INNOVA Research Journal, ISSN 2477-9024  
Marzo, 2017). Vol. 2, No.3 pp. 42--51  
(
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33890/innova.v2.n3.2017.131  
URL: http://revistas.uide.edu.ec/index.php/innova/index  
Correo: innova@uide.edu.ec  
Modelo conceptual de las teorías de la comunicación dentro del proceso del  
proyecto  
Conceptual model of communication theories within project process  
Pedro Andrade Rodríguez  
Universidad Tecnológica Empresarial de Guayaquil UTEG, Ecuador  
Autor para correspondencia: pandrade@uteg.edu.ec  
Fecha de recepción: 16 de Diciembre de 2016 - Fecha de aceptación: 20 de Febrero de 2017  
Resumen: La gestión de proyectos es importante para el logro de los objetivos de la organización.  
Los directores de proyecto cooperan con los miembros del equipo para establecer las metas del  
proyecto y compartir responsabilidades. También se espera que el director del proyecto se  
mantenga en contacto con los miembros del proyecto a través de una comunicación regular, tanto  
cara a cara como mediada por ordenador. Por esta razón, la comunicación forma la parte más  
importante de la gestión de proyectos. Proyecto, los gerentes deben ser capaces de comunicarse  
oportuna y efectivamente para asegurar que todos los miembros del equipo estén informados sobre  
el progreso del proyecto. El canal de comunicación también determina cómo se pasa la  
información. Se espera que el director del proyecto use el canal correcto para el público adecuado.  
En este artículo, se discuten cuatro teorías de la comunicación que mejoran el éxito en la gestión  
de proyectos. Pensar en grupo implica evitar los conflictos en la toma de decisiones siguiendo la  
opinión de los demás. Como se observará, el pensamiento colectivo se desaconseja en la gestión  
de proyectos, ya que conduce a la dominación de la toma de decisiones por parte de unos pocos  
individuos del grupo. Es posible que los miembros no estén dispuestos a trabajar hacia los  
objetivos fijados, especialmente si los objetivos se establecieron a través de un consenso  
mayoritario. La teoría de la difusión de la comunicación también explica cómo los nuevos puntos  
de vista e ideas se difunden a través de las culturas. Una buena gestión de proyectos requiere un  
cambio en los métodos de comunicación y un lenguaje basado en el contexto de la comunicación.  
En este trabajo se desarrollan tres hipótesis, junto con un modelo conceptual que refleja la idea del  
artículo.  
Palabras clave: Teoría de la comunicación; Proceso de proyecto; Modelo conceptual de  
comunicaciones  
Abstract: Project Management is important for attainment of organizational goals. Project  
managers cooperate with the members of the team to set the project goals and share  
responsibilities. The project manager is also expected to keep in touch with the project members  
through regular communication, both face-to-face and computer-mediated. For this reason,  
communication forms the most important part of project management. Project, managers should  
be able to communicate timely and effectively to ensure that all the team members are informed  
about the progress of the project. The communication channel also determines how the information  
is passed. The project manager is expected to use the right channel to the right audience. In this  
paper, four theories of communication are discussed that enhance success in project management.  
Groupthink involves the avoidance of conflicts in decision making by following the opinion of  
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others. As will be noted, groupthink is discouraged in project management since it leads to  
domination of decision making by a few individuals in the group. The members may not be willing  
to work towards the set goals, especially if the goals were set through a majority consensus. The  
diffusion theory of communication also explains how new viewpoints and ideas spread through  
cultures. Good project management requires change of communication methods, and language  
based on the context of communication. Three hypotheses are developed in this paper along with  
a conceptual model that reflects the idea of the paper.  
Keywords: Communication theory; Project Process; Communications conceptual model  
Introduction  
Projects are crucial frameworks to implement change. Their management requires a  
comprehensive conceptual foundation to determine the factors that impact change and success.  
The success of any project depends on the capability of the project members and the team leader  
to communicate timely and effectively. Effective communication in project management requires  
careful planning and setting of the right expectations with all the stakeholders of the project.  
Project communication starts with face-to-face interaction among the members to  
establish the goals and team dynamics and learning the customer’s expectations. Project  
management theory has been developed and built upon the theories of communication to  
determine project success. Today, many organizations use projects as a way of attainment of  
competitive advantage in the global markets. The increased focus on projects by organizations  
has led to increased studies and literature streams dealing with project management.  
Communication determines and influences the relationship between the project manager  
and project members and how the members work to attain the set project goals. When  
transparency and openness is overlooked in project management, misunderstanding may result  
among the members, a factor that may lead to project failure. Communication also enhances  
contribution and sharing of ideas from all the project members. Nevertheless, communication in  
project management ought to be conducted in all directions. This is the only way that the  
members will feel accountable of their roles and duties for the attainment of project goals and  
objectives.  
