COMMUNICATING

* What Communication is
* Function of Communication
* The Communication Process
* Forms of Communication
* The Barriers to Communication
* Overcoming Barriers to Communication
* Techniques for Communicating in
Organization
* Management Information System
What Communication Is
- Communication (from Latin commūnicāre, meaning
"to share") is the act of conveying intended meanings from
one entity or group to another through the use of mutuall
understood signs and semiotic rules.

- A process by which information is exchanged between

individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or
behavior.

- According to Morris Philip Wolf and Shirley Kuiper

communication is “A process of sharing information through
symbols, including words and message.”
 - Communication may happen between
superior and subordinate, between peers,
between a manager and client or customer,
between an employee and government
representative, etc. It may be done face-to-face,
or through printed materials, or through an
electronics device like telephone, etc.

- In management, communication must be

made for a purpose and because it has a cost
attached to it, it must be used effectively.
Function of Communication

1.) Information Function

- Provided through communication may be used for decision
making at various work level in the organization.

2.) Motivation Function

- Communications is also oftentimes uses as a means to
motivate employees to commit themselves to the organization’s
objectives.
3.) Control Function
- When properly communicated, reports, policies, and plans
define roles, clarify duties, authorities and responsibilities.
Effective control is, then, facilitated.

4.) Emotive Function

- When feelings are repressed in the organization,
employees are affected by anxiety, which, in turn, affects
performance. Whatever types of emotions are involved, whether
satisfaction, happiness, or bitterness, communication provides a
means to decrease the internal pressure affecting the individual.
The Communication Process
1.) Develop an Idea
- The most important step in effective communication is
developing an idea. It is important that the idea to be conveyed
must be useful or of some value. An example of a useful idea is
how to prevent accidents in workplaces.

2.) Encode
- The next step is to encode the idea into words,
illustrations, figures, or other symbols suitable for transmission.
The method of transmission should be determined in advance so
that the idea may be encoded to conform with the specific
requirements of the identified method.
3.) Transmit
- After encoding, the message is now ready for
transmission through the use of an appropriate
communication channel. Among the various channels
used include the spoken words, body movements, the
written words, television, telephone, radio, an artist’s
paint, electronic mail, etc.
Proper transmission is very important so the
message sent will reach and hold the attention of the
receiver. To achieve this, the communication channel
must be free of barriers, or interference (sometimes
referred to as noise).
4.) Receive
- The next step is the communication process is the actual receiving
of the message by the intended receiver. The requirement is to the receiver to
be ready to receive at the precise
moment the message relayed by the sender.
The message may be initially received by a machine or by a person.
In any case, communication stops when the machine is not turned on to
receiver the message, or the person assigned to receive the message does not
listen or pay attention properly.

5.) Decode
- The next step is decoding, means translating the message from the
sender into a form that will have meaning to the recipient. If the receiver
knows the language and terminology used in the message, successful
decoding may be achieved.
6.) Accept
- The next step is for the receiver to accept or reject the message. Sometimes,
acceptance (or rejection) is partial.
The factors that will affect the acceptance or rejection of a message are as
follows:
The accuracy of the message
Whether or not the sender has the authority to send the message and/or require action
The behavioural implications for the receiver.

7.) Use
- The next step is for the receiver to use the information. If the message provides
information of importance to a relevant activity, then the receiver could store it and retrieve
it when required. If the message requires a certain action to be made, then he may do so,
otherwise, he discards it as soon as it is received. All of the above mentioned options will
depend on his perception of the message.
8.) Provide Feedback
- The last step in the communication process is
for the receiver to provide feedback to the sender.
Depending on the perception of the receiver, however,
this important step may not be made.
Even if feedback is relayed, it may not reach the
original sender of the message. This may be attributed
to the effects of any of the communication barriers.
Forms of Communication
VERBAL COMMUNICATION

