Chapter 11
MANAGERIAL
COMMUNICATION
AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
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Learning Objectives
You should learn to:
– Explain the barriers to effective interpersonal
communication and how to overcome them
– Contrast the different organizational
communication flows and networks
– Describe two developments in information
technology that have had a significant impact on
managerial communication
– Discuss how information technology affects
organizations
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Learning Objectives (cont.)
You should learn to:
– Define communication
– Explain the interpersonal communication process
– Describe the factors on which the different
communication methods can be evaluated, and on
what the choice of communication method
depends
– Tell how nonverbal communication affects
managers
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Understanding Managerial Communication
What is Communication?
• The transfer and understanding of meaning
• If no information has been conveyed, communication has not
occurred
• Everything that a manager does involves communicating
• Effective communication does not equal agreement. You may
understand the meaning of the massage but do not agree with
views.
• Ineffective communication is the basis for many managerial
problems
• Interpersonal communication - occurs between people
• Organizational communication - all the patterns, networks,
and systems of communication in an organization
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication
Elements of the Process
message - expresses the purpose of the communication.
It can be the written document, the oral speech, and even the
gestures and facial expressions we use.
encoding - converting the message in symbolic form
affected by the skills, attitudes, and knowledge of the
sender, and by the culture of the organization.
• A sender initiates a message by encoding a thought.
• Four conditions influence the effectiveness of that encoded
messages: skills, attitudes, knowledge of the sender, and the
sociocultural system.
• Example teaching at IUG.
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication
Elements of the Process
channel - medium for conveying the message
decoding - retranslating symbols into a message,
affected by personal characteristics of the
receiver
noise - disturbances that interfere with the
transmission, receipt, or feedback of a message
• Message itself and channel can distort
communications
feedback also subject to same sources of noise
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication
Elements of the Process
channel - medium for conveying the message
a.
Managers need to recognize that certain channels are more
appropriate for certain messages.
b. A manager might want to use multiple channels—this
decreases the potential for distortion.
Example:
Choose the right channel for the follows:
University would announce for new registration system, new
furniture company established, a manager fired his
employee because of lack of commitment.
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication
Elements of the Process
The receiver is the individual to whom the message is
directed.
a. The receive must decode the message.
b. Decoding accuracy is limited by the skills,
attitudes, knowledge of the receiver, and
sociocultural system.
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication
Elements of the Process
•
The feedback loop is the final link in the
communication process.
a. Feedback provides a check on whether
understanding has been achieved.
b. Because feedback can be transmitted along the
same types of channels as the original message, it
faces the same potential for distortion.
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The Interpersonal Communication Process
Message
Medium
Encoding
Receiver
Decoding
Noise
Sender
Message
Feedback
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Methods of Communicating Interpersonally
• a wide variety of communication methods
exist
• choice of a method should reflect:
1. the needs of the sender
2. the needs of the receiver
3. the attributes of the message
4. the attributes of the channel
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Evaluating Communication Methods
1. Feedback - how quickly can the receiver respond to the
message?
2. Complexity capacity - can the method effectively process
complex messages?
3. Breadth potential - how many different messages can be
transmitted using this method?
4. Confidentiality - can communicators be reasonably sure their
messages are received only by those intended?
5. Encoding ease - can sender easily and quickly use this
channel?
6. Decoding ease - can receiver easily and quickly decode
messages?
7. Time-space constraint - do senders and receivers need to
communicate at the same time and in the same space?
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Evaluating Communication Methods
1. Cost - how much does it cost to use this method?
2. Interpersonal warmth - how well does this method
convey interpersonal warmth?
3. Formality - does this method have the needed amount
of formality?
4. Scanability - does this method allow the message to
be easily browsed or scanned for relevant
information?
5. Time of consumption - does sender or receiver
exercise the most control over when
the message is dealt with?
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Comparison of Communication Methods
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Methods of Communicating Interpersonally (cont.)
• nonverbal communication - communication without words
• Types
• body language - gestures, facial expressions, and other
body movements that convey meaning
• verbal intonation - emphasis someone gives to words or
phrases that conveys meaning
• every oral communication is accompanied by a nonverbal
message.
