Unit 11: Communication in Organizations

-An Insight

An Overview

Communication- The Importance Communication-Definition Interpersonal Communication The Communication Process Communication in OrganizationsInfluencing Factors Types of Communication Communication by OrganizationsNegotiation

Communication- The Importance

Provides a common thread for the management processes of POLC Effective communication skills help managers to make use of the culturally diverse workforce The fact that managers spent majority of their time in communicating speaks volumes of its importance

Acts to control member behavior Encourages motivation by clarifying what is to be done, how well they are doing and what can be done to improve performance Communication provides information to enable individuals and groups get things done

Communication- The Meaning

The process by which people attempt to share meaning via the transmission o symbolic messages The Transfer and understanding of meaning Encompasses both interpersonal & Organizational Communication

Interpersonal Communication & The Communication Process

Communication between two or more people

Sender Message Encoding The Channel/Medium Decoding The Receiver Feedback

The elements of Communication process

Sender: The initiator of communication Message: The purpose to be conveyed Encoding: Converting a message into symbols

Channel/Medium: The medium a message travels along Decoding: The interpretation a nd translation of message into meaningful information

Elements of Communication

Receiver: The individual whose senses perceive the senders message Feedback: return the message to the sender and provides a check on whether understanding has been achieved

Noise: Any disturbance that interfere with the transmission, receipt or feedback of a message

Methods of Interpersonal Communication

Face-to face Telephone Group Meetings Formal Presentations Memos Postal Mail Fax Publications Bulletin Boards

Audio/Video tapes Email Computer Conference Voice mail Tele/Video Conference

Nonverbal Communication

Communication transmitted without words Body language: gestures, facial expressions and other body movements that convey meaning

Barriers to Effective Communication

Differing Perceptions Filtering Emotions Inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal communications Prior trust/distrust between parties Information Overload

Defensiveness Language National Culture

Overcoming Barriers

Use Feedback Simplify Language Listen Actively Constrain Emotions Watch Non-Verbal Cues

Organizational Communication

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

Factors Influencing Organizational Communication

The Formal channels of communication: that is endorsed and controlled by managers- newsletters, regular memos, reports, staff meetings The Organizations authority structure Job Specialization Information Ownership: An Individual possess unique information and knowledge about their jobs.

Job Specialization- The Facilitator of communication

Job specialization usually leads to better communication within specialized groups. These employees are likely to share the same jargon, goals and tasks and thus communicate easily about their work

Vertical Communication

Any communication that moves up or down the chain of command Downward Communication: Starts with top management and flows down through management levels to line workers and non supervisory personnel Purpose: To advise, inform, direct, instruct and evaluate employees and to provide organization members with information about goals and policies.

Upward Communication

Main function: To supply information to the upper levels about what is happening at the lower levels. Includes progress reports, suggestions, explanations and requests for aid or decisions

Vertical Communication- Problems

Downward Communication: Likely to be filtered, modified, or halted at each level as managers decide what should be passed down to their employees Do not provide info to employees they need to carry out tasks effectively

Upward Communication: Likely to be filtered, condensed, or altered by middle managers who see it as part as part of their job to protect upper management from nonessential data originating at the lower levels Keep with them as well information that would reflect unfavorably on them

Lateral Communication

Communication between different departments of an organization that generally follows the work flow rather than the chain of command, and thus provides a direct channel for coordination and problem solving Communication that takes place among employees on the same organizational level

Informal Communication & Grapevine

Communication that is not defined by the organizations structural hierarchy Communication within an organization which is not officially sanctioned

Grapevine: The informal Communication network The various paths through which informal communication is passed through an organization

Grapevine-Types

Single strand chain Gossip chain Probability chain Cluster chain

Communication by Organizations

To Customers Other stakeholders of business

Negotiation- The Tool to manage conflicts

Negotiation The use of communication skills and bargaining to manage conflict and reach mutually satisfying outcomes

Conflict Disagreement about the allocation of scarce resources or clashes regarding goals, values and so on; can occur on the interpersonal or organizational level

Negotiation Situations- Lewicki & Litterer

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2.

3.

Conflict of interest between two or more parties No fixed or established set of rules or procedures for resolving the conflict, or the parties prefer to work outside of a set of rules and procedures to invent their own solution to the conflict The parties (for the moment) prefer to search for agreement rather than to fight openly

Factors important to Negotiation

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2.

3.

4.

5.

Whether the parties see their interests as depending on each other The extent of trust/distrust between the parties Each partys ability to communicate clearly and to persuade or coerce the other party to accept its point of view The personalities and idiosyncrasies of the actual people involved The goals and interests of the parties

Negotiation Process- Types

Integrative Distributive

Integrative Process

Negotiation process in which the prospects for both parties gains are encouraging; also known as a win-win situation Parties attempt to reconcile their stakesare characterized by open, emphatic communications

Distributive Process

Negotiation process in which each of the parties tends to seek maximum gains and wants to impose maximum losses on the other; also known as a win-lose situation or zero sum