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INTRODUCTIONCommunication is a process of transfer of information. Definition of communication is actually vast and unlimited. Theodorson & Theodorson (1969) state that communication is the “sending of information, thought, attitude or emotion of one individual or group to other individual or group”. Communication can also defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning (Pearson & Nelson, 2000) Wether it verbal (speak), non-verbal (body language) or written, as long as a person transfer an information to other person, we call it as communication. So, no wonder that communication is one of the most vital thing for human being as we live in a community. There are different form of communication, which are intrapersonal, interpersonal, group or mass communication. In these modern days, Microsoft is not an unusual thing in our life. As the world grows, where the use of computer, tablet and smartphone become part of our daily life, Microsoft Corporation is one of the software company that make our computer run perfectly and efficiently.
Microsoft Corporation, is an American multinational technology company that develops, licenses, and supports a range of software products, services and devices. It’s the best known software product are the Microsoft windows line of operating system, the Microsoft Office suite, Internet Explorer and Edge Web Browsers. So this report will highlight on how communication activities in Microsoft Corporation are differ to other companies till make this company become one of the world’s most valuable companies. ?2. COMPANY PROFILEMicrosoft Corporation, one of the most valuable companies around the globe, is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington, was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on 4 April 1975. Incorporated on 22 September 1993.
The company develops, licenses, and supports a range of software products, services and devices. Number of Microsoft employees until 2018 is 131,300. Productivity and business processes, intelligent cloud and more personal computing are the segment under Microsoft company. Operating systems, cross-device productivity applications, server applications, business solution applications, desktop and server management tools, software development tools are all product from Microsoft. For example, Microsoft windows line of operating system, the Microsoft Office suite, Internet Explorer and Edge Web Browsers. Futhermore, Microsoft Corporation pursue hardware market by designs, manufactures, and sells devices, including personal computers (PCs), tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, phones, other intelligent devices, and related accessories, that integrate with its cloud-based offerings.
The company’s productivity and business processes segment includes products and services in its portfolio of productivity, communication, and information services, spanning a variety of devices and platforms. This segment primarily comprises Office Commercial, including volume licensing and subscriptions to Office 365 commercial for products and services. Office consumer, such as Office sold through retail or through an Office 365 consumer subscription. While, office consumer services such as Skype, Outlook.com and OneDrive. Dynamics business solutions such as Dynamics ERP products, Dynamics CRM on-premises, and Dynamics CRM Online.
Microsoft office commercial is designed to manage personal, team, and organizational productivity through a range of products and services. Office 365 is its cloud-based service that provides access to Office plus other productivity services.Microsoft intelligent cloud segment is all about its public, private, and hybrid server products and cloud services. This segment primarily comprises server products and cloud services, including SQL Server, Windows Server, Visual Studio, System Centre, and related CALs, as well as Azure, and Enterprise Services, including Premier Support Services and Microsoft Consulting Services. Its server products are designed to make information technology (IT) professionals, developers, and their systems productive and efficient.— Server software is integrated server infrastructure and middleware designed to support software applications built on the Windows Server operating system. This includes the server platform, database, business intelligence, storage, management and operations, virtualization, service-oriented architecture platform, security, and identity software.
CALs provide access rights to certain server products, including SQL Server and Windows Server, and revenue is reported along with the associated server product. Azure is a scalable cloud platform with computing, networking, storage, database, and management, along with advanced services, such as analytics, and solutions, such as Enterprise Mobility Suite. Azure enables customers to devote more resources to development and use of applications that benefit their organizations, rather than managing on-premises hardware and softwareThe company’s more personal computing segment consists of products and services geared towards harmonizing the —-interests of end users, developers, and IT professionals across screens of all sizes. This segment primarily comprises Windows, including Windows OEM licensing (Windows OEM) and other non-volume licensing of the Windows operating system, volume licensing of the Windows operating system, patent licensing, Windows Embedded, MSN display advertising and Windows Phone licensing; Devices, including Microsoft Surface (Surface), phones, and PC accessories; Gaming, including Xbox hardware; Xbox Live, comprising transactions, subscriptions, and advertising; video games; and third-party video game royalties, and Search advertising. The Company designs, manufactures, and sells devices, such as Surface, phones, and other intelligent devices, as well as PC accessories. Its devices are designed to enable people and organizations to connect to the people and content using integrated Microsoft services and Windows.—The logo ofMicrosoft Corporation adopted “Pac-Man Logo”is designed by Scott Baker.
