COMM 14
Disadvantages of workplace cliques
they may espouse workplace values contrary to those advocated by the organization and encourage unethical workplace behavior
Communication technologies in the workplace provide substantial (disadvantages/advantages) over face-to-face and phone interactions
advantage
Organizational communication scholar Eric Eisenberg argues that the most effective form of upward communication is
advocacy
The coworkers you befriend will strongly determine your
experiences in the organization.
______ networks are increasingly prevalent
Virtual
Hierarchical structure
in terms of status, there people ranked higher or lower than others in organizational position and power
Competent downward communication can be achieved by observing five principles
1. Emphasize the importance of communication in relationships with subordinates 2. Listen empathically 3. When communicating wants and needs to subordinates, frame these messages as polite requests 4. Be sensitive to your subordinates' feelings 5. Share relevant information with employees whenever possible
Advocacy is based on six principles
1. Plan your pitch 2. know why your supervisor should agree with you 3. tailor your message (Think about successful and unsuccessful attempts to influence your supervisor) 4. know your supervisor's knowledge 5. create coalitions before communicating (present such information as a helpful and personal observation rather than as a threat to your supervisor's authority) 6. competently articulate your message
The private is public in the workplace
Because all workplace relationships occur within organizational networks, your communication and behavior will serve as material for discussion among network members. Presume that everything you say and do will be shared throughout your organization, including what you communicate via social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.
Why are we less likely to give our friends negative feedback as supervisors
Because of the relationship consequences that may ensue and because our perceptions of others are substantially biased by whether we like them or not
Scholars sometimes describe which workplace relationships as "blended" because they incorporate elements of both professional and personal relationships
Collegial peers
In defensive climate, supervisors may use communication as a way to
strategically control others and to strictly enforce company hierarchy
supervisory relationships
Mixed-status relationships in which one person outranks and supervises another (assigned rather than chosen)
Mixed-status relationships
Relationships between coworkers of different organizational status that provide the structural foundation on which most organizations are built
The Nature of Workplace Relationships
The influence of organizational culture, networks, climate, and technology
Pros of workplace cliques
They can enhance the productivity of an organization and provide information about how things work in the organization
How our workplace relationships important and influent
When our workplace communication and relationships are satisfying, we achieve more professionally and feel happier at home. When our workplace communication and relationships slip into dysfunction, on-the-job productivity and relationships outside the workplace suffer.
Complimenting your subordinates is most effectively done when the compliments are focused on
a subordinate's work rather than a subordinate's appearance
Workplace relationship
any affiliation you have with a professional peer, supervisor, subordinate, or mentor
Information-peer relationships are typically created through
assignment rather than choice
workplace values
beliefs people share about work performance, dedication to the organization, and coworker relationships
Benefits of workplace relationships
can enhance our professional skills through the insights others provide, and increase the speed with which we rise through the organizational hierarchy
Negatives of workplace relationships
can spawn gossip, cliques, and add additional stress to our lives by forcing us to shoulder not only our own professional burdens but the personal challenges of our workplace friends as well
For a supportive climate, you must describe ______ rather than assign blame
challenges
Everything you say and do in your workplace contributes to its
climate. See Table 14.1 for tips on how to encourage a supportive organizational climate.
For a supportive climate, you must ______ rather than control
collaborate
What distinguishes competent downward communication is the willingness of empowered people to
communicate without relying on their power in order to appeal to subordinates in positive, empathic, respectful, and open ways
upward communication
communication from subordinates to superiors pursued with the desire to persuade
The biggest advantage of communication technologies within the workplace is that they
connect workers in a relational fashion
We spend more time interacting with (coworkers/family)
coworkers
An organization exists and functions because
coworkers communicate and form relationships with one another
virtual peers
coworkers who communicate mainly through phone, e-mail, Skype, and other communication technologies
Collegial peers
coworkers whom we consider friends
Openness
creating feelings of security and trust between you and your peers
Workplace relationships also are strongly influenced by each organization's unique _____
culture, networks, climate, and technology.
