Communicating
Chapter 15
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2011 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
LO 1 Discuss important advantages of two-way
communication
LO 2 Identify communication problems to avoid
LO 3 Describe when and how to use the various
communication channels
LO 4 Summarize ways to become a better
“sender” and “receiver” of information
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Learning Objectives (cont.)
LO 5 Explain how to improve downward,
upward, and horizontal communication
LO 6 Summarize how to work with the company
grapevine
LO 7 Describe the boundary less organization
and its advantages
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Interpersonal Communication
 Communication
 The transmission of information and meaning
from one party to another through the use of
shared symbols
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Interpersonal Communication
 The sender initiates the process by conveying
information to the receiver —the person for whom
the message is intended.
 The sender has a meaning he or she wishes to
communicate and encodes the meaning into
symbols (the words chosen for the message).
 Then the sender transmits, or sends, the message
through some channel, such as a verbal or written
medium.
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Interpersonal Communication
 The receiver decodes the message (e.g., reads
it) and attempts to interpret the sender’s
meaning.
 The receiver may provide feedback to the
sender by encoding a message in response to
the sender’s message.
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Interpersonal Communication
 Noise
 interference in the
system
 blocks perfect
understanding.
 Examples of Noise
 ringing telephones
 thoughts about other
things
 simple fatigue or stress.
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One-Way versus Two-Way Communication
 One-way communication
 A process in which information flows in only one
direction—from the sender to the receiver, with
no feedback loop.
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A Model of One-Way Communication
Figure 15.1
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One-Way versus Two-Way Communication
 Two-way communication
 A process in which information flows in two
directions—the receiver provides feedback, and
the sender is receptive to the feedback.
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Question
___________ is the process of withholding,
ignoring, or distorting information
A.
B.
C.
D.
Perception
Filtering
Acuity
Discernment
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Communication Pitfalls
 Perception
 The process of
receiving and
interpreting
information
 Filtering
 The process of
withholding, ignoring,
or distorting
information
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What Do I Do if They Don’t
Speak My Language?
Table 15.1
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What Do I Do if They Don’t
Speak My Language?
Table 15.1
15-14
Oral and Written Channels
 Oral communication
 includes face-to-face
discussion, telephone
conversations, and
formal presentations
and speeches
 Written
communication
 includes e-mail,
memos, letters,
reports, computer
files, and other written
documents
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Oral Communication
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Questions can be asked
and answered
 Feedback is immediate
and direct
 More persuasive
 It can lead to
spontaneous, illconsidered statements
(and regret)
 There is no permanent
record of it
15-16
Written Communication
Advantages
 Message can be revised
several times
 Permanent record that
can be saved
 Message stays the same
even if relayed through
many people
 Receiver has more time
to analyze the message
Disadvantages
 Sender has no control
over where, when, or if
the message is read
 Sender does not receive
immediate feedback
 Receiver may not
understand parts of the
message
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Information Overload
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Electronic Media
 Web 2.0
 A set of Internet-based applications that
encourage user-provided content and
collaboration
 social networking, podcasts, RSS, and wikis
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Advantages of Electronic Communication
1. The sharing of more information
2. The speed and efficiency in delivering routine
messages to large numbers of people across
vast geographic areas
3. Can reduce time and expenses devoted to
traveling, photocopying, and mailing
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Disadvantages of Electronic
Communication
1. Difficulty of solving complex problems that require
more extended, face-to-face interaction
2. Inability to pick up subtle, nonverbal, or inflectional
clues about what the communicator is thinking or
conveying
3. Electronic messages sometimes are monitored or
seen inadvertently by those for whom they are not
intended
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Virtual Office
 Virtual office
 A mobile office in which people can work
anywhere, as long as they have the tools to
communicate with customers and colleagues.
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Media Richness
 Media richness
 The degree to which a
communication
channel conveys
information.
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What Communication
Channel Would You Use?
Table 15.2
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Suggested Media Choices
Table 15.3
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Adding Power to Your Presentation
Table 15.4
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Adding Power to Your Presentation
Table 15.4
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Nonverbal Skills
1. Use time appropriately
2. Make your office arrangement conducive to
open communication
3. Remember your body language
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Listening
 Reflection
 Process by which a
person states what he
or she believes the
other person is saying
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Ten Keys to Effective Listening
 Find an area of interest
 Judge content, not
delivery
 Hold your fire
 Listen for ideas
 Be flexible
 Resist distraction
 Exercise your mind.
 Keep your mind open
 Capitalize on thought
speed
 Work at listening
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Organizational Communication
 Downward communication
 Information that flows from higher to lower levels
in the organization’s hierarchy
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Information Loss in
Downward Communication
Figure 15.2
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Organizational Communication
 Coaching
 Dialogue with a goal of helping another be more
effective and achieve his or her full potential on
the job.
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Organizational Communication
 Open-book management
 Practice of sharing with employees at all levels of
the organization vital information previously
meant for management’s eyes only
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Organizational Communication
 Upward
communication
 Information that flows
from lower to higher
levels in the
organization’s
hierarchy.
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Question
What is the social network of informal
communications?
A. Second Life
B. Facebook
C. Grapevine
D. Scuttlebutt
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Informal Communication
 Grapevine
 the social network of
informal communications.
 provides people with
information
 helps them solve
problems
 teaches them how to do
their work successfully
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Boundarylessness
 Boundaryless organization
 Organization in which there are no barriers to
information flow
 implies information available as needed moving
quickly and easily enough so that the organization
functions far better as a whole than as separate
parts.
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Organizational Communication
 Horizontal communication
 Information shared among people on the same
hierarchical level
 allows sharing of information, coordination, and
problem solving among units
 helps solve conflicts
 provides social and emotional support to people.
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Destination CEO: Bank of America
 What communication
 What
issues will Bank of
communication
America deal with as
pitfalls might exist at
they expand
Bank of America?
internationally?
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