Chapter 11
11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
COMMUNICATING IN TEAMS
AND ORGANIZATIONS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain the importance of communication and diagram the communication process.
Describe problems with communicating through electronic mail.
Identify two ways in which nonverbal communication differs from verbal communication.
Identify two conditions requiring a channel with high media richness.
Identify four common communication barriers.
Discuss the degree to which men and women communicate differently.
Outline the key elements of active listening.
Summarize four communication strategies in organizational hierarchies.
CHAPTER GLOSSARY
communication competence A person’s ability to
identify appropriate communication patterns in a given
situation and to achieve goals by applying that
knowledge.
information overload A condition in which the
volume of information received exceeds the person’s
capacity to process it.
jargon The technical language and acronyms as well
as recognized words with specialized meanings in
specific organizations or groups.
communication The process by which information is
transmitted and understood between two or more
people.
management by walking around (MBWA) A
communication practice in which executives get out of
their offices and learn from others in the organization
through face-to-face dialogue.
emotional contagion The automatic and unconscious
tendency to mimic and synchronize one’s own
nonverbal behaviours with those of other people.
flaming The act of sending an emotionally charged
electronic mail message to others.
media richness The data-carrying capacity of a
communication medium, including the volume and
variety of information it can transmit.
grapevine An unstructured and informal
communication network founded on social relationships
rather than organizational charts or job descriptions.
305
Part 3 Team Processes
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS
Communication refers to the process by which
information is transmitted and understood between two
or more people. Communication supports knowledge
management, decision making, work coordination, and
the need for affiliation. The communication process
involves forming, encoding, and transmitting the
intended message to a receiver, who then decodes the
message and provides feedback to the sender. Effective
communication occurs when the sender’s thoughts are
transmitted to and understood by the intended receiver.
Electronic mail (e-mail) is a powerful way to
communicate, and it has changed communication
patterns in organizational settings. However, e-mail
also contributes to information overload, is an
ineffective channel for communicating emotions, tends
to reduce politeness and respect in the communication
process, and lacks the warmth of human interaction.
Some forms of computer-mediated communication
gives employees the freedom to communicate
effectively from any location.
Nonverbal communication includes facial gestures,
voice intonation, physical distance, and even silence.
Employees make extensive use of nonverbal cues when
engaging in emotional labour because these cues help to
transmit prescribed feelings to customers, co-workers,
and others. Emotional contagion refers to the automatic
and unconscious tendency to mimic and synchronize
our nonverbal behaviours with other people. The most
appropriate communication medium depends on its
data-carrying capacity (media richness) and its
symbolic meaning to the receiver. Nonroutine and
ambiguous situations require rich media.
Several barriers create noise in the communication
process. People misinterpret messages because of
perceptual biases. Some information is filtered out as it
gets passed up the hierarchy. Jargon and ambiguous
language are barriers when the sender and receiver have
different interpretations of the words and symbols used.
People also screen out or misinterpret messages due to
information overload.
Globalization and workforce diversity have brought
new communication challenges. Words are easily
misunderstood in verbal communication and employees
are reluctant to communicate across cultures. Voice
intonation, silence, and other nonverbal cues have
different meaning and importance in other cultures.
There are also some communication differences
between men and women, such as the tendency for men
to exert status and engage in report talk in
conversations, whereas women use more rapport talk
and are more sensitive than are men to nonverbal cues.
To get a message across, the sender must learn to
empathize with the receiver, repeat the message, choose
an appropriate time for the conversation, and be
descriptive rather than evaluative. Listening includes
sensing, evaluating, and responding. Active listeners
support these processes by postponing evaluation,
avoiding interruptions, maintaining interest,
empathizing, organizing information, showing interest,
and clarifying the message.
Some companies try to encourage informal
communication through workspace design, although
open offices run the risk of increasing stress and
reducing the ability to concentrate on work. Many
organizations also rely on a combination of print
newsletters and intranet-based e-zines to communicate
corporate news. Employee surveys are widely used to
measure employee attitudes or involve employees in
corporate decisions. Some executives also engage in
management by walking around to facilitate
communication across the organization.
In any organization, employees rely on the
grapevine, particularly during times of uncertainty. The
grapevine is an unstructured and informal network
founded on social relationships rather than
organizational charts or job descriptions. Although
early research identified several unique features of the
grapevine, some of these features may be changing as
the Internet plays an increasing role in grapevine
communication.
306
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
POWERPOINT® SLIDES
Canadian Organizational Behaviour includes a complete set of Microsoft PowerPoint® files for each chapter. (Please
contact your McGraw-Hill Ryerson representative to find out how instructors can receive these files.) In the lecture
outline that follows, a thumbnail illustration of each PowerPoint slide for this chapter is placed beside the corresponding
lecture material. The slide number helps you to see your location in the slide show sequence and to skip slides that you
don’t want to show to the class. (To jump ahead or back to a particular slide, just type the slide number and hit the Enter
or Return key.) The transparency masters for this chapter are very similar to the PowerPoint files.
LECTURE OUTLINE (with PowerPoint® slides)
COMMUNICATING IN TEAMS AND
ORGANIZATIONS
Communicating in Teams
and Organizations
Slide 1
Communicating at Hiram
Walker Inc.
Slide 2
HIRAM WALKER & SONS LTD.
Ian Gourlay, CEO of Hiram Walker, encourages communication by
wandering around the workplace in order to engage in face-to-face
communication with employees.
Communication -- process by which information is transmitted and
understood between two or more people
Effective communication -- transmitting intended meaning
Communication competence
• Person’s ability to identify appropriate communication
patterns in a given situation and to achieve goals by
applying that knowledge
307
Part 3 Team Processes
Four Functions of
Communication
Slide 3
Communication Process
Model
Slide 4
Four functions of communication:
1. Knowledge management
-- minimizes silos of knowledge
-- improves knowledge sharing
2. Decision making
-- make more informed decisions about corporate actions
3. Coordinating work activities
-- synchronizes work and forms a common mental model
4. Fulfilling drive to bond
-- provides social support and eases work-related stress
Communication process model
1. Sender forms and encodes meaning into words/symbols, etc.
2. Encoded message transmitted to the intended receiver
through one or more media
3. Receiver receives and decodes stimuli as intended
4. Sender receives feedback about whether message was
received and understood
Noise throughout process -- psychological, social, and structural
barriers that distort and obscure the sender's intended message
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Verbal (oral/written) communications
• Face-to-face better for conveying emotions, persuading the
receiver
-- nonverbal cues aid emotional communication
-- provides immediate feedback to sender
• Written is best for technical details -- higher
comprehension than when received verbally
308
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
Internet Communication in Nunavut
• Through e-mail Internet chat rooms, and other information
technology, Adamee Itorcheak brings together the widely
dispersed people of Nunavut Territory in Northern Canada.
