MIS 2000
Communication and
Social Networking
Processes & Systems
Updated 2016
Outline
Communication concepts
Organizational communication (characteristics)
Communication Systems & Technologies
Communication processes and social networks
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Communication Concept and System
• Communication is the process of creating, exchanging and interpreting
messages.
Sender
Receiver
Create
message
Receive
message
Send
message
Interpret
Message/Get
Informed
Sender
Communication
System
Receiver
Create
message
Accept &
Format input
Receive
message
Send
message
Modify signal,
Transfer signal
over network
Interpret
Message
Accept output
Face-to-face communication
Mediated
communication
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Organizational Communication (OC)
OC is different than communication in family, among friends and other informal
situations.
OC is a component of management tasks. Management communication is for:
(a) Announcing news
(b) Ordering
(c) Reporting to superiors (lines of reporting support hierarchy in an
organization).
Vertical, One-Way Communication
Top
Hierarchy
Bottom
Superordinate,
Receiver
Manager-Sender
Sub-ordinate
Receiver
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Organizational Communication (OC)
Professional communication is for:
(a) Sharing professional knowledge
(b) Collaborating in executing work inside and
outside of an organization.
Sender
Receiver
(c) Discussing issues in decision making (meetings)
Receiver
Sender
Two-Way Communication
(reciprocal interdependence)
All organization members also communicate in order to
socialize (expanding relationships beyond work-related
domain, bonding)
OC is driven by rules on content, format (reports, sales documents),
timing (reporting dates).
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Organizational Communication (OC)
Organizational culture also influences OC (acceptable/
“politically correct” language; who talks to whom)
Hierarchy vs. professional culture differ on who should talk to
whom & when
Organizational culture also influences use & roles of
communication systems.
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Communication Technologies and Systems
Classical:
Telegraph, Teletype, Telex (19 c.-mid 20th c.)
Landline telephone (end of 19th c.)
Facsimile (fax) (19th c.; several generations)
Newer:
electronic bulletin boards (1980s)
electronic mail (email) (1980s)
cell phone (1970s) & smart phone (1990s)
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Internet
The Internet is a global network of networks (inter-network) created via
TCP/IP software and special hardware (routers, modems).
We say that “a computer or local networks supporting TCP/IP are on the
Internet”.
Packet-switching principle:
A message is routed through the Internet in packets via different routes,
then reassembled at the receiving point (figure below). The makes
Internet economical, fast, and reliable.
SENDER (S)
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2
Message packets:
P1, P2, P3, P4
1
3
Routes:
P1: S, 1, 3, 6, 8, R (straight)
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P2: S, 1, 2, 5, 8, R (straight)
P3: S, 1, 4, 7, 9, R (straight)
P4: S, 1, 3, 2, 5, 8, R (bypassing 6)
8
6
RECEIVER (R)
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7
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Internet - TCP/IP
Internet technology has 4 “layers” that work together both on
the sender and receiver side (see Note):
Sender
Receiver
Email (SMTP),
file transfer (FTP,
HTTP)*
TCP
IP
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Internet - How It Works
SMTP to TCP:
“Take this message
and send it to this
email address”.
TCP Breaks message into
packets and passes these
to IP.
SENDER
RECEIVER
SMTP restores original format
of message and presents it.
Put packets back together
in proper orders and checks
sum of data received vs.
sum sent.
IP puts receiving address,
on each packet, contacts
downstream router, and
passes packets to Network.
Accepts packets and
reports back to routers.
Network physically puts
packets onto the communication medium.
Gets packets from communication medium.
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Wireless Internet
(1) WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) – wireless access to Internet
(cell/smart phone, other mobile tech., laptop)
Wi-Fi hot spots, tethering*, data network in cell phone
networks, mobile Internet
Access ranges from 100m to kilometers
WiMAX covers 50 km range (video on virtual school in
Somalia).
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Voice over IP (VoIP)
New Internet protocol for using Internet
as a telephone system (voice and text &
video)
Computers act as phones phone (Skype),
or special VoIP phones used, or classical
phone with adapter (MagicJack)
VoIP node has Internet address and can
be plugged anywhere without changing its
“number” (IP address)
Big savings compared to classical phone
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Communication Processes and Social Networks
A social network (SN) is informal social gathering based on regular communication.
SN exists if:
a) messages flow regularly (with a certain frequency) AND
b) communication actors value the messages (they are important).
Social media do not create automatically social networks
Hub
Communication
Star
Centrality: Network hub
Communication lines pass
through hub
Centrality: Communication star
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Social Media
Named in contrast to mass news media (TV, radio, press).
1) Social Networking Website – supports informal communication
for socializing purposes.
Examples: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn
Deploy various communication systems:
text messaging (chat), electronic bulletin boards (posting—
responses; “writing on the wall” in Facebook)
Deploy other systems as well (e.g., digital photo album)
Uses: Job market, communication among professionals
(LinkedIn), Marketing, Public Relations
Issues: privacy, socially adverse effects
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Social Media
2) Twitter – Internet-based system that connects to cell phone
networks and is used for one-way communication via short text
messages.
Uses: public relations
(e.g., Canadian Premier), advertising (e.g., North Face)
Issues
Who is the receiver of your tweets? (control issue)
Privacy (many issues; Twitter company's privacy rules)
Accuracy, copyright (Twitter company's terms of use)
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3) Blog (from words “Web log”) is a Web-based system for selfstyled publishing inside and outside organizations.
Software and hosting: WordPress, Google, tumblr
Uses:
Experts publish their opinions; so Blog is also a KWS.
Brand advertising, PR Marketing
Features:
easy creation and posting of text, possibly two-way,
“syndication”*
Issues:
Trade secret disclosure, Accuracy, Bloggers’ trade-offs
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Summary 1/2
Communication is the process of creating, exchanging and interpreting
messages.
A communication system has a sending device, receiving device, and connecting
network.
Managers use OC for announcing, ordering, and reporting.
Professionals use OC for discussion, knowledge exchange, and collaboration.
OC is shaped by rules on content, format (reports, sales documents), timing
(reporting dates), and organizational culture.
OC can be face-to-face and mediated by communication technologies, inside
and outside an organization.
Social network is a grouping of people who communicate regularly and value
the messages exchanged. It can be peer, hierarchical, or flat.
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Summary 2/2
Social media are special websites and communication systems supporting
communities formed
around shared interests (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs). Organizational
uses: marketing, public relations, HR.
Privacy, accuracy, copyright and trade secret protection are some of issues
social media have brought up.
The Internet is a global network of networks created by special software and
hardware. TCP/IP is the software with four layers, which connects different
networks into the Internet. A message is routed through the Internet in packets,
and each of the TCP/IP layers plays a role.
Voice over IP (VoIP) is an Internet protocol (software layer) for using Internet
as a telephone system. Creates big savings.
Wireless networks use radio waves for transfer of messages (WiFi, cell phone).
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