2.3 Communication
IB Unit 2 Human Resources
2.3 Communication – verbal and
non verbal communication methods
IB Unit 2 Human Resources
Lesson objectives
• By the end of the lesson, students should be
able to: – Define the different methods of communication:
oral, written, visual, non verbal.
– Analyse the advantages and disadvantages for
each method
– Identify different methods of communication
Introduction - starter
 Communication is the transfer of information from one
party to another.
 The purpose or objective of communication include:
 Instructing, clarifying, interpreting, notifying, warning, receiving,
giving feedback, reviewing and to inform.
 Effective communication is vital so that
 Staff are aware of their roles and expectations
 Managers can gather and act upon feedback from employees,
customers and other stakeholders.
Remember! We mentioned Poor Communication
As a Factor Which Can Lead to Low Motivation & Diseconomies of Scale
Communication Marcouse 2008
Good
communication
Oral communication
• Talking and listening to each other. Oral communication is fast because
the sender and receiver are in direct contact with each other. When
something is not understood, questions can be asked, i.e. feedback
and clarification can be gathered.
• Whether the a message is communicated well orally will depend on
how good a speaker the sender is. Such as their use of jargon or their
tone of voice.
– When a person gives instructions to others, such as a manager
announcing a major change in the organisation.
– When people discuss problems
– Business meetings, which are formal and follow an agenda
– Job interviews
– Job appraisals and feedback.
– Oral presentations
– When people are simply talking to each other.
Activity – What mood are you in?!
Advantages and disadvantages of oral
communication
Advantages
Detailed
questions can be asked
Questions can be answered without delay
There is low cost
Some oral methods are a good way to judge an employee’s
ability to communicate
Tone of voice can be judged
Advantages and disadvantages of
oral communication
Disadvantages
The
information may not all be truthful
There is usually no permanent record of the conversation for
future reference
Confidential messages may be difficult to communicate
verbally, especially when many people are involved.
Meetings and interviews can be very time consuming.
Mood and tone of voice may cause a barrier to communicating
the message effectively
Non-verbal communication
• This includes written, visual communication and ICT.
• Letters
Advantages
– Can be kept for future _________(9)
Reference
– Can be used for internal communication
– Can be time consuming and may take time to receive a
_________
Response (8).
Non-verbal communication
• Memorandum (memo)
– A formal typed note or handwritten
– Used for internal purposes
– Short and specific
•
Notices
– Are used when a message needs to reach a range of people, perhaps
by postings on staff notice boards or on a company website.
– Can be formal such as notices highlighting training opportunities or
fire evacuation procedures.
– Can contain a lot of formal information that can be left as a reminder
to staff
– However not confidential and old notices can be ignored
Non-verbal communication
• Reports
– Formal method of communication written communication whereby
information about something that has been researched is presented
– They will contain: • A front title page which may include information such as the name of the
author, the audience it is targeted at and the date.
• An executive summary of what the report is about and the purpose of the
research
• A contents page with page numbering
• An introduction to the report
• Parts of the report to be separated by section headings
• Conclusions and perhaps recommendations
• A bibliography listing all sources of reference
• An appendix with supplementary evidence such as quantitative research
data.
Non-verbal communication
• Executive summaries
– The increase in the amount of information available has made
the executive summary more important.
– A condensed version of the report’s content
• Scope and purpose of the report
• Methodology
• Main results and findings
• Conclusions and recommendations
– The reader of the executive summary is often the decision
maker who may have to decide on the course of action based on
the report.
– They must be accurate as a stand alone document as managers
may make decisions solely based on this and not read the
original report.
Non-verbal communication
• Abstracts
– Abstracts are similar to executive summaries.
– However, they do not directly provide any recommendations to
the decision maker
– Not as long as an executive summary
• Research proposal
– A planning document. It sets out the key issues to be
investigated in a Report.
– The proposal will contain details of the primary and secondary
research to be undertaken and an action plan with dates and
identification of any foreseeable problems.