• It is not what you said, it is how you said it.
• nonverbal component usually carries the greatest impact
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Facial Expressions Convey Emotions
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication
• Filtering - the deliberate manipulation/handling of
information to make it appear more favorable to the receiver
• upward communication is condensed by senders to avoid
information overload by top-level receivers
• extent of filtering affected by:
• the number of vertical levels in the organization
• culture of the organization: the importance of appearance.
• Selective Perception - is when people selectively
interpret what they see or hear on the basis of their
interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
• Emotions - interpretation of a message affected by the way
the receiver feels
• extreme emotions likely to hinder effective communication
• It’s best to avoid reacting to a message when the receiver is upset
because he/she is not likely to be thinking clearly.
• Information Overload - information available exceeds
processing capacity. Such as 600 waiting e-mail messages in the in
box.
• frequent complaint of executives.
a. Receivers tend to select out, ignore, pass over, or forget information
when they have too much information.
b. Or, receivers may put off further processing until the overload
situation is over—still ineffective communication.
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Barriers to Effective Communication (cont.)
• Defensiveness - behaviors that result from feeling
threatened.
• engaging in behaviors such as verbally attacking
others, making sarcastic remarks, being overly
judgmental, and questioning others’ motives—
happens when people feel that they’re being
threatened.
• hinders effective communication
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Barriers to Effective Communication (cont.)
• Language - meaning of words differs among people with
diverse backgrounds.
a. Age, education, and cultural background can
influence language use and definition given to words
b.Jargon is specialized terminology or technical
language that members of a group use to
communicate among themselves.
• National Culture - cultural values affect the way people
communicate
• individualism versus collectivism
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication
• Use Feedback - ask a set of questions about a message to determine
whether it was understood as intended
• ask receivers to restate the message in their own words
• Simplify Language - tailor the language to the audience for whom the
message is intended.
• jargon can facilitate understanding when used in appropriate groups.
• Listen Actively - listen for full meaning
a. Listening is an active search for meaning, whereas hearing is passive.
b. Active listening is listening for full meaning without making
premature judgments or interpretations, and demands total
concentration.
c. Active listening is enhanced by developing empathy with the sender—
placing yourself in the sender’s position.
d. Exhibit 11.4 on p. 292 lists other specific behaviors that active
listeners demonstrate.
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Active Listening Behaviors
Avoid interrupting
the speaker
Be empathetic
Make eye
contact
Paraphrase
Don’t overtalk
Avoid distracting
actions or
gestures
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Active
Listening
Ask questions
Exhibit affirmative
head nods and
appropriate
facial expressions
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Process Of Interpersonal Communication (cont.)
Overcoming Communication Barriers (cont.)
• Constrain Emotions - emotions severely
cloud and distort the transference of meaning
• refrain from communicating until one regains
her/his composure
• Watch Nonverbal Cues - actions should be
aligned with words
• nonverbal message should reinforce verbal
message
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Organizational Communication
Formal Communication
• communication that follows the official chain of command
or is communication required to do one’s job
• It takes place within prescribed organizational work
arrangements.
Informal Communication
• not defined by the organization’s structural hierarchy.
• It fulfills two purposes
• permits employees to satisfy their needs for social
interaction
• creates alternative, and frequently faster and more
efficient, channels of communication
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Organizational Communication (cont.)
Direction of Communication Flow
•
•
•
•
•
•
Downward - flows from a manager to subordinates
used to inform, direct, coordinate, and evaluate employees
Upward - flows from subordinates to managers
keeps managers aware of employees’ feelings
source for ideas on improving operations
The amount of upward communication is affected by the
culture of the organization
– trust and empowerment increase upward flow
– mechanistic and authoritarian environment decrease upward
flow
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Organizational Communication (cont.)
Direction of Communication Flow (cont.)
• Lateral communication: takes place among employees on
the same organizational level. Horizontal cross functional
team.
• Diagonal - cuts across both work areas and
organizational levels
• benefits efficiency and speed.
• e-mail facilitates diagonal communication.
