Organizational Behavior: Chapter 11: Communication
choosing comm. methods
- based on channel richness - based on worker preferences - based on working environment - consider your speaking skills - written comm is most reliable for complex or lengthy messages - routine messages can be low in richness - not routine need to be rich so they will pay attention - gauging receiver's receptivity: oral comm. - want things on record: written comm (watch grammar and punctuation rules) - networking purposes: letters - wanted and professional interactions: IM responding - rules of business etiquette haven't been established yet; room for ambiguity - be cautious when texting at work (set ground rules and discuss this first) - email for longer messages that you want to go back to reference - apps/ social media: use discretion and involve all management/ get approval for posts about org as well as educate yourself on company media policies and privacy rules - blogs: be careful of what you post!
persuasion
- can be good or bad
instant messaging
- done through computer - negatives for business interactions - can't be saved for later
social media
- enterprise social software: in house social networking applications - social networking is now a tool for prospective employees, hiring managers, employees, and HR divisions - communicate through public posts, chats, status updates, videos, and photos - privacy issues - followers can be a huge asset or issue with a bad post released
telephone
- fast, effective, less ambiguous - switch: computer dials numbers - voice: allows user to use a single number to link to multiple numbers
meetings
- informal or formal - include two or more people - take place in any venue - stumbling blocks: overuse of jargon & qualifiers that undermine words - need to have good interpersonal communication - use humor - issue: no voice: the ability to contribute words of value to the meeting or workplace; lack of this causes no communication/ dialogue, affected by environment and employee's self-evaluation, engagement, responsibilities, etc.
what makes someone choose which ways to process info?
- interest level - prior knowledge - personality - message characteristics
written communication (oral)
- letters - PowerPoint - email - instant messaging - text messaging - social media - apps - blogs
to perform effectively, with functions, groups must...
- maintain control over members - provide feedback - allow emotional expression - monitor persuasive efforts - encourage info exchange
personality
- need for cognition: people who are more likely to be persuaded by evidence/ facts - lower need: more likely to use automatic processes, relying on intuition and emotion
active listening
- remove distractions - paraphrase - make eye contact - lean in - encourage talker to continue
text messaging
- same pitfalls of IM - language should be as formal as other modes of comm.
oral
- speed, feedback, and exchange - face-to-face is still best - feedback is emotional and informational content - issue: listener burnout - develop active listening - share social exchanges that transcend cultural boundaries: build trust, cooperation, and agreement - issues with info coming about through multiple people
prior knowledge
- well informed people about a particular topic are more likely to use controlled processes - won't change opinion unless very good reasons are provided - uninformed: change minds quickly in the face of seemingly superficial arguments
cultural barriers
- words mean different things to different cultures of people - words imply different things in various languages - informal vs formal tone of words - conflict differences: individualistic countries are comfortable with conflict and make sources overt, whereas collectivists avoid emotionally charged disputes and ignore conflict - behaviors' acceptability vary in various cultures
Formal Small-Group Networks
1. Chain - follows formal chain of command - emphasizes accuracy 2. Wheel - relies on central figure to act as the conduit for all group comm - emphasizes leader 3. All channel - permits group members to actively communicate with each other (self-managed teams do this); no single person takes leadership role - emphasizes high member satisfaction
cultural guide
1. Know yourself - recognize own cultural identity and biases 2. Foster a climate of mutual respect, fairness, and democracy - equality and mutual concerned environment 3. Learn the cultural context of each person 4. When in doubt, listen 5. State facts, not your interpretation - state only facts and see other's viewpoints on those facts - deny judgement until consideration of all things 6. Consider the other person's point of view 7. Proactively maintain the identity of the group - takes time and nurturing - remind group of goals and respect
modes of communication
1. Oral 2. Written 3. Nonverbal
dealing with gossip and rumors
1. Share - info you have vs don't have 2. Explain - discuss what decisions are made and why and a future plan 3. Respond - gather all sides of the story and verify truths for yourself 4. Invite - employees to discuss concerns, ideas, suggestions, thoughts, and feelings about org.
