Ch-11 - Chapter 11 PDF

Preview

Summary

Chapter 11...

Description

Chapter 11 Communication Chapter Overview In order to be successful, managers must be able to communicate effectively. This chapter describes the communication process and the various ways managers communicate to employees. Additionally, barriers to communication are presented.

Describe the communication process and formal and informal communication Functions of Communication *** Communication the transfer and the understanding of meaning.  Communication serves five major functions within a group or organization: management, feedback, emotional sharing, persuasion, and information exchange .  Communication acts to manage member behavior in several ways.  Organizations have authority hierarchies and formal guidelines that employees required to follow.  When employees follow job descriptions or comply with company policies, communication performs a management function.  Informal communication controls behavior too. When workgroups tease or harass a member who produces too much (and makes the rest of the members look bad), they are informally communicating, and managing the member’s behavior.  No individual, group, or organization can exist without communication.  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 satisfaction and frustration.  Communication, therefore, provides for the emotional sharing of feelings and fulfillment of social needs.  Like emotional sharing, persuasion can be good or bad depending on if, a leader is trying to persuade a workgroup to believe in the organization’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) or to, conversely, persuade the workgroup to break the law to meet an organizational goal.  It’s important to remember that persuasion can benefit or harm an organization.  The final function of communication is information exchange to facilitate decision making.  Communication provides the information individual’s and group’s need to make decisions by transmitting the data needed to identify and evaluate choices. COMMUNICATION PROCESS The steps between a source and a receiver that result in the transfer and understanding of meaning.  Before communication can take place, it needs a purpose, expressed as a message to be conveyed.  The message passes between a sender and receiver. The message is encoded (converted to a symbolic form) and passed by way of some medium (channel) to the receiver, who



retranslates (decodes) the message. Successful communication results in the transference of meaning from one person to another. Communication Process’s Key Components  Sender: the person who initiates a message by encoding a thought.  Encoding: converting the thought into symbols and language.  Message: the actual physical product the sender is encoding. It is the encoded thought to be transferred.  Channel: the sender-selected medium through which the message travels. There are two basic channels for communication in organizations:  Formal Channels. The path follows the authority chain of the organization. The messages sent by these channels normally relate to the professional activities of the members of that organization.  Informal Channels. Spontaneous channels that emerge as a response to individual choices. Messages sent through these channels are often personal or social.  Receiver: the person to whom the message is directed.  Decoding: converting a message from symbols and language back into thought.  Noise: communication barriers that distort the clarity of the message, such as perceptual problems, information overload, semantic difficulties, or cultural differences.  Feedback: information sent from the receiver back to the sender to indicate how successful the transference was.

Contrast downward, upward, and lateral communication and contrast formal small-group networks and the grapevine. DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION Communication can flow vertically or laterally. Vertical communications can be upward or downward from a person's position in an organization.  Downward Communication. Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level in that organization.  Typically used by leaders and managers to assign goals, provide job instructions, inform employees of policies and procedures, point out problems that need attention, and offer feedback about performance. a. Downward communication can be an effective means for managers to explain the reasons why a decision was made. Such explanations can dramatically increase employee commitment to change. b. Downward communication is one way: from manager to employee. Effectiveness of downward communication can be increased if it includes a request for upward communication (feedback, opinions, or advice) from those they supervise.  Upward Communication. Communication that moves upward through the organization's hierarchy.  Used to provide feedback to organizational superiors, inform superiors of progress toward goals, to relay current problems, and solicit employee suggestions. Effective upward communication requires: a) Reduction of distractions. b) Communicating in “headlines,” not “paragraphs.” c) Supporting headlines with actionable items. d) Preparation and use of an agenda.



Lateral Communication. Communication that takes place among members of the same work group of the same level of the hierarchy, among managers at the same level, or between any horizontally equivalent personnel.  Such communications help to facilitate coordination and save time. These lateral relationships may be formally sanctioned or, more often, they are informally created to short-circuit the vertical hierarchy and expedite action.  Such communication can be good or bad depending on whether it conflicts or enhances the formal vertical channels of communication.  Formal Small-Group Networks. This text will demonstrate three basic types of networks: the chain, wheel, and allchannel. a. Chain. rigidly follow the formal chain of command. This can be seen in traditional, bureaucratic organizations. b. Wheel. rely on a central figure to be the conduit for all of the group's communication. This type of network is often seen in teams with strong leaders, with the leader acting as the conduit. c. All-Channel. In this network, all group members actively communicate with each other with no leader present. An example of this type of network is selfmanaged work teams. Effectiveness. The effectiveness of each network hinges upon which dependent variable needs to be emphasized in the organization. No single network structure is best for all occasions.  The Grapevine. 1. Informal network systems of communication in organizations called grapevine. 2. Rumors emerge as a response to situations that are: a. Important to us, b. When there is ambiguity, c. Under conditions that arouse anxiety. 3. The fact that work situations frequently contain these three elements explains why rumors flourish in organizations. 4. The secrecy and competition that typically prevail in large organizations— around the appointment of new bosses, the relocation of offices, downsizing decisions, or the realignment of work assignments—encourage and sustain rumors on the grapevine. 5. A rumor will persist either until the wants and expectations creating the uncertainty are fulfilled, or the anxiety has been reduced. 6. Certainly it’s an important part of any group or organization communication network and is well worth understanding. a. It gives managers a feel for the morale of their organization, identifies issues employees consider important, and helps tap into employee anxieties. b. The grapevine also serves employees’ needs: 1) Small talk creates a sense of closeness and friendship among those who share information. 2) Research suggests it often does so at the expense of those in the “out” group. 7. Can managers entirely eliminate rumors? a. No. b. They should minimize the negative consequences of rumors by limiting their range and impact.

