Download CHAPTER SUMMARY – CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER SUMMARY – CHAPTER 11
Understanding Communication
 Differentiate between interpersonal and organizational communication.
 Discuss the functions of communication.
Interpersonal communication is communication between two or more people.
Organizational communication is all the patterns, networks, and systems of
communication within an organization.
The functions of communication include controlling employee behavior, motivating
employees, providing a release for emotional expression of feelings and fulfillment of
social needs, and providing information.
The Process of Interpersonal Communication
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Explain all the components of the communication process.
List the communication methods managers might use.
Describe nonverbal communication and how it takes place.
Explain the barriers to effective interpersonal communication and how to
overcome them.
There are seven elements in the communication process. (See Exhibit 11-1.) First
there is a sender who has a message. A message is a purpose to be conveyed. Encoding is
converting a message into symbols. A channel is the medium a message travels along.
Decoding is when the receiver retranslates a sender’s message. Finally, there is feedback.
The communication methods include face-to-face, telephone, group meetings, formal
presentations, memos, traditional mail, fax, employee publications, bulletin boards, other
company publications, audio- and videotapes, hotlines, e-mail, computer conferencing,
voice mail, teleconferences, and videoconferences. (See Exhibit 11-2.)
Nonverbal communication is communication transmitted without words. The best
known types are body language and verbal intonation.
The barriers to effective communication include filtering, emotions, information
overload, defensiveness, language, and national culture. Managers can overcome these
barriers by using feedback, simplifying language, listening actively (see Exhibit 11-3),
constraining emotions, and watching for nonverbal clues.
Organizational Communication
 Explain how communication can flow in an organization.
 Describe the three common communication networks.
 Discuss how managers should handle the grapevine.
Communication in an organization can flow downward, upward, laterally, and
diagonally.
The three communication networks include the chain, in which communication flows
downward and upward according to the formal chain of command; the wheel, in which
communication flows between a clearly identifiable and strong leader and others in a
work team; and the all-channel, in which communication flows freely among all
members of a work team. (See Exhibit 11-4.)
Managers should manage the grapevine as an important information network. They
can minimize the negative consequences of rumors by communicating openly, fully, and
honestly with employees.
Understanding Information Technology
 Describe how technology affects managerial communication.
 Define e-mail, instant messaging, blogs and wikis, voice mail, fax, EDI,
teleconferencing, videoconferencing, Web conferencing, intranet, and extranet.
 Explain how information technology affects organizations.
Technology has radically changed the way organizational members communicate. It
improves a manager’s ability to monitor performance; it gives employees more complete
information to make faster decisions; it has provided employees more opportunities to
collaborate and share information; and it has made it possible for people to be fully
accessible, anytime anywhere.
E-mail is the instantaneous transmission of written messages on linked computers;
Instant messaging is interactive real-time communication. A blog is an online journal that
usually focuses on a particular subject. A wiki is a type of Web site that allows anyone
visiting it to add, remove, or otherwise edit the content. Voice mail digitizes a spoken
message, transmits it over a network, and stores the message for the receiver to retrieve
later. Fax is communication through machines that allow the transmission of documents
containing both text and graphics. Electronic data interchange is a way for organizations
to exchange standard business transaction documents using computer networks.
Teleconferencing allows a group of people to confer simultaneously using telephone or email group communication software. Videoconferencing is a simultaneous
communication conference where participants can see each other. Web conferencing is
holding group meetings or live presentations over the Internet. An intranet is an
organizational communication network that uses Internet technology and is accessible
only by organizational employees. An extranet uses Internet technology and allows
authorized users inside the organization to communicate with certain outsiders.
IT affects organizations by affecting the way that organizational members
communicate, share information, and do their work.
Communication Issues in Today’s Organizations
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Discuss the challenges of managing communication in an Internet world.
Explain how organizations can manage knowledge.
Describe why communicating with customers is an important managerial issue.
Explain how political correctness is affecting communication.
The two main challenges of managing communication in an Internet world are the
legal and security issues and the lack of personal interaction.
Organizations can manage knowledge by making it easy for employees to
communicate and share their knowledge so they can learn from each other ways to do
their jobs more effectively and efficiently. One way is through online information
databases and another way is through creating communities of practice.
Communicating with customers is an important managerial issue since what
communication takes place and how it takes place can significantly impact a customer’s
satisfaction with the service and the likelihood of being a repeat customer.
Political correctness is affecting communication in that it sometimes restricts
communication clarity. However, managers must be sensitive as to how their choice of
words might offend others.