Internet Communication
in Nunavut
Slide 5
Communicating through
E-mail
Slide 6 (build)
Electronic mail
• Efficient communication medium
-- faster than memos
-- asynchronous -- doesn’t require coordination with
receiver (as in telephone calls)
• Reduces many selective attention biases because it hides
our age, race, weight etc. that would be observed
• Reduces status differences -- more communication with
executives
• Preferred channel for coordination and sending information
for decisions
Problems with E-mail
1. Information overload -- due to efficiency
2. Interpreting emotions -- emotional tone of message is easily
misunderstood
3. Flaming -- posting email in anger
4. Lacks empathy and social support
E-mail emoticons now used to help receiver decode emotional
meaning of message
Guessing E-mail
Emoticons
Slide 7 (build)
Other Computer-Mediated Communication
• Intranet networks are becoming preferred source of
employee information
• Instant messaging –
-- “pushes” message at the receiver
-- companies finding instant messaging is time efficient
Emerging technologies may be reducing information overload
because receivers control when to receive it
309
Part 3 Team Processes
Nonverbal
Communication
Slide 8
Nonverbal Communication
• Actions, facial gestures, voice intonation, physical distance
and even silence
• 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 (Chapter 4)
• Nonverbal differs from verbal communication
-- more automatic and unconscious than verbal
-- less rule-bound than verbal
-- less training than we receive for verbal
-- more ambiguous and more susceptible to
misinterpretation
Emotional Contagion
• The automatic and subconscious tendency to mimic and
synchronize nonverbal behaviours with others.
• Serves three purposes
1. Continuous feedback that we understand sender
2. Helps share the emotion
3. Associated with the drive to bond -- creates social
solidarity
CHOOSING THE BEST COMMUNICATION
CHANNELS
Hierarchy of Media
Richness
Slide 9
Media Richness
• Medium’s data carrying capacity -- potential volume and
information variety transmitted
• Highest for face-to-face -- transmits verbal and nonverbal,
gives immediate feedback, customizable event
• Lowest for lean media (e.g. reports, flyers)
• When to use rich media:
1. nonroutine situations -- parties have little common
experience (e.g. emergencies)
2. ambiguous situations -- need to resolve multiple and
conflicting interpretations
310
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
• People can “push” the amount of media richness normally
possible through an information channel due to their
previous experience with that medium or receiver
Symbolic Meaning of the Medium
• Choice of medium transmits meaning beyond the content
• Choose medium that supports meaning of content
• Problem -- people interpret symbolic meaning differently
e.g. e-mail
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS (NOISE)
1. Perceptual Errors
• Sender/receiver have unique perceptual frames of reference
• Cause receiver to screen out or emphasize different parts of
the message
Communication Barriers
Slide 10
2. Filtering -- communication filtered or stopped altogether
• May involve deleting or delaying negative information
• Filter information to create a good impression to superiors

Most common when organization rewards employees who
communicate positive information and among employees
with strong aspirations for career mobility
3. Language – sender’s words/symbol have no meaning or different
meaning to the receiver
• Jargon
-- words with specialized meaning to specific people (e.g.
Microspeak)
-- Benefits -- increases communication efficiency,
improves team dynamics, shapes org. culture
-- Problem -- receiver might not understand jargon
• Ambiguity -- symbol has multiple meanings
-- receiver takes wrong interpretation
-- used deliberately by sender to obscure bad news
-- ambiguous language used when communicating with
people who have different values and beliefs
311
Part 3 Team Processes
Information Overload
Slide 11
Managing Information
Overload
Slide 12
4. Information overload -- information load exceeds one’s information
processing capacity
• Information processing capacity -- amount of info that
person is capable of processing in a fixed time
• Information load -- amount of info that must be processed
per unit of time
• Consequences of overload -- stress, lost information, poorer
decisions
Solution 1: Increase information processing capacity
- learn to digest information more quickly -- speedreading, time management, remove distractions
- temporarily work longer hours
Solution 2: Reduce information load
-- buffering -- others screen person’s messages
-- omitting -- discarding junk mail unopened
-- summarizing -- reading executive summaries
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Cross-Cultural
Communication
Slide 13
Language and verbal problems
• Language differences -- people reluctant to communicate
across cultures
• Interpreting voice intonation -- deep versus high-pitched
male; soft versus loud voice
Nonverbal problems
• Different meaning --e.g., eye contact, handshake
• Importance of nonverbal versus verbal -- Japanese place
more meaning on nonverbal than verbal
Silence and conversational overlaps
• Different meaning --e.g., eye contact, handshake
- Japanese are silent to show respect; Canadians view
silence as a sign of disagreement
- talking while someone is speaking is viewed as rude in
Japan but shows interest and involvement in Brazil
312
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
GENDER COMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES
Gender Communication
Differences
Slide 14
Male communication
• Men tend to assert status and power
-- give advice using direct statements
-- reluctant to receive advice
• Report talk -- impersonal and efficient info exchange
Female communication
• More “rapport talk” -- communicate for relationship
• Less likely to assert status -- use indirect statements,
apologize more often
• More sensitive to nonverbal cues
IMPROVING INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
Getting Your Message
Across
Slide 15
Active Listening Process
and Strategies
Slide 16
Getting your message across
1. Empathize
- think about how receiver will decode message
2. Repeat the message
- state message in a different way
3. Use timing effectively
- find a time when receiver not distracted
4. Be descriptive
-- focus on the problem, not on the person
-- avoid attacking receiver’s self-esteem
Active listening – three components
• Sensing
-- Postpone evaluation -- avoids screening out information
-- Avoid interruptions -- give speaker opportunity to
complete the message
-- Maintain interest -- assume something of value in
conversation
313
Part 3 Team Processes
• Evaluating
-- Empathize -- see message from speaker’s perspective
-- Organize information when getting ahead of speaker
• Responding
-- Show interest -- use eye contact and back channel
signals (e.g. “I see”)
-- clarify the message—rephrase speaker’s ideas
COMMUNICATION IN ORG. HIERARCHIES
MBWA at Mitsubishi
Australia
Slide 17
• The uncertain future of Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd.
has kept chief executive Tom Phillips busy as a corporate
communicator. Phillips keeps everyone informed of the
company’s future through management by walking around
(MBWA) and town hall meetings (shown here).
Need to encourage communication flow so that work units do not
become ‘silos of knowledge’
1. Workspace design
• Fewer walls increase communication
• But also increases stress --distractions, lack of privacy
• Need to provide a balance
Communicating in
Hierarchies
Slide 18
2. Newsletters and E-zines
• Newsletters, Intranet e-zines, videos
• Multi-pronged communication strategy
-- Online sources offer instant communication
-- Print sources offer more portability
3. Employee Surveys
• Provide feedback, employee involvement, evaluate
executive performance
4. Management by walking around (MBWA)
• Executives meet face-to-face with employees
• MBWA phrase originated at Hewlett-Packard
• Minimizes filtering
• Many forms – visit production floor, sports with staff
314
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
ORGANIZATIONAL GRAPEVINE
Unstructured network founded on social relationships rather than
organizational charts or job descriptions
Organizational Grapevine
Slide 19
Early research on grapevine characteristics
• Transmits information very rapidly in all directions
• Follows a cluster chain pattern – few transmit to many
• More active in homogeneous groups
• Transmit some degree of truth due to media richness
But these characteristics may have changed due to information
technology/Internet
• E-mail and instant messaging have replaced traditional
face-to-face as main grapevine medium
• Social networks are now global, not within office
• Vault-com and other commercial web sites extends gossip
to anyone, not just employees connected to social networks
Grapevine: Positives &
Negatives
Slide 20
Grapevine advantages
• Supplements when formal channels are inadequate
• Strengthens corporate culture through stories
• Relieves anxiety, fulfills affiliation need
• Signal managers that problems exist
Grapevine disadvantages
• Suggests lack of concern for employees when grapevine
faster than formal channels
• Distortions might escalate employee anxiety
Managing the grapevine
• Can’t stop it, but don’t rely on it for information
• Listen to grapevine as a symptom of problems
315
Part 3 Team Processes
TRANSPARENCY MASTERS
Transparency 11.1: Four Functions of Communication
Transparency 11.2: Communication Process Model
Transparency 11.3: Communicating Through E-mail
Transparency 11.4: Guessing E-Mail Emoticons
Transparency 11.5: Nonverbal Communication
Transparency 11.6: Hierarchy of Media Richness
Transparency 11.7: Communication Barriers
Transparency 11.8: Information Overload
Transparency 11.9: Managing Information Overload
Transparency 11.10: Cross-Cultural Communication
Transparency 11.11: Gender Communication Differences
Transparency 11.12: Getting Your Message Across
Transparency 11.13: Active Listening Process and Strategies
Transparency 11.14: Communicating in Hierarchies
Transparency 11.15: Organizational Grapevine
Transparency 11.16: Grapevine: Positives and Negatives
SOLUTIONS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
What is the role of communication in an effective
organization?
