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Communication &
Organisation
BS 2903
Communication &Organisation: Week 1
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Communication in Organisations
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Business is about Communications
» Can you think of any job that doesn’t involve it?
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Most things we do involve:
» Team-work
» Supplier-Customer relationships
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Communication determines Organisational Structure
» Objective is to minimise number of information flows
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Results in:
» Hierarchies
» Matrix Organisation
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“Flat” structures depend on easy, direct communications
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KAC Communications
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Key channel is the Supplier-Consumer one
» If I can’t communicate with you, I don’t add value
» If you can’t communicate with me, you miss marks
» And we’re all consumers of ITCS services
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Don’t ignore team-work, though
» You have a wealth of knowledge to share
» We have to monitor and optimize the learning process
» Business staff work as a team:
– Setting policy
– Sharing good practice
– Spreading work-loads
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Needs Change over Time
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An understanding of the fundamentals of communication is
essential
As organisations develop, so must communications
» Small companies thrive on informal communications
» Growth requires groups and managers
– Initially the boss can still know all employees
– But not once you get beyond two management levels
» Changing communication patterns influence the nature of the
organisation
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The balance between the liberating and controlling aspects of new
technology has yet to be determined
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Introduction to Module themes
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Managing and communicating in the organisations of
today.
» Management is constantly evolving
» The arrival of the information age has increased the pace
of change
» To embrace it successfully, we need to understand the
past and know how to make the most of emerging
opportunities
» New technologies support new ways of working and
communicating: the task of managers is to develop good
interpersonal skills and the ability to use new
communications technology appropriately
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Module Structure
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Interpersonal Communications
» Theoretical background
» Language, writing styles, how we present ourselves
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Technical Issues
» Impact of Internet technologies
» Computer-mediated communication
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Organisational Issues
» Hierarchies, Teams
» Communication strategies within and between enterprises
» Making meetings work
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Cultural Issues
» The Global marketplace and the barriers it reveals
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Types of Communication
Several Media, most with Formal and Informal usage
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Written – Letters, Reports, Promotional material
Verbal – Meetings, Phone calls, Presentations
Visual – Presentations, advertisements, movies
Signals – Body language, noises, visual cues
List some ways we signal to others when we’re driving
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Elements in the Communication Process
Encoder
Decoder
The
Message
Sender
Receiver
Noise
Feedback/Response
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Personal Communication
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Speech – it’s not just the words that transmit meaning
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Gestures
Utterances
Silence
Words – the “intended” content
Pictures
» You retain more if two media are used
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Non-verbal communication
» such as dress, posture, and use of status symbols
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Channels for personal communication
» Phone, fax, letters, memos, Post-Its, meetings, briefings,
appraisals, interviews, e-mails, text messages
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The Pathway Explosion
Number of flows grows geometrically with participants
One channel
between two
Three needed
between three
Ten between five
Six between four
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How many for
seven?
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Barriers to Communication
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Message ambiguity
Physical noise
Distance
Language
Jargon
Lack of interest by receiver
Distortion of message
Shortage of time
Length of communication chain
Information “gatekeepers”
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Other Barriers
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Psychological
» Differences in perceptions
» Emotions – happiness, anger, sadness
» Mistrust
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Cultural
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Differences in values between sender & receiver
Status
Deliberate bypassing
Assumptions – jumping to conclusions, pre-evaluation
Expectations
First Impressions; stereotyping
Polarisation
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7 Myths about Communication*
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We communicate only when
we choose to
Words mean the same to our
listener as to ourselves
We communicate primarily
with words
Non-verbal communication is
the silent language
Communication is a one-way
activity
The message we send is what
the listener receives
You can never give someone
too much information
Communication &Organisation: Week 1
_Meanings depend on
experiences and perceptions
_We often communicate without
know we do it
_Style and other non-verbal
symbols are critical
_We get it through all five senses
_Communication is two-way; we
have to listen actively
_It’s never exactly the same as
the one we sent
_Information overload is a major
hazard
* Lahiff & Penrose, 1996
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Formal and Informal
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Formal: flow of information through authorized channels
» Typical direction – vertical
» Typical mode – written, retrievable
– Downwards by “corporate instruction” etc
– Upwards by rehearsed presentation, report…
» Downward can involve “cascading”
– Each layer of management spins the information
– Risk of information loss or garbling
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Informal: everything else
» Typical direction – horizontal
» Usually verbal (though e-mail is changing that)
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Organisational Culture
Schein (1985) classified in three levels
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Artefacts
» Stories, Myths, Metaphors
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Values
» Integrity, loyalty, pride
» Competition
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Basic Assumptions
» What we take for granted:
– IBM products are of the highest quality
– King Alfred’s is a friendly place
» Often these assumptions can be self-fulfilling
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Communication of Culture
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Reputation
Selection of Candidates
» Job adverts
» Brochures, Job descriptions and specifications
» Interviews and the selection process
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Induction training
Training on the job
Rewards and control systems
Reinforcing folklore
All great until you want to change the culture!
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Questions?
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Bird
In the
the Hand
Communication &Organisation: Week 1
Once
In a
a Lifetime
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Team Exercise
You are a product design team.
You have been asked to come up with ideas for
a new product that meets a market need.
The market need is for a small car for parents to
take children to school and for local city
transportation.
Come up with some outline ideas to “sell” to:
•Your boss, the design department manager
•His boss, the Technical Director
•The Board of Directors
•Potential customers ( for market research
purposes).
What and how would you try to communicate to
each?
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