Dealing with Gossip and rumors *** 1. 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 when you will know and follow up. 2. Explain, explain, explain. As a manager, discuss what decisions are made and why they were made, as well as the plan going forward. 3. Respond to rumors noncommittally, and then verify for yourself the truths you can. Make certain to gather all sides of the story. 4. Invite employees to discuss their concerns, ideas, suggestions, thoughts, and feelings about organizational matters. Help them frame their thoughts into more objective viewpoints.

Contrast oral, written, and nonverbal communication MODES OF COMMUNICATION *** How do group members transfer meaning among each other? They rely on oral, written, and nonverbal communication.  Oral Communication. This is the chief means of conveying messages. It may be in the form of speeches, formal one-on-one and group discussions, or talk along the grapevine. o Meetings – can be formal or informal, include two or more people, and take place in almost any venue. o Videoconferencing – permits employees and clients to conduct real-time meetings with people at different locations. o Conference calling – generally limited to telephone exchanges where some people may gather around one speaker phone, and others call in through a secure line. o Telephone – offers many of the benefits of meetings (formal and informal), and can prompt immediate response.  Advantage s speed, feedback, and exchange a) We can convey a verbal message and receive a responde in minimal time. b) If the receiver is unsure of the message, rapid feedback allows the sender to quickly detect and correct it. c) The exchange given through oral communication has social, cultural, and emotional components  Disadvantages. One major disadvantage of oral communication surfaces whenever a message has to pass through a number of people: the more people, the greater the potential distortion. Oral communications are subject to personal interpretation.  Written Communication. This form of communication includes any method that conveys written words or symbols and dates back thousands of years, and since we have samples from these earliest writings, written communication is thus the longest-lasting form of communication. o o

o

Letters – the oldest and most enduring form of written communication. PowerPoint – can be an excellent mode of communication because it combines words with visual elements to help engage the reader and explain complex ideas; however, detractors argue that it is too impersonal, disengaging, and frequently misused. E-mail – has become so pervasive it’s hard to imagine life without it.

Instant Messaging – a synchronous technology, meaning that you need to be there to receive the message. o Text Messaging – usually done via cell phone and often as a real-time alternative to phone calls. o Social Media – has transformed communication. According to research advisory firm Gartner Inc., companies that use social media as more than a marketing tool may lead their industries in growth by 2015. o Blogs (short for web log) – a website about a single person or company. Many organizations and organizational leaders have blogs that speak for the organization. o Others – Flickr, Pinterest, and Google+ are just a few of the many public and industry-specific social platforms.  Nonverbal Communication. This form of communication includes body movements, the intonations or emphasis given to words, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the sender and the receiver.  Forms of Nonverbal Communication: 1) Body Movement. Any movement of the body can have meaning. Such body language conveys two important messages: a) the degree of like or interest in another (or the person's ideas). b) the perceived status differences between sender and receiver. c) Body language both enhances and complicates verbal communication. 2) Intonation. This is the emphasis given to words or phrases in verbal communication. Changing the intonation of a set of words can completely change their meaning. 3) Facial Expressions. Similar to intonation, facial expressions can change the meaning of the words communicated. Facial expressions allow people to add an emotional component to the words they use. 4) Physical Distance. While highly dependent on cultural norms, the space between people can convey meaning. Typically, the closer two people are, the more intimate they are. Formal relationships and disinterest are often demonstrated by a greater distance between two people. o

Show how channel richness underlies the choice of communication channel CHOICE OF COMMUNICATION CHANNEL  Why do people choose one channel of communication over others? A model of media richness helps explain channel selection among managers.  Channel Richness.  Channels differ in terms of their capacity to convey information. Some are rich in that they can:  Handle multiple cues simultaneously,  Facilitate rapid feedback,  Be very personal.  Others are lean in that they score low on these factors.  Face-to-Face conversation scores highest in channel richness because it transmits the most information per episode – multiple information cues (words, postures, facial expressions, gestures, intonations), immediate feedback (both verbal and nonverbal), and the personal touch of being physically present.  Impersonal written media such as formal reports and bulletins rate the lowest in richness.



