What is the nature of communication in organizations? What are the essentials of interpersonal communication? What are the barriers to effective communication?

What is the nature of communication in

organizations?

What are the essentials of interpersonal

communication?

What are the barriers to effective

communication?

What are current issues in organizational

communication?

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 11-2


Communication

The process of sending and receiving

messages with attached meanings.


Source encodes an intended meaning into a message

Receiver decodes the message into a perceived

meaning

Noise any disturbance that disrupts and interferes

with the transference of messages


Communication channels

Face-to-face meetings

Email

Online discussions

Written letters

Telephone

Voice mail


Feedback

the process through which the receiver

communicates with the sender by

returning another message

360-degree feedback


Guidelines for effective constructive feedback

Give it directly and in a spirit of mutual trust

Be specific, not general; use clear examples

Give it when the receiver is most ready to accept

Be accurate; check its validity with others

Focus on things the receiver can control

Limit how much receiver gets at one time


Formal channels

Follow the chain of command established

by an organization’s hierarchy of authority

Informal channels

Diverge from formal channels by skipping

levels in the hierarchy or cutting across

vertical chains of command


Grapevine

A network of friendships and

acquaintances through which rumors and

other unofficial information get passed

from person to person.


Channel richness

The capacity of a communication channel

to convey information effectively.



Organizational communication

The specific process through which

information moves and is exchanged

throughout an organization.

Information flows:

Through formal and informal structures

Downward, upward, and laterally



Effective communication

Occurs when the intended meaning of the

source and the perceived meaning of the

receiver are virtually the same.

Efficient communication

Occurs at minimum cost in terms of

resources expended.


Nonverbal communication

Takes place through facial expressions,

body position, eye contact, and other

physical gestures.

The act of speaking without using words.


Kinesics

study of gestures and body postures

Proxemics

study of the way space is utilized



Active listening

The ability to help the source of a message

say what he or she really means.

Ability to listen well is a distinct asset.

Everyone needs to develop good skills in

active listening.


Guidelines for active listening

Listen for content

Listen for feelings

Respond to feelings

Note all cues

Reflect back


Ethnocentrism

The tendency to believe that one’s culture

and its values are superior to those of

others

Cross-cultural communication challenges

Language differences

Use of gestures


Low-context cultures very explicit in using the spoken and written

word

High-context cultures use words to convey only a limited part of the

message

the rest must be inferred or interpreted from

the context


Physical distractions

Any aspect of the physical setting in which

communication takes place

Can interfere with communication

effectiveness


Semantic problems

Involves a poor choice or use of words and

mixed messages.

Use the KISS principle of communication.

“Keep it short and simple”


Mixed messages

Occur when a person’s words

communicate one thing while actions or

body language communicates another

Nonverbals add important insights in face-

to-face meetings


Absence of feedback

One-way communication flows from sender to

receiver only, with no direct and immediate

feedback.

Two-way communication goes from sender to

receiver and back again.

Two-way communication is more effective than

one-way communication.


Status effects

Status differences create potential

communication barriers between persons

of higher and lower ranks

Mum effect

tendency to keep “mum” from a desire to be

polite and a reluctance to transmit bad news


Advances in information technologies enable

organizations to: Distribute information much faster

Make more information available

Allow broader and more immediate access to

information

Encourage participation in the sharing and use of

information

Integrate systems and functions, and use information to

link with the environment


Potential disadvantages of electronic

communications Technologies are impersonal

Nonverbal communication is removed from

situation

Can unduly influence the emotional aspects of

communication

Information overload


Workplace privacy

Eavesdropping by employers on employee

use of electronic messaging in corporate

facilities

Most organizations develop internal

policies regarding employee privacy

Likely to remain controversial


Communication and social context

Men and women are socialized into different

communication styles.

Women are socialized to be more sensitive to

interpersonal relationships in communication.

Men are socialized to be competitive,

aggressive, and individualistic, which may

cause communication problems.


Documents

What is the nature of communication in organizations? What are the essentials of interpersonal communication? What are the barriers to effective communication?