- Verbal communications are those transmitted through hearing and

sight. These modes of transmission categorize verbal communication into two
classes: oral and written.
Oral Communication mostly involves hearing the words of the
sender, although sometimes, opportunities are provided for seeing the
sender’s body movements, facial expression, gestures, and eye contact.
Sometimes, feelings, smelling, tasting, and touching are involved.
 An alternative to oral communication is the written
communication where the sender seeks to communicate
through the written word. The written communication is,
sometimes, preferred over the oral communication because
of time and cost constraints. When a sender, for instance,
cannot meet personally the receiver due to some reason, a
written letter or memo is prepared and sent to the receiver.
The written communication, however, has
limitations and to remedy these, some means are advised.
Perfume advertisers, for instance, lace their written
message with the smell of their products. In the same light,
the now popular musical Christmas card is an attempt to
enhance the effects of the written note.
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

- Nonverbal communication is a means of

conveying message through body language, as well as the
use of time, space, touch, clothing, appearance, and
aesthetic elements. Body language consists of gestures,
bodily movement, posture, facial expression, and
mannerism of all kinds.
Nonverbal expressions convey many shades of
meaning and it is the advantage of the communicator to
understand what messages are relayed.
The Barriers to Communication

Personal Barriers
Personal barriers are hindrances to effective communication arising
from a communicator’s characteristics as a person, such as emotions, values,
poor listening habits, sex, age, race, socioeconomic status, religion, education,
etc.
Emotions cloud the communicator’s ability to judge correctly the
real meaning of messages received. People with different value will find it
hard to communicate with each other. Poor listening habits of a receiver
frustrate the communication efforts of a sender.
Physical Barriers
Physical barriers refer to interferences to effective communication
occurring in the environment where the communication is undertaken. The
very loud sound produced by a passing jet temporarily drowns out the voice
of a guest delivering a speech. Such distraction does not allow full
understanding of the meaning of the entire message and as an example of a
physical barrier.
Physical barriers include distances between people, walls, a noisy
jukebox near a telephone, etc. An office that is too tidy may sometimes
inhibit a person from meeting the occupant of the office face-to-face. A
menacing pet dog (or secretary) posted near the door may also prevent a
person from directly communicating with the object person behind the door.
Semantic Barriers
Semantics is a study of meaning as expressed in symbols. Words,
pictures, or actions are symbols that suggest certain meaning. When the
wrong meaning has been chosen by the receiver, misunderstanding
occurs. Such error constitutes a barrier to communication.
A semantic barrier may be defined as an “interference with the
reception of a message that occurs when the message is misunderstood
even through it is received exactly as transmitted.
For example, the words “wise” and “salvage” will have different
meanings to an English speaking foreigner than to an ordinary Filipino.
 Overcoming Barriers to
Communication
When communication barriers threaten effective performance, certain measures
must be instituted to eliminate them. To eliminate problems due to noise,
selective perception, and distraction, the following are recommended:

1.) Used feedback to facilitate understanding and increase the

potential
for appropriate action.
2.) Repeat messages in order to provide assurance that they are
properly received.
3.) Use multiple channels so that the accuracy of the information may
be enhanced.
4.) Used simplified language that is easily understandable and which
eliminates the possibility of people getting mixed-up with meanings.
 Techniques for Communicating in Organization

Downward Communication
Downward communication refers to message flows
from higher levels of authority to lower levels. Among the
purposes of downward communication are:
› To give instructions
› To provide information about policies and procedures
› To give feedback about performance
› To indoctrinate or motivate
Among the techniques used in downward communication are
as follows: letters, meeting, telephones, manuals, handbooks,
and newsletters.

› Letters are appropriate when directives are complex and

precise actions are required. When orders are simple but
the result depends largely on employee morale,
techniques that provide personal interchange like
meetings and the telephone, are appropriate. Modern
technology has made it possible for people to hold
meetings even if they are thousands of kilometres apart
from each other.

