1. Steps Three and Four: Consider the Context and Select a Channel of Communication

2. What is Organizational Context?
The situation or setting in which communication occurs
The corporation
The not-for-profit
The accounting firm

3. What is Organizational Context?
Dimensions of Context
Physical
Social
Chronological
Cultural

4. What is Organizational Context?
Dimensions of Context
Physical
Social
Chronological
Cultural

5. Dimensions of Context Physical Social Chronological
The actual setting in which interactions take place
Social
The nature of the relationship between communicators
Chronological
The ways time influences interactions
Example: time of day in the office or time of year for the company
Example: the boss’s office vs. the break room
Example: a long personal friendship between co-workers

6. What is Organizational Context?
Dimensions of Context
Physical
Social
Chronological
Cultural

7. Dimensions of Context Cultural
A system of shared meanings and practices
Patterns of shared basic assumptions
1. Innovation and risk taking
2. Attention to detail
3. Outcome orientation
4. People orientation
5. Team orientation
6. Aggressiveness
7. Stability

8. Organizational Culture Inventory
Constructive
Passive-Defensive
Aggressive-Defensive

9. Constructive Culture Achievement Self-Actualization
Human-focused encouragement
Affiliation

10. Passive-Defensive Culture
Seeking approval
Maintaining conventions
Supporting dependency
Avoiding conflict

11. Aggressive-Defensive Culture
Oppositional
Focus on power attainment and maintenance
Competitive
Perfectionism

12. Communication Climate
Description
Problem orientation
Spontaneity
Empathy
Equality
Provisionalism
Defensive Communication Climate
Supportive Communication Climate
Evaluation
Control
Strategy
Neutrality
Superiority
Certainty

13. Formal and Informal Networks
Manager
Supervisor 1
Worker 1
Worker 2
Supervisor 2
Worker 3
Formal
Downward flow
Upward flow
Horizontal flow
Manager
Supervisor 1
Worker 1
Worker 2
Supervisor 2
Worker 3
Informal
The “grapevine”

14. Choosing a Communication Channel
Richness versus leanness
Need for interpretation
Speed of establishing contact
Time required for feedback
Cost
Amount of information conveyed
Permanent record
Control over the message

15. Choosing a Communication Channel
Richness versus leanness
Some channels of communication provide more information than others
Need for interpretation
Some channels of communication leave more ambiguity or room for interpretation of the message than others
Speed of establishing contact
Channels vary in the amount of time required to deliver a message
Time required for feedback
Channels vary in conventions around response time

16. Choosing a Communication Channel
Cost
Some channels of communication are more cost effective than others
Amount of information conveyed
Written channels are more appropriate for conveying large amounts of information with great detail
Permanent record
Many situations in business require records of what occurs during work activities, and this may impact channel choice
Control over the message
Written channels of communication are often the best choice for maintaining control of the message

17. Are new media channels good for business?
Risks
Benefits
Minimal cost
Increased speed
Improved dialogue
Exposure of internal problems
Leakage of proprietary info
More difficult to control messages