BARRIERS TO UPWARD COMMUNICATION IN THE U. S. NAVY.
Abstract
Interpersonal communication is a two-way process; upward as well as downward. In any communication network, potential barriers exist which would deter and inhibit the free flow of information through the network. The Navy, as a typical bureaucratic structure, has officially designated channels of communication within its organization. Whether these channels are adequate for upward communication (from subordinate to superior) is the problem explored in this study. In this paper, the inter-related theories concerning the field of communication are discussed; among them, cybernetics and information theory. Scholarly studies of psychologists and sociologists are examined, relating them to a Navy situation. Parallels from the formal studies to the military situation were sought in an effort to find ways of determining and eliminating barriers to upward communication in the Navy. The study indicates that interpersonal skills are essential to the military leader seeking a cohesive and cooperative unit under his command. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0475289
Entities
People
- Jean L. Chapman
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School