Management. Part IV: Leading Ch. 14. Communication

Transcription

1 Management Part IV: Leading Ch. 14. Communication Dan C. Lungescu, PhD, assistant professor

2 Course outline Management Part I: Introduction Part II: Planning Part III: Organizing Part IV: Leading Part V: Controlling

3 Part IV outline Management Part IV: Leading Ch. 12. Motivation Ch. 13. Leadership Ch. 14. Communication Ch. 15. Managing groups

4 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.

5 Chapter 14 outline A. The nature of communication B. Individual communication C. Group communication D. Organizational communication

6 A. The nature of communication Communication The exchange of messages between people for the purpose of achieving common meanings. I. Verbal communication The written or oral use of words to communicate. go to II. Nonverbal communication Communication by means of elements and behaviors that are not coded into words. go to Outline» A. The nature of communication

7 I. Verbal communication Oral communication: face-toface 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, s (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

8 II. Nonverbal communication 1. Kinesic behavior Body movements, such as gestures, facial expressions, eye movement, and posture. 2. Proxemics The influence of proximity and space on communication. 3. Paralanguage Vocal aspects of communication that relate to how something is said rather than to what is said. 4. Object language The communicative use of material things, including clothing, cosmetics, furniture, and architecture. Outline» A. The nature of communication» II. Nonverbal communication

9 Communication process Organizational context NOISE Sender Person A Receiver encoding decoding medium message feedback medium decoding encoding Receiver Person B Sender Organizational context Outline» A. The nature of communication» Communication process

10 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

11 Communication context 1. Physical context Place, room, microclimate, sounds, light, colors etc. 2. Cultural context Mentalities, values, attitudes, beliefs, traditions, life styles etc. 3. Social context Social statuses, type of relationship (official informal), situation etc. 4. Time context The moment and the order of transmitting messages. Outline» A. The nature of communication» Communication process» The context

12 Steps in the communication process 1. Thinking 2. Encoding 3. Transmitting 4. Perceiving 5. Decoding 6. Understanding Outline» A. The nature of communication» Communication process» Steps

13 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) Outline» B. Individual communication

14 I. Perceptual processes Perception The process that individuals use to acquire and make sense out of information from the environment. Three main stages: 1. Selecting The filtering of stimuli that we encounter so that only certain information receives our attention. 2. Organizing The patterning of information. 3. Interpreting Attaching meaning to the information. Outline» B. Individual communication» I. Perceptual processes

15 Factors that affect perception 1. Stereotyping The tendency to attribute characteristics to an individual on the basis of an assessment of the group to which the individual belongs. 2. Halo effect The tendency to use a general impression based on one or a few characteristics of an individual to judge other characteristics of that same individual. 3. Projection The tendency of an individual to assume that other share his or her thoughts, feelings, and characteristics. 4. Perceptual defense The tendency to block out or distort information that one finds threatening or that challenges one s beliefs. 5. Self-serving bias The tendency to perceive oneself as responsible for successes and others as responsible for failures. Outline» B. Individual communication» I. Perceptual processes» Factors that affect perception

16 II. Semantics Semantics The study of the meanings and choice of words. Semantic net The network of words and word meanings that a given individual has available for recall. Semantic blocks The blockages or communication difficulties that arise from word choices. Outline» B. Individual communication» II. Semantics

17 III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency a. Reinforcing 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. b. Replacing Nonverbal message may substitute for the verbal one. c. Inconsistency Nonverbal message may contradict the verbal one verbal and nonverbal elements combine to send an inconsistent message. Outline» B. Individual communication» III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency

18 Examples of (in)consistency Contradicting Replacing Regulating Accenting Complementing Repeating Yelling I am not angry! Facial expressions or body movements to communicate a message without speaking a word. A head nod, an eye movement, or a shift in position that signals the other to continue or stop speaking. Pounding the table while stating that quality must be improved. Having a look of embarrassment when talking about a poor performance issue. Pointing in the appropriate direction when explaining the location of something. Outline» B. Individual communication» III. Verbal and nonverbal consistency» Examples

19 IV. Communication skills How 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

20 C. Group communication Centralized networks (with a pivotal person) Y wheel chain Decentralized networks circle all-channel Outline» C. Group communication

21 D. Organizational communication I. Vertical communication Communication that involves a message exchange between two or more levels of the organizational hierarchy. 1. Downward communication Vertical communication that flows from a higher level to one or more lower levels in the organization. 2. Upward communication The vertical flow of communication from a lower level to one or more higher levels in the organization. II. Horizontal communication Lateral or diagonal message exchange either within work-unit boundaries, involving peers who report to the same supervisor, or across work-unit boundaries, involving individuals who report to different supervisors. Outline» D. Organizational communication

22 Communication channels Communication channels Patterns of organizational communication flow that represent potential established conduits through which managers and other organization members can send and receive information. Vertical communication (downward) Vertical communication (upward) Outline» D. Organizational communication» Communication channels Horizontal communication

23 Chain of command Chain of command Lines of authority and formal reporting relationships. (Organizational communication should stick to this chain.) Deficiencies in the chain of command: 1. Informal communication The chain of command fails to consider informal communication between members not all the informal communication benefits the organization (informal grapevine etc.). 2. Filtering The tendency for a message to be watered down or stopped during transmission. 3. Slowness Especially for horizontal communication between departments. Outline» D. Organizational communication» Chain of command

24 Informal communication (grapevine) Informal communication Communication that takes place without regard to hierarchical or task requirements (grapevine). Grapevine does not restrict to communicating information by word of mouth. It may encompass written notes, , 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). Outline» D. Organizational communication» Informal communication (grapevine)

25 Dan C. Lungescu, PhD, assistant professor