2.
Communication plays an important role in
effective organizations.
“Electronic mail (e-mail) is revolutionizing the
way we communicate in organizational settings.”
What are the advantages and limitations of
communicating via e-mail?
Advantages include:
Knowledge management. Communication
provides information and shared meaning among
employees. Effective communication brings
knowledge into the organization and disseminates
it efficiently to employees who need the
information.
Decision making. By having the information they
need and when they need it, employees can make
better-informed, more effective decisions.
Coordinate work activities. Communication
allows employees to align their interdependent
work activities.
Fulfills drive to bond. Communication eases
work-related stress and provides social support.
316
-
Messages can be easily formed, edited,
appended, stored and transmitted
-
No need to coordinate a communication
system due to asynchronous capability
-
Flexibility in accessing messages
-
Reduces some time-consuming forms of
communication (e.g. face-to-face)
-
Reduces some status differences and facilitates
more upward communication
-
Reduces selective attention biases because it
hides observable characteristics (age, height,
weight etc.)
Chapter 11
Men and women communicate differently. Men
tend to assert their status by giving advice and
using direct statements. They are reluctant to seek
advice. Generally, men emphasize impersonal and
efficient information exchange.
Limitations include:
- Contributes to information overload through
the distribution of irrelevant and unnecessary
messages
-
3.
Relatively ineffective medium for
communicating emotions, thereby contributing
to misunderstandings and conflict
Although women also engage in report talk, they
tend to communicate to build or maintain social
bonds (Rapport talk). For this reason, they are less
likely to give advice, will use indirect questions.
and are more willing than men to apologize.
Finally, women are more sensitive than men to
nonverbal cues in face-to-face meetings.
Lacks warmth and social support
Marshall McLuhan coined this popular phrase:
“The medium is the message.” What does the
phrase mean, and why should we be aware of it
when communicating in organizations?
The result is that women get frustrated with men
because they receive impersonal and status-based
advice from men when they are trying to form
rapport. Men get frustrated because they can’t
understand why women don’t appreciate their
advice.
McLuhan was referring to the idea that the sender’s
choice of communication channel transmits
meaning beyond the message content. For
example, a personal meeting with an employee
may indicate that the issue is important, whereas
sending the message by memorandum may suggest
less importance.
6.
We need to be sensitive to the symbolic meaning of
the selected communication medium to ensure that
it amplifies rather than contradicts the meaning
found in the message content.
4.
Describe a time when you experienced difficulty
communicating cross-culturally. What did you do
to facilitate effective communication? What was
the outcome?
What, if any, is the receiver’s responsibility to
ensure communication is effective
Increasingly, all individuals are being held
accountable for responsibility to enhance
communication effectiveness. Active listening
involves the receiver engaging in various efforts to
improve communication effectiveness.
Sensing. Pay attention to words as well as nonverbal and other cues of the sender. Stay open ,
avoid interruptions, maintain interest and delay
evaluation of the sender’s message.
This question is a sample of a behavioural question
you may be asked in an employment interview.
Increasingly, organizations seeks employees who
have communication competence including the
ability to communicate cross-culturally.
Evaluating. Empathize with the speaker’s
situation and feelings. Take responsibility to
organize and summarize what the speaker is
communicating
One good response would be demonstrating a
willingness to communicate in a difficult situation
and taking responsibility for effective
communication outcomes e.g. mastering another
languages or understanding nonverbal
communication among various cultures.
Responding. Show interest through eye contact or
other symbols (e.g. “I see”). Also, re-state and
clarify the message to appropriately demonstrate
your understanding.
7.
Also, encourage students to identify the outcome of
the communication experience i.e. what evidence
exists that the person you were communicating
with received and understood the intended meaning
of your message (e.g. action, desired result
achieved, relationship improved etc.)?
5.
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
Explain why men and women are sometimes
frustrated with each other’s communication
behaviours.
A Canadian executive recently admitted that she
deliberately “leaks” information through the
organizational grapevine before communicating the
information through formal channels. The reason,
she explains is that this gives employees an
opportunity to think about the information. “[B]y
the time the message is formally announced,
everybody has had a chance to think about it and
feel like they’re on the inside track.” Discuss the
advantages and limitations of this communication
strategy.
This strategy is more common than one might
expect. It is a variation of the “trial balloon”
317
Part 3 Team Processes
strategy whereby an executive mentions some
ideas to others to see how they will react, and to
develop a set of expectations.
8.
The main problem with this approach is that the
organizational grapevine is not as accurate as one
would like for this type of activity. A minor
suggestion that the company should be sold might
turn into a full-blown rumour about the impending
shutdown of the entire organization. The grapevine
tends to have a kernel of truth, but it also has
embellishments and smoothes over the details. The
grapevine is mostly one-way communication, so
there is little opportunity to correct misperceptions.
This chapter makes several distinctions between
communication in Japan and Canada. Discuss
three distinctions between communication in these
two cultures.
Voice intonation. Japanese people tend to speak
softly to communicate politeness or humility,
whereas Canadians tend to speak more loudly to
communicate interest and enthusiasm for the
speaker’s ideas.
Nonverbal/verbal communication. Canadians
tend to rely on verbal communication as the source
of true meaning, whereas people in Japan interpret
more of a message’s meaning from nonverbal cues.
Even if the grapevine transmits the message fairly
accurately, it may be difficult to receive the desired
feedback about how employees have reacted to the
message.
Use of silence. Canadians tend to interpret silence
at the end of someone’s statement as a sign of
disagreement, whereas Japanese tend to allow
silence as a sign of respect.
PHOTO CAPTION CRITICAL THINKING
QUESTIONS
better than written communications. The message here
is not technical, so face-to-face would convey the
message, while also transmitting positive feelings to
employees. Another explanation is that “the medium is
the message.” In this case, personally meeting with
employees communicates the importance of this news,
whereas a memo would send a signal that the news is
less of a priority to management.
Adamee Itorcheak
Q: What are the limitations of Internet-based
communication for people who rarely communicate
face-to-face?
A: The limitations of Internet-based communication are
similar to e-mail problems described in the textbook.
Information overload can occur, such as when you
receive too many chat connections, or are expected to
keep pace with information offered at several Web
sites. Chat groups can engage in flame wars just as
much as in email communication. It is also difficult to
interpret the emotional meaning of chat messages and
of information posted on web sites. This might not be
quite as problematic as e-mail because web sites can
have visual images associated with it, and some chat
activities can use customized smileys. A fourth
concern is that Internet-based communication is never
as personal as face-to-face communication.
Vault.com
Q: In your opinion, how does the Internet potentially
change the pattern of grapevine information and the
accuracy of that information?
