meetings, telephone communication and memos and that those methods are effective. Also it was found that vertical and horizontal are the popular patterns in public institutions. Moreover, the researcher found that there were barriers of communication such as different perceptions among staff, emotional barriers, information overload, feedback barriers, psychological barriers and institution set up whereby some offices were located outside the campus. These offices could not access information on time and sometimes information could not reach at all because of physical distance. Public institutions should strive at making sure that they improve communication in their institutions. It was found that at DIT there is poor telephone connection between one room to another and one block to another. Therefore, to overcome this problem, the institute should introduce modern technology in order to avoid the miscommunication from one department to another.
Keywords
barriers to communication