KOH3433 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS/

KEMAHIRAN KOMUNIKASI INTERPERSONEL

EXERCISE 2:
IDEAL INTERPERSONEL COMMUNICATION CLIMATE

LECTURER: DR. SAIFUL NUJAIMI ABDUL RAHMAN

NAMA PELAJAR NO. MATRIKS

Wan Muhammad Aiman Amin bin Wan Mohd Amin 208929
 EXERCISE 2
IDEAL INTERPERSONEL COMMUNICATION
CLIMATE
(i) High performance Goal
(ii) Openness and Candor
1.0 INTRODUCTION

An ideal communication climate, may be referred as the social tone of a

relationship and involves the way people feel about each other as they carry out activities.
Communication climates develop by the degree to which people see themselves as
valued. (Ronald B. et al.,2012). Another way to understand it, communication climate is
the “overall feeling or emotional mood between people” (Wood, 1999).

An organization’s climate is similar to

the weather - it is the atmosphere that we feel
within the organization.  Do you feel organized
or confined in a clean work-space? Are you
more productive when the sun is shining than
when it’s gray and cloudy outside? Just as
factors like weather and physical space impact
the way we feel, communication climate
influences our interpersonal interactions.  If you dread going to visit your family during
the holidays because of tension between you and your sister, or you look forward to
dinner with a particular set of friends because they make you laugh, you are responding
to the communication climate - the overall mood that is created because of the people
involved and the type of communication they bring to the interaction.

It is also an important part of an organizational culture.   Organizational climate is

the atmosphere of encouraging, empathetic or defensiveness people feel within the
organization and the feelings they have about sending and receiving messages. In order to
build a supportive communication climate you need to send messages that acknowledge
effort, creativity, and teamwork, engage people in the decision making process, establish
trust, which is maintained through consistency, congruity, reliability, and integrity.
(Wood, 1999).
Ultimately, the organizational
communication climate is a
function of how activities that
occur in the organization
demonstrate to organization
members that the
organization
trusts them and allow them
the freedom to take risks,
supports them and gives them
responsibility in doing their
jobs; openly provides accurate
and adequate information
about the organizations;
attentively listens and gets
reliable and candid information
from
organizations members; actively
consults organization members
so that they see that their
involvement is influential in
decisions in the organization
and has a concern for high
standards and challenging
work ( Redding, 1972;
Jablin 2001). Thus through
interactional processes,
organizations members verify
the existence of trust,
support,
openness, consultativeness,
concern, and candidness.
Decision by organization
members
to do their work
effectively, to commit
themselves to the
organizations, to support
colleagues and other members
of the organizations and to offer
innovative ideas for the
improvement of the
organizations and its
operation are all influenced
by the
communication climate
( Guzley, 1992; Robertson,
2002). Consequences to the
climate
Ultimately, the organizational
communication climate is a
function of how activities that
occur in the organization
demonstrate to organization
members that the
organization
trusts them and allow them
the freedom to take risks,
supports them and gives them
responsibility in doing their
jobs; openly provides accurate
and adequate information
about the organizations;
attentively listens and gets
reliable and candid information
from
organizations members; actively
consults organization members
so that they see that their
involvement is influential in
decisions in the organization
and has a concern for high
standards and challenging
work ( Redding, 1972;
Jablin 2001). Thus through
interactional processes,
organizations members verify
the existence of trust,
support,
openness, consultativeness,
concern, and candidness.
Decision by organization
members
to do their work
effectively, to commit
themselves to the
organizations, to support
colleagues and other members
of the organizations and to offer
innovative ideas for the
improvement of the
organizations and its
operation are all influenced
by the
communication climate
( Guzley, 1992; Robertson,
2002). Consequences to the
climate
Ultimately, the organizational communication climate is a function of how
activities that occur in the organization demonstrate to organization members that
the organization trusts them and allow them the freedom to take risks, supports
them and gives them responsibility in doing their jobs; openly provides accurate
and adequate information about the organizations; attentively listens and gets reliable
and candid information from organizations members; actively consults organization
members so that they see that their involvement is influential in decisions making in the
organization and has a concern for high standards and challenging work (Redding,
1972; Jablin 2001).
 It can be assumed that when employees are happy with their work
environment, they become more productive. This statement is strengthened with the
evidence from several studies that suggests that a worker’s satisfaction does influence his
job behavior (Wright, Cropanzano, & Bonett, 2007). Furthermore, dissatisfied workers
are more likely to quit and look for other jobs (Veloutsou & Panigyrakis, 2004).

