Organizational & Interpersonal Communication Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on organizational and interpersonal communication.

Communication (Process)

The passage of information between one person or group and another.

Formal Communication

Information exchange that flows through official organizational channels.

Informal Communication

Information exchange occurring outside formal channels; also called grapevine communication.

Upward Communication

Messages that move from lower levels of an organization up to higher levels (employees to managers).

Serial Communication

Upward messages passed consecutively from one person to another, often leading to distortion.

Attitude Survey

An upward-communication method that gathers employee opinions on issues like pay or supervision.

Focus Group (Upward)

Small employee meetings led by an outside consultant to collect opinions and suggestions.

Suggestion Box

Anonymous method for employees to submit ideas or concerns to management.

Third-Party Facilitator

An intermediary who carries employee complaints or suggestions to management and helps find solutions.

Downward Communication

Messages that move from management to employees, often about policies, procedures, or feedback.

Bulletin Board

Low-cost, public posting area for informal or minor downward information such as events or items for sale.

Policy Manual

Comprehensive written document outlining an organization’s rules and procedures.

Newsletter

Downward medium that provides feedback, recognizes successes, and boosts morale with positive news.

Intranet

Computer-based communication network used exclusively within one organization.

Business Communication

Transmission of business-related information among employees, management, and customers via memos, calls, emails, etc.

Grapevine

The informal communication network that transmits messages unrelated to official tasks.

Single-Strand Grapevine

Grapevine pattern where a message passes in a chain from one person to the next.

Gossip Grapevine

Pattern where one person selectively tells a few individuals, who do not pass it on.

Probability Grapevine

Random pattern in which each person communicates the message to others at random.

Cluster Grapevine

Pattern where a person tells a selected few, each of whom then tells a selected few more.

Interpersonal Communication

Exchange of a message through a channel from one individual to another.

Communication Channel

The medium (oral, written, nonverbal, etc.) used to transmit a message.

Noise

Any factor in or around the channel that interferes with proper message reception.

Nonverbal Cues

Body language, space, or time signals that convey meaning beyond spoken words.

Paralanguage

Vocal elements such as tone, tempo, volume, and pauses that affect message meaning.

Artifacts

Objects (clothes, jewelry, office décor) that surround people and communicate information about them.

Leisure Listening

Style where a person listens only for words suggesting pleasure or enjoyment.

Inclusive Listening

Style focusing on the main ideas underlying a communication.

Stylistic Listening

Style attentive to how a message is presented rather than its content.

Technical Listening

Style concentrating solely on facts and details of a message.

Empathic Listening

Style concerned primarily with understanding the speaker’s feelings; the most responsive form.

Nonconforming Listening

Style in which a person attends only to information consistent with her own beliefs.