Management

Leadership - communication

Useful vocabulary

• communication• message• encoding• channel• decoding• communication process• noise• nonverbal communication• lateral • diagonal • communication networks• grapevine

• body language• verbal intonation• filtering• selective perception• information overload• jargon• active listening• formal • informal • downward • upward

Today’s lecture

We will:•Define the nature and function of communication•Compare and contrast methods of interpersonal communication•Identify barriers to effective interpersonal communication and how to overcome them•Explain how communication can flow most effectively in organisations•Describe how technology affects managerial communication and organisations•Discuss contemporary issues in communication

What Is Communication?

• Communication - the transfer and understanding of meaning.

• Transfer means the message was received in a form that can be interpreted by the receiver.

• Understanding the message is not the same as the receiver agreeing with the message.

• Interpersonal communication - communication between two or more people.

• Organisational communication - all the patterns, networks, and systems of communications within an organisation.

Activity• How good at communicating are

you?

• The aim of this game is to get your partner to make an exact copy of your drawing!

• “Charades” is also a popular game

Functions of Communication

• Control– Formal and informal communications act to

control individuals’ behaviours in organisations.

• Motivation– Communications clarify for employees what is

to be done, how well they have done it, and what can be done to improve performance.

Functions of Communication (2)

• Emotional Expression– Social interaction in the form of work group

communications provides a way for employees to express themselves.

• Information– Individuals and work groups need information

to make decisions or to do their work.

Interpersonal communication (1)

• Communication process - the seven elements involved in transferring meaning from one person to another.

• Noise - any disturbances that interfere with the transmission, receipt, or feedback of a message.

Interpersonal Communication (2)

• Message - a purpose to be conveyed.• Encoding - converting a message into

symbols.• Channel - the medium a message travels

along.• Decoding - retranslating a sender’s

message.

Exhibit 15-1: The InterpersonalCommunication Process

Communication Process

• The Sender – initiates message• Encoding – translating thought to message• The Message – what is communicated• The Channel – the medium the message

travels through• Decoding – the receiver’s action in making

sense of the message• The Receiver – person who gets the message• Noise – things that interfere with the message• Feedback – a return message regarding the

initial communication

以訛傳訛

• I will give you a message written in english. You can only whisper it to the person next to you once!

• By the time it gets to the final person in the class, they must write down what they think they were told – even if it sounds silly!

Nonverbal Communication

• Nonverbal communication - communication transmitted without words.

• Body language - gestures, facial configurations, and other body movements that convey meaning.

• Verbal intonation - an emphasis given to words or phrases that conveys meaning.

Comparison of communication methods (1)

Comparison of communication methods (2)

Comparison of communication methods (3)

Comparison of communication methods (4)

Activity

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the forms of communication tools?

Barriers to Communication• Filtering - the deliberate manipulation of information to make

it appear more favorable to the receiver.

• Information overload - occurs when information exceeds our processing capacity.

• Jargon - specialised terminology or technical language that members of a group use to communicate among themselves.

• Selective perception - People selectively interpret what they see on the basis of their interests, background, experience, and attitudes

• Emotions - How a receiver feels at the time a message is received will influence how the message is interpreted

Active Listening

Active listening - listening for full meaning without making premature judgments or interpretations.

Active listening behaviours

Activity

• When is active listening used? Give examples of situations where you would find active listening.

• Do you find active listening easy or difficult? Why?

Formal Versus Informal Communication

• Formal communication - communication that takes place within prescribed organisational work arrangements.

• Informal communication - communication that is not defined by the organisation’s structural hierarchy.

Direction of communication (1)

• Downward communication - communication that flows downward from a manager to employees.

• Upward communication - communication that flows upward from employees to managers.

Direction of communication (2)

• Lateral communication - communication that takes place among any employees on the same organisational level.

• Diagonal communication - communication that cuts across work areas and organisational levels.

Directions of communication

• Downward

• Upward

• Lateral

What examples of this type of communication have you experienced at University?

Organisational communication networks

• Communication networks - the variety of patterns of vertical and horizontal flows of organisational communication.

• Grapevine - the informal organisational communication network. Why is this important?

The Grapevine (rumours)

Three main Grapevine characteristics•Informal, not controlled by management•Perceived by most employees as being more believable and reliable than formal communications•Largely used to serve the self-interests of those who use it

Results from:•Desire for information about important situations•Ambiguous conditions•Conditions that cause anxiety•Insightful to managers•Serves employee’s social needs

Reducing rumours

• Announce timetables for making important decisions

• Explain decisions and behaviors that may appear inconsistent or secretive

• Emphasize the downside, as well as the upside, of current decisions and future plans

• Openly discuss worst-case possibilities—they are almost never as anxiety-provoking as the unspoken fantasy

Organisational communication networks

Workplace design & communication

• Open workplaces - workplaces with few physical barriers and enclosures.

• Enclosed workplaces – with many rooms and barriers between spaces

Ethical Communication

• Ethical communication - communication that includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way.

• Omitting information, offering misleading information – this is considered unethical communication

Impact of internet communication

• Legal and security issues– Inappropriate use of company e-mail and

instant messaging– Loss of confidential and proprietary information

due to inadvertent or deliberate dissemination or to hackers

• Lack of personal interaction– Being connected is not the same as face-to-

face contact– Difficulties occur in achieving understanding

and collaboration in virtual environments

Communication and Customer Service

Communicating effectively with customers•Recognise the three components of the customer service delivery process:

– The customer– The service organisation– The service provider

•Develop a strong service culture focused on the personalisation of service to each customer.

– Listen and respond to the customer.– Provide access to needed service information.

The cost of poor communication

Failed communication can be costly. Consider this example of The Accident Group:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2866298/Accident-Group-staff-receive-4m.html

and the Cerner Corporation:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1263473.stm

Cultural ImplicationsCross-cultural factors increase communication difficultiesCultural Barriers:•Semantics: some words aren’t translatable•Word Connotations: some words imply multiple meanings beyond their definitions•Tone Differences: the acceptable level of formality of language•Perception Differences: language affects worldview

Cultural Context: •The importance of social context to meaning•Low-context cultures (like the U.S.) rely on words for meaning•High-context cultures gain meaning from the whole situation

Activity

• What impact will qq and wiichat and Facebook have on how people communicate in the workplace?

• What are the negatives and positives of using Social Media?

Summary

Today:•What communication is•Informal and formal communication•Model of communication•Issues around communication

Tomorrow:•Leadership – being a leader

Reading

• Please read Chapter 17 before tomorrow’s lecture.