Offering subordinates praise for their workplace accomplishments (does/ does not) foster a healthy organizational climate
does
Two types of organizational climates exist
defensive and supportive
With communication technologies in the workplace, the conversations are more
democratic (people in authority can't "stare down" those with whom they disagree, suppressing their input; and those who suffer from shyness feel more comfortable contributing)
Workplace cliques
dense networks of coworkers who share the same workplace values and broader life attitudes
In each organizational network, the types of information flowing through the network are___
diverse
Organizational culture
each workplace possesses a distinct set of beliefs regarding how things are done and how people should behave
For a supportive climate, you must emphasize ______
equality
Information peers
equivalent-status coworkers with whom our communication is limited to work-related content
Special peers
equivalent-status coworkers with whom we share very high levels of emotional support, career-related feedback, trust, self-disclosure, and friendship
Two of the strongest factors that influence network density
familiarity and intimacy
When you join an organization, you are socialized into its culture through
formal and informal encounters with established coworkers
When a supervisor communicates incompetently
frustration and dissatisfaction build quickly
Virtual networks
groups of coworkers linked solely through e-mail, social networking sites, Skype, and other online services such as GoToMeeting or Zoom
workplace norms
guidelines governing appropriate interpersonal communication and relationships
How do assurances help maintain your peer relationships
help demonstrate your commitment to them by stressing that your relationships are based on choice rather than professional assignment
How does positivity help maintain your peer relationships
helps offset the stress and demands everyone faces in the workplace
A supervisor's communication sets the tone for
his or her subordinates and organization
For virtual peers, the progression from information peer to collegial peer hinges on
how much time the peers spend interacting and working on shared tasks together
Two challenges of downward communication
how to effectively praise subordinates and how to constructively criticize them
Many organizations discourage or even forbid friendships between supervisors and their subordinates because it's assumed that such relationships will
impair a supervisor's ability to objectively assess a subordinate's work performance
Organizational climate is the sum total of
individuals' interpersonal behavior in the workplace
The first and most significant relationship transition in professional peer relationships is from
information peer to collegial peer
Sharing time and activities together (is/is not) enough to ensure that a coworker relationship will evolve from information peer to collegial peer
is not
Density is influenced by a variety of factors
job requirements, physical layout of the work space, and organizational culture
Organizations communicate their culture and values through the ______
layout and design of their office space. How would you describe the organizational cultures depicted here?
Research suggests that (employees/leaders) fundamentally shape the climate of others in their workplaces
leaders
Managers are (more/less) likely to give negative feedback to employees they like than to those they dislike
less
loose networks
members may have contact with just one or two other members
downward communication
messages you use when interacting with subordinates
A supervisor's downward communication shapes the
morale and performance of all the workers under him or her
Employees higher in organizational status, male, and under the age of 30 are (least/most) likely to cyberslack
most
When a supervisor communicates competently, employees are more
motivated, satisfied with their work, and productive
The evolution of a coworker friendship to a higher state of intimacy is usually spurred by
negative events in partners' personal lives (serious illness, marital discord) or serious work-related problems that require an exceptional level of social support
familiarity and intimacy
networks in which members have known one another for a long time and are personally close tend to be denser.
The organizational networks to which you belong can strongly determine the kinds of _____
opportunities—and obstacles—you'll encounter as you advance in your career
Try to develop relationships with
organizational insiders
Professional peers
people holding positions of organizational status and power similar to our own
Peers provide
personal and practical support.
No matter your workplace setting, you can maintain your peer relationships by using
positivity, openness, and assurances, and by remembering that peer relationships require a blend of personal and work conversational topics.
Supervisory relationships are less likely than peer relationships to evolve into friendships because of the
power imbalance
Our most meaningful and intimate workplace relationships are those with our
professional peers
Workplace relationships/involvements differ along three dimensions
status, intimacy, and choice
Choice aspect of work relationships
the degree to which participants willingly engage in them
Peer relationships remain healthy through
the energy and effort you and your peers invest in maintenance
defensive climate
the environment is unfriendly, rigid, and unsupportive of workers' professional and personal needs
network density
the frequency and number of connections among people in a network
Organizational networks are defined by three characteristics
the nature of the information that flows through them, the modality or sensory channels through which the information flows, and network density
Disadvantages of workplace technologies
the near-constant distraction provided by online games, apps, and social networking sites
workplace artifacts
the objects and structures that define the organization (dress code, work space, etc.)
Organizational climate
the overarching emotional quality of a workplace
Online discussions provide participants with freedom from
time and geographic constraints
Information-peer relationships lack
trust and intimacy
Organizational climate is created primarily through the amount of
trust, openness, listening, and supportiveness present in the interactions between organizational members
Influencing superiors to support our work-related needs and wants is achieved through
upward communication
Companies combat cyberslacking by
using programs that track employee computer use—often without employees' knowledge
cyberslacking
using their work computers to game, surf the Internet, post to social media, e-mail, and instant-message about personal interests and activities, when they should be focused on work tasks
workers in a supportive climate describe the workplace as
warm, open, and cooperative
Second, collegial- and special-peer relationships grow stronger when the people involved treat each other as
whole human beings with unique qualities and do not strictly define each other simply as coworkers
What do workplace cliques educate new employees about
whom they can trust and which networks they should belong to, helping people quickly assimilate into the organizational culture.
dense networks
workers regularly interact with multiple network members
organizational insiders
workers who are reputable, knowledgeable, and connected to dense organizational networks
Workplace values create
workplace norms
Organizational networks
workplace systems of communication linkages
An organization's culture derives from three sources
workplace values, norms, and artifacts
Through advocacy, you learn
your superior's communication preferences and how to design messages in ways that will appeal to him or her