• Diagonal communication has the potential to create
problems if employees don’t keep their managers informed.
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Organizational Communication Networks
Organizational Communication Networks
• combination of vertical and horizontal flows into a variety
of patterns.
• Types of Networks
• chain - communication flows according to the formal
chain of command, both direction.
• wheel - flows between a clearly identifiable and strong
leader and others in a work group or team. Leader serves
as a hub through whom all communication passes.
• all-channel - flows freely among all members of a work
team
• no single network is best for all situations
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Three Common Organizations Communication
Networks and How They Rate on Effectiveness Criteria
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Organizational Communication (cont.)
Organizational Communication Networks (cont.)
Grapevine\gossip - an informal network that is active in
almost every organization.
• Important source of information.
• Identifies issues that employees consider important and
anxiety producing.
• Can use the grapevine to disseminate important information.
• Rumors can never be eliminated entirely
a. The grapevine is active in almost every organization. One
survey reported that 75 percent of employees hear about
matters first through rumors on the grapevine.
b. The grapevine can act as both a filter and a feedback
mechanism.
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Understanding Information Technology
How Technology Affects Managerial Communication
• Information technology has changed organizational communication.
• Disseminates more complete information.
• Provides more opportunities for collaboration.
• Employees are fully accessible.
• Two developments in information technology seem to be having the
most significant impact: networked computer systems and wireless
capabilities.
• First: Networked Computer Systems - linking computers through
compatible hardware and software.
• Some of its communication applications are the follows:
• e-mail - instantaneous transmission of written messages.
• It is fast and cheap and can be used to send the same message to
numerous people at the same time.
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Understanding Information Technology (cont.)
Effect of Technology (cont.)
Networked Computer Systems - (cont.)
• instant messaging (IM) - interactive real-time
communication
• requires groups to be logged on the computer network at the
same time. E.g., communication among friends on line.
• leaves network open to security breaches.
• IM software is currently incompatible\contrary with
important business applications software.
• voice-mail - digitizes a spoken message
• transmits message over the network.
• stores the message for later retrieval.
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Understanding Information Technology (cont.)
Effect of Technology (cont.)
Networked Computer Systems (cont.)
• Fax - allows transmission of documents containing both
text and graphics over ordinary telephone lines
• Electronic data interchange (EDI) - permits the exchange
of standard business transaction documents. such as
invoices or purchase orders, using direct computer-tocomputer networks. Used with vendors, suppliers and
consumers.
• Teleconferencing - permits simultaneous conferral\talking
using telephone or e-mail group communications software.
• videoconferencing - participants can see each other .
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Understanding Information Technology (cont.)
Effect of Technology (cont.)
Networked Computer Systems (cont.)
• Intranet - Internet technology that links organizational employees.
• Extranet - systems are organizational communication networks that
use Internet technology and allow authorized users inside the
organization to communicate with certain outsiders such as customers
and vendors.
• Internet-based voice communication - allows users to talk with each
other. On Compaq web site, visitors can click on an icon and speak
live to a company representative.
• Second: Wireless Capabilities - depends on signals sent through space
without any physical connection
• based on microwave signals, satellites, radio waves, or infrared light
rays
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Understanding Information Technology (cont.)
How Information Technology Affects Organizations?
• communications among organizational
members are no longer constrained by
geography or time.
• More cooperation and integration.
• Effective decision making.
• psychological drawback - personal costs
associated with being constantly accessible.
pressure to “check in” even during off hours.
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Review
• What types of communication does managerial
communication encompass?
Managerial communication encompasses both interpersonal
communication—communication between two or more
people—and organizational communication—all the
patterns, networks, and systems of communication within an
organization.
• Why isn’t effective communication synonymous with
agreement?
A message can be clearly understood, but not agreed with.
As long as the message is clearly understood, effective
communication has happened.
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Review
• Which do you think is more important for the
manager: speaking accurately or listening actively?
Why?
The answer will be varied.
• How might managers use the grapevine for their
benefit?
Managers can stay on top of issues that concern
employees and, in turn, can use the grapevine to
disseminate important information.
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