Choosing Communication Methods. 1. The choice of channel depends on whether the message is routine. a. Routine messages tend to be straightforward and have minimal ambiguity, so channels low in richness can carry them efficiently. b. Non-routine communications are likely to be complicated and have the potential for misunderstanding. 2. Managers can communicate them effectively only by selecting rich channels. 3. Often, a variety of modes of communication work best to convey important ideas. 4. Channel richness is a helpful framework to choosing the mode of communication. It is not always easy to know when to choose oral or written communication. 5. Experts say oral communication or “face time” with coworkers, clients, and upper management is key to success. However, if you seek the CEO out just to say hello, you may be remembered as an annoyance rather than a star, and signing up for every meeting on the calendar to increase your face time is counterproductive to getting the work of the organization done. a. Your communication choice is worth a moment’s thought: Is the message you need to communicate better suited to a discussion, or a diagram? 6. Whenever you need to gauge the receiver’s receptivity, oral communication is usually the better choice. 7. Also consider the receiver’s preferred mode of communication; some individuals focus on content better over the phone than in person. The pace of your work environment matters, too. a. If your manager requests a meeting with you, you may not want to ask for an exchange of emails instead. A fast-paced work place may thrive on pop-by meetings, while a deadline heavy team project may progress faster with scheduled Skype videoconferences. Sometimes we cannot choose between a face-to-face meeting and a telephone meeting because of distance. Other times, there is an option. 8. Much of what we communicate face-to-face is in the delivery, so consider your speaking skills when choosing your communication method. Research indicates that the sound of your voice is twice as important as what you are saying. 9. Written communication is generally the most reliable mode for complex and lengthy communications, and it can be the most efficient method for short messages, as when a two-sentence text can take the place of a 10-minute phone call. a. But keep in mind that written communication can be limited in its emotional expression. 10. Choose written communication when you want the information to be tangible and verifiable. Both you and the receiver(s) will have a record of the message. 11. People are usually forced to think more thoroughly about what they want to convey in a written message than in a spoken one, so written communications can be well thought out and clear. a. But be aware that, as with oral communication, your delivery is just as important as the content. Managers report that grammar mistakes and lack of business formality are unprofessional and unacceptable. 12. Finally, in choosing a communication channel, it’s important to be alert to nonverbal aspects of your communication and consider your body language cues as well as the literal meaning of your words.

13. You should be particularly aware of contradictions between the verbal and 

nonverbal messages, as a sender and as a receiver. Information Security. 1. Security is a huge concern for nearly all organizations with private or proprietary information about clients, customers, and employees. 2. Organizations worry about the security of i The electronic information they seek to protect, such as hospital patient data, ii The physical information they still keep in file cabinets, iii Information that employees know. 3. The recent adoption of cloud-based electronic data storage has brought a new level of worry; 51 percent of managers in a recent survey were considering cloud-based human resource software. o Early research indicates that fears about cloud computing seem unwarranted, so its business use will likely increase. 4. Most companies actively monitor employee Internet use and e-mail records, and some even use video surveillance and record phone conversations. o Necessary as they may be, such practices can seem invasive to employees. An organization can relieve employee concerns by engaging them in the creation of information-security policies and giving them some control over how their personal information is used.

Identify common barriers to effective communication BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ***  Filtering. 1. Refers to senders purposely manipulating information so it will be seen more favorably by the receiver. 2. Upward communication, especially of bad news, is often filtered and distorted to avoid the possibility of upper management “killing the messenger.”  Selective Perception. 1. As mentioned earlier, receivers in the communication process selectively see and hear based on their own needs, motivations, experience, background, and other personal characteristics. 2. Human beings don't see reality; they interpret what they see and call it reality.  Information Overload. 1. Individuals have a finite capacity for processing data, and when that capacity is exceeded, the result is information overload. 2. When individuals are in this condition, they tend to pass over, ignore, select out, or forget information, resulting in lost information and less effective communication.  Emotions. 1. How a person feels when a message is received will influence how he or she interprets it. 2. You may interpret the same message differently when you’re angry or distraught than when you’re happy. 3. When emotions are running high, most people tend to disregard rational and objective thinking processes.  Language.

1. Despite sharing a common language, words do not always hold the same meaning among members of the organization.

2. Senders tend to assume the words and terms they use mean the same to the receiver as to them. This assumption is often incorrect. Silence. 1. It’s easy to ignore silence or lack of communication, precisely because it is defined by the absence of information. 2. However, research suggests silence and withholding communication are both common and problematic. a. One survey found that more than 85 percent of managers reported remaining silent about at least one issu...