8th edition Steven P.

Robbins Mary Coulter

What Is Communication?
The transfer and understanding of meaning.

Transfer

means the message is transmitted in a form that can be interpreted* by the receiver. is getting the picture; it is not the same as simply receiving or agreeing with the message.

Understanding

*Interpretation = A mental representation of the meaning.

Page 196

Slide 2

What Is Communication?
Interpersonal Communication
Communication

Organizational Communication
All

between two or more people

the patterns, networks, and systems of communication within an organization

Page 197

Slide 3

Interpersonal Communication Process The seven elements of the communication process:

Source Message Encoding Channel Decoding Receiver Feedback

Page 197

Slide 4

Interpersonal Communication Process Source

The sender who initiates the message.

Message
The intended meaning or purpose to be conveyed.

Encoding
The message converted into symbolic form. In written/printed, verbal or nonverbal actions.

Channel
The medium used to transmit the message. (faceto-face, e-mail, telephone, etc)
Page 197 Slide 5

Interpersonal Communication Process Decoding

The receivers retranslation of the symbols (visual and/or auditive) into a form that he/she can understand.

Receiver
The individual to whom the message is directed.

Feedback
The response from the receiver to the sender that provides knowledge on whether understanding has been achieved.

Page 198

Slide 6

Interpersonal Communication Process

The entire process is likely to be affected by

Noise:
Anything that distorts the message and interferes with understanding. E.g..
Illegible

print

Inattention

by the receiver
sounds

Background Limited

writing, oral, or listening skills differences

Slide 7

Attitudes
Sociocultural

Page 197

The Interpersonal Communication Process

Exhibit 10.1 Page 197 Slide 8

Interpersonal Communication Methods

Face-to-face Telephone Group meetings Formal presentations Memos Traditional Mail Fax machines Employee publications Bulletin boards Audio- and videotapes Hotlines E-mail Computer conferencing Voice mail Teleconferences Videoconferences

Page 198

Slide 9

Interpersonal Communication Nonverbal Communication:

Communication that is transmitted without words.
Body language: Gestures, facial expressions, and other body movements that convey meaning.
Situational Clothing Images

behaviors that convey meaning

and physical surroundings that imply status

that control or encourage behaviors

Verbal intonation: Emphasis that a speaker gives to certain words or phrases that conveys meaning.
It
Page 201

is not what you say, but how you say it!

Slide 10

Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication

Filtering
The deliberate manipulation of information to make it appear more favorable to the receiver.

Emotions
Interpreting messages differently, depending on whether were happy or distressed.

Information Overload
The quantity of information we have to work with exceeds our capacity to process it.

Page 202

Slide 11

Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication

Defensiveness
When feeling threatened, people react in ways that reduce their ability to achieve mutual understanding.

Language
Words mean different things to different people. Senders tend to assume that words they use mean the same to the receiver as they do to them.

National Culture
Culture influences the form and patterns of communication and affect the ways managers communicate.
Page 204 Slide 12

Interpersonal Communication Barriers

National Culture
Filtering Emotions

Language

Interpersonal Communication

Information Overload

Defensiveness

Slide 13

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communications

Use Feedback Simplify Language Constrain Emotions Watch Nonverbal Cues Listen Actively
Page 205 Slide 14

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communications

Use Feedback
Feedback

can be verbal or nonverbal Ask questions Look for general comments

Simplify Language
Choose

words, and structure messages to make them understandable to the receiver

Page 205

Slide 15

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communications

Constrain Emotions
When

upset, refrain from communicating until you have regained calmness

Watch Nonverbal Cues

Watch

your actions and gestures (cues) to make sure they convey the desired message

Page 205

Slide 16

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communications

Listen Actively
Place

yourself in the senders position to improve understanding of the message content Listen to full meaning without making premature (too soon) interpretations (a mental representation of the meaning). The average person speaks at a rate of 125 to 200 words per minute. The average listener can comprehend up to 400 words per minute. That leaves a lot of time for the mind to be distracted.

Page 205

Slide 17

Active Listening Behaviors

Source: Based on P.L. Hunsaker, Training in Management Skills (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001).

Exhibit 10.4 Slide 18

Page 206

Types of Organizational Communication

Formal Communication
Communication that follows the official chain of command or is part of the communication required to do ones job.

