Chapter 13 Communication Processes. Learning Goals Explain the basic communication processes of organizations Understand the effects of verbal and nonverbal

Chapter 13 Communication Processes

Learning Goals

• Explain the basic communication processes of organizations

• Understand the effects of verbal and nonverbal communication

• Distinguish between the functions and dysfunctions of organizational communication

Learning Goals (Cont.)

• Discuss the features of listening, especially of active listening

• Describe ways to make communication processes more effective

• Understand the effects of new technology on communication

• Describe communication networks and the roles that can emerge within a network

Overview

• Introduction• The Basic Communication Process• Types of Communication• Functions of Organizational

Communication• Dysfunctions of Organizational

Communication• Listening

Overview (Cont.)

• Active Listening• Improving Communication Effectiveness in

Organizations• Technology and communication• Communication Roles in Organizations• Communication Networks• International Aspects of Communication• Ethical Issues in Communication

Introduction

“The word communication will be used here in a very broad sense to include all of the procedures by which one mind may affect another. This, of course, involves not only written and oral speech, but also music, the pictorial arts, the theatre, the ballet, and in fact all human behavior.”

View of communication

Introduction (Cont.)

• Quotation from opening of a classic work describing an early communication theory

• Heart of the definition is in the first sentence

• Communication in organizations tries to affect behavior of at least one other person


• Organizational communication– Purpose, flow, and direction of messages and

media used for those messages– Another view of behavior in organizations– “Message behavior”: sending, receiving, and

giving meaning to messages


• Organizational communication (cont.)– Happens over a pathway called a network– Formal: defined by formal organizational

positions; relationships among those positions– Informal: patterns of informal social

interaction; informal groups in the organization


• Organizational communication (cont.)– Communication in any direction: downward,

upward, horizontal– Communication networks: interdependent,

interlocking, overlapping systems of interaction

See text book Figure 13.1

The BasicCommunication Process

• Sender– Decides what message to send– Encodes it using symbols he or she assumes the

receiver will understand– Converts message to a signal– Sends message over communication channel to

receiver

The BasicCommunication Process (Cont.)

• Communication channel– Person's voice– Electronic device– Written medium– Video medium


• Receiver– Decodes message and interprets its meaning– Responds to message by acting in a manner

consistent with that interpretation


• Communication media– Telephone– E-mail– Letter or memorandum– Videoconference– Face-to-face meeting– Internet chat rooms


• Choosing medium– Written media for formality and a clear

message– Face-to-face meeting to convey a sense of

teamwork– E-mail use is largely based on availability and

ease of use to the receiver


• Feedback loop– Interdependence between sender and receiver

during communication process– Sender interprets the receiver’s response– Can send an additional message for

clarification


• Noise: distortions, errors, and foreign material often affect the quality of the signal

• Additions to the signal not intended by the sender

• Surrounds entire communication process

• Can make communication less effective

• Diversity, domestic and international, adds additional noise

Types of Communication

• Verbal communication: oral, written, electronic, video

• Nonverbal communication: eye movements, gestures, facial expressions– Adds much of the feeling and emotion that a

sender wants to give to a message – Often has more effect than verbal on the

meaning receivers give a message

Types of Communication (Cont.)

• Verbal communication– Oral communication

• All forms of speech between a sender and receiver • Leaves no permanent, retrievable record of the

message and response unless recorded• More effective than written when trying to affect

receiver's opinion on some matter• Nonverbal communication can affect the final

interpretation of the message


• Verbal communication (cont.)– American Sign Language (ASL)

• Uses patterns of hand and finger movements for communication

• Includes facial expressions and body movements to express emotions and distinguish sentence types

• Country and regional differences in signing systems


• Verbal communication (cont.)– Written communication

• Any form of handwriting, printed memo, or report• Includes messages sent over an electronic medium• Receiver's response is more delayed in written than

in oral communication• Receiver must first read the message before

interpreting and responding to it


• Verbal communication (cont.)– Written communication (Cont.)

• Advantages over oral communication

– Retrievable

– Almost permanent

– Comprehension is better because of rereading


• Verbal communication (cont.)– Electronic or video communication

• Electronic and video communication becoming more important

• E-mail, computer networks, fax machines, computer conferencing, videoconferencing

• All now available as desktop systems


• Verbal communication (cont.)– Electronic or video communication (cont.)

• Advantages

– High speed transmission and reception

– Accurate transmission of a message

– Easy dispersal of the same message to people in scattered locations

– Direct interaction and quick feedback


• Nonverbal communication– Behavior that communicates but does not use

written or spoken words• Gestures• Posture• Seating position• Pitch of voice• Speed of speech• Physical environment . . .


