© McGraw Hill Because learning changes everything. ® MGM 3113 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Chapter 11 Communication After reading this chapter you should be able to: 11.1Describe how the communication process works. 11.2Identify the key aspects of interpersonal communication. 11.3Explain how gender and age affect the communication process. 11.4Describe how using social media can increase your effectiveness at work. 11.5Explain how communication skills can increase your effectiveness. 11.6Describe the implications of chapter content for you and managers. © McGraw Hill Describe the Functions and Process of Communication Communication serves five major functions within a group or organization: • Management • Feedback • Emotional sharing • Persuasion • Information exchange © McGraw Hill Basic Dimensions of the Communication Process Why is communication important? • Every managerial function and activity involves some form of direct or indirect communication. • Every person’s communication skills affect both personal and organizational effectiveness. © McGraw Hill Describe the Functions and Process of Communication (2 of 7) Communication acts to manage member behavior in several ways. • Authority hierarchies and formal guidelines. • Job descriptions and company policies. • Workgroup teasing or harassing. © McGraw Hill Describe the Functions and Process of Communication (3 of 7) Communication creates feedback by clarifying to employees what they must do, how well they are doing it, and how they can improve their performance. • Formation of goals, feedback on progress, and reward for desired behavior all require communication and stimulate motivation. © McGraw Hill Describe the Functions and Process of Communication (4 of 7) Communication within the group is a fundamental mechanism by which members show satisfaction and frustration. Communication, therefore, provides for the emotional sharing of feelings and fulfillment of social needs. © McGraw Hill Describe the Functions and Process of Communication (5 of 7) Like emotional sharing, persuasion can be good or bad depending on if, say, a leader is trying to persuade a workgroup to believe in the organization’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) or to, conversely, persuade the workgroup to break the law to meet an organizational goal. Persuasion can benefit or harm an organization. © McGraw Hill Describe the Functions and Process of Communication (6 of 7) The final function of communication is information exchange to facilitate decision making. • Communication provides the information individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data needed to identify and evaluate choices. © McGraw Hill Contrast Downward, Upward, and Lateral Communication (1 of 7) Downward communication: flows from one level to a lower level. • Assign goals, provide instructions, communicate policies and procedures, and provide feedback. • Downward communication must explain the reasons why a decision was made. • One problem is the one-way nature of downward communication. © McGraw Hill Contrast Downward, Upward, and Lateral Communication (2 of 7) Upward communication: flows to a higher level in the group or organization. • Provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress, and relay current problems. • Communicate in headlines, not paragraphs. • Support your headlines with actionable items. • Prepare an agenda to make sure you use your boss’s attention well. © McGraw Hill Contrast Downward, Upward, and Lateral Communication (3 of 7) Lateral communication: takes place among members of the same work group, among members of work groups at the same level, among managers at the same level, or among any horizontally equivalent personnel. – Often necessary to save time and facilitate coordination. ▪ May be formally sanctioned. ▪ Can create dysfunctional conflicts. © McGraw Hill Figure 9.2 Communication Process in Action Access the text alternate for slide image. © McGraw Hill (left): Wolf/Fuse/Getty Images; (right): paffy/Shutterstock Sender, Message, Receiver 1 Communication begins when the sender encodes an idea or thought. • This involves translating thoughts into code or language others can understand. • Sender selects the medium for the message. • Examples include face-to-face, telephone, email, charts and graphs, social media. © McGraw Hill Sender, Message, Receiver 2 Receivers decode and create meaning: • After receiving a message. • Process of interpreting and making sense of a message. • Can be influenced by cultural norms and values. Feedback. • The receiver’s reaction to the sender’s message. Noise. • Anything that interferes with the transmission and understanding of a message. © McGraw Hill Selecting the Right Media Media Richness. • The capacity of a given communication medium to convey information and promote understanding. Four factors affect media richness: 1. Speed of feedback. 