Communication Contexts
Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
 Group
 Mass
 Organizational

Health
 Public Relations
 Public

Communication Characteristics
Process
 Source
 Transmission
 Source
 Receiver
 Message
 Encode
 Decode

Channel
 Feedback
 Noise
 Environment
 Context
 FOE
 Ethics
 Competency

Ethics

Principles of conduct that help govern
behaviors of individuals and groups that
often arise from a community’s perspective
of good or bad behaviors (Martin &
Nakayama)
 Decision of Points (Kreps)
 1. Tell the truth.
 2. Do no harm
 3. Treat people
ORGANIZATION

A living, open system connected by the flow
of information between and among people
who occupy various roles and positions.
(Goldhaber)
 The planned coordination of the collective
activities of two or more people who,
functioning on a relatively continuous basis
and through division of labor and a hierarchy
of authority, seek to achieve a common goal
or set of goals. (Robins )
Organizational Changes
Organizational Structure
 Management Style
 Information Technology
 Competition
 Communication

Organizational Changes

Organizational Structure
– Hierarchal & Tall to PDM, Flat, & Matrix
(Team)

Hierarchy (Greek meaning sacred rule)
system of ranking & organizing things &
people, creating division of labor land
centralized control
Organizational Changes

Management Styles
– Authoritative to Coaching or Empowered
– Classical to Human Resources

Information Technology
– Limited, Static to Pervasive, Essential

Competition
– Local, National to Global

Communication
– Top Down to Multi-directional
Types of Organizations
Profit vs. non profit
 Small business vs. corporate
 Commercial vs. education

Organizational vs. Group
Complexity
 Structure/hierarchy
 Multiple voices
 Multiple goals
 Nature of relationships ([im] personal)
 Culture (history, tradition,& shared exp.)

Common Definitional
Points
OC occurs w/in a complex open system
which is influenced by and influences its
environments, both internal & external.
 OC involves messages & their flow,
purpose, direction, and media.
 OC involves people & their attitudes,
feelings, relationships, behaviors, &
skills.

Organizational Communication
The process of creating and exchanging
messages within a network of
interdependent relationships to cope
with environmental uncertainty
(Goldhaber)
Components Definition

Process-ongoing (continuous)
 Message (consider)
– Participants
– Modality
– Method of diffusion (channel)
• F2F, oral, written, technology
– Purpose (function)
• Task
• Maintenance
• Human-relational
• Innovative-creativity
Modality-Nonverbal

Nonverbal communication includes all
aspects of communication other than
spoken or written words themselves
(expressed by other than linguistic
means).
Nonverbal Communication
Verbal+Vocal+Bodied=Total Message
Words+Paralinguistic+Kinesics
7% +
38% + 55%
=
(Mehrabian Equation)
100%
Nonverbal Communication
One cannot, not communicate.
 Nonverbal communication can be
ambiguous.

– Meanings vary over time.
– Meanings vary according to context.
– Meanings vary according to relationships.
– Nonverbal communication is guided by
rules particular to a culture.
Nonverbal Communication

NV communication can interact with
verbal com
– Can repeat
– May highlight
– May complement
– May contradict
– Can substitute
– Sometimes more believable
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communicative behavior can
regulate interaction.
 Nonverbal communicative behavior can
establish relationship level meanings.
 Nonverbal communication reflects
culture values and is culture bound.

Categories of Nonverbal Com
Kinesics-posture, gestures, facial expressions,
eye contact (oculesics)
Paralanguage-pitch, rate, volume, inflection,
Haptics-touch (appropriate and inappropriate)
Proxemics-space (personal and public)
Environment-room shape, arrangement, access,
lighting, noise, color, seating arrangement
Presentation-physical appearance and clothing
choice
Artifacts-personal objects that reflect and
announce identity; how we personalize our
space
Definition Components

Network-creation & exchange of messages
among individuals that takes place over set
pathways
–
–
–
–

Roles
Formality
Direction (horizontal, upward, downward)
Serial process-efficiency
Interdependence-interrelated parts
 Relationships-connected by people &
comm.
 Environment-internal & external
 Uncertainty-equivocality/ambiguity-coping
Organizational Communication
The process of creating and exchanging
messages within a network of
interdependent relationships to cope
with environmental uncertainty
(Goldhaber)
WIIO’S LAWS OF
COMMUNICATION
 Communication usually fails, except by
chance.
 If a message can be understood in different
ways, it will be understood in just that way
which does the most harm.
 There is always somebody who knows better
than you what you meant by your message.
 The more communication there is, the more
difficult it is for communication succeed.
Reasons for Comm Failure
Inadequate information
 Information overload
 Poor quality information
 Poor timing
 Lack of feedback or follow-up
 Problems with channel choice

Reasons for Comm Failure
Incompetent communication
 Ineffective goal setting
 Communication anxiety
 Lack of retention
 Language barriers
 Noise
 Unethical communication