A: A variety of predictions are possible, but the
textbook offers a few leads. First, e-mail, instant
messaging, and commercial message boards are starting
to replace face-to-face communication as the main way
of communicating gossip. Second, the grapevine is
expanding geographically as technology connects
people globally. Third, commercial rumour sites, such
as Vault.com, open up the grapevine to people outside
the organization, whereas the grapevine has
traditionally been limited to within the organization.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd.
Q: Why should corporate leaders personally meet with
employees rather than send a memo under these
circumstances?
A: Probably the best answer to this question is that
face-to-face communication transmits emotions much
318
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
ACTIVITY 11.1: CASE ANALYSIS
BRIDGING THE TWO WORLDS -- THE
ORGANIZATIONAL DILEMMA
Case Synopsis
The writer has been hired by ABC (A disguised name of an actual Toronto based company) as a manager in charge of
customer service, logistics and some purchasing. In this position he reported directly to George. The writer noticed that
there was almost no communication between the floor and the office employees. Management used different washrooms,
separate lunchrooms, and was often perceived as demanding by shop floor personnel. The writer, by walking around,
talking to floor employees, and showing interest in them managed to get the trust of the shop employees. Soon the author
became a go-between for the office and shop employees. John, who often engaged in conflicts with George, was a
crucial shop employee helping the writer reduce delivery order times from 4-5 weeks to less than one day in most cases.
Both George and the author, recognizing the contribution John has made, decided to promote John to a management
position. When George asked John if he is interested in attending a management skills seminar, John came into the
writers office upset and ready to quit.
Suggested Answers to Case Questions
1a. What barriers to effective communication existed
in ABC Limited?
The language used by the two groups differs. For
example, shop floor employees may use swear
words in their conversations, without necessarily
meaning to insult the other party. When the
members of management, who are not accustomed
to this style of communication, encounter such
expressions, may take them personally. Together
with perceptions and filtering, different language
used may aggravate communication efforts
between the two groups. Likewise, the use of
jargon by machinists may also pose to be an issue
in this case. Jargon, especially relating to the
machining terminology (tolerances, CNC offsets,
etc.) may not be understood clearly by the
management personnel, thereby adding to the
difficulties in communication.
There are a number of communication barriers
demonstrated in this case. One of these barriers is
that of different perceptions. Due to possibly prior
experience or prior developments, management
and floor personnel have perceptions and
stereotypes of each other. For example, shop floor
employees perceive management to be pushy,
bossy and autocratic. Consequently, as any
member of management tries to talk to them, he or
she may be seen in such a light even if that is not
the case. Likewise, shop floor employees may be
perceived by management to be ignorant as well as
crude - and accordingly be taken in such a manner.
As a result, arguments can be made that
management did not identify appropriate
communication patterns or styles because they
believed that there was no reason to communicate
with floor employees ( see Theory X view).
Students may want to also explore other issues
such as the work place environment and the
communication media used by George. For
example, loud “bells” for shop employees as well
as separate lunchrooms and separate washrooms
reinforce the perception of the existence of two
separate groups. Students may speculate that
management lunchrooms/washrooms were much
more luxurious than employee ones (which was
true in this case), reinforcing employee biases of
management being “above” shop employees.
Consequently the above perception issues can also
lead to filtering. For example, John expected bad
news from George (fitting with his perception of
the management). As a result, when George talked
to him, John effectively filtered the message sent
by George, hearing only the parts that are in line
with his expectations. It may be a good idea to get
the students to further explore the relationship
between perception and filtering by both parties.
Likewise, George’s use of memo may not be the
best choice of a medium. Since the communication
is fairly complex, and the biases so entrenched,
richer communication media should have been
319
Part 3 Team Processes
used. The fact that communication was complex is
evidenced by the fact that memos were fairly
lengthy. You may also have an interesting
discussion looking at why George chose to use
memos. What are some expectations George had,
and how were these understood by John?
1c. What would you do differently?
This part of the question can be opened to the
students for further discussion. Some possible
actions include organizing joint meetings involving
both office and shop employees. These meetings
can be utilized to further build common language
as well as gain new information / understanding
which will help the company. Other ideas may
include
1b. How did author deal with these?
Active Listening – The author approached the
environment with an open mind. Perhaps because
of his lack of experience, he recognized that he
needed the help from the shop employees, and did
actively pursue that help. In order to deal with the
issues of perception and filtering, the author was
mostly attempting to gather and collect information
from the surrounding (Sensing). Even though there
was pressure from the management to adopt certain
views concerning floor employees, the author made
a conscientious effort to postpone evaluation and
keep an open mind. Further, the author recognized
the need to be empathizing, as a member of
management, with the “other side” in order to
understand their view. Because he was new, often
the information they supplied was too much to
process at a time. This meant that information had
to be organized, and unclear things clarified.
Consequently, this is an excellent example of
active listening (including Sensing, Evaluating and
Responding Activities)
-- social events that would allow parties to get to
know each other,
-- training of office/shop employees, or
-- actively reducing and dealing with issues
between the two groups.
2a. Identify reasons and discuss why John was upset at
the end of the case.
Students need to evaluate the likely character of the
message delivered by George. Discussion can be
prompted with the following questions, many of
which will require the students to speculate:
Management by Walking Around – The author
relied on management by walking around to a great
extent. This meant being often on the floor,
observing movement of materials and people, and
talking with the people around him. This helped
manage information absorbed by the author,
reducing the information overload. In addition, this
approach facilitated increased empathy and direct
employee contact, which in turn assisted with the
management of different perceptions and
communication issues.
Use of the grapevine – John likely acted as an
informal leader of the shop floor employees. He
had the ability to use and the control the “shop
floor grapevine” (with other shop floor employees).
Author’s insistence on listening to the shop
employees and be open to their ideas further
reinforced the new image that enabled increased
communication. Grapevine was instrumental in
passing this information through the shop floor.
The same has occurred with the grapevine affecting
management (office) personnel – which one can
speculate had a fairly different structure from the
shop floor grapevine.

What were some of the likely mistakes that
George made?

How was George message accepted by John?

Why was this message misunderstood by
John?

What were some filters and perceptions John
had about George?

What would be the proper medium of
communication for George to use?

Was memo used all the time, or was there also
verbal communication between the two?

What is likely the character of such
communication?

What opinion did George have of John?
The essence of the above discussion should lead to
the recognition of the existence of unsolved issues
between the George and John. Consequently, there
were ample difficulties encountered in the
communication between the two, as well as the
methods and means they used to communicate.
2b. What do you recommend the writer should do at
this time?
One of the actions available to the author is to get
John and George together and explain to John the
reasons for the request made by George. Care must
320
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
George notified John of the seminar using a memo. The
memo was on company letterhead, and had official tone
to it. In addition, John had some family issues that day,
and had other non-work related pressures. The
combination of the factors, in addition to the biases and
perceptions of the two individuals, led to the conflict.
The conflict was resolved and cleared up, and John
went to a number of seminars and conferences.
be taken to present this opportunity as a reward,
rather than a sign of dissatisfaction. The author has
to be careful, since he reports to George, that he
may not be perceived as objective by John.
Certainly, immediate action is required to diffuse
the situation. An alternate course of action is for
the author to talk to John alone and explain the
situation. In the long term, the company may want
to address the relationship between George and
John. One option is to send John and George
together to the course, workshops or conferences.
Other actions may include asking John to attend
weekly management meetings, or other
management social functions, in line with future
promotion.
To enrich the discussion of this case even further, one
can discuss the accuracy of the information given.