• Nonverbal communication (cont.)– Combine verbal and nonverbal communication– Create unique communication style, often

unknowingly– Can contradict, amplify, or complement verbal

communication


• Nonverbal communication (cont.)– Physical aspects of the person

• Voice: speed, fluency, references to self

• Facial expressions: smile, frown

• Gestures: hand movements

• Body movements: distance

• Posture: leaning forward


• Nonverbal communication (cont.)– Physical environment of communication

• All aspects of using space, including distance between sender and receiver (proxemics)

– North America: 5 1/2 to 8 feet between speakers

– Latin America: closer than North America

See the “International Aspects”section for more information.


• Nonverbal communication (cont.)– Time

• Orientation to and meaning of time

– North America: punctual

– Latin America: less punctual

– Swiss: precisely punctual

– Arab cultures: last person to arrive is the most important

See the “International Aspects”section for more information.


• Nonverbal communication (cont.)– Communication with signs and signals

• Turn signals on motor vehicles, traffic control signals, caution flags of highway workers

• Hand signals for guiding aircraft

• Special situation: landing on an aircraft carrier

Functions of Organizational Communication

• Share information – Mission– Strategies– Policies– Tasks, duties, responsibilities– Both inside and outside the organization

Functions of Organizational Communication (Cont.)

• Feedback about performance– Reduces uncertainty– Integration and coordination of various

functions– Especially important in global operations

Functions of Organizational Communication (Cont.)

• Persuasion– Affecting the behavior of others– Often the focus of improvement in

communication skills– Related to business presentations

• Emotional expression: let employees express their feelings

• Innovation. Communicate innovations to those inside and outside the organization

Dysfunctions of Organizational Communication

• Selective perception– Receiver filters a message and then gives

meaning to it– Block out information a receiver does not want

to hear• Semantic problems

– Different people have different meanings for words

• “Good,” “average,” “Do your best” • Jargon: “burden”, “metrology”

Dysfunctions of Organizational Communication (Cont.)

• Distortion of messages: different frames of reference because of background

• Filter messages– Intentional: sender is concerned about

receiver’s reaction– Unintentional: sender does not fully know

what she or he wants to say

Dysfunctions of Organizational Communication (Cont.)

• Information overload– Too much information to process accurately– Related to time available

• Message timing– Too short of time– Too early

Listening

• Different from hearing• Hearing is a physiological process of

detecting and processing sounds• Listening: mental process of assigning

meaning to sounds• Communication professionals view it as a

primary skill for success• People spend about 50 percent of their time

listening

Listening (Cont.)

• Intrapersonal and interpersonal activities– Person receives message from another person

(interpersonal)– Tries to interpret it (intrapersonal)– Responds to other person to show meaning

given to message (interpersonal)

Active Listening

• Listener is responsible for the completeness of a speaker's message

• Listener's role is not passive– Absorbing spoken message– Deriving meaning from it

• Accurately hear facts in message• Understand speaker's feelings about

message

Active Listening (Cont.)

• Deliberate effort to understand a message from speaker's viewpoint

• Meaning of message includes both content and speaker’s feelings

• Listener attends to all verbal and nonverbal cues

• Listener may ask questions for clarification• Listener may rephrase speaker’s message

ImprovingCommunication Effectiveness

• Sender– Understand receiver’s background

• Culture

• Education

• Social status

• Professional or technical training


(Cont.)• Sender (cont.)

– Avoid jargon– Knowledge of receiver helps sender form

messages with content that communicates– Take special care when communicating with

people from other cultures– Applies to oral communication, written

communication, and nonverbal communication


(Cont.)• Sender (cont.)

– Ask for oral or written feedback to a message– Gives sender observations on receiver's

perception and interpretation of message– Formal training

• Improve written and oral communication

• Improve sender's effectiveness


(Cont.)• Receiver

– Knowing and understanding sender– Ask sender for clarification of jargon– Receiver's knowledge of self

• Using jargon introduces noise

• Can distort messages received


(Cont.)• Receiver (cont.)

– Receiver's perceptual process: alters sender’s meaning of messages

– Ask sender to clarify message– State understanding of message; sender can

react to that interpretation


(Cont.)• Message

– Simple concise messages– Language shared by sender and receiver– Problem: jargon, in-group language, foreign

language

Simple concise sentences, in language shared by thesender and receiver, are more effective than long

complex messages riddled with jargon.


(Cont.)• Message (Cont.)

– Electronic message systems lack nonverbal communication

– Emoticons ("smileys") add feelings and emotions to text messages


(Cont.)• Medium

– Little noise for effective communication– Multiple channels

• Written memo follows an oral message

• Meet with receiver to discuss memo


(Cont.)• Medium (Cont.)

