involves the sharing of information
Communication
·
involves the sharing
of information between two or more people to achieve a common understanding
about an object or situation
Successful communication occurs when the person receiving the message
understands it in the way that the sender intended
communication does not end with the message sent
Process:
Step 1: Sender - the person who wishes to communicate a message. To convey
information, the sender must first encode it
Step 2: Encoding - involves translating information into a message or a signal.
The encoded message is then sent through a communication medium, or
communication channel, to the intended receiver. Communication media are
numerous and include writing in hard copy, texting, face-to-face verbal
exchanges, verbal exchanges without face-to-face contact and e-mail.
Step 3: Once the message has been received, the receiver must decode it. In
decoding, the receiver perceives the message and interprets its meaning.
Step 4: To ensure that the meaning the receiver attaches to the message is the
same as the one intended by the sender, feedback is necessary. Feedback is the
process through which the receiver encodes the message received and sends it or
a response to it back to the original sender.
feedback - two-way communication
no feedback - one-way communication - may have an entirely different
interpretation
Interpersonal
Communication
·
involves a direct
verbal or nonverbal interaction between two or more active participants
Interpersonal
Communication : Formal versus Informal Communication
·
Formal communication -
follows the formal structure of the organization (e.g., superior to
subordinate) and entails organizationally sanctioned information (slow process)
Informal communication involves spontaneous interaction between two or more
people outside the formal organization structure
In addition, managers may find that the informal system enables them to reach
more members than the formal one. Another benefit of informal communication is
that it can help build solidarity and friendship among associates
RUMORS ( entail unsubstantiated information of universal interest or
uncertainty) AND GOSSIP ( is information that is presumed to be factual and is
communicated in private or intimate settings)
People are thought to engage in gossip in order to gain power or friendships or
to enhance their own egos
Sometimes used for improvement in performance or exit
Disadvantages:
reduces the focus on work, ruins reputations create stress and sometimes leads
to legal problems
Ways to Avoid:
managers are advised to provide honest, open, and clear information in times of
uncertainty
should be addressed by those in a position to establish the truth
placing restrictions on idle chatter
360-degree evaluations- require inputs from bosses, peers, and any direct
reports
Communication Styles
·
Six Dimensions:
1. Expressiveness - the amount and vividness of a person's communication.
Descriptors include verboseness, conversational dominance, humor, and
unpretentiousness
2. Preciseness - the care that is put into communication. Descriptors include
thoughtfulness, substantiveness, structuredness, and conciseness
3. Verbal aggressiveness - the degree to which personal opinions and positions
are advocated. Descriptors include authoritarianism, derogatoriness, angriness,
and unsupportiveness
4. Questioning orientation - the degree to which curiosity is emphasized.
Descriptors include inquisitiveness, unconventionality, argumentativeness, and
philosophicalness
5. Emotionality - the reflection of stress or sadness in communication.
Descriptors include worrisomeness, tension, sentimentality, and defensiveness
6. Impression management - the degree to which calculated guardedness dominates
a person's communication. Descriptors include charm, inscrutableness,
ingratiation, and concealment
An individual's style should be appropriate to the type of work that he or she
is doing
Communication Media
·
richness describes the
amount of information a medium can convey
Richness depends on
(1) the potential for immediate feedback
(2) the use of multiple cues
(3) the use of natural language (as opposed to numbers)
(4) the extent to which the communication has a personal focus
Face-to-face verbal communication is the richest medium
If your friend does not understand the message or interprets it inaccurately,
she can let you know either verbally or nonverbally
In the interaction, you use multiple cues, including tone of voice, semantics
(the words that are used), facial expressions, and body language
it is easy to create a personal focus in the message
Communication Media: (most rich to least rich)
1. Face-to-face communication
2. Video conferencing (such as Skyping)
3. Phone or radio communication
4. Electronic messaging (such as e-mail and instant messaging)
5. Personally written text (such as letters, notes, and memos)
6. Formal written text (such as reports, documents, bulletins, and notices)
7. Formal numerical text (such as statistical reports, graphs, and computer
printouts)
Tradeoff between cost and richness
equivocal vs unequivocal
important and when they feel the need to present a positive self-image
extraverted vs introverted
deceive
organizational norms
Communication
Technology
·
Modern technology
allows organizations and their members to communicate quickly, across any
distance, and to collaborate more effectively than ever before
For organizations to remain competitive, they need to constantly keep up to
date on modern communication technologies
In many cases, organizations have been creating blogs to provide information
related to advertising and corporate decisions and to seek information related
to consumer thinking in the general marketplace
Virtual social worlds have also been added to the technology arsenals of a
number of companies
virtual worlds offer real-time interactions where people exist in a
three-dimensional setting as self-generated representations of themselves
(i.e., avatars)
sophisticated interactive systems that are being used by companies such as IBM
for conferences, team meetings, and training
new communication technologies can also create issues for organizations and
individuals -
misuse of new technology ( technology make it easier to leak private or secret
information to an unintended audience, often with unintended consequences)
technology failure - technology fails and redundant systems are not in place
information overload
personal privacy
Nonverbal
Communication
·
facial expressions,
tone of voice, personal appearance (dress), contact or touch, and various mannerisms
Three Categories:
Body Language - kinesics - facial expressions, the use of hands, arms, and
legs, posture
Paralanguage - how something is said, such as how tone of voice, pitch of
voice, and silence are used
Gestures - convey specific meanings (such as making a circle with your fingers
to indicate "okay" or shrugging your shoulders to indicate "I
don't know")
leaky behavior- those that we cannot control - people may be more likely to
express their true feelings through nonverbal means rather than through verbal
means, which are easy to control
it provides information about the person's attitudes and emotional or mental
state, useful form of feedback, whether a person is lying, cultural differences
( different norms), but facial expressions mean the same
Organizational
Communication
·
is to facilitate the
achievement of the organization's goals
Organizational
Communication - Communication Networks
·
represent patterns of
communication (who communicates with whom)
they correspond to the structure of communication flows in the organization and
they affect coordination, innovation, and performance
Sparse networks - there are few connections among members
Dense networks - there are many connections
Centralized networks - all communications pass through a central point or
points, so that one or a few members of the network control most of the
information exchanges
(Traditional organizational hierarchies, where subordinates communicate mostly
or only with their bosses, who in turn communicate with their bosses, represent
centralized networks. Companies in which units do not communicate with one
other but only with a central headquarters, which then simultaneously
coordinates all the unit)
Decentralized networks - no single member of the network dominates information
exchanges
To some degree, the effectiveness of a network depends on situational factors
such as type of work and goals of the unit or organization, network structure
affects individual outcomes
Organizational
Communication - Direction of Organizational Communication - Downward
Communication
·
Communication that
flows from superior to subordinate
Is necessary to provide job instructions, information on organization policies,
and performance feedback
Inform those at lower levels about the organization's goals and about changes
faced by the organization
Downward communication, however, is frequently deficient - lower-level managers
and associates often complain about the lack of information on goals and
changes being made in the organization
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