Through interactional processes, organizations members verify the existence

of trust, support, openness, consultative, concern, and candidness. Decision by
organization members to do their work effectively, to commit themselves to the
organizations, to support colleagues and other members of the organizations and to
offer innovative ideas for the improvement of the organizations and its operation
are all influenced by the communication climate (Guzley, 1992). Consequences to
the climate derived in employees interaction, most organizational scholar
believed that are communication effects or behavior that have correlation with
communication climate. Peterson and Pace (1976) developed a Communication climate
inventory (CCI) designed to measure the six “communication effects”, which were
derived from the analysis of
“ideal managerial climate”.
The six communication
effects are trust,
participative decision
making, supportiveness,
openness in downward
communication, listening in
upward communication and
concern for high performance
goals.
Redding, W.C (1972).
Communication Within The
Organization: An Interpretive
Review Of Theory And
Research. New York: Industrial
Communication Council
(i) HIGH PERFORMANCE GOAL

(ii) Even both hospital

have a supportive
climate, but based on
 the analysis to see
the
(iii) differences, it
show that high
performance
organization had a
stronger supportive
climate
(iv)than low
performance
hospital. This
findings proved
that supportive
climate are
(v) characterized by a
concern for the
employees and his
or her values, needs
and goals.
(vi)Strong supportive
climate as perceived
by the respondent is
said to promote a
free and
(vii) open exchange
of ideas and
information among
all organization
 members and
managers
(viii) to create a
relationship
buliding that are
more appropriately
to individuals
employee
(ix)concerns. This
finding also support
finding by Kogler,
1978;, which proved
that a strong
(x) supportive climate
leads to increased of
 productivity,
profitability, and job
satisfaction.
(xi)Other studies
(Butler,1991;
Whitener et.al,
1998; Moye &
Henkin,2005) also
been
(xii) supported by
this study, that
openness in
information and
supportiveness in
interaction
(xiii) positively affects
members of an
organization to
perform more
better, especially
their
(xiv) higher level of
effort towards
organizational
objectives.
Interaction
characteristics that
(xv) enhance feeling
of self-worth could
prove significantly
 to the success of an
organization.
The issues that have been discussed concerning communication climate have
focused on relationships rather than on information.  That is, all of the aspects that we
have studied from various scholars, numerous writers, about creating a positive
communication climate, have to do with how you interact with, relate to, and treat your
colleagues/employees. 

Now, when placing importance on high quality and high performance goals, it has
to do with the content of the communication that you have to delegate to your
employees.  Such an emphasis is the most important focus of the content of your
messages to your employees. It is not enough just to be a nice manager and create a nice
environment to communicate and work.  You must also communicate a sense of
challenge to your employees. Personnel at all levels in the organization should
demonstrate a commitment to high performance goals - high productivity, high
quality, low cost - as well as a high concern for other members of the organization.

While you do need to communicate openly, create trust, let your employees know
that you support them, and have your employees participate in decisions that affect them,
you also need to let them know that it is important to achieve not only the goals they have
set for themselves and the team or department, but also to help the organization achieve
its goals.
 In a study by Rosli Mohammed, (2013) UUM entitled Communication Climate
and Organizational Performances: A Comparison Studies Between Two Public
Organizations proved that where both organization, namely Hospital Alor Setar and
Hospital Kota Bharu have a supportive climate, but based on the analysis to see the
differences, it show that high performance organization had a stronger supportive climate
than low performance hospital. This findings proved that supportive climate
are characterized by a concern for the employees and his or her values, needs and
goals. Strong supportive climate as perceived by the respondent is said to promote a free
and open exchange of ideas and information among all organization members and
managers to create a relationship building that are more appropriately to
individuals employee concerns. This finding also support finding by Kogler, 1978,
which proved that a strong supportive climate leads to increase of productivity,
profitability, and job satisfaction.

Let us also see companies with powerful organizational culture and how their
employees are highly motivated and high performers, and thus results in high business
revenues.

