1. Chapter 13
Communication

2. Learning Objectives Explain the elements in the communication process
Compare the four major directions of communication
Describe the role played by interpersonal communication in organizations
Discuss multicultural communication
Identify barriers to effective communication
Describe ways in which communication in organizations can be improved

3. Introduction
Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling all involve communicative activity
The glue that holds organizations together

4. The Importance of Communication
Communication helps organizations
Accomplish individual and organizational goals
Implement and respond to organizational change
Coordinate activities
Engage in virtually all organizational relevant behaviors

5. The Importance of Communication
Communication breakdowns are pervasive
Ineffective communication = ineffective organizations
Informal remarks are distorted
Kidding leads to anger
Problems arise when…
Directives are misunderstood

6. The Importance of Communication
Communication itself is unavoidable in a functioning organization
Only effective communication is avoidable
Everything one does communicates something, in some way, to somebody
The only question is, “With what effect?”

7. The Communication Process

8. How Communication Works
Effective communication
Common understanding between a communicator and a receiver
Verbal or nonverbal common symbols are used to convey information
In an organizational, information flows
Vertically
Horizontally
Diagonally

9. A Communication Model

10. The Elements of Communication
Communicator: a person with ideas, intentions, information, and a purpose for communicating
Message: an idea or experience that a sender wants to communicate
Encoding: converting a message into groups of symbols that represent ideas or concepts
Medium of transmission: the carrier of the message
Decoding-Receiver: technical term for the receiver’s thought processes
Feedback: the receiver’s response to the sender’s message
Noise: factors that distort the intended message

11. Nonverbal Communication
Messages sent via physical signals
Head, face, and eye movements, posture, physical distance, gestures, voice tone, and clothing choices
Influenced by such factors as gender and race
Just as important as verbal communication
Sometimes more so

12. Nonverbal Communication
More apparent to observers than communicators
Susceptible to multiple interpretations
Unique Qualities
Can be difficult to suppress
Can contradict verbal messages

13. Nonverbal Message Research Findings
Facial expressions and eye contact and movements provide information about emotions
Physical cues indicate emotional intensity
Communicators often send more information than is obtained in verbal messages
When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, receivers place more faith in nonverbal cues
The human face displays 250,000 expressions

14. Communicating Within Organizations
Downward Communication
Flows from higher levels in the hierarchy to those in the lower levels
Includes job instructions, memos, policy statements, procedures, manuals, company publications
Often incomplete, inadequate, and inaccurate

15. Communicating Within Organizations
Decision Stages
Speculate
Digest
Deliberate
Draw conclusion

16. Communicating Within Organizations
Upward Communication
Communicator is at lower level than receiver
Includes suggestion boxes, group meetings, and appeal or grievance procedures

17. Functions of Upward Communication
Provides managers feedback about problems, organizational issues, day-to-day operations
Is management’s primary source of feedback
Relieves employee tension by allowing lower-level organization members to share relevant information with superiors
Encourages employees’ participation and involvement, thereby enhancing organizational cohesiveness

18. Horizontal Communication
Overlooked in most organizational designs
Necessary for coordination and integration of diverse organizational functions
Often necessary for coordination
Can provide social need satisfaction
Facilitation often left to individual managers

19. Communicating Within Organizations
Diagonal Communication
Least-used channel of communication
Important where members cannot communicate effectively through other channels
Sometimes the most efficient communication method, in terms of time and money

20. Communicating Within Organizations
Communicating Externally
Present products, services, positive image
Attract employees
Gain attention
Typically used for…
Public relations
Advertising
Promoting
Customer/client/patient surveys

21. A medium with high richness
Information Richness
The amount of information that can be transmitted or communicated effectively
Face-to-face interactions are high in richness
A general to employees is low in richness
A medium with high richness
Likely to result in common understanding
“Real time” communication permits instant feedback

22. Common Communication Media

23. How Technology Affects Communication
Internet/Intranet/Extranet
, Messaging
Social Networks
Smart Phones
Voice Mail
Videoconference
Teleconference
eMeeting/ Collaboration

