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Organizational Communication Organizational Communication Dayna Edwards Siena Heights University LDR 621: Organizational Psychology Dr. Pat McDonald October 1, 2013 1 Organizational Communication Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Identifying Forms of Organizational Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Importance of Effective Interpersonal Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Art of Active Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2 Organizational Communication Introduction According to the authors of the book, Leadership, the word communication is defined as “the process of conveying information and meaning” (Lussier, Achua, 2007, p. 198). When applying the term within an organization, they further state, “At all organizational levels, it has been estimated that at least 75 percent of each workday is consumed in communication” (Lussier, Achua, 2007, p. 198). This percentage is an illustration of how essential effective communication is to the success of any organization. In this paper, I will outline the four different types of organizational communication, explain the importance of interpersonal communication within an organization and discuss the benefits of active listening and its significance to organizational profitability. Identifying Forms of Organizational Communication According to Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus in the book, Leaders, “Communication creates meaning for people. Or should. It’s the only way any group, small or large can become aligned behind the over arching goals of an organization” (Bennis, Nanus, 2007, p. 40). However, in order to create meaning, there must be an understanding of the basic forms of communication. Our text states that “Most communication in organizations can be classified into four types: upward communication, downward communication, business communication, and informal communication” (Aamodt, 2013, p. 396). To begin, upward communication is communication that flows from employees to managers; basically starting from the 3 Organizational Communication bottom and flowing up the different leadership levels. Examples of this type of communication include surveys, suggestion boxes, and exit interviews. Next, downward communication travels in the opposite direction, flowing from management to employee. This type of communication consists of bulletin boards, newsletters and company intranets. The third form, business communication, utilizes the methods of telephone calls, memos, and email to convey business related information and is distributed among employees, management and customers. Finally, informal communication includes only the employees and is communication which is unrelated to the organizational task. As this is categorized as unofficial communication, it is often considered gossip because of how distorted it becomes as it travels through a method called the grapevine. Taking the initiative to become familiar with these four types of communication is crucial for any employee or manager, as these are the elements that set the foundation of any organizational communication. The Importance of Effective Interpersonal Communication Our text states, “The interpersonal communication process begins with a sender encoding and transmitting a message across a communication channel (e.g., by memo, orally, nonverbally) and ends with another person (the receiver) receiving and decoding the message” (Aamodt, 2013, p. 408). This appears to be nothing more than the simple process of a conversation. However, miscommunication is a common occurrence among employees within an organization and if not recognized and properly handled, it has the potential to ignite conflict and affect organizational profitability. Our text indicates, “There are three solutions to this problem: thinking about what you want to communicate, practicing what you want to communicate, and learning 4 Organizational Communication better communication” (Aamodt, 2012, p. 408). However, it is important to understand that the communication channel also has an effect on the message being transmitted. This means, “The same message can be interpreted in different ways based on the channel used to communicate it” (Aamodt, 2012, p. 411). Whether a message is sent orally, nonverbally or is written, it is important to understand the different channels that can affect the intended message. Factors such as the amount of information to process, noise, body language, paralanguage and artifacts can play major roles in how a person receives the message. According to a famous body language study conducted at UCLA by Dr. Albert Mehrabian “7 percent of the emotional meaning of a message is composed of the actual words we use; 38 percent is communicated through the tone of voice and inflection; and 55% comes through our body language”(du Plessis & du Plessis, 2008). Self awareness is a key component in becoming more effective in transmitting the intended message. However, the listening and receiving aspects are another challenge. The Art of Active Listening According to the article, “Are you really listening? The benefit of effective intraorganizational listening, by Marilyn Helms and Paula Haynes, “Active listening creates an organizational climate responsive to the needs and motivations of employees. Such an organizational climate is conducive to employee involvement and increased productivity” (Helms & Haynes, 1992). However, in order to elevate our listening skills, there has to be an understanding of these six main listening styles; leisure, inclusive, stylistic, technical, empathic, and nonconforming. Our text outlines them well by stating, “A good instructor will provide 5 Organizational Communication jokes and humorous stories for leisure listeners, use an outline format and provide main points for inclusive listeners, provide specific facts and details for technical listeners, discuss her feelings about the topic for empathic listeners, have good speaking skill and appropriate dress for stylistic listeners, and be confident and accurate for nonconforming listeners” (Aamodt, 2013, p. 421). When a leader is aware and exercises consideration of the many styles of employee listening, it not only proves beneficial for the team and project at hand, it can produce favorable results for the organization. An article by Marilyn Helms and Paula Haynes states, “Listening is fundamental to organizational functioning. Failure to listen can result in letters having to be retyped, orders returned, appointments rescheduled, timetables revised – lost productivity and profits” (Helms & Haynes, 1992). This clearly demonstrates the connection of organizational communication to organizational profitability and the importance of making it a business priority. Conclusion The role organizational communication plays within the walls of any business, corporation or institution is significant. Training workshops on interpersonal communication and active listening provide an opportunity for employees to become more valuable to the organization and should be considered an asset worth the investment. For the leaders of an organization it should be a must. Effective organizational communication is powerful. It has the ability to create a climate of employee motivation and the potential to reduce conflict, enhance productivity and increase profitability. However, because effective communication is heavily dependent upon the skills of both the sender and the receiver of a message, it remains a constant 6 Organizational Communication challenge even to the best of organizations; a challenge that is clearly well worth the effort. 7 Organizational Communication References Aamodt, Michael. (2013). Industrial / Organizational Psychology. Belmont California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Bennis, Warren., Nanus, Burt. (2007). LEADERS. New York, New York: HarperCollins. du Plessis, A. & du Plessis, H. (2008). A Different Language Called Kinesics. Accountancy SA, pg. 23. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.sienaheights.edu:2048/pqdweb?did=1492 97 9091&sid=8&Fmt=3&clientId=40401&RQT=309&VName=PQD Helms, Marilyn; Haynes, Paula. (1992). Are you really listening? The benefit of effective intra-organizational listening. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 7 (6), 17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195600668?accountid=28644 Lussier, Robert; Achua, Christopher. (2007). Leadership. Canada: South-Western Cengage Learning. 8