Chapter 13 Interpersonal and Organizational Communications Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
Interpersonal and Organizational Communications Chapter 13 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Framework for Understanding Communications Communication is defined as the transmission of mutual understanding through the use of symbols If mutual understanding does not result from the transmission of symbols, there is no communication The elements in the process of communication are: Source Encoding Message Medium Decoding Receiver Noise Feedback Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 2/24 Organizational Communication Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Formal Channels The three formal channels of communication are downward, upward, and horizontal Downward Flows from higher to lower levels Key aspect—subordinates react most effectively to those matters judged to be of the greatest interest to the boss Selective screening is a problem Example forms: job instructions, memos, policies, procedures, manuals, etc. 4/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Formal Channels (cont.) Upward Flows from lower to higher levels Most ineffective of the three channels Employees need opportunities to be: Heard Anonymous Example devices: suggestion boxes, group meetings, participative decision making, grievance procedures, etc. Horizontal Flows from one level to an equal level Necessary for coordination of diverse organizational functions Most effective of the three channels Example devices: Internet, corporate intranets 5/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Informal Channels Communications within organizations do not necessarily follow the formal pathways Many organizations have extensive networks of informal communications Since they are ingrained into organizational life, managers should heed and use them to benefit programs, policies, or plans Elements of informal channels are: Grapevine—75% accurate Rumor—unverified belief in general circulation 6/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Interpersonal Communication Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal communication travels from person to person in face-to-face and group settings It is the primary means (75%) of managerial communication Communication problems can be traced to perceptual and interpersonal style differences 8/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Interpersonal Communication (cont.) Interpersonal styles—the way in which an individual prefers to relate to others—differ among individuals Good communicators learn to recognize their style and others’ styles as well as how to modify their style for effective communication 9/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Interpersonal Communication (cont.) Since interpersonal communications is largely focused on transmitting information from one person to another, the different combinations of knowing and not knowing the necessary facts affects communication. The four combinations of information known and unknown by self and others are: The arena The area most conducive to effective interpersonal relationships and communications All information is known to both the sender and receiver 10/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Interpersonal Communication (cont.) The blind spot The façade Information is known to sender but unknown to receiver The unknown Information is known to receiver but not to sender Selective perception is related to blind-spot problems Information is unknown by everyone Interpersonal communications can be improved by using: Exposure—be open and honest in sharing information Feedback—sender must listen and receiver must respond 11/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Types of Interpersonal Communication Two types of interpersonal communication are verbal and non-verbal Verbal Oral communication Conversations in person, telephone, etc. Major benefits—ideas can be interchanged, prompt feedback can be provided, allows use of gestures, facial expressions, and other emotions such as tone or voice Can result in poor communication—immediacy, not well thought out, not clearly encoded, noise in the process 12/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Types of Interpersonal Communication (cont.) Written communication Major benefits—allows sender to think about message, reread it, have others review it, provides a record of the communication Major drawbacks—takes more time to prepare, no interaction, no immediate feedback, discourages open communication Non-verbal Sending and receiving messages by some medium other than verbal or written 93% of message is via non-verbal content Examples: voice, face, body, proxemics 13/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Why Communications Break Down Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Why Communications Break Down Problems occur both in formal organizational communications and in interpersonal communications Breakdown can occur whenever any one of the elements of communication is defective (sender, encoding, medium, decoding, receiver, feedback) 15/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Why Communications Break Down (cont.) Conflicting frames of reference Selective perception People interpret the same communication differently depending on their previous experiences People block out information if it conflicts with what they believe Value judgments People assign an overall worth to a message prior to receiving the entire communication 16/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Why Communications Break Down (cont.) Status differences Security Status in the organization is determined by position, title, pay, office size, etc. Security of the channel is an increasingly important consideration for employees Source credibility The amount of trust, confidence, and/or faith the receiver has in the words and actions of the communicator 17/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Why Communications Break Down (cont.) Time pressures Information overload Managers don’t have the time to communicate frequently with every subordinate Managers often are deluged by information and data Semantic problems The same words may mean entirely different things to different people 18/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 Why Communications Break Down (cont.) Poor listening skills Most individuals listen at only a 25% level of efficiency 19/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 How Communications Can Be Improved Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 How Communications Can Be Improved To become better communicators, managers must: Effective listening Improve their messages Improve their own understanding of what other people are trying to communicate Managers must listen with understanding Following up Managers should attempt to determine whether their intended meaning was actually received 21/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 How Communications Can Be Improved (cont.) Regulating information flow Utilizing feedback Only significant deviations from policies and procedures should be brought to the managers Managers should determine whether their messages have been received and if they have produced the intended responses Empathy Managers should put themselves into the other person’s role and assume the viewpoints and emotions of that person Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 22/24 How Communications Can Be Improved (cont.) Simplifying language Managers must encode messages in words, appeals, and symbols that are meaningful to the receiver Organizational stories Using narrative allows managers to forge relationships with diverse audiences well beyond those afforded by a technical argument 23/24 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003 End of Chapter 13 Copyright Atomic Dog Publishing, 2003
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