Noting that the case presents the story from only one
viewpoint, it expected of at least some students to
identify that there are other views (such as that of a
management or the shop floor employees). This angle
of discussion should also be investigated and
entertained.
Author’s Insights
Finally, you may wish to share with the students the
outcome of this experience. The author had difficulty
dealing with the apparent division between office and
the floor. Whereas his efforts were given “lip-service”,
he felt that there was no true intent on the part of the
company to deal with the issue. He resigned his
position after only 15 months of employment.
To further enrich the discussion the following
information is an account of what actually happened.
This can be used to stimulate discussion, as well as
provide the students with the sense of real world
environment.
321
Part 3 Team Processes
ACTIVITY 11.2: TEAM EXERCISE
ANALYZING THE ELECTRONIC GRAPEVINE
candid comments made by contributors to various
corporate grapevine groups at Vault.com.
Purpose
This exercise is designed to help students to understand
the dynamics of grapevine communication.
The best strategy is to pick well-known companies so
students can identify with them. Vault.com mainly has
American firms. Canadian firms (such as Nortel
Networks) are included, but mainly have discussion of
their American operations. It would be a good idea to
personally check the Vault.com grapevine threads to
ensure that the site has plenty of gossip for students to
analyze.
Instructions
This activity is usually conducted in between classes as
a homework assignment. The instructor will divide the
class into teams (although this can also be conducted as
individuals). Each team will be assigned a large
organization that has active posting on electronic
grapevine web sites such as Vault.com.
The debriefing works best when student presentations
include quoted material from the website threads to
illustrate the topics in their organization. This is
particularly interesting to the class where the grapevine
participants debate the accuracy of rumours (will ABC
corp. lay off employees? Will the CEO really quit
soon?)
During the assignment, each team reads through recent
postings of messages about the organization. Based on
these raw comments, the team should be prepared to
answer the following questions in the next class (or
whenever the exercise will be debriefed in class):
1.
What are the main topics in recent postings about
this organization? Are they mostly good or bad
news? Why?
2.
To what extent do these postings seem to present
misinformation or conflicting information?
3.
Should corporate leaders intervene in these
rumours? If so, how?
Another interesting aspect of this exercise is the level of
misinformation presented in the grapevine.
Misinformation might not be immediately known, but
some teams will be able to follow threads back far
enough to see how earlier statements or predictions
turned out to be totally false or true.
The third question in this exercise is a good way to
finish the discussion. The textbook offers some ideas
about how to handle the grapevine, but students may
have other suggestions, complete with creative ideas.
Comments for Instructors
This exercise offers a rich opportunity for students to
see grapevines in action. You will be amazed at the
322
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
ACTIVITY 11.3: TEAM EXERCISE
TINKER TOY COMMUNICATION
Purpose
Step 4: When the “A” team members have completed
their structure, the “B” team members try to replicate
the “A” team’s structure would seeing it. The “A” team
telephones the corresponding “B” team and verbally
describes the structure over the telephone. Only one
person from each team may communicate with the
other team throughout this exercise. However, the “B”
Team communicator would convey the message to
other “B” Team members who are building the
replicated structure. The instructor will limit the time
allowed for the “B” team to replicate the structure
(about 15 minutes).
This exercise is designed to help students to understand
the importance of media richness and related issues that
affect communicating effectively.
Materials
This activity requires one student on each team to have
a cellular telephone that he/she is willing to use for this
exercise. Alternatively, in-house land-line telephones or
walkie-talkies may be used. The instructor will provide
each team with a set of pieces from Tinker Toy, Lego,
Mega Blocks, straws, or other materials suitable for
building. Each pair of teams must have identical pieces
in shape, size, and colour. This activity also requires
either two large rooms or one large room and a few
smaller rooms.
Step 5: If the “A” team structures are sturdy enough,
they should be brought into the classroom and placed
beside the “B” team’s replication. The class might
want to rate each replication for its similarity to the
original structure. The class will then discuss the factors
that influence communication in this situation,
including the importance of communication media,
language, and perceptions.
Instructions
Step 1: The instructor will divide the class into an even
number of teams, each with 4-5 students. Teams should
have the same number of members where possible.
Remaining students can serve as observers. Teams are
paired (e.g., Team 1A, Team 1B, Team 2A, Team 2B,
etc.) and each team receives an identical set of building
materials as the other team in the pair. For example,
Team 1A would have the same set of materials as Team
1B. Teams should check their materials to be sure the
paired team has identical pieces. Each team must have a
member with a cellular telephone. Each team should
have the telephone number of its paired team.
Comments to Instructors
This exercise works best when structured materials
(tinker toys or Lego blocks) are used and when students
use cellular telephones for communication. Comparing
the original and replica side-by-side is exhilarating for
the successful teams and very funny for the less
successful.
Students seem to enjoy using their telephone
technology in this exercise, but it also makes the
process more efficient. Also notice that those who hold
the communications technology tend to gain power in
the exercise (a useful observation to lead into the next
topic in Chapter 12 – organizational power and
politics.).
Step 2: The “A” teams in each pair are moved to
another room near the class (or to several small rooms)
while the “B” teams remain in the classroom. Ideally,
each team would be assigned to its own small tutorial
room with paired teams located beside each other. In
most classes, the instructor would have only two rooms,
with one team from each pair in each room.
This exercise illustrates the limitations of verbal
communication compared with face-to-face interaction.
Misunderstandings occur when information is
transferred from the representatives on each team, and
these errors are reflected in the final products.
Step 3: The “A” teams build a sculpture using all of the
pieces provided. The instructor will set a time limit for
this construction (typically about 10 minutes). The “B”
teams are located in another room and must not observe
this construction. The “A” team’s structure should
ideally be able to be moved into the classroom at the
end of the exercise.
During the debriefing, the instructor should ask students
about the experience with limited communication as
well as communication problems that led to the
observed errors in the final construction.
323
Part 3 Team Processes
ACTIVITY 11.4: TEAM EXERCISE
A NOT-SO-TRIVIAL CROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION GAME
Purpose
Comments to Instructors
This exercise is designed to develop and test student
knowledge of cross-cultural differences in
communication and etiquette.
Thirty-six question cards for this exercise appear on the
next nine pages. This information originates from the
sources listed below. Please make one copy of each
page for each group and cut along the lines to make the
four cards on each page.. Try copying these pages onto
somewhat heavier coloured paper so that the answers
cannot be seen through the cards. Alternatively, you
might photocopy a random design (such as a crosshatching) on the back of each page.
The textbook provides a limited amount of
information pertaining to the questions in this exercise.
Rather, students must rely on past learning, logic, and
luck to win.
The instructor can, of course, change some of the
rules of the game, such as how points are awarded or
how much time is allowed for each question.
Based on my previous experience, this is one of the
most memorable exercises in the course. It works for
second year undergraduate students, MBA students, and
military officers. . It is educational, competitive, and
humorous. Don’t be surprised if you see students giving
strange hand signals for several days after this activity!
This exercise mainly intended as a game without
debriefing. However, the instructor can pull the class
together after the game is over to discuss which
questions students had the most difficulty answering
correctly.
Materials
The instructor will provide one set of question/answer
cards to each pair of teams. (Master pages for these
cards are provided on the following pages.)
Instructions
Step 1: The class is divided into an even number of
teams. Ideally, each team would have three students.
(Two or four student teams are possible if matched with
an equal-sized team.) Each team is then paired with
another team and the paired teams (team “A” and Team
“B”) are assigned a private space away from other
matched teams.