› Manuals are useful sources of information regarding

company policy, procedures, and organization. Unlike
using persons as source of information, manuals are
available whenever it is needed.
› Handbooks provide more specific information
about the duties and privileges of the individual
worker. It has also the advantage of being
available whenever needed.

› Newsletters provide a mixture of personal,

social, and work-related information. Articles
about new hiring, promotions, birthdays of
employee, questions and answer about work
related issues are presented.
UPWARD COMMUNICATION

There is a need for management to provide

employees with all the necessary material and non-material
support it can give. The first requirement, however, is for
management, to know the specific needs of the employees.
This is the primary reason for upward communication.
Upward communication refers to messages from
persons in lower-level positions to person in higher
positions. The messages sent usually provide information on
work progress, problems encountered, suggestions for
improving output, and personal feelings about work and non-
work activities.
 Among the techniques used in upward
communications are:

Formal Grievance Procedures

-Grievances are part of a normally operating organization. To
effectively deal with them, organizations provide a system for
employees to air their grievances.
Holley and Jennings define grievance as “any employee’s
concern over a perceived violation of the labor agreement that is
submitted to the grievance procedure for eventual resolution.”
Grievances represent an open, upward communication channel
whereby employees can offer suggestions to management.
Depending on the size and nature of the company, the
grievance procedure may consist of a single step or a number of
steps. Companies with a collective bargaining agreement with its
Employee Attitude and Opinion Surveys
-Finding out what the employees thinks about
the company is very important. The exercise,
however, requires expertise and the company may
not be prepared to do it. If the organization’s
operation is large enough to justify such activity,
then it must be done. If the assistance of an outside
research firm is considered, a benefit-cost analysis
must be used as a deciding factor.
Suggestion Systems
-Suggestions from employees are important sources of cost-
saving and production enhancing ideas. Even if majority of the
suggestions are not feasible, a simple means of acknowledging them
contributes to employee morale.

Open-Door Policy
-An open-door policy, even on a limited basis, provides the
management with an opportunity to act on difficulties before they become
full-blown problems.

Informal Gripe Sessions.

-Informal gripe sessions can be used positively if management
knows how to handle them. When employees feel free to talk and they are
assured of not being penalized for doing so, then management will be
spared with lots of efforts determining the real causes of problems in the
company.
Task Forces
-When a specific problem or issue arises, a task force
may be created and assigned to deal with the problem or issue.
Since membership of task forces consist of management and
nonmanagement personnel, integration and teamwork are
fostered, creativity is enhanced, and interpersonal skills are
developed.

Exit Interviews
-When employees leave an organization for any reason,
it is to the advantage of management to know the real reason. If
there are negative developments in the organization that
management is not aware of, exit interviews may provide some
of the answers.
HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Horizontal communication refers to messages sent to

individuals or groups from another of the same organizational level or
position.
The purposes of horizontal communication are:

* To coordinate activities between departments

* To persuade others at the same level of organization

* To pass on information about activities or feelings

Among the techniques appropriate for horizontal communication are:

memos, meetings, telephones, picnics, dinners, and other social affairs.
 Management Information System

Management information system (MIS) is defined

by Boone and Kurtz as “an organized method of
providing past, present, and projected information on
internal operations and external intelligence for use in
decision-making.”

The MIS currently used by corporate firms consists

or “written and electronically based systems for sending
reports, memos, bulletins, and the like.” The system
allows manager of the different departments within the
firm to communicate with each other.
The Purposes of MIS
The MIS is established for various reasons. Wheelen and Hunger
enumerate them as follows:

1.) To provide a basis for the analysis of early warning signals that can
originate both externally and internally.

2.) To automate routine clerical operations like payroll and inventory

reports

3.)To assist manager in making routine decisions like scheduling orders,

assigning orders to machines, and reordering supplies.

4.)To provide the information necessary for management to make strategic

or nonprogrammed decisions.