Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION WORKSHEET 1

Organizational Communication Worksheet

Jovan Petkovic

Organizational Communication for Adult Education and Training

COM520

Dallas Taylor

April 24, 2014

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Organizational Communication Worksheet

Why is effective communication important within an organization?

Effective communication is important in any organization setting to assure that

information is passed between all staff, both, horizontally and vertically within the organization

itself. Lack of proper or effective communication can hinder the operational mission and goal of

the organization. Side effects of improper or ineffective communication within the organization

can impact the morale of the employees and management staff. Low morale within an

organization impacts professionalism, conduct and behavior, and productivity.

Additional side effects of the lack of proper and effective communication in an

organization create safety hazards, liability, and risks of loss of business due to missing

information or misinformation.

As Thill and Bovee stated in their book, communication is important as it creates

Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace

Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions, and trends

Increased productivity and faster problem solving

Better financial results and higher return for investors

Earlier warning of potential problems, from rising business costs to critical

safety issues

Stronger decision making based on timely, reliable information

Clearer and more persuasive marketing messages

Greater employee engagement with their work, leading to higher employee

satisfaction

and lower employee turnover (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 4)

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Communication is important in any organization though the effectiveness of

communication depends on the means, manner, and content of the communication.

Communication can be written, verbal, audio or visual. As Thill and Bovee stated, To make

your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them practical, factual,

concise, clear, and persuasive. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 4)

What are some characteristics of effective business communication?

Thill and Bovee discussed in their book the five characteristics of effective business

communication. The first, provide practical information deals with supplying the audience

with information that they need. The information must be informative and understandable to the

recipient of the information. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 4)

The second characteristic deals with facts. As Thill and Bovee stated, give facts rather

than vague impressions. Information disseminated must be presented in detail with specific

information, in a clear manner, contain accurate information, be convincing, and ethical. (Thill &

Bovee, 2013, p. 4)

The information presented should be unbiased. If opinion is included, persuasive

substantiation should be included to support the opinion.

The third characteristic as Thill and Bovee stated is to present information in a concise,

efficient manner. This aids in showing respect to the recipient that their time is valued, and

increases the chance of a positive response. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 4)

Material presented that has too much information can overload the recipient in receiving

the message; create confusion, and loose interest.

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The fourth characteristic as Thill and Bovee identified is to clarify expectations and

responsibilities. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 4) Any information or message disseminated must be

specific and detailed. Expectations should be clearly stated within the message.

The last characteristic listed in Thill and Bovees book states to offer compelling,

persuasive arguments and recommendations. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 4)

The message or information presented to the reader needs to show in a precise manner

how a reader will benefit from the information and how you want the reader to respond.

Describe what is meant by using an audience-centered approach in organizational

communications. Why is this important?

Audience-centered approach as Thill and Bovee state is understanding and respecting

the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that

is meaningful to them. Essentially, this translates to that the presenter should be addressing the

audience on the same level as the members of the audience are in order to reach them, and

convey the information in an understanding way. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 9)

Etiquette is a vital element of audience-centered approach. As Thill and Bovee stated,

etiquette might seem a quaint and outdated notion. However, the way you conduct yourself and

interact with others can have a profound influence on your companys success and your career.

(Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 10)

First impressions are lasting impressions. A person conducting themselves in a

professional manner, both, verbally and physically, opens dialogue and sets expectations.

What is the communication process model, and what impact does social media have

on this model?
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There are two communication process models listed as per Thill and Bovee, the basic

communication model and the social communication model. The basic communication model is

made up of eight steps. A person comes up with an idea, transfers the idea or thought into a

message, creates a means of transmitting the created message, whether it be oral, written, or

electronic form, the message gets relayed to the audience, the audience receives the message and

interprets the contents, then the audience responds to the message, and provides feedback to the

creator of the message. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 11)

There are many barriers that can hinder the receiving of the message and interpretation.

Things like noise and distractions, competing messages, filters, and channel breakdowns all can

hinder the relay of a message. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 12)

Social media as Thill and Bovee stated is interactive and conversational. (Thill &

Bovee, 2013, p. 14) Social media enables a greater audience to be reached with information. The

audience can actively be involved in the communication process by interacting directly with the

medium, collaborating, editing, sharing, and contribute. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 14)

Discuss the importance of business etiquette in the workplace. Provide an example

of how business etiquette directly affects the effectiveness of a workplace communication.

Business etiquette sets the professional tone and atmosphere in the workplace. Lack of

professionalism in the workplace causes deterioration of workplace morale, creates substandard

work performance, and undermines the effectiveness of policies and procedures.

What is the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse? Why are

these distinctions important?

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As Thill and Bovee stated, An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives

that arent clear cut. The alternatives can be stuck in a gray area that either may be right or

wrong, but either way still is ethical and valid. (Thill & Bovee, 2013, p. 22)

An ethical lapse on the other side is a choice made knowing that it is unethical. (Thill &

Bovee, 2013, p. 23)

Ethical behavior is very important in any organizational setting and business. Integrity

and honesty are part of being ethical. It conveys to others that you can be trusted and opens

greater networkability in the business environment. Unethical behavior, once discovered,

destroys a reputation of a person and business or organization that they represent.

List two guidelines of using communication technology effectively. Provide an

example of when your communication in the workplace was directly affected by

technology.

Technology is simply a tool. It aids in interpersonal communication. (Thill & Bovee,

2013, p. 16)

Overuse or misuse can lead to information overload as Thill and Bovee stated. (Thill &

Bovee, 2013, p. 17)

In the workplace, all information is documented on various forms and transmitted via

email. Specific information must be encrypted due to organizational policies to protect personal

identifying information. A server failure erased several reports that had to be recreated.

Why is it important to consider diverse backgrounds when considering effective

communications in an organization? Provide an example of how a lack of consideration for

diversity might produce an unintended result.

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It is important to know and consider diverse backgrounds. Persons coming from various

countries have different ethical and cultural backgrounds. These can impact how other persons

communicate and receive information. Research should be performed when dealing with diverse

backgrounds and a basic understanding should be gathered of the audience to be communicated

with to understand their thought process.

Lack of consideration can create the wrong message to be conveyed and destroy business

or interpersonal communication.

With technology available to you in the workplace, how important is it to maintain

in-person interactions with colleagues and clients? What effects might the use of

technology-based communication have on an organization?

In-person interactions are necessary to ensure the delivery of pertinent information and

the availability to read the readers physical response to the message conveyed. It creates a

stronger sense and urgency in messages relayed.

The effects vary on multiple factors in any given organization. Policy, rules and

regulations can enforce and guide employees to refrain from unproductive behavior that could

result in loss of profits, failure of mission statement being met, and lawsuits.
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References

Thill, J. V., & Bovee, C. L. (2013). Excellence in Business Communication (10th ed.). [Adobe

Reader]. http://dx.doi.org/ISBN-13: 978-0-13-271904-9