1. Organizational Communication
Chapter 9
Organizational Communication

2. Introduction Organization structure determines who works together
It is the way managers design their firms to achieve their organization’s mission and goals
Organizational communication flows through its structure, which affects:
behavior
human relations
performance

3. The transition from an economy based on materials to an economy based on flows of information has created considerable challenges for organizational structure, and communication.

4. Principles of Organization (1 of 3)
Division of Labor and Departmentalization
Division of labor, or work specialization – refers to the degree to which tasks are subdivided into separate jobs
Departmentalization – grouping of related activities into units
Chain of Command
line of authority from the top to the bottom of the organization, which is shown in an organization chart

5. Principles of Organization (2 of 3)
Span of Management
refers to number of employees reporting to a manager
Centralized and Decentralized Authority
With centralized authority, top managers make important decisions
With decentralized authority, middle and first-line managers make important decisions where the action is

6. Principles of Organization (3 of 3)
Coordination
With the division of labor and departmentalization comes the need to coordinate the work of all departments

7. Questions and Answers for Designing Organizational Structure:
How should we subdivide work?
Division of Labor and Departmentalization
Who should departments and individuals report to?
Chain of Command
How many individuals should report to each manager?
Span of Management
At what level should decisions be made?
Centralization vs. Decentralization
How do we get everyone to work together as a team?
Coordination

8. Common Types of Departmentalization (1 of 4)
Divisional
Territory
Matrix
Product
Customer
Functional

9. Common Types of Departmentalization (2 of 4)
Functional Departmentalization
involves organizing departments around essential input activities, such as:
production and operations
finance and accounting
marketing and sales
human resources
Product (Service) Departmentalization
involves organizing departments around goods and services provided

10. Common Types of Departmentalization (3 of 4)
Customer Departmentalization
involves organizing departments around the needs of different types of customers with unique needs calling for different sales staffs and products
Divisional Departmentalization (M-Form)
the firm develops independent lines of business that operate as separate companies, all contributing to the corporation profitability
Territory (Geographic) Departmentalization
involves organizing departments in each area in which the enterprise does business

11. Common Types of Departmentalization (4 of 4)
Matrix Departmentalization
combines the functional and product departmental structures
Combination
many large companies have more than one form of departmentalization

12. Contemporary Organization Design
Virtual
Organizations
Boundaryless
E-Organizations
Learning
Team Organizations
and
Reengineering

13. American and Japanese Organization Structures
Division of labor tends to be a bit less specialized in Japan
Both countries use the same types of departmentalization
American organizations tend to be quicker to hire, lay off, and to change jobs than the Japanese

14. Organizational Communication
Organizational communication – the compounded interpersonal communication process across an organization
Communication flows in an organization are:
Vertical
Horizontal
Grapevine (multidirectional)

15. Vertical and Horizontal Communication
The flow of information between colleagues and peers
Informal communication
Does not follow the chain of command
Not recognized as official
Vertical Communication
The flow of information both up and down the chain of command
Formal communication
Recognized as official
Status and power are not equal among participants in vertical communication

16. Grapevine Communication
Grapevine – the informal vehicle through which messages flow throughout the organization
“When the grapevine allows employees to know about a management decision almost before it is made, management must be doing something right.”

17. Communication Networks
Communication networks – sets of employees who have stable contact through which information is generated and transmitted
Two major types of communication networks:
1. within organizations
2. within departments and small groups

18. Message Transmission Channels
Oral Communication
Written Communication
Nonverbal Communication

19. Oral Communication Media
Face-to-Face
Telephone
Meetings
Presentations

20. Written Communication (1 of 2)
With increased use of , managers substitute face-to-face communication with
Communication Objective Guidelines
Memos
Letters
Reports
Bulletin board notices
Posters
Computers/
Fax

21. Written Communication (2 of 2)
Writing skills
Grammar – rules for use of the eight parts of speech
To simplify grammar, we use subjects, predicates, modifiers, and connectives

22. Nonverbal Communication
Facial
Expressions
Vocal
Qualities
Gestures
Posture

23. Emotions (1 of 2) Universal emotions: happiness
surprise
fear
sadness
anger
disgust
Emotional labor – requires the expression of desired emotions during interpersonal relations

24. Emotions (2 of 2) Understanding Feelings Gender Differences
Feelings are subjective – they tell you people’s attitudes and needs
Feelings are usually disguised as factual statements
Feelings are neither right nor wrong but behavior is
Gender Differences
Global Differences

25. Dealing with Emotional Employees
Calming the emotional person
Use reflecting responses

26. Criticism
Getting Criticism
Giving Criticism

27. Guidelines for Giving Effective Criticism
Give more praise than criticism
Criticize immediately
Criticism should be performance oriented
Give specific and accurate criticism
Open on a positive note and close by repeating what action is needed