Pixar’s Creative & Collaborative

Culture. This is a perfect example of how
company culture precedes positive results.
Pixar's culture is the secret sauce to
developing so many box office successes.
Originality is fragile – no one understands
this better than Pixar. Pixar promotes
psychological safety in order to nurture and
encourage the first iterations of originality
before turning them into beautiful
creations.
 The secret to Pixar’s success lies in balancing creativity with collaboration. While
most creative
organizations promote
internal competition,
Pixar adopts a different
approach. Colleagues
provide feedback to
each other to help
improve other teams’
ideas. People are
expected to get used to
feeling embarrassed in
public by showing
works in progress. Pixar
practices radical candor
to promote transparent
conversations.
Colleagues are not meant to judge their peers, but the work. Collectively, they help turn
ugly babies into beautiful ones. People respect each other. However, no one pulls
punches to be polite. https://www.fearlessculture.design/blog-posts/11-examples-of-
companies-with-powerful-cultures

Airbnb: A Culture Where Anyone Belongs. Airbnb has managed to build a

culture that is not only committed to its purpose and core values, but also a relentless
belief in candid two-way communication. The rule of thumb is that nobody should hear
about anything externally until they are first told internally. The perfect example of this
are leadership meetings – employees get the notes of everything that was discussed just
24 hours after each executive meeting.

Being a host is central to Airbnb’s culture - it applies to both customers and

employees. Everyone is welcome at Airbnb; building a sense of belonging is the secret
sauce. The all-company meetup provides updates of what’s going on in the company and
every employee can chime in. The annual company-wide conference incorporates
employees breaking down walls and integrating community. Cultivating empathy and
understanding is vital to building a culture where everyone belongs anywhere. Airbnb’s
founders started the company as hosts, not guests, and encourage employees to
experience being a host, too. https://www.fearlessculture.design/blog-posts/11-examples-
of-companies-with-powerful-cultures

(ii) OPENNESS AND CANDOR

Openness refers to the candid disclosure of information, particularly negative

information and the sharing of feelings and opinions regarding the organization and its

activities. Open communication in terms of expressing your ideas and feelings through

verbal channels in organizations has led to higher production and better performance

within the organization. However, simply “showing” feelings and not discussing them

openly, is viewed as dysfunctional and can be very counterproductive. (Butler, J.K.

(1991).
 Except for necessary security information, members of the organization should
have relatively easy access to information that relates directly to their immediate
job, that affect their abilities to coordinate their work with what of other people or
department, and that deals broadly with the company, its organization, leaders,
and plans. From many studies we can conclude that trust and supportiveness will
enhance the openness in downward communication and this will encourage higher
performance and discretionary effort.

Other studies (Whitener et.al, 1998; Moye & Henkin,2005) also

showed that openness in information and supportiveness in interaction positively affects
members of an organization to perform more better, especially their higher level of
effort towards organizational objectives.

There are several things that can be done to improve openness within the

organization. Firstly, to encourage openness we should establish

  two-way

communication.  Establish genuine two-way communication within the ranks of

management, between management and employees, and among employees themselves.

Second, we must improve accessibility.  Improve management’s accessibility to

employees especially in terms of listening. People will be more open if they feel they

have a non-judgmental, trustworthy audience.

Next, we can establish a welcoming climate.  Establish a climate that welcomes the

new and the different and be open to hearing all ideas. We could also reward

creativity.  Offer obvious and visible benefits for both employees and management who

have shared creative new ideas. We must try to solicit and accept criticism.  Be open to

and accept criticism without becoming defensive. Finally, show genuine

sensitivity.  Show a genuine sensitivity to employees and a willingness to grapple with

employee problems and difficulties.

 Establishing trust, openness, support, and a participative environment as we
discussed earlier on, creates the setting in which employees will accept, be open to, and
be ready to work toward team, department, and organization goals - and be willing to do
so in a productive and effective manner.

Studies Between Two Public

Organizations.
Rosli Mohammed
Communication Climate and
Organizational Performances:
A Comparison Studies Between
Two Public Organizations.
Rosli Mohammed
Communication Climate and
Organizational Performances:
A Comparison Studies Between
Two Public Organizations.
Rosli Mohammed
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