Organizational Communication

• Upward communication

• Downward communication

• Business communication

• Informal communication

types of organizational communication

upward communication

Communication within an organization in which the direction of communication is from employees up to management.

serial communication

To minimize the number of different people communicating with the top executive, many organizations use ____

serial communication

Communication passed consecutively from one person to another

MUM (minimize unpleasant messages) effect

The idea that people prefer not to pass on unpleasant information, with the result that important information is not always communicated.

MUM (minimize unpleasant messages) effect

negatively affects the organization by keeping important information from reaching the upper levels.

communication channel

The medium by which a communication is transmitted.

proximity

Physical distance between people.

• attitude surveys

• focus groups and exit interview

• suggestion boxes

• third parties

organizations use several other methods to facilitate upward communication

attitude survey

A form of upward communication in which a survey is conducted to determine employee attitudes about an organization.

attitude survey

usually conducted annually by an outside consultant who administers a questionnaire asking employees to rate their opinions on such factors as satisfaction with pay, working conditions, and supervisors

focus groups

in which an outside consultant meets with groups of current employees to get their opinions and suggestions

exit interviews

Although these interviews can be emotionally charged, an organization can learn much by listening to the “real” reason that an employee is leaving the organization.

suggestion box

A form of upward communication in which employees are asked to place their suggestions in a box

complaint box

A form of upward communication in which employees are asked to place their complaints in a box.

external communications strategy

the messages sent to the outside world about the organization’s product or service offerings, including competitive differentiators, market space and positioning, and financial performance.

external communications strategy

This type of communication helps brand the company in the eyes of current and future customers, shareholders, and job candidates.

internal communications strategy

This communication strategy ensures that employees stay informed about the performance of the company and important changes to policies and practices, and can serve as a vehicle for recognizing employee and team accomplishments.

organization alignment strategy

the organized method by which the organization’s strategy and tactics are developed and communicated to employees.

organization alignment strategy

This helps drive the daily activities of employees and ensures that they are all working in support of the organization’s priorities

• liason

• ombudsperson

• union steward

third party facilitators

liason

A person who acts as an intermediary between employees and management, or the type of employee who both sends and receives most grapevine information

ombudsperson

A person who investigates employees’ complaints and solves problem

union steward

An employee who serves as a liaison between unionized employees and management.

downward communication

Communication within an organization in which the direction of communication is from management to employees.

• bulletin boards

• policy manuals

• newsletters

• intranets

ways to accomplish downward communication

bulletin board

A method of downward communication in which informal or relatively unimportant written information is posted in a public place.

electronic bulletin boards / in-house message networks

allow the display of even more current information.

policy manuals

A formal method of downward communication in which an organization’s rules and procedures are placed in a manual; legally binding by courts of law.

policy manual

very specific and lengthy, containing all of the rules and policies under which the organization operates

employee handbook

shorter and contains only the most essential policies and rules, as well as general summaries of less important rules.

newsletters

A method of downward communication typically used to communicate organizational feedback and celebrate employee success.

intranets

A computer-based employee communication network used exclusively by one organization.

business communication

The transmission of businessrelated information among employees, management, and customers.

• memos

• telephone calls

• email

• voice mail

business communication methods

memos

have the advantage of providing detailed information to a large number of people in a short period of time.

“open” or “landscaped” office design ; “cube farm”

To facilitate employee communication, 70% of organizations have adopted what is formally called an ____, and informally called a ____

• freestanding design (bullpen design)

• uniform plans

• free-form workstations

three common designs for open or landscaped offices

freestanding design (bullpen design)

all desks are placed in a large area that is completely open.

uniform plans

desks are placed at uniform distances and are separated by panels into cubicle areas.

free-form workstations

use a combination of designs so that the different needs of each worker can be accommodated.

boulevard

is a wide hallway that runs through several departments. The width allows space for impromptu employee communication, and the path through, rather than around, departments encourages employee interaction

portable offices

because landscaped, or open, office environments reduce privacy, many organizations have “____” containing an employee’s computer, files, and supplies that can be wheeled into a walled office or cubicle when privacy is needed.

informal communication

Communication among employees in an organization that is not directly related to the completion of an organizational task.

grapevine

An unofficial, informal communication network.