Visual communication
• Advantages of visual
communication : – Be understood easily
– Communicate ideas quicker
than words
– Be often cheaper to produce
than a full page of words
– Cater for visual learners
– May have a longer lasting
impact
• Examples include
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Bar charts
Pie charts
Line graphs
Histograms
Photographs
Symbols
Tables
Maps
Sketches
Diagrams
2.3 Communication Networks
Learning Objectives
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Barriers to Communication
Formal and Informal Communication
Technological Communication
Factors influencing the choice of
Communication
• Types of Communication Networks
Formal and informal communication
channels
– The term channel of communication is the method of
communication.
– For example in order to announce an end-of-season sale,
managers in a large retail business may choose television
advertising.
• Informal communication- refers to all unofficial channels
of that exist among informal groups.
– An example of informal communication is the grapevine, which
is basically GOSSIP in the workplace.
– Does informal communication help or hinder the business?
Benefits of informal communication
Can create a sense of belonging in the
workplace. People from different departments
can talk about non work related issues at their
lunch break.
Can help workers support each other and deal
with any anxiety they may have
Ideas can be pooled that may not have
occurred in more formal channels.
Formal communication channels
• These are official channels of communication
• Written communication tends to relate to
more formal channels of communication
• Formal communication is directly related to
work matters
ICT
• Email
– Data is transmitted from one computer to another
– Very fast because all the data is already in
electronic form
– Data can be sent to many recipients in a small
space of time
– High set up costs, ongoing costs.
– Data not always secure
– Technology may not always work, e.g. DAA WiFi!
Factors influencing the choice of
communication method
•
Personal preference- Some people may prefer to put things in writing,
•
Organisational structure- a taller structure will require more formal and structured
systems
•
Security issues- hard copies maybe kept as well as computer files
•
Ease of use- How is easy is the form of communication you want to use? E.g.
sending out flyers.
•
Size of business- a small business/flat organisation may rely on verbal/informal
methods
•
Storage issues- An order placed by a customer needs to be recorded, whereas a
conversation about a social event does not have to be documented
•
Location of sender and receiver- Time zone differences many influence whether to
skype or just e-mail
•
Cost- Sea mail is cheaper than airmail
What are the barriers to
communication
Barriers to effective communication
– High costs
– Technological
breakdowns
– Language
– Accents
– Jargon
– Different cultures
– Poor attitude
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Geographical location
Internal politics
Poor presentation skills
Negative body language
Chinese whispers
Physiological barriers
Lesson objectives
• By the end of the lesson, students should be
able to: – Understand the different communication
networks which exist in an organisation
– Evaluate the best communication network to use
for a given situation
Keywords
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Communication network
Centralised networks
Decentralised networks
Wheel network
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Chain network
Y-chain network
Circle network
All channel network
Communication networks
• A communication network shows the routes (links) that
allow different parties to communicate a message, for
example the actual communication structures within the
business.
• Networks can be used to examine the effectiveness of
communication between people.
• This is important for manager to know because the
success of the organisation depends on the efficiency
and productivity of its people.
• There are two types of communication networks.
– Centralised
– Decentralised
Centralised networks
•Centralised methods of communication involve a key
player that holds decision making power. Eg: •Wheel
•Chain
•Y-chain
•With these methods information passes through a
central person.
•Wheel network- this method uses an experienced
person or team leader at the hub. Others communicate
primarily through the person in the centre. This
method is useful when quick decision making is
required. The person at the centre has control but
others still have input.
Chain networks
•Used with organisations with a
tall hierarchy
•A large multinational will use this
system to pass on information.
Direction from the leader at the
top of the chain
Message can be distorted
Y-Chain network
•The Y-chain structure is similar to the
chain method, except the information is
passed onto several different parties.
•Eg In a school the principal may pass
on the information to her two deputy
principles
A large organisation can pass on
information to shareholders and
customers
The central person can be overloaded
People lower in the organisation can
feel isolated
Decentralised networks
• Included the Circle and All Channel networks,
where information passes from person to
person.
People feel valued as they have an input in
planning and decision making.
More ideas can be generated
 Decision making can be prolonged as there
are many people involved in the process.
Circle network
• The circle communication
network may be used for
team-based tasks or a
group of middle
managers communication
with one another.
 Good for complex
problems
 No formal leader
established
All channel network
• The all channel network (web
network).
• Allows people to communicate
with whoever they feel
necessary in order to meet
their needs.
• E.g. brainstorming during a
meeting
• Charles Handy suggests that
this is the most ideal method
when dealing with complex/
or open ended tasks.