As one of the most crucial aspects in project management, this paper provides a literature  
review and conceptual framework on the importance of communication in project management.  
Communication theories have been discussed in connection with project management principles  
and strategies. Among the theories covered in the paper include groupthink, diffusion theory,  
communication accommodation theory, and social information processing theory.  
Role of Communication in project success  
The role of communication in project management should not be overlooked. Project  
managers spend most of their time communicating with individuals, groups and organizations.  
Studies have established that project managers spend more than 90% of their time in  
communication (Kloppenborg, 1900). This explains why strong communication skills are sought  
from candidates applying for project management. The project manager with strong  
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communication skills impacts on the success of the organization. The manager will impact the  
effectiveness of the project to everyone he interacts with. This increases the chances of the  
project surpassing stakeholder expectations. Similarly, if the project manager possesses poor  
communication skills, the project is more likely to fail since he will not be able to influence  
individuals and groups outside the project (Lester, & Lester, 2007). Since communication plays a  
crucial role in project management, it is important that project managers continuously learn the  
theories of communication.  
An orderly project communication plan sets out the measures and standards of when and  
how communication takes place. The project manager is expected to set the tone of  
communication in order to maintain the control over the project and ensure all the necessary  
information gets to the stakeholders. Project management also entails setting of standards on how  
the participants should carry on with the communication process (Lewis, 2007). This includes  
planning for meetings, telephone conversations, emails, and memos. Timing is also crucial in  
project communication, especially when regular communication is needed. A solid plan of  
communication also increases the constancy of how the project is handled (Mooz, Forsberg, &  
Cotterman, 2003). It also ensures all the stakeholders have information concerning the project  
requirements, short-term and long-term goals.  
Regular communication also enhances productivity of employees working on the project.  
The employees expect the project manager to keep them informed about important project  
happenings. When they are equipped with the required information, they feel more comfortable  
and keep working instead of pausing at some point to seek out information. Proper project  
communication also ensures that employees are able to work together in line with the project  
goals and objectives (Schmidt, 2009).  
A good communication plan also enables the project manager to lead the participants to  
the anticipated project outcome. Communication is also required from the stakeholders in order  
to understand exactly what they want and how their needs can be met. For example, a project  
that is working on software development of a specified party must communicate regularly with  
the client to understand the desired specifications of the project (Taylor, & Dow, 2013). A good  
project manager is one who carries on with communication until the final goal of the project is  
attained.  
In order for communication to work out effectively in project management, it must flow  
in all directions; upward, sideways, and downward. The participants of the project should have  
easy access to the project manager to communicate their concerns with guarantee that they will  
be addressed. When project communication only flows upwards without a downward response,  
the employees would feel excluded in the affairs of the project. Any project is meant to fail when  
the employees are not motivated to work towards the project goals (Westland, 2007). Even when  
material motivation is not included, inclusive communication forms a significant asset for  
participant motivation. Communication ensures that all the decisions and conclusions are drawn  
with a popular consensus.  
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Groupthink  
Groupthink is a communication theory that explains the behavioral pattern that is  
demonstrated by team members in order to avoid conflict and reach to a consensus without a  
critical analysis of the issue (Binder, 2007). Decision-making groups tend to subdue opposing  
viewpoints in order to guarantee harmony in the group. It is the tendency to involuntarily reduce  
opposition in decision making with hopes of increasing cohesion and reducing tension by  
quickly making decisions (Campbell, 2007). Groupthink can also be perceived as a form of peer  
pressure endorsed by the majority leaders on the team members that are less willing to  
contribute. Some project members encourage groupthink in order to promote cohesion and  
oneness among the members (Campbell, Campbell, & Campbell, 2013). Project management  
requires all the group members to participate in identification of the problem and solutions.  
Nevertheless, groupthink should never be encouraged in project management because it  
may lead to group and project failure. The project becomes one-sided with major decisions only  
emanating from selected individuals (Campbell, 2009). The result is the promotion of close-  
mindedness among the participants, whereby, members will be unwilling to participate because  
their opinions never count in decision making. Group think also limits the ability to predict  
potential problems that may lead to project failure. Effective teamwork and critical evaluation of  
the necessary solutions is tampered with the involvement of groupthink in project  
communication (Furman, 2011). Submission, one of the major aspects of groupthink, may lead  
to domination within the project, either by the project manager or the majority group in the team.  
Domination makes some members feel irrelevant and excluded in major project decisions.  