Step 2: The instructor will hand each pair of teams a
stack of cards with the multiple choice questions face
down. These cards have questions and answers about
cross-cultural differences in communication and
etiquette. No books or other aids are allowed.
Step 3: The exercise begins with a member of Team A
picking up one card from the top of the pile and asking
the question on that card to both people on Team B.
The information given to Team B includes the question
and all alternatives listed on the card. Team B has 30
seconds after the question and alternatives have been
read to give an answer. Team B earns one point if the
correct answer is given. If Team B’s answer is
incorrect, however, Team A earns that point. Correct
answers to each question are indicated on the card and,
of course, should not be revealed until the question is
correctly answered or time is up. Whether or not Team
B answers correctly, it picks up the next card on the pile
and asks it to members of Team A. In other words,
cards are read alternatively to each team. This
procedure is repeated until all of the cards have been
read or time has elapsed. The team receiving the most
points wins.
Sources of Card Material
R. Axtell, Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body
Language Around the World (New York: Wiley, 1991);
R. Mead, Cross-Cultural Management Communication
(Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 1990), Chapter 7;
J. V. Thill and C. L. Bovée, Excellence in Business
Communication (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993),
Chapter 17.
324
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
In many Oriental cultures, a direct order such as
“Get me the Amex report” is most likely to be
given by:
Managers from which country are least likely to
tolerate someone being 5 minutes late for an
appointment?
a. senior management to most subordinates
a. United States
b. a junior employee to a peer
b. Australia
c. senior management only to very junior
employees
c. Brazil
d. Sweden
d. junior employees to outsiders
e. Saudi Arabia
e. none of the above
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
Your car breaks down in Saudi Arabia and needs
repair. What is the best approach to getting the job
done most quickly?
You want to do business with a Greek company,
but the representative insists on examining every
detail of your proposal for several hours. This
time consuming detail means that the Greek
representative:
a. Stop by every 30 minutes to ask the mechanic
how much is done.
a. doesn’t trust the accuracy of your proposal.
b. Compliment the mechanic on his good
reputation, then don’t return for several hours.
b. is being polite, and really doesn’t want to go
ahead with the deal.
c. Ask the mechanic when the car will be ready
and return only at that time.
c. is signalling you to consider a more
reasonable offer, but doesn’t want to ask
directly.
d. Tell the mechanic that you will move the car to
another repair shop if the work isn’t done when
he promises.
d. is uncomfortable with detailed proposals and
would prefer a simple handshake.
e. Tell the mechanic where you can be reached,
then leave for several hours.
e. is showing good manners and respect to you
and your proposal.
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
325
Part 3 Team Processes
Japanese clients visit you at your office for a
major meeting. In the meeting, where should the
top Japanese official be seated?
While visiting a German client, you make a
compliment about the client’s beautiful pen set.
What will probably happen?
a. closest to the door.
a. The client will insist very strongly that you
take it.
b. as close to the middle of the room as is
possible.
b. The client will tell you where to buy such a
pen set at a good price.
c. anywhere in the room; seating location isn’t
important to Japanese business people.
c. The client will accept the compliment, then
get on with business.
d. somewhere away from the door with a piece of
artwork behind him/her.
d. The client will probably get upset that you
aren’t paying attention to the business at
hand.
e. always beside rather than facing the host.
e. The client will totally ignore the comment.
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In which countries does holding your nose with
thumb and forefinger mean “It smells bad!”
Inuit people (Eskimos) are well known for
rubbing noses as a sign of personal closeness.
What other group rubs noses as a sign of
friendliness?
a. Jamaica
b. United States
a. Latvians
c. Japan
b. French
d. Russia
c. Maori
e. All of the above
d. Nicaraguans
e. Japanese
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
326
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
You visit a Tibetan tribesman, who sticks out his
tongue at you. The tribesman is signalling that:
People (particularly men) from which of these
countries tend to shake hands the most?
a. you are not welcome here.
a. Japan
b. he has prepared a delicious meal for you.
b. France
c. you wear ugly clothes.
c. Scotland
d. you are welcome here.
d. Chile
e. this is not an opportune time to visit.
e. Finland
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
Male guests in many Latin American countries
often give their visitors an abrazzo when greeting
them. An abrazzo is:
A polite way to give your business card to a
Japanese business person is:
a. casually, after several hours of getting to
know the person.
a. a light kiss on the nose.
b. a special gift, usually wine or food.
b. when first meeting, presenting your card with
both hands.
c. clapping hands in the air as the visitor
approaches.
c. at the very end of the first meeting.
d. a strong embrace, or kiss with hand on
shoulder.
d. casually during the meeting, with the
information face down to show humility
e. a firm two-handed handshake, lasting almost
one minute.
e. never; it is considered rude in Japan to give
business cards.
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
327
Part 3 Team Processes
In The United States, having one’s arm extended,
palm up, with fingers bending back and forth is
usually interpreted as “come here.” In which
country does a similar gesture mean “good-bye”?
In which of these countries is it important to show
respect to guests by bowing when greeting them?
a. Taiwan
b. Italy
a. France
c. Venezuela
b. China
d. Hong Kong
c. Brazil
e. None of the above
d. Hong Kong
e. Italy
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In Saudi Arabia, someone extends his hand out at
you, palm down, fingers splayed outward, and
middle finger facing straight down. What does
this mean?
While visiting West Africa, you decline another
drink by putting you hand out, palm up and
facing out with fingers spread -- like a police
officer’s signal to stop. To the West African, this
might mean:
a. “Let’s stop here to rest.”
a. “I don’t want any more to drink.”
b. “Kiss my hand to show respect!”
b. “Bring me just half of a glass of that drink.”
c. “I do not want to be disturbed.”
c. “You could have any one of five fathers”
(i.e., you are a bastard)
d. ““F--- You!” (i.e., the impudent digit)
e. “I’m glad to see you again.”
d. “Bring me five more glasses to drink, please!”
e. “No more; I’ve already had five glasses to
drink.”
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
328
Chapter 11
In which of the following countries are two male
business associates most likely to hold hands or be
arm-in-arm in public?
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
While visiting Southern France, you are asked by
the concierge whether the meeting room is
satisfactory. You give the OK signal of thumb
and fore finger touching. To the concierge, this
probably means:
a. Saudi Arabia
b. United Kingdom
a. “Screw you!”
c. Australia
b. “How much does it cost?”
d. Tibet
c. “It’s worthless!”
e. Scandinavia
d. “It’s OK, just fine, thanks”
e. This gesture has no meaning in Southern
France
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In which of the following countries are office
arrangements NOT usually an indicator of the
person’s status
In which country is it most appropriate to
mention (and indicate on your business card) that
your organization has been in business for many
years?
a. United Kingdom
a. United States
b. Germany
b. Peru
c. Saudi Arabia
c. Germany
d. China
d. Nigeria
e. United States
e. Mexico
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
329
Part 3 Team Processes
For most Americans, sticking your thumb up with
a closed fist means “Everything is OK”. In
Australia, it means:
Nodding your head up and down tends to mean
“No” in which country?
a. Bulgaria
a. Get me one of those (i.e., signalling one)
b. Australia
b. “Look up, mate!”
c. Brazil
c. the person is about to shake your hand.
d. China
d. “Up yours!”
e. Pakistan
e. “Everything is OK!”
