Chapter 12 – Communication BA 352 Kinicki & Kreitner and more

Chapter 15 - Key Focuses Communication competency (lecture) Communication process (text 240– 242) Communication distortion Interpersonal communication Active listening Current issues

Communication competency “the ability and willingness of an individual to participate responsibly in a transaction in such a way as to maximize the outcomes of shared meanings” Littlejohn & Jabusch, 1982

Communication Competency Process understanding Interpersonal sensitivity Communication skills Ethical responsibility

Communication Process Source Intended Encodes Meaning Receiver Decodes Perceived Meaning Noise Process barriers Personal barriers Physical barriers Semantic barriers Feedback Sends Message Receives

Org. Communication the specific process through which information moves and is exchanged throughout an organization, and between the organization and its environment.

Organizational Communication To Influence: Strategies Objectives Instructions Policies Feedback To Inform: Problems Results Suggestions Questions Needs Downward Communication Upward Communication Lateral Communication To Coordinate: Problems Needs Advice Feedback Superior Peer Manager Subordinates

Communication Barriers/Noise Process barriers Personal barriers Physical barriers Semantic barriers

Cultural context concerns Swiss German Scandinavians United States French English Italian Spanish Greek Arab Chinese Japanese LOW context High context

Communication styles Assertive Stick up for one’s need, clearly, directly, respectfully Aggressive Stick up for one’s needs - ignoring or taking advantage of others Nonassertive Deny one’s needs - timid, inhibited

What would you do? A co-worker fails to get you the needed numbers for your report. Avoid him/her and make up some numbers. Tell everyone what a jerk s/he is. Call and ask nicely again for the numbers - offer to help. Call and tell him/her what an irresponsible jerk he is. Do the numbers yourself. Call and say “When you are late with the numbers, I get frustrated (concerned) because it keeps me from getting the report done.”

3-part assertive statements Specific behavior Disclosure of feeling Tangible effect When you call me at work and talk at length… I feel tense…Because I don’t get my work done on schedule. Bolton, R. (1979). People skills: How to assert yourself, listen to others and resolve conflicts. New York: Touchstone Press. (153).

Active Listening Active listening the ability to help the source of a message say what he or she really means Takes empathy Attend to feelings and meanings as well as content Adopt communicator’s frame of reference, and postpone evaluation Check for defensiveness due to inaccurate perceptions

Active Listening Active Listening Attending ReflectingFollowing Posture Body motion Eye contact Environment Door openers Encouragers Questions Silence Paraphrasing Reflecting feelings Reflecting meanings Summarizing From Bolton, 1979

Use Feedback to Test for Communication Quality Feedback: The process through which a message recipient communicates back with the sender Tips Focus on specific behaviors (useful), not global Keep feedback impersonal Focus on goals Make feedback timely Ensure understanding and clarity Direct negative feedback toward behavior that is controllable by the recipient

Communication Technologies Advantages: Speed, flexibility Availability, accessibility Efficiency Collaborative Disadvantages Time consuming, distracting Overload, spamming, flaming Impersonal Face-to-face Telephone Mail Photocopier Voice mail Fax Video conferencing Intranet,Internet, Extranet Collaborative computing

Current issues Gender differences/linguistic styles Privacy Political Correctness

Effective Communication Effective Communication: This occurs when the intended meaning of the source and the perceived meaning of the receiver are virtually the same Efficient Communication: Occurs at minimum cost in terms of resources expended Although some forms of communication are efficient, they are not necessarily effective