Mutual responsibility and team work is strongly discouraged, as well as work morale of the  
participating members (Carroll, 2012).  
Groupthink in project management also leads to feelings of worthlessness among the  
project members. The members may not be willing to work towards the set goals, especially if  
the goals were set through a majority consensus. Groupthink also impacts on employee  
satisfaction, cooperative engagements, and the overall performance in the workplace. It also  
limits the capability of the team to grow and develop when the minor viewpoints are not  
considered and included in decision making (Harrison, & Lock, 2004). In case of project failure,  
some members are left to blame one another since they feel that their contributions would have  
saved the project; only if they were considered.  
As aforementioned, groupthink significantly contributes to project failure. Project  
managers should identify the ways to decrease the chances for groupthink. The project manager  
may appoint diverse team leaders so that a wide variety of views will be accepted and considered  
in decision making. The team leaders should also be made aware that every member is equally  
important and their contribution counts. Therefore, all the members should be given a chance to  
make their contributions and give suggestions before decisions are made (Kerzner, 2001).  
Groupthink has been identified by many scholars as one of the major reasons that lead to some  
members quitting the project after feeling irrelevant and not considered in decision making.  
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Diffusion Theory  
The diffusion theory of communication explains how new viewpoints and ideas spread  
through cultures. Information and ideas pass through a path of communication in order to reach  
to the target group and the entire population. The spread of the idea is influenced by the nature of  
the idea that needs to be spread, the available communication channels, the social system and  
time of communication (Westland, 2007). However, the channel of communication plays the  
most crucial role in the diffusion theory. The theory emphasizes that; it is difficult to influence or  
change how individuals behave and how they adopt their thinking. Some people will adopt to  
changes immediately while others will take time to adopt. Based on the increasing focus of  
globalization in project management, diversity of the members has been enhanced to ensure a  
multicultural representation. This is beneficial to lower groupthink tendencies.  
The project manager should have the diffusion theory in mind during planning and  
execution of ideas in the group. Some team members can be disoriented by minor changes in the  
plan while others will not be affected (Campbell, 2009). All the project plans should be concrete  
to avoid confusion and inability to adjust by some of the members. The individual member  
contribution needs to be considered to avoid making awkward decisions that may end up  
indirectly expelling some members from the group. When the project manager is aware of the  
diffusion theory of communication, he can make plans and then adjust them to suit the needs of  
all the members (Lewis, 2007).  
Diffusion theory in project management promotes openness and feelings of inclusion by  
the team members. However, only the individual considerations that may not negatively impact  
on the health of the project should be factored. The project members should determine the best  
way that a certain decision or communication channel will cause impact to the members. Some  
decisions and ideas may be shared online via email and social media while others may be shared  
via telephone conversation (Harrison, & Lock, 2004). However, for decisions that need face-to-  
face interaction, the project manager should organize for a meeting to ensure the ideas are shared  
and decisions and conclusions drawn from a common sense of agreement.  
Studies have reported cases of project failure when the project manager does not use the  
right channel of communication for diffusion of ideas. Some ideas that need to be taken seriously  
may appear less serious based on the channel of communication adopted. For instance, using  
social media to pass information pertaining to change of project management may appear  
informal and less serious. However, when ideas are sought on merit of their importance and  
communicated using the right channel, project success becomes inevitable (Carroll, 2012). As  
would be expected, the project manager cannot call for a meeting every time a new idea or need  
for communication arises.  
Communication Accommodation Theory  
Communication in project management depends on the ability of the communicating  
parties to understand the language and context of communication. Different communication  
techniques are used on different parties depending on the intended purpose of the  
communication. At some point, informal communication may be necessary while other  
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circumstances may require formal communication. This is as explained in the communication  
accommodation theory. Communication accommodation theory explains that; when people  
communicate, they adjust their vocal patterns and speech to accommodate the needs of the  
recipient of the message (Mooz, Forsberg, & Cotterman, 2003). It emphasizes on how  
individuals minimize communication differences by consideration of context, language, and  
identity. The context and identity determine the language and manner of communication. The  
theory deals with both the intergroup and interpersonal cues of communication and how  
dominance and power may influence the communication behavior. The theory focuses on how  
individuals adjust to and adopt new characters in communication (Campbell, 2009). The  
communicating parties may either over-adjust their communication or under-adjust their  
communication, especially based on the audience and the idea being communicated.  