Development of Microsoft Corporation Logo?3. BODY OF CONTENT3.1 Communication Activities in Microsoft; What make them special?Microsoft Corporation practice lot of wheel pattern of communication where it is claimed to best communication pattern as it reduce problems and distortions of information and save time. The employer of any department in the company have said that to make the communication between employers and employees in the company getting better, they need to communicate in good ways. They do not treat them just like an employee but they treat them like a real person.In this case, when they having better relationship, it will make the communication among them better. Not like as other employers outside there that treat their employees in very bad way such as ask their employees to do work until they have no time to break or need to take their works to home. This company, Microsoft Corporation know how to handle the relationship between employers and employee in other word, to keep them engaged in no matter what their situation and condition.
3.2 Involve EveryoneIt is a kind of involving all employees in the big events. For example during annual dinner which held in a stadium. What makes this worldwide company special is company will webcast it meeting with the television format and give free voucher for those who are viewing from online if the employee cannot make it to the function.
These practice objectives are to help employees meet each other and recognize them in unique functions and also they will pay attention and improve better understanding among each other.3.3 Writing communicationDespite on unique method to improve the verbal communication, they cannot abandon writing communication as it makes this worldwide company keep running.
Because of this fact, Microsoft creates a system to improve writing communication as they create the system of info graphics called ‘By the Numbers’ based on application because it very helpful for software programmers to understand the problems occur. Moreover, it also very helpful for engineers because they like numbers and easily bring out equations or formulas. Normal employees will creates graphics externally for some meetings and discussions. It makes the employee so simple.
Plus, they also preparing an outline with checklist. The checklist must include with important objective, main points in logical support of that objectives. Writing for audiences must adjust with tone style and pace and contents also according to requirements.
So, transferring information process become more accurate and fast.3.3 ‘Give and Take’Microsoft practices attentive and active listening. Since the employees also have their rights in company, they will patiently to listen people out and also can accurately define the opinions. There are some types of proficiency level in listening.
Giving attention while other person talks and giving opportunity to let them speak so they can considerate the opinion of other. Microsoft company also treat their employees not just by well communicating but they also give their employees some benefits of being working in the company. In some time, Microsoft Company also offered their employees some discounts on their products.
So, they can buy the products with special prices as they get the benefits of being working in the company. By this way, employees of Microsoft Corporation feel more appreciate, thus will increasing their productivity that lead to improvement in company product quality as well as quantity.3.4 ‘Killing Two Birds with One Stone’During the offer day, the company also turn the shopping of their products for the employees as a social event for outsider too. Microsoft bring in a general manager from retail stores to gives some explanation about the product they want to buy and also answering their questions about the products from Microsoft.
People can ask anything they want to ask even the simple questions as the manager will answered them. We can see how good they treat other people and automatically, we see the communication going very well. It also can exposed to outsiders as this company is very good in having communication with other people even they are in a big and well-known company. For them having a good communication is the key to keep their company being respected by the people from outside of the company.In conclusion, this is one of the activities made by Microsoft company to keep their employees engaged.
We can see this activity is very good in order to improve the communication skills between employers and employees.3.5 Move AroundThe other way of making the communication activity of Microsoft company different from others company is employees can move away from their desktop when doing their works in the office to gather the information from other employee.They do not have to keep stay in one place just looking on desktop to get any information about their works but they can go around in their office to get some advices, demanding information they need in order to complete their works. So, we can say that they do not have to keep stressing themselves to settle down their works just interacting with computers but they can communicate with other people when they want to ask some information. This kind of thing automatically make them feel less stress and more relax even they are actually working.
Microsoft also can see thing way as a business opportunity for their company because this thing can let employees to know more about their products. When the employees know more by themselves, they surely can expand this information about Microsoft products to other people outside such as their friends, family and relatives.3.6 Microsoft and Naysayers Microsoft also having social engagement where it open the door to naysayers (a person who always have pessimistic views) who jump in on the comments in social medias and say any bad or good comments about their products. This opportunity is actually use for the company receive comment directly from customer as the company not just make the products to customers to use it but they also willing to hear and accept any negative or positive comments and feedbacks from their customers. As we can see that Microsoft not just keep quiet and take their hands off from any problems faced by the customers. They try to make the things fixed and getting better.
