Promoting

Effective
Communicati
on

BADM 310

Management
and
Organizational
Behavior
chapter sixteen

Some slides drawn from The McGraw-Hill Copyrighted material.

Communications - Learning
Objectives
1. Explain why effective
communication helps an
organization gain a competitive
advantage.
2. Describe the communication
process, and explain the role of
perception in communication.
3. Define information richness, and
describe the information richness of
communication media available to
managers.
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Communications - Learning
Objectives (cont.)
4. Describe the communication
networks that exist in groups and
teams.
5. Explain how advances in technology
have given managers new options
for managing communications.
6. Describe important communication
skills that managers need as
senders and receivers of messages
and why it is important to
understand differences in linguistic
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Communication and
Management
Communication
The sharing of
information
between two or
more individuals
or groups to reach
a common
understanding.

Seems simple,
but often is not as
simple or as
natural as it

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Benefits of Good
Communication
Increased efficiency in new
technologies and skills
Improved quality of products and
services
Increased responsiveness to
customers
More innovation through
communication
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Dangers of Ineffective
Communication
Tenerife, 1977: Report when runway clear

Communications in
organizations is full of land
mines
Communications failures abound

Airline crashes as tragic examples

Less dramatic or visible communication
failures are common and costly.

We communicate constantly. What

makes effective communication
hard? For example:
We take it for granted rather than viewing it as an
important challenge.
We assume others will see things the same way
that we do.
Communications are highly interpreted yet those
others interpretations are often not visible.

The Communication Process

Figure 16.1

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The Communication Process

Verbal Communication- The encoding of messages into
words, either written or spoken
Sender person wishing to share information with some
other person
Message what information to communicate
Encoding sender translates the message into symbols
or language
Noise refers to anything that hampers any stage of the
communication process
Receiver person or group for which the message is
intended
Medium pathway through which an encoded message is
transmitted to a receiver
Decoding - critical point where the receiver interprets
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and tries to make sense of the message

The Communication Process

Figure 16.1

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The Role of Perception in

Communication
Perception
Subjective process through which people
select, organize, and interpret sensory
input to give meaning and order to the
world around them
None of us sees reality; individuals
actively interpret sensory input and treat
the result as reality
People often differ in their perceptions of
situations
Encoding and decoding are centrally
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influenced by perception

Perception Challenge: What do

you see?

The old saw: Perception is reality. In

12
management situations this is doubly
true.

What influences
perceptions?
Characteristics of Perceiver: Peoples personalities,

values, attitudes and moods as well as their experience and

knowledge

(Perceptual) Biases: tendencies to use information about

others in ways that can result in inaccurate perceptions
can interfere with the encoding and decoding of messages

Examples of Biases:
Stereotypes: simplified and often inaccurate beliefs

about the characteristics of particular groups of people

Selective perception (not in text) attending to some
aspects of stimuli & ignoring others .
Perceptual set (not in text) = perceptions are shaped
by expectations of perceiver. We see what we expect to
see (also confirmation bias).
13

Dec 7, 1941.
What was the radar blip?

Confirmation bias and

Perceptual set.
14

Perceptual Biases - Example

Give a Harvard Business School case on a
troubled company to a factory manager, a
CFO, a marketing VP, and the head of
research. How will their interpretations of
the problem differ and why?
Selective perception
The old saw: Perception is reality.
Effective communications relies on
avoiding misperceptions and on
understanding others perceptions.
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Old saw = A proverb or maxim such as haste makes waste

The Communication Process

Figure 16.1

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Information Richness and

Communication Media
Managers and their subordinates can become
effective communicators by selecting an
appropriate medium for each message.
There is no one best medium. Criteria for choice:
Information Richness
Time required
Paper trail for later referencing

Information richness
The amount of information that a communication
medium can carry
The extent to which the medium enables the sender
and receiver to reach a common understanding
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Informatio
n
Richness
of
Communication
Media
Figure 16.2
16-18

Verbal Communication
Face-to-Face
Has highest information richness.
Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.
Management by wandering around
face-to-face communication technique in which a manager
walks around a work area and talks informally with
employees about issues and concerns.

Spoken Communication Electronically

Transmitted
Telephone conversations are information rich with
tone of voice, senders emphasis, and quick
feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.
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Has the second highest information richness.

Verbal & Non-verbal

Communication which is
richer?
Nonverbal
Communicatio
n: The encoding
of messages by
means of facial
expressions,
body language,
and styles of
dress.

Can send MORE

information than
verbal communication itself!

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Written
Communication
Personally Addressed Written
Communication
Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of
communication, but still is directed at a given
person.
Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually
reads the messagepersonal letters and e-mail are
common forms.

Impersonal Written Communication

Has the lowest information richness.
Includes blogs & social networking sites
Good for messages to many receivers
where little or feedback is expected
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(e.g., newsletters, reports)

Choosing the right medium

Why not choose high information
richness mediums all the time?
Because they:
Tend to have higher cost /time
Tend to lack a paper trail.
Choose high information richness when
message is:
Important
Sensitive (For example, Evaluative, critical,
disappointing or otherwise emotionally
laden).
22

What communication
medium would you use?

