Download Chapter 11 Communication and Collaboration

What is the nature of communication in
organizations?
What are the essentials of interpersonal
communication?
What are the barriers to effective
communication?
What are current issues in organizational
communication?
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Communication
 The process of sending and receiving
messages with attached meanings.
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Source
 encodes an intended meaning into a message
Receiver
 decodes the message into a perceived
meaning
Noise
 any disturbance that disrupts and interferes with
the transference of messages
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Communication channels
Face-to-face meetings
Email
Online discussions
Written letters
Telephone
Voice mail
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Feedback
 the process through which the receiver
communicates with the sender by returning
another message
360-degree feedback
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Guidelines for effective constructive feedback
Give it directly and in a spirit of mutual trust
Be specific, not general; use clear examples
Give it when the receiver is most ready to accept
Be accurate; check its validity with others
Focus on things the receiver can control
Limit how much receiver gets at one time
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Formal channels
 Follow the chain of command established by
an organization’s hierarchy of authority
Informal channels
 Diverge from formal channels by skipping
levels in the hierarchy or cutting across
vertical chains of command
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Grapevine
 A network of friendships and acquaintances
through which rumors and other unofficial
information get passed from person to
person.
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Channel richness
 The capacity of a communication channel
to convey information effectively.
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Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Organizational communication
 The specific process through which
information moves and is exchanged
throughout an organization.
Information flows:
 Through formal and informal structures
 Downward, upward, and laterally
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Effective communication
 Occurs when the intended meaning of the
source and the perceived meaning of the
receiver are virtually the same.
Efficient communication
 Occurs at minimum cost in terms of
resources expended.
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Nonverbal communication
 Takes place through facial expressions, body
position, eye contact, and other physical
gestures.
 The act of speaking without using words.
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Kinesics
 study of gestures and body postures
Proxemics
 study of the way space is utilized
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Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Active listening
 The ability to help the source of a message
say what he or she really means.
 Ability to listen well is a distinct asset.
 Everyone needs to develop good skills in
active listening.
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Guidelines for active listening
Listen for content
Listen for feelings
Respond to feelings
Note all cues
Reflect back
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Ethnocentrism
 The tendency to believe that one’s culture
and its values are superior to those of others
 Cross-cultural communication challenges
 Language differences
 Use of gestures
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Low-context cultures
 very explicit in using the spoken and written
word
High-context cultures
 use words to convey only a limited part of the
message
 the rest must be inferred or interpreted from the
context
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Physical distractions
 Any aspect of the physical setting in which
communication takes place
 Can interfere with communication
effectiveness
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Semantic problems
 Involves a poor choice or use of words and
mixed messages.
 Use the KISS principle of communication.
 “Keep it short and simple”
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Mixed messages
 Occur when a person’s words communicate
one thing while actions or body language
communicates another
 Nonverbals add important insights in face-to-
face meetings
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Absence of feedback
 One-way communication flows from sender to
receiver only, with no direct and immediate
feedback.
 Two-way communication goes from sender to
receiver and back again.
 Two-way communication is more effective than
one-way communication.
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Status effects
 Status differences create potential
communication barriers between persons of
higher and lower ranks
 Mum effect
 tendency to keep “mum” from a desire to be
polite and a reluctance to transmit bad news
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Advances in information technologies enable
organizations to:
 Distribute information much faster
 Make more information available
 Allow broader and more immediate access to information
 Encourage participation in the sharing and use of
information
 Integrate systems and functions, and use information to
link with the environment
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Potential disadvantages of electronic
communications
 Technologies are impersonal
 Nonverbal communication is removed from
situation
 Can unduly influence the emotional aspects of
communication
 Information overload
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Workplace privacy
 Eavesdropping by employers on employee
use of electronic messaging in corporate
facilities
 Most organizations develop internal policies
regarding employee privacy
 Likely to remain controversial
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Communication and social context
 Men and women are socialized into different
communication styles.
 Women are socialized to be more sensitive to
interpersonal relationships in communication.
 Men are socialized to be competitive,
aggressive, and individualistic, which may cause
communication problems.
Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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