24. Intranet Versus Extranet
Private, protected electronic communication system within an organization
Used to communicate proprietary and organization- specific information
Connects employees with individuals external to the organization

25. Dangers of Email Use Unedited, poorly written messages Lack of privacy
Erased messages can remain on disk drives
Hard to maintain files that adhere to recordkeeping standards
Messages are often monitored
Ineffective for complex data and information

26. Instant Messaging Instant messaging
Real-time communication among geographically dispersed employees
Inexpensive alternative to phone calls and travel
Offers a document trail
Integration with voice and video
Demands the immediate attention of its users

27. Text Messaging Texting competes with traditional marketing
Less expensive
Less spam
Favored by young consumers
95% of text messages are read

28. Social Networking Sites
Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn
Rapidly becoming part of communication fabric
Used for a variety of purposes
Not exclusive to the young
Increasingly monitored by businesses
Powerful communication tool that can reach around the world in seconds

29. Smart Phones Wireless smart phones
84% of Americans had cell phones in 2007
Smart phones are trying to overtake the market
Gives 24-7 access to , text, apps, and the Internet
Increased need to stay connected with colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders
Stores addresses, phone numbers, customer prices, and other critical data

30. Messages are delivered without interruption
Voice Mail
Recorded messages account for 90% of telephone communication in organizations
Voice mail is more popular than
Messages are delivered without interruption
Communicators can focus on the reason for the call
Voice mail minimizes inaccurate message- taking and time zone barriers

31. Voice Mail Best Practices
Organize thoughts before picking up the phone
Identify a specific, brief request
State your name, the time and date, your company name, and the reason for the call
Be precise and keep the message simple
Say what you would like the receiver to do
Give a reason for the request
Say “thank you”
Finish with “Feel free to call me at…”

32. Videoconferencing and Teleconferencing
Refers to technologies associated with viewing
Teleconferencing
Refers to technologies associated with speaking
Both allow meetings without getting together face-to-face
Increases productivity and reduces travel costs

33. Electronic Meetings
Using software and networked computers to automate meetings
Facilitators can poll meeting participants, analyze voting results, create detailed reports

34. Electronic Meetings
Overloading employees with new “toys,” additional information, and technologies
Can reduce efficiency
Social interaction is lost
Most verbal and nonverbal cues are omitted
Anonymity and de-personalization are concerns

35. Interpersonal Communication
Communication flows from person to person in face-to-face and group meetings
Includes instant messaging, video-conferencing
Varies from direct orders to casual expressions
Includes both verbal and nonverbal forms of communication
Communication problems are tied to
Perceptual differences
Interpersonal style differences

36. Multicultural Communication
Words
Space
Time
Behavior

37. Successful Multicultural Communication
Preparation
Become familiar with cultural differences
Outside Thinking
Lay aside ethnocentric tendencies
Humility
Assume communication is incomplete

38. Barriers to Effective Communication
Frame of Reference
Selective Listening
Value Judgments
Source Credibility
Filtering
In-Group Language
Status Differences
Time Pressures
Communication Overload

39. Improving Communication in Organizations
To become a better communicator
Strive to be understood
Strive to understand

40. Techniques to Improve Communications
Following up
Regulating information flow
Utilizing feedback
Empathy
Repetition
Encouraging mutual trust
Effective timing
Simplifying language
Using the grapevine

41. Promoting Ethical Communications
Kreps’ principles for internal organizational communications
Do not intentionally deceive another
Do not purposely harm an organization member
Treat organizational members justly

42. Promoting Ethical Communications
Competitive Intelligence
Gathering information, data, and ideas from competitors has become big business
Regardless of whether one considers industrial spying ethical or unethical, it can be costly
U.S. firms lose about $250 billion annually as a result of competitive intelligence

43. Promoting Ethical Communications
Outcomes of competitive intelligence linkages
Loss of competitive advantage and market share
Increased research and development costs
Higher insurance premiums
Used properly and ethically, competitive intelligence can…
Speed a firm’s reaction to changes
Help outmaneuver competitors
Protect a firm’s own secrets

44. Narrowing the Communication Gap