Project managers are expected to learn how to accommodate their audience by adopting a  
method of communication that suits them and one that would best pass the message. For  
instance, communication between project managers of different projects would be different from  
communication between the project manager and the project members. The latter is also different  
from the communication adopted with customers, stakeholders, and investors interested with the  
project (Carroll, 2012). The project manager should be able to adjust the tone and method of  
communication when dealing with all the groups aforementioned. He should be able to pass  
directives to the team members on issues of project performance and the attainment of project  
goals, as well as convincing investors from outside to invest in the project.  
Many projects have failed when the project leader is not able to communicate effectively  
based on the prevailing circumstances. This explains why the ability to communicate, both in  
speech and in writing, is one of the requirements of candidates to be considered for project  
management. Poor accommodation of communication may lead to the recipient of the message  
taking the wrong impression of the communicating party. Moreover, the project manager should  
also teach the project members to accommodate and adjust to communication (Lewis, 2007).  
Learning of communication should be encouraged as a continuous process that leads to  
comprehension and acquisition of the intended idea from the project manager to the team  
members. Intergroup communication should also be avoided in accommodation.  
Social Information Processing  
Social information processing theory of communication explains how individuals get to  
know one another without nonverbal cues. It also explains the development and management of  
social relationships in computer-mediated environments. It deals with online interpersonal  
relationship and interactions. Although online interaction may take time before becoming  
effective as compared to face-to-face communication, it is a good communication tool for people  
in diverse backgrounds, especially in the modern era of globalization (Lewis, 2007). Numerous  
studies have criticized the methods of online communication with the argument that they  
weakens the communicative capability of individuals. The formal channels of face-to-face  
communication that used to exists are not in use anymore as people resort to online and social  
media communication.  
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Globalization has led to project management that involves members from different  
countries and continents. The emergence of multinational corporations increased the diversity of  
project management to encompass members who may even not have interacted with the project  
manager face-to-face (Carroll, 2012). Therefore, project managers should learn how to interact  
and communicate online, as well as in a face-to-face scenario. The manager should learn to use  
the online information that is available to understand stakeholders and project members online.  
Such information may include images, profiles, textual cues and grammar used in email  
communication.  
The social information processing theory alleges that online communication can be more  
effective than face-to-face communication. Some members of the team may not be able to  
communicate to the project manager face-to-face but would do so in online communication.  
Moreover, online communication is faster since information is passed concurrently to all the  
project members regardless of the time or place of communication. The cues obtained from  
online communication can be used to develop strong bonds in the communication network  
(Campbell, 2009). Despite the lack of cues of social context, project managers should learn to  
pass information online in a manner that accommodates the needs of the recipient.  
Conceptual Framework  
Successful project management depends on the ability of the project manager to  
communicate with the members of the group and other involved stakeholders. This paper has  
deduced that the project manager should be able to apply the theories of communication in  
determination of the language suitable for different communication contexts. These ideas are  
built on several hypotheses:  
H1: is communication a critical factor to project failure?  
This hypothesis is tested by considering majority vote and ignoring minority opinions in  
project management. It is also tested by studying the behavior of the project members whose  
ideas seem to be ignored in decision making. The second hypothesis that is tested pertains to the  
impacts of communication accommodation in project management:  
H2: if communication remains unchanged between different groups, is it likely to affect  
group performance?  
In this hypothesis, it will be assumed that all the parties to be communicated to have a  
common perception of ideas. The project manager can interact with different groups without  
changing the language or tone of communication and learn the behavior of the members.  
H3: is online communication more effective than face-to-face communication?  
The hypothesis is tested through a comparative analysis of online and face-to-face  
communication and consideration of the perception that participants have when communication  
is done face-to-face and when online communication is adopted.  
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Figure 1: Conceptual Model  
From the above model, it can be realized that the entire process of project management,  
ranging from initiation, planning, execution and closing, relies on effective communication.  
Good project management evolves from effective communication that is in all directions.  
Conclusion  
Communication is an important facet for project management. Regular communication  
keeps the project members updated with the progress of the project. It also improves work  
morale since every member feels included in the decision making process. Implementation of  
decisions that one contributed to their endorsement also helps to improve performance of  
employees in organizations. Project managers are expected to learn the communication theories  
and come up with the best communication model that is suitable for the context of  
communication. As has been aforementioned, all the theories of communication play a  
significant role in the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. Communication  
enhances relationships and defines the project goals. Therefore, the project manager should  
ensure that the decisions made take into consideration the input of all the members. As can be  
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noted, project managers spend most of their time communicating. This stresses the importance of  
good communication skills in project management. Effective communication with investors,  
stakeholders and clients will determine the public image of the project. Moreover, among the  
theories of communication discussed, the groupthink theory has been identified as unsuitable in  
project management. It promotes individual dominance and makes some group members appear  
irrelevant in the group.  
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