1. Chapter 14 Communication
Interact before you act

2. Chapter 14 Study Questions
What is the nature of communication in organizations?
What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
What are the barriers to effective communication?
What are current issues in organizational communication?
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

3. Figure 14.1
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4. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
process of sending and receiving messages with attached meanings
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

5. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Source
encodes an intended meaning into a message
Receiver
decodes the message into a perceived meaning
Noise
any disturbance that disrupts and interferes with the transference of messages
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

6. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Communication channels
Face-to-face meetings
Online discussions
Written letters
Telephone
Voice mail
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7. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Feedback
the process through which the receiver communicates with the sender by returning another message
360-degree feedback
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

8. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Guidelines for effective constructive feedback
Give it directly and in a spirit of mutual trust
Be specific, not general; use clear examples
Give it when the receiver is most ready to accept
Be accurate; check its validity with others
Focus on things the receiver can control
Limit how much receiver gets at one time
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

9. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Formal channels
Follow the chain of command established by an organization’s hierarchy of authority
Informal channels
Diverge from formal channels by skipping levels in the hierarchy or cutting across vertical chains of command  
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

10. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Grapevine
network of friendships and acquaintances through which rumors and other unofficial information get passed from person to person
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11. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Channel richness
The capacity of a communication channel to convey information effectively.
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12. Figure 14.2
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13. What is the nature of communication in organizations?
Organizational communication
the specific process through which information moves and is exchanged throughout an organization
Information flows:
Through formal and informal structures
Downward, upward, and laterally
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14. Figure 14.3
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15. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Effective communication
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
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16. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Nonverbal communication
Takes place through facial expressions, body position, eye contact, and other physical gestures
The act of speaking without using words
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

17. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Kinesics
study of gestures and body postures
Proxemics
study of the way space is utilized
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18. Figure 14.4
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19. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Active listening
the ability to help the source of a message say what he or she really means
Ability to listen well is a distinct asset
Everyone needs to develop good skills in active listening
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

20. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Guidelines for active listening
Listen for content
Listen for feelings
Respond to feelings
Note all cues
Reflect back
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21. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Ethnocentrism
The tendency to believe that one’s culture and its values are superior to those of others
Cross-cultural communication challenges
Language differences
Use of gestures
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

22. What are the essentials of interpersonal communication?
Low-context cultures
very explicit in using the spoken and written word
High-context cultures
use words to convey only a limited part of the message
the rest must be inferred or interpreted from the context
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

23. What are the barriers to effective communication?
Physical distractions
Any aspect of the physical setting in which communication takes place
Can interfere with communication effectiveness
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24. What are the barriers to effective communication?
Semantic problems
Involves a poor choice or use of words and mixed messages
Use the KISS principle of communication
“Keep it short and simple”
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25. What are the barriers to effective communication?
Mixed messages
Occur when a person’s words communicate one thing while actions or body language communicates another
Nonverbals add important insights in face-to-face meetings
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

26. What are the barriers to effective communication?
Absence of feedback
One-way communication flows from sender to receiver only, with no direct and immediate feedback
Two-way communication goes from sender to receiver and back again
Two-way communication is more effective than one-way communication
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

27. What are the barriers to effective communication?
Status effects
Status differences create potential communication barriers between persons of higher and lower ranks
Mum effect
tendency to keep “mum” from a desire to be polite and a reluctance to transmit bad news
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28. What are current issues in organizational communication?
Advances in information technologies enable organizations to:
Distribute information much faster
Make more information available
Allow broader and more immediate access to information
Encourage participation in the sharing and use of information
Integrate systems and functions, and use information to link with the environment
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

29. What are current issues in organizational communication?
Potential disadvantages of electronic communications
Technologies are impersonal
Nonverbal communication is removed from situation
Can unduly influence the emotional aspects of communication
Information overload
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

30. What are current issues in organizational communication?
Workplace privacy
Eavesdropping by employers on employee use of electronic messaging in corporate facilities
Most organizations develop internal policies regarding employee privacy
Likely to remain controversial
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

31. What are current issues in organizational communication?
Communication and social context
Men and women are socialized into different communication styles
Women are socialized to be more sensitive to interpersonal relationships in communication
Men are socialized to be competitive, aggressive, and individualistic, which may cause communication problems
Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.