Informal Communication
Communication that is not defined by the organizations hierarchy.
Permits employees to satisfy their need for social interaction. Can improve an organizations performance by creating faster and more effective channels of communication.

Slide 19

Page 207

Direction of Communication Flow

Downward Communication
Communication that flow from managers to employees.
To

inform, direct, coordinate, and evaluate employees.

Upward Communication
Communication that flow from employees to managers.
It

keeps managers aware of employees needs, how they feel about their jobs and how things can be improved.
Slide 20

Page 207

Direction of Communication Flow

Lateral (Horizontal) Communication
Communication that takes place among any employees on the same organizational level.
It

saves time and facilitates coordination. Cross-functional teams rely on this form of communication.

Diagonal Communication
Communication that cuts across both work areas and organizational levels.
It

improves efficiency and speed.

Page 207

Slide 21

Communication Flows

U p w a r d

Lateral

D o w n w a r d

Slide 22

Types of Communication Networks

Chain Network
Communication flows according to the formal chain of command, both downward and upward.

Wheel Network
Communication flows to and from a leader to others in a work team.

All-Channel Network
Communication flows freely among all members of a work team.

Page 209

Slide 23

Three Common Organizational Communication Networks and How They Rate on Effectiveness Criteria

Exhibit 10.5 Page 209 Slide 24

The Grapevine
An informal network of communication that is active in almost every organization.
It helps managers identify issues that concern employees. Managers can in turn use the grapevine to disseminate information they consider important Managers can minimize the negative consequences of rumors by communicating openly and honestly with employees in situations where they may not like managerial actions.

Page 209

Slide 25

Current Communication Issues

Gripe Sites:
A gripe site or complaint site is a website devoted to criticisms and complaints of an organization. Managers should view them as a source of information.
They

can uncover employee important issues. They provide a way to judge the mood of the workforce. They can be viewed as a means of upward communication.
Page 211 Slide 26

Current Communication Issues

Gripe Sites
Managers might respond by posting messages on the gripe site to clarify misinformation. Managers might take actions to correct problems that have been written about.

Page 211

Slide 27

Current Communication Issues

Managing the Organizations Knowledge Resources
Making

it easy for employees to communicate and share their knowledge so they can learn from each other ways to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

Build online information databases that employees can access. Create communities of practice.
Groups

of people who share a concern, a set of problems or interest about a topic and who interact with each other regularly to improve their knowledge and expertise in that area. Strong interaction can be maintained through web sites, e-mail and videoconferencing.
Slide 28

Page 211

Communication and Customer Service

Communication has a significant impact on a customers satisfaction with the service.
Managers need to make sure that employees who interact with customers are communicating effectively with those customers. Train employees to listen actively and respond to the customer. Make sure information needed to deal with customers issues is readily available. Managers need to develop a strong service culture focused on the personalization of service to each customer.
Page 212 Slide 29

Politically Correct Communication

Certain words can stereotype, intimidate and insult individuals. How to communicate with someone who isnt like us? We must be sensitive to how certain words might offend others However, choose words carefully to maintain as much clarity as possible in communicating.
Sears tells its employees that when talking with a customer in a wheelchair, employees place themselves at the customers eye level by sitting down to make it more comfortable for everyone.
Page 213 Slide 30

C H A P T E R R E V I E W 1/3
Understanding Communications (slides 2, 3)
What are the two important parts of the definition of communication? Differentiate between interpersonal and organizational communication.

The Process of Interpersonal Communications (slides 5, 6,

9~12, 14)

Describe the seven elements of the communication process. List the communication methods managers might use. Describe nonverbal communication an how it takes place. Explain the barriers to effective interpersonal communication and how to overcome them.

Page 194

Slide 31

C H A P T E R R E V I E W 2/3 Organizational Communication (slides 19~21,

23, 25) Contrast formal and informal communication. Explain how communication can flow in an organization. Describe the three common communication networks. Discuss how managers should handle the grapevine.

Page 194

Slide 32

C H A P T E R R E V I E W 3/3
Communication Issues in Todays Organization (slides 26~30)
Discuss how Internet employee gripe sites affect communication. Explain how organizations can manage knowledge. Explain why communicating with customers is an important managerial issue. Describe how political correctness is affecting communication.

Page 194

Slide 33