Four Functions of
Communication
• Knowledge management
• Decision making
• Coordinating work activities
• Fulfils relatedness needs
Communication Process Model
Sender
Form
message
Transmit
Message
Encode
message
Receiver
Receive
encoded
message
Decode
message
Encode
feedback
Form
feedback
Noise
Decode
feedback
Receive
feedback
Transmit
Feedback
Communication Barriers
• Perceptions
• Filtering
• Language
– Jargon
– Ambiguity
• Information Overload
9-14
The HURIER Model:
Components of Effective Listening
Hearing
(paying careful
attention to what
is being said)
Understanding
(comprehending
the messages
being sent)
Remembering
(being able to
recall the message
being sent)
Effective Listening
Responding
(replying to the
sender, letting
him or her know
you are paying
attention)
Evaluating
(not immediately
passing judgment
on the message
being sent)
Interpreting
(not reading anything
into the message the
sender is communicating)
Information Overload
Episodes of
information
overload
Employee’s
information
processing
capacity
Information Load
Time
Overload: Problem Solved
Problem:
Message A
Overload
(too many messages
reaching a person
at once)
Message B
Person
Message C
Solutions:
Use gatekeepers to
control the number
of incoming
messages received
Use queuing to
present messages
in order
Message A
Message B
Gatekeeper
Message C
Person
Message C
Message A
Message B
Message C
Person
Mean Percentage of Managers Preferring Media
Oral vs. Written Communication:
Preference for Media Depends on the
Oral media Message
are
preferred for
sending ambiguous
messages.
Written media are
preferred for sending
clear messages.
90
80
(88.3)
70
(67.9)
60
50
Written Media
40
30
(32.1)
20
10
Oral Media
(11.3)
Extremely
ambiguous
messages
Extremely
clear
messages
9-5
Communicating Through E-mail
Advantages of E-mail
–Messages quickly formed, edited, sent, and
stored
–Needs little coordination
–Random information access
–Fewer social status barriers
Problems with E-mail
–Information overload
–Flaming
Guessing E-Mail Emoticons
:-)
:-}
<:-)
:-X
:-j
{}
Happy
Smirk
Dumb question
OOPS!
Tongue in cheek
Hug
Nonverbal Communication
• Actions, gestures, facial expressions,
etc.
• Transmits most info in face-to-face
meetings
• Influences meaning of verbal and
written symbols
• Less rule bound than verbal
communication
• Important part of emotional labour
Hierarchy of Media Richness
Rich
Overloaded
Zone
Face-to-face
Telephone
Media
Richness
E-mail
Newsletters
Oversimplified
Zone
Lean
Routine/
Clear
Situation
Nonroutine/
Ambiguous
Communicating in Hierarchies
• Workspace design
• Employee surveys
• Newsletters and e-zines
• Management by walking
around
Grapevine Characteristics
• Transmits information very rapidly in all
directions
• Relatively accurate, but deletes details
and exaggerates key points
• More active in homogeneous groups who
easy communication access
• Most active when employees are anxious
• Usually follows a cluster chain pattern
Personal Communication Style
The Nobel
(someone who says
what’s on his or
her mind)
The Magistrate
(blend between
Noble and Socratic)
The Senator
(sometimes Noble and
sometimes Reflective)
The Socratic
(someone who likes to
argue his or her
points fully)
The Reflective
(someone who would
rather say nothing
than to hurt someone
else’s feelings)
The Candidate
(blend between
Socratic and Reflective)
Relative Proportion of Statements
More
Statements
Internal vs. External
Communications:
Is There a Difference?
Threats were used more
than opportunities when
communicating internally.
Opportunities were used
more than threats when
communicating externally.
External
statements
Internal
statements
Fewer
Statements
Threats
Focus of Statements
Opportunities
A MEMO THAT LEAVES YOU SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD:
WHAT DID HE SAY?
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
“As per your subject memo; we are researching the history of Price Promotion #18B to
establish why the new price sheets were not received by the sales force in advance of
the effective date of the promotion. It is unclear from your memo how widespread the
problem was or if it was just isolated in certain geographies. Therefore, we will need
additional facts on where you think the problem occurred. As you know, we have
gotten complaints from sales people in the past that they did not receive the promotions
only to find out later that they had lost them due to their own disorganization.”
TRANSLATION:
“We screwed up but are not going to admit it.”
IMPROVED MESSAGE:
“Thanks for bringing the problem with this promotion to my attention. It looks like
we screwed up at this end in getting the proofs to the printer on schedule. My staff
and I feel badly about this and will take steps to provide better service.”
14
Cross-Cultural Communication
• Verbal differences
– Language
• Nonverbal differences
– Voice intonation
– Interpreting nonverbal meaning
– Importance of verbal versus nonverbal
– Silence and conversational overlaps
Gender Communication
Differences
Men
Report talk
Gives advice
quickly and
directly
Avoids asking for
information
Less sensitive
to nonverbal
cues
Women
Rapport talk
Gives advice
indirectly and
reluctantly
Frequently asks for
information
More sensitive to
nonverbal cues
Gender Issues in Leadership
• Male and female leaders have similar
task- and people-oriented leadership.
• Participative leadership is used more
often by female leaders.
• Women rated less favourably than
equivalent male leaders due to
stereotyping.
Getting Your Message Across
• Empathize
• Repeat the message
• Use timing effectively
• Be descriptive
Active Listening Process and
Strategies
SENSING
•Postpone evaluation
• Avoid interruptions
• Maintain interest
ACTIVE
LISTENING
RESPONDING
EVALUATING
• Show interest
• Clarify the message
• Empathize
• Organize information
Persuasive Communication
Communicator
Characteristics
• Expert
• Credibility
• Attractive
Communication Medium
Message
Content
• Present all sides
• Few arguments
• Emotional appeals
• Inoculation effect
Audience
Characteristics
• Self-esteem
• Inoculated