2. Channel. 3. Type. 4. Language source. © McGraw Hill Key Communication Competencies Non-verbal. • For example, body movements, touch, facial expressions, and eye contact. Active listening. • The process of actively decoding and interpreting verbal messages. • Requires cognitive attention and information processing unlike hearing. Non-defensive listening. • Avoiding defensive language from either party, which can foster inaccurate and inefficient information. © McGraw Hill More on Active Listening Listening styles. • Active: • I am fully invested. • Involved: • I am partially invested. • Passive: • Not my responsibility. • Detached: • I’m disinterested. © McGraw Hill Tips for effective listening. • Show respect. • Listen from the first sentence. • Be mindful. • Keep quiet. • Ask questions. • Paraphrase and summarize. • Remember what was said. • Involve your body. Gender, Generations, and Communication What is linguistic style? • Characteristic speaking pattern where we: • Use culturally learned signals to communicate what we mean. • Interpret others’ meaning. • Evaluate one another as people. © McGraw Hill Gender Differences in Communication Female perspective. Male perspective. • Focus on rapport and relationships. • Expected to communicate more aggressively. • Seek and give confirmation and support. • Hide emotions. Competing explanations for why men and women are thought to communicate differently. • Inherited biological differences (evolutionary psychology). • Social role theory. © McGraw Hill © McGraw Hill 22 © McGraw Hill 23 Generational Differences in Communication Current workplace involves people from four generations. Different generations favor different media. Different generations hold different norms and expectations for communication. © McGraw Hill © McGraw Hill 25 Improving Communication Clarify communication expectations and norms. Make sure people get credit for their ideas and not their gender. Use a variety of communication tools. Be aware of implicit bias. © McGraw Hill Social Media at Work The driving force behind technology including social media is the desire to boost productivity. Employee productivity. Employer productivity. • Increased job satisfaction and better work-life balance. • Connect in real time and over distances with stakeholders. • Performance and retention. • • More creativity and collaboration. Connect sources of knowledge across the organization. • Expand and open traditional boundaries to involve outsiders in problem solving (crowdsourcing). © McGraw Hill Costs of Social Media Lost productivity due to cyberloafing (using the Internet at work for personal use) is a primary concern for employers in their adoption of social media. How do employees waste time on social media? • 50% talking on the phone or texting. • 39% surfing the Internet. • 38% on social media. • 23% are sending personal email. © McGraw Hill Social Media Policy Concerns: Blocking Access Given concerns over cyberloafing and lost productivity some organizations are turning to blocking access. Downside to restricting access: • Alienate employees. • Fairness. • Perceptions of lack of trust . © McGraw Hill Social Media Policy Concerns • Create safe channels for employees to air their concerns. • Clarify what is confidential. Effective policies should: • Outline consequences for violations. • Identify spokesperson. • Discuss appropriate ways to engage others. • Explain what is illegal. • Align social policy with organizational culture. • Educate employees. © McGraw Hill Privacy Concerns – What Can Employers Do? Employers and their employees have reputations which are built over time and can be extremely consequential professionally. What can employers do? • Communicate what personal information from mobile devices is accessed by the employer. • Ensure employees understand what is accessible depending on the operating system used. • Create and communicate clear and sensible policies regarding potential employer actions regarding information on employees’ mobile devices. © McGraw Hill Boosting Your Communication Effectiveness: The Ted Five-Step Protocol Step 1: Frame your story. Step 2: Plan your delivery. Step 3: Develop your stage presence. Step 4: Plan your multimedia. Step 5: Put it together. © McGraw Hill Crucial Conversations Typical crucial conversations. How to be effective during crucial conversations Occur when: Share your facts. • The stakes are high. • Opinions vary. • Emotions run strong. For example, when: • Ending a relationship. • Addressing offensive behavior. • Giving negative feedback. • Critiquing others’ work. © McGraw Hill Tell your story. Ask for other’s facts and stories. Talk tentatively. Encourage testing.
