Dan C. Lungescu, PhD, assistant professor2015-2016

ManagementPart IV: Leading

Ch. 14. Communication

Course outline

Part I: Introduction

Part II: Planning

Part III: Organizing

Part IV: Leading

Part V: Controlling

Management

Part IV outline

Part IV: Leading

Management

Ch. 12. Motivation

Ch. 13. Leadership

Ch. 14. Communication

Ch. 15. Managing groups

Learning objectives

After studying this chapter, you should:

Explain the major types of managerial communication. Outline the basic components of the communication

process. Describe how perceptual processes influence individual

communication. Explain the role of semantics, verbal and nonverbal

consistency, and communication skills in communication by individuals.

Assess the usefulness of centralized and decentralized group communication networks.

Distinguish among major organizational communication channels.

Chapter 14 outline

A. The nature of communication

B. Individual communication

C. Group communication

D. Organizational communication

A. The nature of communication

Outline » A. The nature of communication

go to

go to

The exchange of messages between people for the purpose ofachieving common meanings.

Communication

Communication by means of elements and behaviors that are notcoded into words.

II. Nonverbal communication

The written or oral use of words to communicate.

I. Verbal communication

I. Verbal communicationOral communication: face-to-face conversations, meetings, telephone conversations. Fast. More personal. Immediate feedback. Time-consuming. Difficult to terminate. Additional effort is required

to document what is said if a record is necessary.

Written communication: business letters, office memorandums, reports,

résumés, written telephone messages, newsletters, policy manuals, e-mails (FYI). A record of the message. Can be disseminated widely

with a minimum of effort. Allows the sender to think

through the intended message carefully.

Expense of preparation. Impersonal nature. Possible misunderstanding by

the receiver. Delay of feedback.

Outline » A. The nature of communication » I. Verbal communication

II. Nonverbal communication

Outline » A. The nature of communication » II. Nonverbal communication

Body movements, such as gestures, facial expressions, eyemovement, and posture.

1. Kinesic behavior

The influence of proximity and space on communication.

2. Proxemics

Vocal aspects of communication that relate to how something issaid rather than to what is said.

3. Paralanguage

The communicative use of material things, including clothing,cosmetics, furniture, and architecture.

4. Object language

Communication process

Outline » A. The nature of communication » Communication process

Sender

Person A

Receiver

Receiver

Person B

Sender

encoding decoding

decoding encoding

mediummessage

feedbackmedium

NOISE

Organizational context

Organizational context

Basic elements of communication Sender: the initiator of the message. Encoding: the process of translating the intended meaning into

words and gestures (or other codes). Message: the encoding-process outcome, which consists of

verbal and nonverbal symbols that have been developed to convey meaning to the receiver.

Medium: the method used to convey the message to the intended receiver.

Receiver: the person with whom the message is exchanged. Decoding: the process of translating the symbols into the

interpreted message. Noise: any factor in the communication process that interferes

with exchanging messages and achieving common meaning. Feedback: receiver’s basic response to the interpreted message.

Outline » A. The nature of communication » Communication process » Basic elements

Communication context

Outline » A. The nature of communication » Communication process » The context

Place, room, microclimate, sounds, light, colors etc.

1. Physical context

Mentalities, values, attitudes, beliefs, traditions, life styles etc.

2. Cultural context

Social statuses, type of relationship (official|informal), situation etc.

3. Social context

The moment and the order of transmitting messages.

4. Time context

Steps in the communication process

Outline » A. The nature of communication » Communication process » Steps

6. Understanding

5. Decoding

4. Perceiving

3. Transmitting

2. Encoding

1. Thinking

B. Individual communication

Outline » B. Individual communication

Factors that impede or enhance individual communication:

I. Perceptual processes

II. Semantics

III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency

IV. Communication skills (listening skills, and feedback)

I. Perceptual processes

Outline » B. Individual communication » I. Perceptual processes

The process that individuals use to acquire and make sense out ofinformation from the environment.

Perception

Three main stages:

The filtering of stimuli that we encounter so that only certaininformation receives our attention.

1. Selecting

The patterning of information.

2. Organizing

Attaching meaning to the information.

3. Interpreting

Factors that affect perception

Outline » B. Individual communication » I. Perceptual processes » Factors that affect perception

The tendency to attribute characteristics to an individual on the basis of anassessment of the group to which the individual belongs.

