Module: Praxis 1 (HPX100-1)

Week number (Date): 9 (16 April 2020)

Unit covered: Unit 7

Teaching and Learning Activity: Suggested Solutions

Instructions:
To enrich your learning experience at Boston even further, and to ensure that you are
exposed to a variety of resources in this module, announcements will be posted every
week containing additional materials or activities for you to work through.

It is important to note that these activities are neither compulsory nor weighted, but that it
will be to your advantage to participate. The purpose of the activities is to help you better
understand the content of your weekly unit/s of study, and it will assist in creating insight
and deeper meaning.

Activity 7 is based on Unit 7 of the prescribed courseware for this module.

Please answer the following questions:

Question 1

You have been asked to give an inaugural lecture at your previous school. You are
aware that your previous school receives students from various socio-economic
and cultural backgrounds. Explain the elements that you will put into consideration
when preparing the message for the inaugural lecture.

Answer

The environment: Environment include aspects such as technological environment,

psychological environment, sociocultural environment, organisational culture and the
physical environment which impact the process of communication. These aspects interact
with one another and may vary from people to people, for example the sociocultural
environment. Since the school gets students from across the globe, you have to be
conscious of the differences in order for communication to be effective.

Context of communication: You have to consider the context of communication, that is,
the situation in which the communication is taking place. In this case it is induction of new

1 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020
learners. Context determines the communication medium, the appropriateness of the
message as well as whether the communication should be formal or informal.

Encoding: When the sender of the message formulates the message, the code refers to
the language spoken, written or may take the form of signs and symbols captured in
pictorial form. Verbal in this case, refers to words which can take the form of written or
spoken messages. Non-verbal refers to communication taking place where no words are
used. These include general appearance, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures

Message: Refers to the actual content that the sender (yourself) wants to convey to the
learners. The message is composed and sent for a specific reason which might be to
inform, to explain, to request information, to encourage, foster relationship or to modify
behaviour.

Noise or barriers: This could be anything that interferes with the message, preventing it
from being transmitted or understood. Barriers to communication may stem from language,
physical environment, psychological issues or personal issues.

Unit 7, page 201, 252

Learning Outcome: Elements of the communication process

Question 2

Communication is vital in an organisation and the lack of it may result in the

demotivation of members of staff. Organisations utilise formal and informal
communication channels in order to achieve their goals. Examine the pros and cons
of formal and informal communication within an organisation.

Answer

Advantages of formal communication

 It is planned, structured and systematic, and ensures that set procedures are followed.
 It clearly defines the flow of communication, thereby increasing overall efficiency and
allowing for equal opportunity within the workplace (Beauvais, 2019: 112).
 Formal communication helps maintain discipline, maintain authority for those in charge,
and allow for information to be recorded and documented.

2 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020
 Formal communication assists in establishing a connection between the direct superior
and subordinate, provides lines for guidance and support, helps to facilitate feedback,
and keeps higher levels of all that is happening within the organisation

Disadvantages of formal communication

 If formal communication is ineffective, employees may view the flow of communication

as being rigid and inflexible.
 Often, an over-reliance on formal communication can result in a very authoritarian and
bureaucratic workplace culture being created, resulting in employees feeling that they
are not being heard.
 Formal communication often takes more time than informal communication methods,
sometimes leaving employees frustrated. Employees may also feel like they cannot
speak freely and openly about any concerns they may have when using this method of
communication, which may lead them to feel dissatisfied

Advantages of informal communication

 Informal communication, or communication ‘through the grapevine’, can create a united

force – it can easily bring employees within a company together.
 It is helpful when a message needs to be passed on quickly, and can often lead to idea
creation among staff members.
 Informal communication can also lead to developing good personal relations among
staff members.
 Informal communication provides easy access to information from a number of
sources, fulfils a social or practical need in employees, encourages engagement and
collaboration between people, and can often provide superiors with valuable insights
that they otherwise would not have received.
 t has also been shown to assist with detecting problems in the organisation quicker, as
well as contribute to a more open and cooperative organisational culture. In addition,
informal communication has been shown to boost morale, and it can often supplement
formal communication channels, making communication more balanced.

Disadvantages of informal communication

 Informal communication can lead to rumours being spread easily, which can be
disastrous for the people whom the rumour is about, especially if it is untrue.

3 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020
 informal communication can only be used to communicate about certain types of
matters or issues, and those matters generally fall under the non-functional category.
 The interpretation of a message can easily change as it is passed through the
grapevine, or via an informal mode of communication.

