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