Microsoft decided to allow any complaints and allow an expert respond to them. The openness of Microsoft won over critics in the community. In conclusion, we can follow this way of communicating between a company with their customers so, they will feel the satisfaction with the company even they are having the problems with them.
They try to settle it down and not make the things become worsen when having problems with the products by Microsoft because the communication has make it become clear.?4. CRITIQUE AND SUGGESTION4.1 CritiquesEven Microsoft Corporation is one of the best multinational company, it does not mean that they do not have any weakness. The weakness of this company is high price point. When you take into account the fact that there are desktop publishing suites like Open Office or operating systems like Linux available for free, you begin to realise how much Microsoft really charges.
While this allows greater revenue, it certainly deters customers and could be a growing problem.Static pricing models also too high for Microsoft company will be the threats to them. Microsoft products are typically big, expensive purchases that consumers only consider every few years. Microsoft does not really offer any particularly cheap products, and so lose out on market share.
Unless they change this to a more modern system, they might lose out to the micro transactions other companies already employ today.Next, high competition is the weakness of this company. While this will be discussed further under the topic of ‘threats’, it’s worth mentioning now that Microsoft has plenty of competitors in the technology space.
Of the four largest companies above Microsoft on the list which was mentioned early, two of them (Apple and Google) are also multinational technology companies battling Microsoft. Plenty of alternatives exist to the products that Microsoft offer. The threats of this company is will losing out on new markets. Despite all of what this company manage to produce, it does not change the fact that Microsoft was late for the mobile revolution. Company like Apple, Asus and Lenovo are all the companies that have alter their vision as they used to build only computer related products and software, now they all are pursuing a new promising that is market of mobile phone.
But, despite of new mobile phone market that they working on, they also do not forget to also upgrade their performance in world of computer. That what make Microsoft rivals become more threatening to Microsoft recently. 4.2 SuggestionsFirstly, company must have a good leader. A good leader will be a role model for employees. Winning employees heart is also important as winning customer heart. As a wise man said, a worker who love the job but hate the leader will leave, but a worker who hate their job but love their leader will stay.
So, winning employees heart will make them stay and make them work willingly. Being a great leader sets the stage for everyone, from the administration to the general worker. Every employee needs to be able to see and understand the overarching goals of the company in order to work effectively with each other. Publish company’s manifesto and target all over the company’s building and blog so employees will have clear goal in what they are doing.
Then, leader of the company must keep their company’s mission and vision at the forefront. If Microsoft Corporation wants to become a leading company in science and technology aspects, they need to vary their products. They need to produce not only a good computer runner system, but also strive to build a good smartphone or tablet runner system. They also can produce a whole computer set, a smartphone or a tablet as their products. With these products, with using their own software they can boost up their consumer number because today world, the need of smartphone and tablet are actually more than need of computer. So, it is not impossible that they can monopolise the gadget world as their name is not unusual in science and technology world. Lastly, they need to lower their price.
A slightly cheaper price from their rival can make them as people choice because it may seem they are losing their profit as a short term result, but by winning the consumer choice is actually must be their ultimate goal to always become a leading company. Plus, Microsoft company always need to be aware of their own rival as they need to always compare their products with their rival products. With this technique, they can find room for improvement of their products. Who do not want a good quality item with a low price? So, by using that logical thinking, they can monopolise the science and technology industry.5.
CONCLUSIONMicrosoft Corporation has a different type of communication activities not only with employer and employees themselves, but also with outside community too. Their methods are actually make their employees feel want to work with Microsoft Corporation, not need to work with the company. They do not treat them just like an employee but they treat them like a real person. They need their employees to focus their work on the goals and objectives that they have for their business. Everyone needs to be able to see and understand the overarching goals of the company in order to work. Thus, by focusing them to their goal while make them work under a relax environment, will make them a loyal, hardworking and best employees ever.
Not only that, Microsoft Corporation also has a lot of unique method of approaching outside community. The openness of Microsoft won over critics in the community. For them having a good communication is the key to keep their company being respected by the people from outside of the company. By analysing their own weaknesses, they can always maintain and improve their company place in worldwide market. Because of that awareness, they can make sure to always surpass their rival, either the current one or the rival-to-be.
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