A valued, highly experienced member of your

management team consistently tends to open
up issues with a negative spin while you, the
CEO, are trying to build positive momentum and
move on. You want them to stop doing that.
You need to inform your group of a new,
somewhat more restrictive travel expense
reimbursement policy.
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Barriers to Effective
Communication
Sending Messages:
Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to
understand
Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium
Messages with no provision for feedback
Messages where information is filtered or distorted
Messages that are received but ignored

Receiving Messages:
Prematurely judging or interpreting
Lack of empathy with sender

Listen actively
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Barriers to Effective
Communication, continued
Filtering
Withholding part of a message because of the
mistaken belief that the receiver does not need or
will not want the information.
Why else would you filter the information?

Information distortion
Changes in the meaning of a message as the
message passes through a series of senders and
receivers.

Information overload
The potential for important information to be ignored
or overlooked while tangential information receives
attention.
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Barriers to Effective
Communication, continued
Jargon
specialized language that members of an
occupation, group, or organization
develop to facilitate communication
among themselves
Can be a barrier to effective
communication with people outside the
occupation, group, or organization
Example We review our KPIs every quarter.

Jargon can also be a power move, so dont

just think about communication clarity
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Examples of Communications
Barriers

A manufacturing manager believes the

companys sales force is incompetent. When the
sales VP (accurately) reports missed sales targets
are due to a new products unreliability, the
manufacturing VP hears him deflecting blame
from sales force incompetence.
You dont believe that your product development
group is going to meet an important target or
deadline. If they dont, your job, or at least your
bonus, is on the line. Why tell your manager
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Active Listening Self-Assessment:

1. I attempt to listen to several

conversations at the same time.
2. I know what another person is going
to say before he or she says it.
3. I end conversations that don't
interest me by diverting my
attention from the speaker.
4. I formulate a response while the
other person is still talking.
5. I hear what I expect to hear rather
than what is said.

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Source: Reprinted from Supervisory Management, January 1989. 0 1989 American Management Association, New York. http://www.amanet.org. All rights reserved

Key Techniques to Listen

Actively
Avoid interrupting
the speaker

Make eye
contact

Be empathetic

Paraphrase
Dont overtalk

No distracting
actions or
gestures

Active
Listening

Ask questions

Head nods and

appropriate
facial expressions
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Linguistic Style
Linguistic Style A persons
characteristic way of speaking
Compare across regions (New York vs.
Midwest)
Compare across cultures (next slide)
Compare women and men
Gina shares an innovative idea with other
members of her self-managed team. Harry,
another team member, enthusiastically supports
her idea. Gina is quietly pleased by Harrys
reaction. The group implements Harrys
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suggestion and it is written up as such
in the

Linguistic Styles:
Cross-Cultural Differences
When visiting Southern
France, you are asked by
the concierge whether the
meeting room is
satisfactory. You give the
OK sign of thumb and
fore finger touching. To the
concierge, this probably
means:
A. Screw you!
B. How much does it
cost?
C. Its worthless
D. Its OK, just fine,
thanks

If you are speaking to

an audience in Japan
and you see several
people with their eyes
closed, it probably
means:

A. You better liven

up the talk
B. They had a late
night last night
C. They are doing
this to focus on your
message
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Linguistic Styles in more

depth:
Gender Differences (Tannen)
View clip
Men and women are socialized to
communicating differently
(many) Men use language of status and
independence

Talk about solutions to problems to demonstrate

control

(many) Women use language of connection

and support
Talk about problems to promote closeness, gain
support

We should communicate adaptively that is:

Acknowledge viability of each style and their
32
differences

Reprise: Barriers to Effective

Communication
Sending Messages:
Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to
understand
Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium
Messages with no provision for feedback
Messages where information is filtered or distorted
Messages that are received but ignored

Receiving Messages:
Prematurely judging or interpreting
Lack of empathy with sender

Listen actively
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Communication Networks
Communication Networks
The pathways along which information
flows in groups and teams and
throughout the organization.

Type of communication network

depends on:
The nature of the groups tasks
The extent to which group members need
to communicate with each other to
achieve group goals.
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Communication Networks in
Groups and Teams

Figure 16.3
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Organization
Communication Networks
Communication in an organization
flows through formal and informal
pathways (next slide)
Vertical communications flow up and down
the corporate hierarchy.
Why do managers need to pay particular
attention to getting feedback from employees?

Horizontal communications flow between

employees of the same level.
Informal communications can span levels
and departments
Grapevine - an informal network carrying
16-36 firm.
unofficial information throughout the

Formal and Informal

Communication
Networks in an Organization
Organization Chart
Summarizes the
formal reporting
channels in an
organization
(solid lines
between boxes).

Figure 16.4

16-37

Information Technology and

Communication
Intranets
A company-wide system of computer networks for
information sharing by employees
Versatile, usable without information tech. expertise

Groupware
Computer software that enables members of groups
and teams to share information with each other to
improve communication and performance.
Collaboration software - groupware that
promotes and facilitates collaborative, highly
interdependent interactions and provides an
electronic meeting site for communication among
team members (Google docs, Wikis).
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How to Be Successful Using

Groupware (or change in
general)

1. Work is team-based and members are rewarded

for group performance

People who work and are rewarded primarily on their

own may not be motivated by group-level benefits
People may be reluctant to share information if they
feel they are in competitive situation, or if top
management or culture does not support it.

2. Groupware has full support of top management

3. Culture of the organization stresses flexibility
4. Groupware is being used for a specific purpose
Avoid the solution in search of a problem syndrome

5. Employees receive adequate training

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