chapter 11: communication

chapter learning objectives

• describe the functions and process of communication

• contrast downward, upward, and lateral communication through small-group networks and the grapevine

• contrast oral, written, and nonverbal communication

• descrive how channel richness underlies the choice of communication channel

• differentiate between automatic and controlled processing of persuasive messages

• identify common barriers to effective communication

• discuss how to overcome the potential problems of cross-culteral communication

functions of communication

• communication: the transference and the understanding of meaning

• communication serves five major functions within a group or organization:

  • mangement

  • feedback

  • emotional sharing

  • persuasion

  • information exchange

describe the functions of communication

• communication acts to manage member behavior in several ways

  • authority hierarchies and formal guidlines

  • job descriptions and company policies

  • workgroup teasing or harassing

• communication creates feedback by clarifying to employees what they must do, how well they are doing it, and how they can improve their performance

  • formation of goals, feedback on progress, and reward for desired behavior all require communication and stimulate motivation

• communication within the group is a fundamental mechanism by which members show satisfac tion and frustration. therefore it provides for the emotional sharing of feelings and fulfillment of social needs

• like emotional sharing, persuasion can be good or bad depending on if, say, a leader is trying to persuade a workgroup to believe in the organizations commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) or to, conversely, persuade the workgroup to break the law to meet an organizational goal

• communication provides information individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data needed to identify and evaluate choices

communication process

• channel

  • the medium selected by the sender through which the message travels to the receiver

• types of channels

  • formal channels

    • are established by the organization and transmit messages that are related to the professional activities of members

  • informal channels

    • used to transmit personal or social messages in the organization. these informal channels are spontaneous and emerge as a response to individual choices

elements of the communication process

• the sender: initiates message

• encoding: translating thought to message

• the message: what is communicated

• the channel: the medium the message travels through

• decoding: the receivers action in making sense of the message

• the receiver: person who gets the message

• noise: things that interfere with the message

• feedback: a return message regarding the initial communication

contrast downward, upward, and lateral communication

• downward communication: flows from one level to a lower level

  • assign goals, provide instructions, communicate policies and procedures, and provide feedback

  • downward communication must explain the reasons why a decision was made

  • one problem is the one-way nature of downward communication

• upward communication: flows to higher level in the group or organization

  • provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress, and rely current problems

    • communicate in headlines, not paragraphs

    • support your headlines with actionable items

    • prepare an agenda to make sure you use your boss’s attention well

• lateral communication: takes place among members of the same work group, among members of work groups at the same level, among managers at the same level, or among any horizontally equivalent personnel

  • often necessary to save time and facilitate coordination

    • may be formally sanctioned

    • can create dysfunctional conflicts

three common formal small-group networks

• chain: rigidly follows the chain of command

• wheel: relies on a central figure to act as the conduit for all communication. team with a strong leader

• all channel: all group members communicate actively with each other. self-managed teams

grapevine

• the informal communication network in a group or orgnization is called the grapevine

• it gives managers a feel for the morale of their organization, identifies issues employees consider important, and helps tap into employee anxieties

dealing with gossip and rumors

• share: the information you have, and the information you don’t—where there is good formal communication with much information, there is no need for rumors. when you don’t know information that others are seeking, discuss whn you will know and follow up

• explain: as a manager, discuss what decisions are made and why they were made, as well as the plan going foward

• respond: to rumors noncommittally, and then verify for yourself the truths you can. make certain to gather all sides of the story

• invite: employees to discuss their concerns, ideas, suggestions, thought, and feelings about organizational matters. help them frame their thoughts into more objective viewpoints

contrast oral, written, and nonverbal communication

• oral communication: the primary means of conveying messages. speeches, formal one-on-one and group discussions, and informal rumor mills or grapevines are popular forms of oral communication

  • meetings

  • videoconferencing and conference

  • telephone

• written communication

  • letters

  • powerpoint

  • e-mail

  • instant messageing

  • text messaging

  • social media

  • aps

  • blogs

• nonverbal communication: includes body movements, the intonations or emphasis we give to words, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the sender and receiver

  • body language can convey status, level of engagement, and emotional state

• physical distance also has a meaning.

  • what is considered proper spacing between people largely depends on culteral norms

    • businesslike distance in some European countries feels intimate in many parts of North America

  • distance may indicate aggressiveness or sexual interest, or it may signal disinterest or displeasure with what is being said

knowledge management (KM)

• knowledge management: a process of organizing and distributing an organizations collective wisdom so the right information gets to the right people at the right time

• why is KM important:

  • intellectual assets are as important as physical assets

  • when individuals leave, their knowledge and experience goes with them

  • a KM system reduces redundancy and makes the organization more efficient

channel richness and choice of communication channel

• the choice of channel depends on whether the mesage is routine

  • routine messages tend to be straightforward and have a minimum of ambiguity

    • choose orla communication when you need to gauge the receivers receptivity

    • written communication is more reliable for complex and lengthy communications

• know your audience and use good grammar

  • letters

  • text messaging

  • social media

  • blogging

• information security:

  • electronic information

  • physical information

  • information that employees know

• most companies monitor employee internet use and e-mail records, and use video surveillance and record phone conversations

barriers to effective communication

• filtering: z senders manipulation of information so that it will be seen more favorably by the receiver

• selective perception: people selevtively interpret what they see on the basis of their interests, background, experience, and attitudes

• information overload: a condition in which information inflow exceeds an individual’s processing capacity

• emotions: how a receiver feels at the same time a message is received will influence how the message is interpreted

• language: words have different meanings to different people

• communication apprehension: undue tension and anxiety about oral communication, written communication, or both

communication barriers between men and women

• men talk to:

  • emphasize status, power, and independence

  • complain that women talk on and on

  • offer solutions

  • to boast about their accomplishments

• women talk to:

  • establish connection and intimacy

  • criticize men for not listening

  • speak of problems to promote closeness

  • express regret and restore balance to a conversation

“politically correct” communication

• certian words stereotype, intimidate, and insult individuals

• in an increasingly diverse workforce, we must be sensitive to how words might offend others

  • removed: handicapped, blind, and elderly

  • replaced with: physically challanged, visually impaired, and senior

• removing certain words from the vocabulary makes it harder to communicate accurately

  • removed: garbage, quotas, and women

  • replaced with: postconsumer waste materials, educational equity, and people of gender

overcoming problems in cross-culteral communication

• culteral barriers:

  • caused by semantics — words mean different things to different people

  • caused by word conotations — words imply different things in different languages

  • caused by tone differences

  • caused by differences in tolderance for conflict and methods for resolving conflicts

communication barriers and culteral context

• high context cultures: cultures that rely heavily on nonverbal and subtlw situational cues to communication

• low context cultures: cultures that rely heavily on words to convey meaning in communication

a culteral guide

• know yourself

• foster a climate of mutual respect, fairness, and democracy

• state facts, not you interpretation

• consider the other person’s viewpoint

• proactively maintain the identity of the group

summary and managerial implications

• good communication reduces uncertainty

• communcation is improved by:

  • choosing the correct channel

  • being a good listener

  • using feedback

• make sure to use communication strategies appropriate to your audience and the type of message youre sending

• keep in mind communication barriers such as gender and culture