– People perceive high-contrast objects faster than low-contrast objects (see Chapter 5)

– Introduce high contrast into messages by using paper or ink of different colors than normal

– Change the setting in which an oral message is sent

Technology and Communication

• Major changes from fiber optics and new satellites

• Digital cellular telephone: easy communication around the world

• Wireless facsimile devices and modems• Laptop or notepad computers with digital

cellular facsimile devices and modems• Unprecedented flexibility and mobility of

communication

Technology and Communication (Cont.)

• Distributed computing

• Digital technology and data on a network– Text– Images– Audio– Video– Numeric


• Satellites, fiber optics, Internet, personal computers– High-speed connections among networks– Global operations: move all forms of

information quickly to distant places– Internet commerce


• Satellites, fiber optics, Internet, Personal computers (cont.)– Students in different countries interact to

complete course work– Transmit almost any media– Lessen effects of time zone differences


• Videoconferencing– Face-to-face communication over almost any

distance• See each other

• Speak to each other

• Show graphic images

• Send documents

– Substitutes for traveling to distant sites for meetings


• Desktop videoconferencing– Two-way video and audio interaction– Window on each person's computer screen lets

them see each other– Text or graphics show on screen– Interact to revise material for an upcoming joint

business presentation


• Multimedia personal computers– Manage information media of any form– Computer features

• Scanners• Sound boards• Presentation software• CD-ROMs

– Animation software– Make large audience communication more

dramatic than in past

Communication Rolesin Organizations

• Initiators: start communications; send more messages than they receive or pass on

• Relayers: receive and pass on more messages than they start or end

• Liaison– Connects two parts of an organization; not a

member of either part– Helps coordinate organizational functions– Can hinder message flow if they become

bottlenecks

Communication Roles in Organizations (Cont.)

• Passive communication roles– Terminators

• At end of a communication network

• Mainly receive messages

• Infrequently send or relay messages to others

• Isolates– Usually outside normal communication process– Send, receive, or relay only a few messages

Communication Networks

• Structured communication system in organizations

• Formal organizational design defines some networks

• Informal social interaction defines others

• All communication forms: face-to-face, electronic media, video media

Communication Networks (Cont.)

• Pair-wise communication: Oral or written communication between two people– Each person in a pair focuses attention on the

other party– Direction: top-down, bottom-up, lateral


• Small group communication– Three or more people interacting– Face-to-face or widely dispersed – Occurs within departments, work units, teams,

informal groups– Communication interaction rotates among

members; a structured or a random pattern– Within a centralized or a decentralized network


• Centralized communication– Single person is a key figure in sending and

receiving messages– Only one or a few parts of the network get

information– Faster and fewer errors when solving simple

problems– Less effective with complex problems


• Decentralized communication– Freely flowing communication– Spread potential to get information throughout the

network– No person in network depends exclusively on

anyone else– Faster and more accurate with complex problems

than with simple problems– Process more messages– Higher satisfaction among network members


• Large audience communication– Get a message from one person or a few people

to many people– Sender designs message before sending it – Usually sent continuously with no interruption

from audience– Examples: department meetings, briefing

sessions, training programs

International Aspects of Organizational Communication

• Nonverbal communication: a major role across cultures– Distance between people

• North Americans: stand 5 1/2 to 8 feet apart• Latin American cultures: people stand much closer

– Reactions• Latin American moves close to the North American• North American backs away• Latin American might perceive the North American as

cold and distant

International Aspects ofOrganizational Communication

(Cont.)

• Time orientation– Latin Americans view time more casually than

North Americans– Swiss strongly emphasize promptness in

keeping appointments– Egyptians usually do not look to the future

International Aspects of Organizational Communication

(Cont.)

• Time orientation (cont.)– South Asians view the long term as centuries– Sioux Indians of the United States do not have

words for "time" or "wait" in their native language

– Potential misunderstandings are large

Ethical Issues inOrganizational Communication

• Communication processes and an organization's ethical image

• Internal and external– Internal processes

• Newsletters

• Satellite television broadcasts

• Direct mailings

• Bulletin boards

Ethical Issues in Organizational Communication (Cont.)

• Communication processes and an organization's ethical image (cont)– External processes

• Annual reports• Press releases• Public statements by executives

• What does the organization say and not say about ethical behavior?

• Organization’s ethical image


• Manage external impressions– Offering own accounts of behavior that

protesters say was unethical– Communication in any form designed to affect

the perception of others– Tries to make the organization, or individual

members, look more ethical than charged


• Disclosure to employees, customers, suppliers, community– Does the organization have an ethical obligation

to reveal negative information about its plans to employees?

– How much should an organization tell its customers or clients about product safety?

– Should an organization tell its suppliers how it chooses among them?


• Communication privacy– Do employees have the right to private

communications in the work setting?– Existing software lets network managers and

senior managers read employees' E-mail

• Do people's privacy rights extend to computer surveillance?

Documents

Chapter 13 Communication Processes. Learning Goals Explain the basic communication processes of organizations Understand the effects of verbal and nonverbal