email advice
1. a short, topic-related subject line 2. give a greeting/ salutation 3. keep things short 4. don't be curt 5. don't use text language 6. reply quickly (within 24 hours)
functions of communication
1. feedback 2. emotional sharing 3. persuasion 4. information exchange 5. management
Barriers for effective communication
1. filtering 2. selective perception 3. info overload 4. emotions 5. language 6. silence 7. comm. apprehension 8. lying
comm process parts
1. sender 2. encoding 3. message 4. channel 5. decoding 6. receiver 7. noise 8. feedback
communication process
1. sender encodes the message and passes it to reciever 2. receiver receives message through the channel and decodes it
suggestions for videoconferencing and conference calling
1. set explicit agendas and firm rules for face-to-face meetings 2. have callers introduce themselves, their roles, and their goals/ expectations for the meeting 3. leaders should talk 40% of the time and listen 60% of the time 4. distribute discussion questions before the meeting and rote responses of others 5. assign a moderator for the meeting and secretary 6. understand people's preferences for meetings and make sure everyone understands the tech
cultural context
Cultures differ in the importance of the context in influencing the meaning that individuals take from what is actually said or written vs. who the other person is - high context: rely heavily on nonverbal/ subtle cues in comm and person's official status or place in society; need more trust between people - low context: rely on spoken and written words to convey meaning; value directness in meaning
sender
Encodes or creates the messages
filtering
a sender's purposely manipulating info so the receiver will see it more favorably - people pleasing - more vertical levels = more filtering
blogs
a website about a single person or company - business necessity for orgs. - outdated blogs look BAD
silence
absence of information - can be a message to communicate noninterest or inability to deal with a topic - employees are silent when: mistreated, experiencing negative emotions, or feel less power/ significance - silence can indicate info overload or thinking about a response - silence is common and problematic - silence prohibits understanding and problem solving
message
actual physical produce of the sender's encoding
message characteristics
automatic when: less interaction with content and using lean comm. channels *visa versa
automatic and controlled processing
automatic: a relatively superficial consideration of evidence and info - little time and low effort - fooled easily by tricks controlled: a detailed consideration of evidence and info relying on facts, figures, and logic - requires effort and energy to engage
can be written, edited, sent, and stored quickly and cheaply - can cause stress and cost time - first impression others get of you
PowerPoint
combines words with visual elements to engage reader and help explain complex ideas - may be hard to follow and impersonal
noise
communication barriers that distort clarity of message
emotional sharing
communication of feelings and fulfillment of social needs within organization
downward communication
communication that flows from higher to lower levels in an organization - used to assign goals, provide job instructions, explain policies/ procedures, point out issues, and offer feedback - managers must explain the reasoning behind decisions - managers must repeat messages several times through multiple channels - issue: one-way nature, managers don't consider the receiver's opinions or thoughts - context and delivery mode are highly important - need to be direct and personal with communicating things to employees
upward communication
communication that flows from lower to higher levels in an organization - used to provide feedback, inform them of progress toward goals, and relay current problems - keeps managers self-aware and aware of the feelings of employees - subordinates must give honest, helpful feedback to improve - difficult: managers are often busy and are easily distracted - communicate in short summaries with actionable items and prepare an agenda - watch your delivery!
nonverbal communication
communication using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech - emphasis on words - physical distance between people - every body movement has meaning - can convey status, level of engagement, emotional state - adds to verbal comm - nonverbal cues are considered more important than verbal cues - intonations: change meaning of words
apps
easily accessible mobile friendly platforms
formal channel
established by organization and transmits messages related to activities of members
information exchange
facilitate decision making - transmitting information to make decisions
channel richness scale
low to high 1. formal reports and memos/ letters 2. prerecorded speeches and email 3. online discussion groups and voice mail 4. live speeches and calls 5. video conferences and face-to-face
choosing the message
match your persuasive message to type of processing your audience is likely to use - automatic: use messages that are emotionally laden and associate positive images with preferred outcomes - controlled: use rational arguments and evidence to make case
lying
misrepresentation of information - more comfortable lying over phone than face-to-face - more comfortable lying over text than through written letters - cannot tell when someone is lying - lies can be embedded in truths
information security
organizations choose to monitor employee Internet use, email records, video surveillance, and record phone conversations to protect the org. - engage employees in creation of info-security policies and give them some control over how their personal info is used
management
organizations have hierarchies in which people delegate tasks - effective when employees follow job descriptions and comply with company policies
videoconferencing and conference calling
permits employees and clients to conduct real-time meetings with people at different locations - conference calling: limited to telephone exchanges through two lines of comm. - involve all participants and stimulate questions
interest level
reflect the impact a decision will have on your life
communication apprehension
social anxiety - tension in oral comm, written comm, or both - avoid situations of oral comm. - rationalize this
informal channel
spontaneous and subject to individual choice
channel richness
the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode - rich: handle multiple cues simultaneously, facilitate rapid feedback, and be very personal - give us the chance to observe
feedback (part)
the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended
grapevine
the informal communications network within an organization - word of mouth info from peers about org. effects job applicants and ratings - serves employee's needs - gives managers a feel for the morale of the org - identifies issues employees consider important - helps understand employee anxieties - managers can identify influencers by noting who is small talkers - not all gossip is malicious
channel
the medium through which the message is sent
receiver
the person who decodes a message
selective perception
the receiver's selectively see and hear based on their needs, motivations, experiences, backgrounds, and other personal characteristics - project as they decode
communication
the transfer and understanding of meaning
decoding
translate symbols into understandable form
letters
used to add a personal touch or create a more lasting document to signal official comm. - much more memorable
feedback
what employees must do, how well they are doing it, and how they can improve their performance - communication creates and stimulates motivation - reward and formation of goals influences this
lateral communication
when communication occurs between members of the same workgroup, members at the same level in separate workgroups, or any other horizontally equivalent workers - saves time and facilitates coordination - informally created - management should be notified of these types of comm within organization - dysfunctional conflict can occur
info overload
when the info we have to work with exceeds our processing capacity - we tend to select, ignore, pass over, or forget certain info - limit tech usage - must balance comm with healthy times of disconnection
langauge
words mean different things to different people - consider age and context - persuasiveness depends on person's initial agreement with a message - usually don't know how language is modified from person to person
emotions
you may interpret the same message differently when you're experiencing different emotions - positive: more confident about opinions - negative: scrutinize messages in greater detail - strong negative emotions prohibit effective communication and disregard rational/ objective thinking processes for emotional judgements
