Communication effectiveness in the proposed Riordan-JJJ Company merger

Communication Scenarios

The proposed merger between Riordan Manufacturing and JJJ Company is detailed in four company memorandum written from the perspective of the accounting department, and addressed to a select group of individuals as well as the committee responsible for the decision on moving forward with the acquisition. Each memo contains a review of material which ultimately leads to a recommendation on the feasibility of the venture. Yet, a review of these messages reveals writings which are poorly organized, composed, and incomplete.

How well did the communication convey the intended message?

The four memorandums convey the accounting department's viewpoint that the proposed merger between the two organizations would not be in the best interest of Riordan given the financial stability of the JJJ Company. The two memos which state this point most forcefully are the Ad Hoc Committee memo and the Mark, Sales Manager memo. The main concern however, is that Beth and John the authors of the memos, create a garbled communication with their poor use of grammar, language, and syntax. As an example in the Ad Hoc memo Riordan Manufacturing is written as Riogran, and the recommendation is to the Ad Hoc Committed (Ad Hoc Committee Memo). These kinds of errors are ubiquitous through all four communiques and leave the reader questioning the author's ability to provide guidance.

Is the communication at the appropriate level for the intended audience?

The memos are written to management members and contain information which is discernible by individuals with financial, sales, and marketing expertise. Each memo provides detail on the state of the JJJ Company's financial condition: accounting procedures, accounts payable and receivables, and credit sales as examples. The memos are written by John and Beth with an understanding that the readers will have a firm grasp of the material and the intricacies.

How did the leadership styles in the scenario affect the communication within the group?

Both John and Beth write from a position of knowledge about the accounting discipline, but the issue is that the information does not come across with perspicuity because of the ineffective use of language. The exchange of information however, does not appear to be dampened due to any leadership styles. The writings indicate respect for the chain of command and the proper procedure for detailing content.

What changes would you recommend to improve the communique?

Language, context, grammar, spelling, syntax and construct are all lacking in these memos. The information on JJJ Company's finances is specific and detailed however, that information is lost in a mix of error prone sentences. As an example, "although JJJ's Company had high sales numbers in the past without the current financial statements, balance sheets,