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In many parts of India, when people rock their
head slowly back and forth, side-to-side, it usually
means:
In the United States, patting your stomach with
your hand usually means “I’m full”. What does
this gesture mean in Brazil?
a. “Yes, I agree with you”
a. “You are my friend for life.”
b. “No, I disagree with you.”
b. “You think with your stomach!”
c. “Yes, I’m listening.”
c. “I’m full”
d. “You’re crazy!”
d. “Bring me more food, please!”
e. None of the above.
e. “You’ve got a deal!”
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
330
Chapter 11
In which country is grasping one’s ear a sign of
apology?
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
One of the most universal gestures is:
a. A pat on the back (congratulations)
a. India
b. A smile (happiness or politeness)
b. Taiwan
c. Scratching your chin (thinking)
c. Mexico
d. Closing your eyes (boredom)
d. Australia
e. Arm up, shaking back and forth (waving)
e. Portugal
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In Chile, the fist slap (slapping the closed fist of
one hand with the open palm of the other) means:
Most Americans interpret the finger touching
thumb in an “O” shape as “OK”. In which
country is this gesture very rude?
a. “Up yours!”
b. “What a great idea”
a. Russia
c. “I think we can reach agreement.”
b. Greece
d. “You’re crazy!”
c. Brazil
e. “Congratulations!”
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
331
Part 3 Team Processes
A German colleague makes two fists with thumbs
tucked inside and makes a slight up-and-down or
pounding motion. This says:
When trying to point to an object, Japanese
people tend to:
a. raise their noses in the direction of the object.
a. “I’m angry with you.”
b. point with their thumb.
b. “Good luck!”
c. point with their index finger (as in the U.S.).
c. “Let’s get down to business.”
d. point with their right elbow.
d. “Up yours!”
e. point with an open hand.
e. “Hurry up!”
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In Saudi Arabia, you are asked to pass a dish of
food to someone. Which of the following should
you do?
In The United States, scratching your head
usually means that the person is confused or
skeptical. In Russia, it means:
a. Pass the dish using your left hand.
a. “You’re crazy!”
b. Pass the dish using your right hand.
b. “I am listening carefully.”
c. Pass the dish using both hands.
c. “I want to get to know you better.”
d. Ask a servant/waiter to pass the dish.
d. “I’m confused or skeptical.”
e. Any of these actions is acceptable.
e. None of the above
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
332
Chapter 11
How do most people in Holland interpret the “fig”
gesture (a clenched fist with thumb coming
through between the knuckle of the index and
middle fingers)?
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
Which of the following gestures have the same
meaning in almost every part of the world?
a. Shaking your fist (anger)
b. Making a circular motion with the hand over
the stomach (hunger)
a. It means “Good luck!”
b. It shows anger.
c. Yawning (showing tiredness)
c. It is a subtle way of pointing to something.
d. All of the above
d. It symbolizes sexual behaviour between a man
and woman.
e. None of the above
e. It means, “I’m not telling the truth.”
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
In which country is it usually not necessary to
spend several hours discussing network-related
topics before turning to business issues?
In Japan, who should arrive first at a meeting?
a. The most senior employees
b. The most junior employees
a. Brazil
c. Employees who missed the previous meeting.
b. China
d. The oldest employee
c. Japan
e. No particular order is expected
d. Hong Kong
e. None of the above
© Steven L. McShane
© Steven L. McShane
333
Part 3 Team Processes
ACTIVITY 11.5: SELF-ASSESSMENT
ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS INVENTORY
in the office, hallway, factory floor, or other setting.
Using the scale, they should indicate the extent that
each item describes their behaviour during those
conversations. They are asked to answer each item as
truthfully as possible so that they get an accurate
estimate of where their active listening skills need
improvement.
Purpose
This self-assessment is designed to help students
estimate their strengths and weaknesses on various
dimensions of active listening
Instructions
Students are asked to think back to face-to-face
conversations they have had with a co-worker or client
Feedback for the Active Listening Skills Inventory
[NOTE: The following information is also provided in appendix B and/or the Student CD.] The textbook describes
several dimensions of active listening. Five of these dimensions are estimated in this self-assessment: Avoiding
Interruption, Maintaining Interest, Postponing Evaluation, Organizing Information, and Showing Interest. Together,
these five dimensions represent the total active listening score. Each subscale has a potential score ranging from 0 to 9
points; the total active listening score has a range from 0 to 45 points. Higher scores indicate that the person perceives
that he or she has a higher level of each skill. The following tables and information compare the student’s results to the
range of scores among a sample of over 200 MBA students.
Avoiding Interruption
Maintaining Interest
People with high scores on this dimension have a strong
tendency to let the speaker finish his or her statements
before responding. The average score among a sample
of MBA students was 5.9.
People with high scores on this dimension have a strong
tendency to remain focused and concentrate on what the
speaker is saying even when the conversation is boring
or the information is well known. The average score
among a sample of MBA students was 4.6.
Score
8 to 9
6 to 7
0 to 4
Interpretation
High score
Average score
Low score
Score
6 to 9
3 to 5
0 to 2
334
Interpretation
High score
Average score
Low score
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
Postponing Evaluation
Showing Interest
People with high scores on this dimension have a strong
tendency to keep an open mind and avoid evaluating
what the speaker is saying until the speaker has
finished. The average score among a sample of MBA
students was 5.4.
People with high scores on this dimension have a strong
tendency to use nonverbal gestures or brief verbal
acknowledgements to demonstrate that they are paying
attention to the speaker. The average score among a
sample of MBA students was 5.7.
Score
7 to 9
4 to 6
0 to 3
Score
7 to 9
5 to 6
0 to 4
Interpretation
High score
Average score
Low score
Interpretation
High score
Average score
Low score
Organizing Information
Active Listening (total)
People with high scores on this dimension have a strong
tendency to actively organize the speaker’s ideas into
meaningful categories. The average score among a
sample of MBA students was 6.4.
People with high scores on this total score have a strong
tendency to actively sense the sender’s signals, evaluate
them accurately, and respond appropriately. Scores on
this active listening total score range from 0 to 45. The
average score among a sample of MBA students was
27.9.
Score
8 to 9
5 to 7
0 to 4
Interpretation
High score
Average score
Low score
Score
37 to 45
29 to 36
21 to 28
0 to 20
335
Interpretation
Excellent active listening
Good active listening
Moderate active listening
Active listening needs improvement
Part 3 Team Processes
SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURE: IMPROVING
PRESENTATIONS
Perhaps one of the most important communication
issues for professionals and managers is how to give an
effective oral presentation. Whether you are outlining
next year’s marketing plans or describing the
company’s new recruitment drive, oral presentations
are important in many jobs. In this supplementary
lecture, we will outline the key elements of oral
presentations. Keep in mind, however, that our
discussion represents only part of a detailed and
complex topic.
keep material that is vital, interesting, and directly
applicable. As one expert reminds us: “One well-made
point is better than four barely-scratched surfaces.”
Use Visual Aids
When used properly, visual aids can make a significant
difference in the audience’s motivation and ability to
listen and participate in the presentation. Aside from the
obvious (but often forgotten) need to check that visual
aids are ready and in working order, there are several
well-established ‘rules of thumb’ to guide you through
the use of visual aids.
Know Your Audience
A good presentation depends on how well it is planned
and prepared. In planning, the presenter must analyze
the audience. Your goal is to ensure that the
information presented is selected rather than screened
out by the audience, so you need to consider the needs
of the people attending (why they are attending the
meeting?), their perspectives of the issue, and their
cultural backgrounds. As we will learn in Chapter 7,
these features influence the extent that people pay
attention to or ignore information.
