Chapter : 11 Communication in Organizations University of Bahrain College of Business Administration MGT 233: Organizational Behavior Managing People and Organization Chapter : 11 Communication in Organizations Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Chapter Learning Objectives After studying this chapter you should be able to: Discuss the nature of communication in organizations. Identify and describe the primary methods of communication. Describe the communication process. Note how information technology affects communication. Identify and discuss the basic kinds of communication networks. Discuss how communication can be managed in organizations. Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

The Nature of Communication in Organizations The social process in which two or more parties exchange information and share meaning Purposes of Communication in Organizations Achieve coordinated action Information sharing Express feelings and emotions Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Three Purposes of Organizational Communication FIGURE 11.1 Three Purposes of Organizational Communication Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Communication Across Cultures Interpersonal Relations Issues in Communications Language Different word meanings Nonverbal communication Coordination Time zones Communication systems Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Methods of Communication Primary Organizational Communication Methods Written Oral Nonverbal Choice Considerations Audience (physical or not physical presence) Nature of the message (urgency and secrecy) Costs of transmission Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Methods of Communication in Organizations FIGURE 11.2 Methods of Communication in Organizations Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Methods of Communication (cont’d) Oral Communication Aspects to Consider Changes in tone, pitch, speed, volume Possibilities of feedback Written Communication Types Letter Office memorandum Email Reports Manuals Forms Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

4. Reports generally summarize the progress or results of a project. A. Written Communication. Written communication includes letters, email, memos, reports, manuals, and forms. 1. A letter is a formal means of communicating with an individual, generally someone outside the organization. 2. Email is probably the most common form of written communication in organizations. 3. Memos usually are addressed to an individual or group inside the organization. They tend to be on one topic and are more impersonal than a letter. 4. Reports generally summarize the progress or results of a project. 5. Manuals have various functions in organizations, including providing instructions for a particular job or identifying organizational policies and procedures. 6. Forms are standardized documents used for reporting information. Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Methods of Communication (cont’d) Facial Expressions Physical Movements Body Language Environmental Elements Elements of Nonverbal Communication Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Elements of the Communication Process Source Individual/group/organization interested in communicating something to another party Encoding The process by which the message is translated from an idea/thought into transmittable symbols Transmission The process through which the symbols that represent the message are sent to the receiver; the medium is the channel or path through which the message is transmitted Decoding The process by which the message receiver interprets its meaning Receiver Individual/group/organization that perceives the encoded symbols Feedback The process in which the receiver returns a message to the sender that indicates receipt of the message Noise Any disturbance in the communication process that interferes with or distorts communication Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

The Communication Process FIGURE 11.3 The Communication Process Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Digital Information Processing and Telecommunications Workplace Changes Due to Technology Innovation Organizational intranets and extranets The Internet New types of telecommunication systems Computerized information processing systems Combinations of all these Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Digital Information Processing and Telecommunications (cont’d) Today’s Office of the Future Virtual offices link managers, clerical employees, professional workers, sales personnel, suppliers, customers Advantages Computerized data storage, retrieval, transmission systems Improves productivity Increases idea sharing/knowledge sharing Risks Reduction in face-to-face meetings leads to depersonalization Reduction of office social structures Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Communication Networks Communication links individuals and groups in a social system Stages of organizational communication link development Task-related communication links Small group communication networks Larger organizational networks Function of communication networks Structure flow/communication content Support organizational structure, culture, beliefs, value systems Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Small-Group Communication Networks FIGURE 11.4 Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Communication Networks (cont’d) Small-Group Networks: Information Flow Patterns Wheel Network Information flows between the person at the end of each spoke and the person in the middle Chain Network Each member communicates with the person above and below, except for the individuals on each end who communicate with only one person Circle Network Each member communicates with the people on both sides but with no one else All-Channel Network All members communicate with all other members Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Communication Networks (cont’d) Characteristics of Communication Networks Networks form spontaneously as interactions among workers continue Networks rarely are permanent Task is crucial to the choice of a network pattern Environment affects the frequency and types of interactions among members Personal factors and group performance factors influence communication networks Networks strongly influence group effectiveness Electronic groups that have little face-to-face communication are an emerging trend Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Communication Networks (cont’d) Organizational Communication Networks Communication and information flows do not necessarily follow the lines of an organization chart Downward communication provides directions Upward communication provides feedback Horizontal communication is related to task performance Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Organizational Communication Networks. An organization chart shows reporting relationships and paths through which information flows. Information may flow upward, downward, horizontally, or diagonally across the chart. The communication network differs from the organization chart because it indicates the individuals who most frequently communicate with one another (refer to Figure 11.5). 1. The roles people play in organizational communication networks are described in terms of their contributions to the functioning of the network. An understanding of these roles can help both managers and group members facilitate communication. a) A gatekeeper has a strategic position in the network that allows him or her to control information moving in either direction through a channel. b) A liaison serves as a bridge between two groups, tying them together and facilitating the communication flow needed to integrate group activities. c) A cosmopolite links the organization to the external environment by, for example, attending conventions and trade shows. d) An isolate and an isolated dyad tend to work alone, with little interaction or communication with others. Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Communication Networks (cont’d) Gatekeeper Isolate/ Isolated Dyad Liaison Cosmopolite Roles in an Organizational Network Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Improving the Communication Process Improving the Communication Process. An understanding of potential communication problems is important for improving organizational communication. 1. Source. The source may intentionally withhold or filter information on the assumption that the receiver does not need the information to understand the communication. Withholding the information may render the message meaningless or cause an erroneous interpretation. The sender must be receiver-oriented and trust the receiver to use the information properly. 2. Encoding and Decoding. Encoding and decoding problems occur as the intended message is translated into or from the symbols used in transmission. Encoding problems may include the lack of common experience between source and receiver, problems related to semantics and the use of jargon, and difficulties with the medium. Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

a) The source and the receiver need to have a common experience with the symbols used to communicate to encode and decode them in exactly the same way. b) Semantics is the study of meaning in language forms. Semantics can cause communication failures when the source and receiver speak the same language but the words of the message have different meanings to each. c) Jargon is the specialized or technical language of a trade, field, profession, or social group. The use of jargon outside the in-group may cause communication to break down. d) The source must use an appropriate medium for both the message and the receiver. Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Comparison of an Organization Chart and the Organization’s Communication Network FIGURE 11.5 Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Managing Communications Improving the Communication Process Communication fidelity The degree of correspondence between the message intended by the source and the message understood by the receiver Typical problem areas: Source Encoding/Decoding Receiver Feedback (verification) Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Managing Communications (cont’d) Area Symptom/Problem Solution Source Information filtering Understand underlying basis Encoding-Decoding Lack of common experience base Improve semantics Reduce jargon Receiver Selective attention, value judgments, source credibility, overload Reduce dissonance and overload Feedback Lack of feedback leads to improper response Source must be more concerned with message, symbols, medium, receiver feedback. Receiver needs to be source oriented Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Improving the Communication Process Table 11.1 Improving the Communication Process Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Managing Communications (cont’d) Reduce noise (rumor grapevine) Foster informal communication Develop a balanced information network Improving Organizational Factors in Communication Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233

Organizational Behavior in Action After reading the chapter: Which of the communication technologies that students use now will have the most impact on communication patterns in organizations in the future? What personal privacy issues for workers could arise from the use of increasingly pervasive and “always-on” communication networks by employers? Does “get a life” mean that you must go off “the grid”? Dr.Mahmood Asad MGT233