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Chapter 6
Communication,
Conflict and
Negotiation
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication
Questions for Consideration
Questions for Consideration
1. How does communication occur?
2. Are there barriers to communication?
3. How can communication be encouraged?
4. What are the current issues in communication?
5. What is conflict?
6. What are the sources of conflict?
7. How does a situation turn into a conflict?
8. What is negotiation and how does it help?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Problems
• People spend nearly 70 percent of their waking hours
communicating—writing, reading, speaking, listening
• WorkCanada survey of 2039 Canadians in six industrial
and service categories found
– 61 percent of senior executives believed that they did a good job
of communicating with employees.
– only 33 percent of the managers and department heads believed
that senior executives were effective communicators.
– Only 22 percent of hourly workers, 27 percent of clerical
employees, and 22 percent of professional staff reported that
senior executives did a good job of communicating with them.
• Canadians reported less favourable perceptions about
their company’s communications than did Americans
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Terms
• Communication
– The transfer of meaning among people
• Sender
– Establishes a message, encodes the message,
and chooses the channel to send it
• Receiver
– Decodes the message and provides feedback
to the sender
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-1 The
Communication Process
Model
1. Choosesa
message
2. Encodes
the message
3. Chooses
the channel
Sender
Receiver
5. Provides
feedback
4. Decodes
the message
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Terms
• Message
– What is communicated.
• Encoding
– Converting a message to symbolic form.
• Channel
– The medium through which a message travels
• Decoding
– Retranslating a sender’s message.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Choosing Channels
• Channels differ in their capacity to convey
information.
• Rich channels have the ability to
– Handle multiple cues simultaneously
– Facilitate rapid feedback
– Be very personal
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-2
Information Richness of
Communication Channels
Formal reports,
bulletins
Prerecorded
speeches
Online discussion
groups, groupware
Live speeches
Videoconferences
Low
channel
richness
High
channel
richness
Memos, letters
Electronic mail
Voice mail
Telephone
conversations
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Face-to-face
conversation
Barriers to Effective
Communication
• Filtering
– Refers to a sender manipulating
information so that it will be seen more
favorably by the receiver.
• Selective Perception
– Receivers in the communication process
selectively see and hear based on their
needs, motivations, experience,
background, and other personal
characteristics.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Barriers to Effective
Communication
• Defensiveness
– When individuals interpret another’s message
as threatening, they often respond in ways
that retard effective communication.
• Language
– Words mean different things to different
people.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Creating Effective
Mechanisms for
Communication
• Mechanisms
– The practices that bring what you stand for to
life and stimulate change
• They are intended to demonstrate how the
communication should be accomplished
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Nonverbal Communication
• Messages conveyed through body movements,
facial expressions, and the physical distance
between the sender and the receiver
– Kinesics
• The study of body motions, such as gestures,
facial configurations, and other movements of the
body
– Proxemics
• The study of physical space in interpersonal
relationships
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Barriers
Between Men and Women
• Men use talk to emphasize status, women
use it to create connection
• Women and men tend to approach points
of conflict differently
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Barriers
Between Men and Women
• Men and women view directness and
indirectness differently
– Women interpret male directness as an
assertion of status and one-upmanship
– Men interpret female indirectness as covert,
sneaky, and weak
• Men criticize women for apologizing, but
women say “I’m sorry” to express
empathy
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Cross-Cultural
Communication Difficulties
• Sources of barriers
– Semantics
– Word connotations
– Tonal differences
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Cross-Cultural
Communications: Helpful
Rules
• Assume differences until similarity is
proven.
• Emphasize description rather than
interpretation or evaluation.
• Practise empathy.
• Treat your interpretations as a working
hypothesis.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Tips For Writing and
Sending E-mail
• Don’t send e-mails without a subject line
• Be careful in your use of emoticons and
acronyms for business communications
• Write your message clearly and briefly
• Copy e-mails to others only if they really
need the information
• Sleep on angry e-mails before sending to
be sure you are sending the right message
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-3 Emoticons:
Showing Emoticons in Email
:)
<g>
:(
;)
:-[
Smile
Grin
Frown
Wink
Really sad face
:-e
:-@
:-0
:-D
:’ (
Disappointed
Scream
Yell
Shock or surprise
Crying
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Conflict
• A process that begins when one party perceives
that another party has negatively affected, or is
about to negatively affect something that the
first party cares about.