Reference: Unit 7, page 271-275

Learning Outcome: Channels of Workplace Communication

Question 3

Within every organisation, two communication channel are always utilized as the
organisation seeks to function and achieve goals. These communication channel
are formal and informal. Evaluate the use of the two communication channels within
an organisation outlining how they benefit the organisation in achieving its goals.

Answer

Formal channel of communication refers to the structured flow of communication moving

through the different levels of the organisation’s hierarchy using predefined channels. This
type of communication is controlled and it moves according to the organisation’s
organogram. It utilizes formal documentation that include organisational policies and
procedures to define the flow of communication. There are many forms of formal
communication which include downward communication, upward communication,
horizontal communication and diagonal communication. Downward communication depicts
communication that normally flows from upper levels to lower levels as defined by the
organisation’s organogram. Upwards communication flows from lower levels to upper
levels. This form of communication is usually in form of feedback. Horizontal
communication takes place within employees at the same level. It is sometimes referred to
as lateral communication. Diagonal communication takes place across levels throughout
various departments. Formal communication has been proved to help in maintaining
authority for those in charge while ensuring that communication is recorded and
documented. It also helps in fostering connections between supervisors and their
subordinates. However, when this form of communication is ineffectively executed, it may
lead to rigidity and lack of flexibility.

Informal communication does not follow predefined formal channels. This form of
communication moves freely in all directions and this may be disadvantageous because
the original source of communication may be lost. This form of communication is also
4 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020
referred to as grapevine. Grapevine communication can easily bring employees together,
which may encourage the sharing of ideas. However, it may also lead to rumours which
may have negative impact on the organisation’s objectives. Also when communication
takes place through grapevine, messages maybe misinterpreted.

Reference: Unit 7, page 270

Learning Outcome: Channels of Workplace Communication

Question 4

Effective communication involves two major elements, speaking and listening.

Listening is one of the most important skills as it facilitates effective flow of
communication. Outline the steps of the effective listening process?

Answer

 Hearing: Sound waves stimulate the sensory receptors of the ear, thereby allowing the
message to be heard and received. This is an automatic physical response, rather than
a voluntary one.
 Attention: The brain screens and filters information according to what it wants to give
attention to. This is called ‘selective perception’. For example, you will involuntarily take
notice of a sudden loud noise, as it will grab your attention. Active listening, in contrast,
is a voluntary process, whereby you decide to give attention to the sender (i.e. the
speaker) and their message. This mental activity requires conscious effort and a
proactive attitude.
 Understanding: After receiving a message – whether verbal or non-verbal – we need
to make sense of its meaning. We first decode or interpret it, and then evaluate it.
Evaluation entails deciding whether the message is important and relevant, and
whether it consists of opinions or facts. The processes of decoding and evaluating the
message are based on our perception and frame of reference. As a receiver, we are
responsible for determining the purpose of the message, as well as trying to
understand the sender’s intended meaning (Krizan et al., 2011: 435).
 Remembering: After receiving, interpreting and evaluating the message, we store it in
our memory so that we can recall it at a later stage, if needed. However, what is
remembered may be quite different from what was originally received (i.e. heard).

5 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020
 Feedback: This refers to a verbal and/or non-verbal response, which serves to show
the sender whether the message has been received, as well as how it has been
received. The response may be a nod of the head, a question, a paraphrased version
of the message, or a simple acknowledgement of receipt. This helps the sender to
determine the degree of common understanding. As such, the response will indicate
whether the message was correctly received, or whether it requires clarification. If the
receiver fails to respond or provide feedback, the sender will not know how to proceed;
likewise, the receiver will not know whether they have interpreted the message
correctly or not.

Reference: Unit 7, page 282

Learning Outcome: Effective Verbal Communication in Our Working Relationships

Question 5
Julian is a team leader working with ten subordinates. Their team is responsible for
contextualizing the clients’ requirements and come up with products that are
customized to the requirements of the clients. James always encourage his team
mates to develop a skill that he refers to as ‘active listening’. Explain why it is
important to be an active listener.

Answer

Active listening is a process where one is not just listening passively, but is concentrating.
This form of listening important to Julian’s team since they need to understand the client’s
needs to the last detail. This form of listening consists of five steps which are hearing,
attention, understanding, remembering and feedback. Hearing is the automatic process
that allows the message to be heard and received. Attention entails the stage where the
brain filters the message according to what grabs its attention. Understanding entails, the
process of decoding and evaluating the message based on perceptions. Remember is the
process of recalling the important aspects of the message and feedback entails the stage
where the receiver responds to the message, in a way that the sender will know how to
proceed.

Reference: Unit 7, page 282

Learning Outcome: Effective verbal communication in our working relationship

6 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020
7 HPX100-1-Jan-Jun2020-TandL-Memo-Week9-CZ-V1-09042020