Not too Many. Don’t overload your audience with too
many overheads, slides, or other visual aids. Some
experts suggest no more than one per minute, but this
may still be too many. A reasonable suggestion is to use
one overhead or other visual display for every 3-6
minutes of presentation.
Keep them Simple. Visual displays highlighting a set
of points should have no more than six lines with a few
words on each line. Box-line (cause-effect) charts
should have no more than six boxes and highlight
simple cause-effect relationships.
Know Your Material
Let Audience Read the Display. Be sure that the
display can be read by the audience, both in terms of
the size of type and the appropriate words and symbols
used. When putting up a new visual display, leave a few
seconds of silence so that the audience has time to
review the information. Many speakers feel awkward
with silence, but this is an important courtesy to the
listener as they read the display. Don’t read the display
verbatim; rather, summarize the key issues and add
spice through specific examples and anecdotes. You
may also use the display as a guideline for your talk
over the next few minutes.
One of the cardinal sins of oral presentations is being
unprepared. It is essential that you spend time learning
about your topic, testing it out on people similar to
those in the audience, and anticipate the unexpected
questions that might be asked. Expertise allows you to
think on your feet and to feel more confident in the
presentation.. As we will learn in Chapter 8, this
expertise and confidence also increases your
persuasiveness to the audience.
Keep the Expected Length of
Presentation
Mix the Media Used. Try to use more than one type of
visual medium. For example, provide a couple of
handouts in between some of the visual displays. Show
a brief video, if appropriate, along with using overheads
or slides. If you are limited to one visual medium,
present a variety of displays. For example, some
overheads might present bullet lists while others are
graphic displays.
Another cardinal sin of oral presentations is to speak
longer than the audience expects. Of course, an
acceptable length varies from one group to the next. A
college class might anticipate a 45 to 60 minute lecture
whereas a business audience might grow weary after 20
to 30 minutes. Talking on television rarely allows you
more than 5 minutes. You therefore need to carefully
prepare and prune your presentation to fit the length
expected by your audience. In doing so, remember to
336
Chapter 11
Communicating in Teams and Organizations
Conclusion. The conclusion repeats the main points of
your presentation, explicitly tells the audience about the
implications or conclusions they should draw from this
information, and establishes action steps for the
audience to follow. First, you need to “tell them what
you told them” by repeating the three or four main
anchors of your speech. This ensures that they got the
message and have formed a coherent package of
information. Second, you need to help the audience
clarify the importance and implications of the
information presented. They need to be told again why
the information is important to them and what they
should do about it. This sets up the final element of the
conclusion, namely, the action steps. Listeners want to
know what will happen next and who should take
action. In particular, they want some guidelines for their
own behaviour following the presentation.
Follow the Effective Presentation
Format
Effective speakers “tell them what you are going to tell
them; tell them; then tell them what you told them.”
This outlines the three main parts of an effective
presentation: introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction. An effective introduction tells the
listener what you are going to talk about and why the
topic is important to them. You can provide a useful
road map through a simple visual design, showing the
three or four key stages of your presentation. This
makes it easier for people to follow the arguments and
issues discussed when they understand where you are
leading them. You need to tell the audience why it is
worth their time to listen and participate.
Body. While presenting the main points of your talk, be
sure to continue to let the audience know where the
discussion is located in terms of the road map outlined
earlier. Restate the key points in two or three ways so
that they are well understood without becoming tedious.
Provide a balance of specific and general points. Your
goal is usually to communicate three or four general
arguments or issues to the audience, but you typically
need to provide specific examples or applications.
When doing this, be sure to return again to the general
point before moving on to the next topic.
_________________
Sources: L. Driskill, J. Ferrill, and M. N. Steffey,
Business and Managerial Communication (Orlando,
Fla.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992), Chapter 16; T.
C. Hunter, “Assessing and Meeting Audience Needs,”
In C. Reuss and D. Silvis (eds.) Inside Organizational
Communication, 2nd Ed. (New York: Longman, 1985),
pp. 31-41.
VIDEO SUGGESTIONS
Along with the video cases for this part of the textbook, the following videos and films generally relate to one or more
topics in this chapter. These programs may be available at your college/university or rented from the distributor. Please
contact your film librarian to determine the availability of these programs at your institution. This list was compiled
from library holdings of several universities. Due to the variety of video material, this is not a comprehensive list. Nor
can we say that all of the programs below are suitable for your class.
Success Factors for Virtual Teams: Peter Quarry
interviews Ron Young (1998, 15 min., Ash-Quarry
Productions). Discusses factors that will contribute to
'virtual team' success. Points include typical mistakes
made in setting up 'virtual teams', how multimedia
technology creates richer communication, using the
'virtual tearoom', and problems with email bullying.
Better Together than a-p-a-r-t: Intercultural
Communication (1996, 61 min., Intercultural
Resource Corporation). This video program features a
lecture on intercultural communication presented by
Milton Bennett. He presents three themes of
intercultural relations: dealing with difference,
developing intercultural sensitivity, and developing
intercultural competence. The program was taped at an
Intercultural Communication Summer Institute
sponsored by the Intercultural Communication Institute.
337
Part 3 Team Processes
misunderstandings and discrimination due to cultural
and language differences. Part 1 discusses performance
appraising across cultures. Part 2 looks at recruitment
interviewing across cultures.
Gender and Communication: She talks, He Talks.
(1994, 27 min., Learning Seed). This video program
shows a dramatic enactment of the different ways males
and females communicate and suggestions for
improving communication between the sexes. (Note:
The program might be specific to organizational
settings.)
Manager of the Year: A Film about Effective
Listening. (1988, 21 min., Salenger). This video
focuses on Joe Blake who is the manager of the year
because he knows how to listen to people. Effective
listening is the key to good management and happy
employees. There are steps that you can take to become
a good listener: tune in to your own listening patterns
(e.g. don't daydream or interrupt); listen to the content
and facts of what people tell you; and listen for the
feelings behind the facts.
Verbal Communication: The Power of Words, rev.
ed. (199?, 22 min., VHS). This revised video program
shows how emotion, cultural diversity, and gender
relate to the communication process. It highlights five
critical elements in the communication process.
Speaking Effectively...To One or One Thousand, rev.
ed. (199?, 21 min., VHS). This humorous video,
featuring Steve Landesberg, portrays incompetent
speakers with typical speaking problems (e.g. wrong
body language). The program later shows how to think,
act, look, and sound when speaking publicly.
Body Language at Work. (198?, 4 videos: 12-15 min.
each, VHS). This program includes a 12 minute core
video and three modules covering managers,
salespeople, and front line employees. The program
shows how distracting, misleading, and unconscious
body language can interfere with your verbal message,
and how we need to learn to appreciate what people are
really thinking and feeling.
Communication Breakdown: A repair guide. (1992,
22 min, Videosmith). This video program shows the
most common causes of communication breakdowns
and explains how they can be avoided. (Note: the
program deals with interpersonal communication, but
not necessarily in business settings.)
Listening to Others. (1988, 13 min., VHS). This video
addresses the importance of listening and investigates
some useful techniques for developing listening skills.
Crosstalk at Work: Cross cultural Communication
in the Workplace. (1991, 2 videos, 28 min and 20 min,
BBC). This two video program is mainly a training
package for personnel/administrative staff that
addresses problems in cross-cultural communications in
organizations, and demonstrates how to overcome
Are You Really Listening? (1987, 15 min., VHS).
Presents a down-to-earth illustration of how managers
can cultivate the skill of active listening - listening not
just to the words but to the employee's underlying
feelings and attitudes.
338