– Functional
• Supports the goals of the group and improves its
performance
– Dysfunctional
• Hinders group performance
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
How Structure Can Lead to
Conflict
• Stimulating conflict
– Size, specialization, and composition of the
group
– Too much reliance on participation
– Diversity of goals among groups
– Ambiguity in precisely defining where
responsibility for actions lies
– Reward systems where one member’s gain is
at another’s expense
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-4 How Conflict
Builds
Conflict-handling
Intentions
•
•
•
•
•
Competing
Collaborating
Compromising
Avoiding
Accommodating
Outcomes
Behaviour
• Functional:
increased
performance
• Dysfunctional:
decreased group
performance
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Conflict handling intentions
• Two Dimensions
– Cooperativeness
• The degree to which one party attempts to satisfy
the other party’s concerns
– Assertiveness
• The degree to which one party attempts to satisfy
his or her own concerns
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Specific Intentions
• Competing
• A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the
impact on the other parties.
• Collaborating
• A situation where the parties to a conflict each desire
to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties
• Avoiding
• The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.
• Accommodating
• The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the
opponent’s interests above his or her own
• Compromising
• A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing
to give up something
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Assertive
Competing
Collaborating
Compromising
Unassertive
Assertiveness
Exhibit 6-5 Dimensions of
Conflict-Handling Intentions
Avoiding
Accommodating
Uncooperative
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-7
Conflict Intensity
Continuum
Annihilatory
conflict
Overt efforts to destroy
the other party
Aggressive physical attacks
Threats and ultimatums
Assertive verbal attacks
Overt questioning or
challenging of others
No
conflict
Minor disagreements or
misunderstandings
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Conflict Outcomes
• Functional (supports the goals of the
group and improves performance)
– Desired outcomes
• Agreement
• Stronger relationships
• Learning
• Dysfunctional (hinders group
performance)
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Types of Conflict
• Cognitive
– Conflict related to differences in perspectives and
judgments
• Task-oriented
• Results in identifying differences
• Usually functional conflict
• Affective
– Emotional conflict aimed at a person rather than an
issue
• Dysfunctional conflict
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Negotiation
• A process in which two or more parties
exchange goods or services and attempt to
agree upon the exchange rate for them
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Issues, Positions and
Interests
• Individuals have issues, positions, and interests
– Issues are items that are specifically placed on the
bargaining table for discussion
– Positions are the individual’s stand on the issue
• For instance, salary may be an issue for
discussion. The salary you hope to receive is
your position.
– Interests are the underlying concerns that are
affected by the negotiation resolution
• For instance, the reason that you might want a
six-figure salary is that you are trying to buy a
house in Vancouver, and that is your only hope of
being able to make mortgage payments.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Types of Bargaining
• Distributive bargaining
– Negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed
amount of resources; a win-lose situation
• Integrative bargaining
– Negotiation that seeks one or more
settlements that can create a win-win solution
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-9 Distributive
versus
Integrative Bargaining
Bargaining
Characteristic
Available resources
Distributive
Bargaining
Fixed amount of
resources to be divided
Integrative
Bargaining
Variable amount of resources to
be divided
I win, you lose
Primary motivations
Primary interests
Focus of relationships
Opposed to each other
Short term
I win, you win
Convergent or congruent with
each other
Long term
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
How to Negotiate
• Assess personal goals, consider other’s
goals, develop strategy
• Identify target and resistance points
– Target: what one would like to achieve
– Resistance: lowest outcome acceptable
• Identify BATNA
– Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Improving Negotiating Skills
•
•
•
•
•
Begin with a positive overture
Address problems, not personalities
Pay little attention to initial offers
Emphasize win-win solutions
Create an open and trusting climate
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Exhibit 6-10 Staking Out the
Bargaining Zone
Party A’s aspiration range
Settlement
range
Party A’s
target
point
Party B’s
resistance
point
Party B’s aspiration range
Party A’s
resistance
point
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Party B’s
target
point
Summary and Implications:
Communication
• A common theme regarding the relationship between
communication and employee satisfaction
– The less uncertainty, the greater the satisfaction
– Distortions, ambiguities, and incongruities all increase
uncertainty
• Less distortion in communication equals:
– More goal attainment, and better feedback
– Reduction in ambiguity and distortion
• Ambiguity between verbal and nonverbal communiqués
increase uncertainty and reduce satisfaction
• The goal of perfect communication is unattainable
• The issue of communication is critical to motivation
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Summary and Implications
• Conflict can be either constructive or destructive
to the functioning of a group.
• An optimal level of conflict:
–
–
–
–
Prevents stagnation
Stimulates creativity
Releases tension
And initiates the seeds for change
• Inadequate or excessive levels of conflict can
hinder group effectiveness.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Summary and Implications
• Don’t assume there's one conflict-handling
intention that is always best.
