©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Newstrom Chapter 3 Communication is… An ever-present activity How people relate to one another and combine their efforts Necessary for the health of the organization Communication travels… Upward, downward, laterally Listening and humility are important parts of the communication process

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Communication Fundamentals Communication transfers information and understanding from person to person The goal is for receivers to understand the message as it was intended Two people are required… There is no communication until a message is… Received Interpreted Understood

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved The Importance of Communication Organizations cannot exist without communication Coordination of work Input to management Instructions Cooperation Feelings and needs Every act of communication influences the organization in some way Effective communication encourages better performance

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved The Two-Way Communication Process

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Potential Problems Two-Way Communication Drawbacks Polarization Defensive reasoning Cognitive dissonance Self-revelation Face-saving Threat to self-image Regrettable messages

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Communication Barriers (Noise) Personal barriers Psychological distance Physical barriers Proxemics Semantics Jargon (acronyms) Slang Translation Inference

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Communication Symbols Words Context provides meaning Social Cues Positive or negative Readability Pictures

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Downward Communication Managers who communicate successfully are… Sensitive to human needs Open to true dialog with employees Flashy but often ineffective communication methods… Colorful booklets PowerPoint presentations Elaborately planned meetings

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Guidelines for Effective Listening Stop talking! Put the talker at ease Show that you want to listen Remove distractions Empathize with a talker Be patient Hold your temper Go easy on argument and criticism Ask relevant questions Stop talking!

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Informal Communication The Grapevine Coexists with the formal communication system Includes all informal communication Can be both inside and outside the organization Electronic Grapevine Speeds up transmission of information Will not replace the traditional grapevine

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Features of the Grapevine Cluster Chain Liaison individuals Factors that Encourage Grapevine Activity Excitement and insecurity Involvement of friends and associates Recent information Procedure that brings people into contact Work that allows conversation Job that provides information desired by others Personality of communicator

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Features of the Grapevine The Grapevine is Influential 53% of managers and white-collar employees view the grapevine as negative 27% see it as positive Contrary to common perceptions, over 3/4ths of grapevine information is accurate

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Newstrom Chapter 4 Cultural Cues are Direct and Indirect Direct Cues Orientation training Policy statements Advice from supervisors and peers Indirect Cues Inferences made from promotions Patterns of acceptable dress

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Understanding a Social System Social System Complex set of interacting human relationships All parts are mutually interdependent Engages in exchanges with its environment (open system)

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Social Equilibrium When all interdependent parts are in dynamic working balance A single event can throw a system out of balance When in disequilibrium, the parts work against each other Over time, the basic character changes little

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Functional and Dysfunctional Effects Functional effects… Creativity Productive employees Quality improvements Dysfunctional effects include… Lower productivity (hard) Lower satisfaction (soft) Lower commitment (soft) To elicit functional behaviors, provide clear expectations and promises of reward

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Social Culture Acting in accordance with the expectations of others Human-created beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices Distinctive social cultures can exist within a single nation Managers must understand and appreciate the backgrounds and beliefs of work unit members One-culture dependency may create intellectual blinders

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Cultural Diversity Job-Related Diversity Type of work Rank Physical proximity Group affiliation Non-Job-Related Diversity Culture Ethnicity Socio-economics Sex

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Cultural Diversity Discrimination and Prejudice Discrimination is generally an action Prejudice is an attitude Either may exist without the other The law prohibits… Actions, not feelings Any action that has discriminatory results, regardless of intentions

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Cultural Diversity Valuing Diversity Prejudicial stereotypes Differences must be recognized, acknowledged, appreciated, and used to collective advantage Organizations are under political, economic, social, and technical pressures to change Actively managing diversity provides a competitive advantage

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Cultural Diversity Valuing Diversity Prejudicial stereotypes Differences must be recognized, acknowledged, appreciated, and used to collective advantage Organizations are under political, economic, social, and technical pressures to change Actively managing diversity provides a competitive advantage

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Individual and Org Accountabilities Is activation of stereotypic information automatic? Project Implicit ® Based on Implicit Assumption theories Test individual preferences Useful tactics for organizational change?

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Mentors A role model who guides another employee Stronger employee loyalty Faster movement up learning curve Better succession planning Increased level of goal accomplishments Assigning mentors can result in… Resentment Abuse of power Unwillingness to serve

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Psychological and Economic Contracts

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Psychological and Economic Contracts The psychological contract builds upon the concept of exchange theory To remain attracted to the relationship, both parties must have a net positive ratio The contract is continually examined and revised

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Role Perceptions

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Role Conflict Others have different perceptions or expectations of a person’s role Boundary roles Role ambiguity

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Sources of Job Status

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Measuring Organizational Culture Difficult at best… Examination of stories, symbols, rituals, and ceremonies Interviews and open-ended questionnaires Examination of corporate philosophy statements Become a member of the organization and observe

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Communicating and Changing Culture Culture is communicated through… Formal communication channels Informal means Unintentional ways Storytelling People are more willing to adapt and learn when they want to… Please others Gain approval Learn about their work environment

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Socialization and Individualization

©2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights Reserved Methods for Changing Organizational Culture