• single strand

• gossip

• probability,

• cluster

four grapevine patterns:

single-strand grapevine

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed in a chain-like fashion from one person to the next until the chain is broken.

gossip grapevine

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed to only a select group of individuals.

probability grapevine

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed randomly among all employee

cluster grapevine

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed to a select group of people who each in turn pass the message to a few select others.

isolates

were employees who received less than half of the information

dead-enders

Employees who receive much grapevine information but who seldom pass it on to others.

gossip

is primarily about individuals and the content of the message lacks significance to the people gossiping.

rumor

contains information that is significant to the lives of those communicating the message and can be about individuals or other topics

rumor

serves the function of helping to make sense of ambiguous information and of helping manage potential threats

gossip

serves to entertain and supply social information

interpersonal communication

communication between two individuals.

noise

Any variable concerning or affecting the channel that interferes with the proper reception of a message

• intimacy zone

• personal distance zone

• social distance zone

• public distance zone

four major spatial distance zones

intimacy zone

A distance zone within 18 inches of a person, where only people with a close relationship to the person are allowed to enter

personal distance zone

A distance zone from 18 inches to 4 feet from a person that is usually reserved for friends and acquaintances.

social distance zone

An interpersonal distance from 4 to 12 feet from a person that is typically used for business and for interacting with strangers.

public distance zone

Distance greater than 12 feet from a person that is typical of the interpersonal space allowed for social interactions such as large group lectures

paralanguage

Communication inferred from the tone, tempo, volume, and rate of speech.

artifacts

The things people surround themselves with (clothes, jewelry, office decorations, cars, etc.) that communicate information about the person.

open desk arrangement

An office arranged so that a visitor can sit adjacent to rather than across from the person behind the desk.

closed desk arrangement

An office arranged so that a visitor must sit across from the person behind the desk.

leveled

Describes a message from which unimportant informational details have been removed before the message is passed from one person to another.

sharpened

Describes a message in which interesting and unusual information has been kept in the message when it is passed from one person to another

assimilated

A description of a message in which the information has been modified to fit the existing beliefs and knowledge of the person sending the message before it is passed on to another person.

• omission

• error

• queuing

• escape

• using a gatekeeper

• using multiple channels

When an employee is overloaded, she can adapt or adjust in one of several ways to reduce the stress

omission

A response to communication overload that involves the conscious decision not to process certain types of information.

error

Deviation from a standard of quality; also a type of response to communication overload that involves processing all information but processing some of it incorrectly

queuing

A method of coping with communication overload that involves organizing work into an order in which it will be handled.

escape

A response to communication overload in which the employee leaves the organization to reduce the stress.

gatekeeper

A person who screens potential communication for someone else and allows only the most important information to pass through.

multiple channels

A strategy for coping with communication overload in which an organization reduces the amount of communication going to one person by directing some of it to another person.

listening

is probably the most important communication skill that a supervisor should master.

Attitudinal Listening Profile

A test developed by Geier and Downey that measures individual listening styles

• Leisure listening

• Inclusive listening

• Stylistic listening

• Technical listening

• Empathic listening

• Nonconforming listening

six main styles of listening

leisure listening

listening style of a person who cares about only interesting information

inclusive listening

listening style of a person who cares about only the main points of a communication.

stylistic listening

listening style of a person who pays attention mainly to the way in which words are spoken.

technical listening

listening style of a person who cares about only facts and details

empathic listening

listening style of a person who cares primarily about the feelings of the speaker.

nonconforming listening

listening style of a person who cares about only information that is consistent with his or her way of thinking.

use the person’s speaking style as an indicator of listening style.

“How can we tell what style of listener is listening to us?”

Fry Readability Graph

A method of determining the readability level of written material by analyzing sentence length and the average number of syllables per word.

Flesch Index

A method of determining the readability level of written material by analyzing average sentence length and the number of syllables per 100 words.

FOG index

A method of determining the readability level of written material by analyzing average sentence length and the number of three-syllable words

Dale-Chall Index

A method of determining the readability level of written material by looking at the number of commonly known words used in the document.