–
–
–
–
–
Use competition when quick, decisive action is vital
Use collaboration to find an integrative solution
Use avoidance when an issue is trivial
Use accommodation when you find you’re wrong
Use compromise when goals are important
• Negotiation is an ongoing activity in groups
• Intergroup conflicts can also affect an
organization’s performance.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
OB at Work
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
For Review
1. Describe the communication process and identify its key
components. Give an example of how this process
operates with both oral and written messages.
2. Contrast encoding and decoding.
3. What is nonverbal communication? Does it aid or hinder
verbal communication?
4. List three specific problems related to language
difficulties in cross-cultural communication.
5. What are the managerial implications from the research
contrasting male and female communication styles?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
For Review
6. What is the difference between functional and
dysfunctional conflict? What determines
functionality?
7. What defines the settlement range in
distributive bargaining?
8. Why isn’t integrative bargaining more widely
practised in organizations?
9. How can you improve your negotiating
effectiveness?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
For Critical Thinking
1. “Ineffective communication is the fault of the
sender.” Do you agree or disagree? Discuss.
2. Using the concept of channel richness, give
examples of messages best conveyed by e-mail,
by face-to-face communication, and on the
company bulletin board.
3. Why do you think so many people are poor
listeners?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
For Critical Thinking
4. Assume one of your co-workers had to negotiate a
contract with someone from China. What problems
might he or she face? If the co-worker asked for advice,
what suggestions would you give to help facilitate a
settlement?
5. From your own experience, describe a situation you were
involved in where the conflict was dysfunctional.
Describe another example, from your experience, where
the conflict was functional. Now analyze how other
parties in both conflicts might have interpreted the
situation in terms of whether the conflicts were
functional or dysfunctional.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
For Critical Thinking
4. From your own experience, describe a
situation you were involved in where the
conflict was dysfunctional. Describe
another example, from your experience,
where the conflict was functional. Now
analyze how other parties in both conflicts
might have interpreted the situation in
terms of whether the conflicts were
functional or dysfunctional.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Point-CounterPoint
• Conflict Is Good for
the Organization
 Conflict is a means by which
to bring about radical change
 Conflict facilitates group
cohesiveness
 Conflict improves group and
organizational effectiveness
 Conflict brings about a
slightly higher, more
constructive level of tension
• All Conflicts Are
Dysfunctional!
 The negative consequences
from conflict can be
devastating
 Effective managers build
teamwork not conflict
 Competition is good for an
organization, but not conflict
 Managers who accept and
stimulate conflict don’t
survive in organizations
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Breakout Group Exercises
• Form small groups to discuss the following
topics
1. Describe a situation in which you ignored
someone. What impact did it have on that
person’s subsequent communication
behaviours?
2. What differences have you observed in the
ways that men and women communicate?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Breakout Group Exercises
1. You and two other students carpool to school
every day. The driver has recently taken to
playing a new radio station quite loudly. You do
not like the music, or the loudness. Using one of
the conflict-handling intentions outlined in
Exhibit 6-6, indicate how you might go about
resolving this conflict. Identify a number of
BATNAs (best alternatives to a negotiated
agreement) available to you, and then decide
whether you should continue carpooling.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Effective Listening
• If you want to improve your listening skills, look to these
behaviours as guides
– Make eye contact
– Exhibit affirmative head nods and appropriate facial
expressions.
– Avoid distracting actions or gestures.
– Ask questions.
– Paraphrase.
– Avoid interrupting the speaker.
– Don’t over talk.
– Make smooth transitions between the roles of speaker and
listener.
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Supplemental Material
Slides for activities I do in my own
classroom
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Making Feedback More
Effective
• Feedback to those being evaluated should be
anonymous, and aggregated
• Raters should only evaluate employee behaviour
that they know about and have experienced
first-hand
• Raters should receive orientation and training to
do the evaluations
• Recipients should receive guidance on how to
interpret the feedback
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Nonverbal Exercise
• Rank order in terms of importance for
leadership:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Extroverted personality
Sensitivity to others
Technical expertise
Strong ethical values
Concern for getting the task done
Charisma
Internal locus of control
Power
• Directions: Sit on your hands--use NO
nonverbal communication (gestures, facial
movements, body movements,etc.)
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Nonverbal Exercise
Questions
• How effective was communication?
• What barriers to communication existed?
• What happens when nonverbal
communication is absent
• What purpose does nonverbal
communication serve?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Communication Questions
• What types of difficulties have you experienced
when communicating with someone from a
different culture than yours?
• How do you let the other person know you have
heard what they are saying? How often do you
do this?
• Describe an example of communication
breakdown. What led to the breakdown?
Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Second Canadian Edition.
Copyright © 2004 Pearson Education Canada Inc.