Ch.11 Organizational Communication

Focus group as a solution for upward communication

An outside consultant meets with groups of current employees to get their opinions and suggestions o Exit Interview: Interviewing employees who are leaving voluntarily--> "Real" reason why an employee is leaving the org

Noise stands for

Any variable concerning or affecting the channel that interferes with the proper reception of a message

Empathic Listening is a style of listening of a person who

Primarily cares about the feelings of the speaker

Isolate stands for an employee who

Receives less than half of all grapevine information

When a message contain more than we can hold, it gets leveled, meaning

Unimportant information have been removed before the message is passed from one person to another

Grapevine is an

Unofficial, informal communication network

Attitude survey as a solution for upward communication

Upward communication in which a survey is conducted to determine employee attitudes about an organization o Conducted by an outside consultant who administer employees to rate their opinion (e.g., pay, working conditions, supervisors...etc.)

Communication Channel stands for the

Medium by which a communication is transmitted o Communication is less effective the farther away two people are from one another (Physical proximity matters)

Queuing is a reaction to communication overload, where

One will organize work into an order in which it will be handled

Nonconforming Listening is a style of listening where the person cares about

Only information that is consistent with his or her way of thinking

Newsletter is a downward communication method where

Org used to communicate organizational feedback and celebrate employee success

Multiple channel is a method for reducing communication overload where

Organization reduces the amount of communication going to one person by direction some of it to another person

Serial Communication is communication

Passed consecutively from one person to another

Single-Strand Grapevine is

Pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed in a chain-like fashion from one person to the next until the chain is broken

Minimize Unpleasant Message (MUM) Effect is the idea that

People prefer not to pass on unpleasant information Is not always communicated

Gossip vs. Rumors

Poorly substantiated information and insignificant information that is primarily about individuals--> Serves to entertain and supply social information VS Poorly substantiated information that is passed along the grapevine--> Serves the function of helping to make sense of ambiguous information and of helping manage potential threats

Other problems that are causing the discrepancy between Message received vs. message interpreted

1. Emotional state (Anger, Fear, Anxiety, Excitement) 2. Cognitive ability 3. Bias

Problems with interpersonal communication

1. Intended message vs. message sent 2. Message sent vs. Message received 3. Message received vs. message interpreted

Gender differences in communication (Male vs. Female)

1. Major events vs. daily life 2. Main point vs. detail 3. Direct vs. indirect 4. Uh-huh to agree vs. uh-huh to listen 5. Comfortable w/ silence vs. uncomfortable w/ silence 6. Concentrate on the words spoken vs. Concentrate on nonverbal cues & paralanguages 7. Sidetrack unpleasant topics vs. focus on unpleasant topics

Problem w/ Serial Communication

1. Message lose its meaning after being passed on 2. Minimize Unpleasant Message Effect 3. Communication channel affecting the message

Office Design

1. Open (Landscape) Design: Large open office areas without walls 2. Cubicles 3. Private Offices

Problem with message sent vs. message received is caused by

1. The actual word used 2. Communication channel (Oral--> In person, word of mouth, nonverbal, written, answering machine...etc) 3. Nonverbal 4. Written (Letter/memo, email)

Solution for problem with Intended message vs. message sent

1. Thinking about what you want to communicate 2. Practicing what you want to communicate 3. Learning better communication skills

4 types of communications in Organization

1. Upward 2. Downward 3. Business 4. Informal

Nonverbal cues are thought to be

80% of the message received

When a message contain more than we can hold, it gets Sharpened, meaning

A message in which interesting and unusual information has been kept in the message when it is passed from one person to another

Probability Grapevine is

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed randomly among all employees

Cluster Grapevine is

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed to a selected of people who each in turn pass the message to a few select others

Gossip Grapevine is

A pattern of grapevine communication in which a message is passed to only a selected group of individuals

Liasion is a third party for solving problem with upward communication, who

Acts as an intermediary between employees and management, or the type of employee who both sends and receives most grapevine information

Open vs. Closed Desk Arrangement

An office arranged so that visitor can sit adjacent to rather than across from the person behind the desk vs An office arranged so that a visitor must sit across the person behind the desk

Technical Listening is a listening style of a person who

Cares about only facts and details o Ex: Only listen to the facts but does not hear the meaning of those details

Leisure Listening is a listening style of a person who

Cares about only interesting information

Inclusive Listening is a listening style of a person who

Cares about only the main points of communication

Informal Communication is

Communication among employees in an organization that is not directly related to the completion of an organization task Ex: Grapevine

Interpersonal Communication stands for

Communication between 2 individuals

Paralanguage as a noise in message sending stands for

Communication inferred from the tone, tempo, volume, and rate of speech

Downward communication stands for

Communication within an org in which the direction of communication is from management to employees

Upward Communication stands for

Communication within an organization in which the direction of communication is from employees up to management

Intranets as a downward communication is the

Computer-based employee communication network used exclusively by one organization Resources for: 1. Online employee handbook 2. FAQ 3. Employee activity calendars 4. Forms that can be completed online 5. Job posting

Omission is one reaction to communication overload, where

Conscious decision not to process certain types of information

Error is one of the reaction to communication overload, where

Deviation from a standard of quality: A type of response to communication overload that involves processing all information but processing some of it incorrectly

Union steward as a solution for problem with upward communication is an

Employee who serves as a liaison between unionized employees and management. In organizations that have their employees represented by unions

Suggestion (Complaint) Box as a solution for upward communication problem

Employees are asked to place their suggestion/ complaints in a box

Escape is a reaction to communication overload, where

Employees leaves the organization to reduce stress

Dead-enders are

Employees who receive much grapevine information but seldom pass it on to others

Policy manuals is a form of downward communication where

Formal method in which an organization's rules and procedures are placed in a manual; legally binding by courts of law § Include: 1. Employment with the org is at-will 2. Handbook does not create either an expressed or an implied contract 3. Set of guidelines and should not be considered all-inclusive 4. Current handbook supersedes materials in previous handbook

Ombudsperson is a third party person who solves upward communication problem where

He investigates employee's complaints and solves problems -Neutral and works for a solution that is acceptable to both employees & management

Improving employee communication skills can be done through

Improving Writing: 1. Has short sentences 2. uses simple rather than complicated words 3. uses common rather than unusual words

Bulletin boards is a downward communication where

Informal or relatively unimportant written information is posted in a public place

When a message contain more than we can hold, it gets Assimilated, meaning

Information has been modified to fit the existing belief and knowledge of the person sending the message before it is passed on to another person

Artifacts as a noise in sending message are

Things people surround themselves with (clothes/ jewelry, office decorations, cars... etc.) that communicate information about a person

Business communication is the

Transmission of business-related information among employees management and customers Ex: 1. Memo 2. Telephone Calls 3. Email 4. Voice Mail

Other noise that affect Message sent vs. Message received

o Bias o *Use of time: Tardiness is more accepted by people high in position* o Feelings about the person communicating o Mood o Perceived motives o Actual Noise

Stylistic Listening is a listening style of a person who

pays attention mainly to the way in which words are spoken Ex: Only listen if the guy talking about finance wears a nice suit

Gatekeeper is a person who

screens potential communication for someone else and allows only the most important information to pass through