1. Stereotyping

The tendency to use a general impression based on one or a few characteristicsof an individual to judge other characteristics of that same individual.

2. Halo effect

The tendency of an individual to assume that other share his or her thoughts,feelings, and characteristics.

3. Projection

The tendency to block out or distort information that one finds threatening orthat challenges one’s beliefs.

4. Perceptual defense

The tendency to perceive oneself as responsible for successes and others asresponsible for failures.

5. Self-serving bias

II. Semantics

Outline » B. Individual communication » II. Semantics

The study of the meanings and choice of words.

Semantics

The network of words and word meanings that a given individualhas available for recall.

Semantic net

The blockages or communication difficulties that arise from wordchoices.

Semantic blocks

III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency

Outline » B. Individual communication » III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency

How nonverbal communication reinforce the verbal message: Repeating the verbal message. Complementing (adding to) the verbal message. Accenting (emphasizing) a verbal message. Regulating the verbal exchange.

a. Reinforcing

Nonverbal message may substitute for the verbal one.

b. Replacing

Nonverbal message may contradict the verbal one – verbal andnonverbal elements combine to send an inconsistent message.

c. Inconsistency

Examples of (in)consistency

Outline » B. Individual communication » III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency » Examples

Pointing in the appropriate direction when explaining the location of something.Repeating

Having a look of embarrassment when talking about a poor performance issue.Complementing

Pounding the table while stating that quality must be improved.Accenting

A head nod, an eye movement, or a shift in position that signals the other to continue or

stop speaking.Regulating

Facial expressions or body movements to communicate a message without speaking a

word.Replacing

Yelling ‘I am not angry!’Contradicting

IV. Communication skillsHow to listen actively: Listen patiently to what the other person has to say, even though you

may believe it is wrong or irrelevant. Try to understand the feeling the person is expressing, as well as the

intellectual content. Restate the person’s feeling, briefly but accurately. Allow time for the discussion to continue without interruption, and try

to separate the conversation from more official communication of company plans.

Avoid direct questions and arguments about facts. When the other person does touch on a point you do want to know

more about, simply repeat his or her statement as a question. Listen for what isn’t said – evasions of pertinent points or perhaps

too-ready agreement with common clichés. If the other person appears to genuinely want your viewpoint, be

honest in your reply. Focus on the content of the message; try not to think about your next

statement until the person is finished talking. Don’t make judgments until all information has been conveyed.

Outline » B. Individual communication » IV. Communication skills

C. Group communication

Outline » C. Group communication

Centralizednetworks(with apivotal person)

Decentralizednetworks

Y wheel chain

circle all-channel

D. Organizational communication

Outline » D. Organizational communication

Communication that involves a message exchange between two ormore levels of the organizational hierarchy.

I. Vertical communication

Lateral or diagonal message exchange either within work-unitboundaries, involving peers who report to the same supervisor, oracross work-unit boundaries, involving individuals who report todifferent supervisors.

II. Horizontal communication

Vertical communication that flows from a higher level to one or morelower levels in the organization.

1. Downward communication

The vertical flow of communication from a lower level to one or morehigher levels in the organization.

2. Upward communication

Communication channels

Outline » D. Organizational communication » Communication channels

Patterns of organizational communication flow that representpotential established conduits through which managers and otherorganization members can send and receive information.

Communication channels

Vertical communication(downward)

Vertical communication(upward)

Horizontal communication

Chain of command

Outline » D. Organizational communication » Chain of command

Lines of authority and formal reporting relationships.(Organizational communication should stick to this chain.)

Chain of command

Deficiencies in the chain of command:

The chain of command fails to consider informal communication betweenmembers – not all the informal communication benefits the organization(informal grapevine etc.).

1. Informal communication

The tendency for a message to be watered down or stopped duringtransmission.

2. Filtering

Especially for horizontal communication between departments.

3. Slowness

Informal communication (grapevine)

Outline » D. Organizational communication » Informal communication (grapevine)

Communication that takes place without regard to hierarchical ortask requirements (grapevine).

Informal communication

Grapevine does not restrict to communicating information by word of mouth. It may encompass written notes, e-mail, fax messages.

Organizations often have several grapevine systems, some of which may be loosely coordinated.

The grapevine can transmit information relevant to the performance of the organization as well as personal gossip (many

times, it is difficult to distinguish between the two).

Dan C. Lungescu, PhD, assistant professor2015-2016