Learning Objectives (1 of 2)

 Describe the functions and process

COMMUNICATION of communication.
 Contrast downward, upward, and lateral
communication through small-group networks
and the grapevine.
INSTRUCTOR: ASSOC. PROF. DR. PHAM THI BICH NGOC  Contrast oral, written, and nonverbal
communication.
NEU
 Describe how channel richness underlies the
choice of communication channel.
 Differentiate between automatic and controlled
processing of persuasive messages.
 Identify common barriers to effective communication.
 Discuss how to overcome the potential problems of cross-
cultural communication

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What is Communication? The Communication

Process
 Communication
 The transference and understanding of meaning

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Describe the Functions and Process Describe the Functions and Process
of Communication (1 of 7) of Communication (2 of 7)

Communication serves five major Communication acts to manage member

functions within a group or organization: behavior in several ways.
 Management  Authorityhierarchies and formal
 Feedback
guidelines.
 Job descriptions and company
 Emotional sharing
policies.
 Persuasion
 Workgroup teasing or harassing.
 Information exchange

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(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved. 1

 Communication Channels Direction of
Communication
 Channel
 The medium selected by the sender through which
the message travels to the receiver Downward
 Types of Channels
 Formal Channels
Lateral
 Informal Channels

Upward

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Three Common Formal

Communication networks
Small-Group Networks
 Chain:
 Rigidly follows the chain of command
 Each member communicates with the person above Networks Networks Networks
and below, except for the individuals on each end
who communicate with only one person Criteria Chain Wheel All-Channel

 Wheel: Speed Moderate Fast Fast

 Information flows between the person at the end of
each spoke and the person in the middle Accuracy High High Moderate
Emergence of a
 Circle Network
leader Moderate High None
 Each member communicates with the people on
both sides but with no one else Member satisfaction Moderate Low High
 All Channel:
 All group members communicate actively with each
other

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The Grapevine Reducing Rumors

1. Announce timetables for making important
decisions
 Three Main Grapevine Characteristics 2. Explain decisions and behaviors that may
1. Informal, not controlled by management appear inconsistent or secretive
2. Perceived by most employees as being more 3. Emphasize the downside, as well as the
believable and reliable than formal
communications upside, of current decisions and future plans
3. Largely used to serve the self-interests of those
who use it 4. Openly discuss worst-case possibilities—they
are almost never as anxiety-provoking as
 Results from:
the unspoken fantasy
 Desire for information about important situations
 Ambiguous conditions
 Conditions that cause anxiety
 Insightful to managers
 Serves employee’s social needs

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(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved. 2

 Communication Networks Communication Networks
(cont’d) (cont’d)
 Characteristics of Communication Networks  Organizational Communication Networks
 Networks form spontaneously as interactions among  Communication and information flows do not
workers continue necessarily follow the lines of an organization chart
 Networks rarely are permanent  Downward communication provides directions
 Task is crucial to the choice of a network pattern
 Upward communication provides feedback
 Environment affects the frequency and types of
 Horizontal communication is related to task
interactions among members performance
 Personal factors and group performance factors
influence communication networks
 Networks strongly influence group effectiveness
 Electronic groups that have little face-to-face
communication are an emerging trend

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Methods of Communication Methods of Communication

 Oral Communication
 Written Communication
 Nonverbal Communication

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Methods of Communication Methods of Communication

Allocation of Time at Work for Managers and Professionals

Note: CareerBuilder survey of over 2,000 hiring professionals.

Source: Based on M. Chui et al., “The Social Economy: Unlocking Value and Productivity through Social Technologies,” Source: Based on CareerBuilder at
McKinsey and Company, July 2012, http://www.mckinsey.com. http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobPoster/Resources/page.aspx?pagever=2012SocialMedia&template=none.

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(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved. 3

 Methods of Communication Nonverbal
Nonverbal Communication Communication
 Includes body movements, the intonations or
emphasis we give to words, facial expressions,
and the physical distance between the sender Elements of Nonverbal
and receiver. Communication
 Body language can convey status, level of
engagement, and emotional state.
Advantages: Supports other communications and
provides observable expression of emotions and Facial Physical Environmental
feelings Expressions Movements Elements
Disadvantage: Misperception of body language or Body
gestures can influence receiver’s interpretation of Language
message

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Nonverbal Communication Methods of Communication

Physical distance also has meaning.
 What is considered proper spacing between  Choice Considerations
people largely depends on cultural norms.  Audience (physical or not physical presence)
 Nature of the message (urgency and secrecy)
A businesslike distance in some European
 Costs of transmission
countries feels intimate in many parts of
North America.
 Distance may indicate aggressiveness or
sexual interest, or it may signal disinterest or
displeasure with what is being said.

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Channel Richness and Choice

Channel Richness and Choice of Communication Channel (2 of 4)
of Communication Channel (1 of 4)
The choice of channel depends on whether the
message is routine.
 Routine messages tend to be straightforward
and have a minimum of ambiguity.
 Choose oral communication when you need
to gauge the receiver’s receptivity.
 Writtencommunication is more reliable for
complex and lengthy communications.

Sources: Reproduced from R. L. Daft and R. A. Noe, Organizational Behavior (Fort

Worth, TX: Harcourt, 2001), 311.

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(c) 2008 Prentice-Hall, All rights reserved. 4

 Barriers to Effective More Barriers to Effective
Communication Communication
 Filtering  Language
 A sender’s manipulation of information so that it will be  Words have different meanings to different people
seen more favorably by the receiver
 Selective Perception  Communication Apprehension
 People selectively interpret what they see on the basis  Undue tension and anxiety about oral
of their interests, background, experience, and communication, written communication, or both
attitudes
 Gender Differences
 Information Overload
 Men tend to talk to emphasize status while women
 A condition in which information inflow exceeds an talk to create connections
individual’s processing capacity
 Emotions
 How a receiver feels at the time a message is received
will influence how the message is interpreted

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Communication Barriers and Cultural High-

Context
vs.
Low-
Cont
ext
Cultu
res

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Overcoming Problems in
Cross-
Cultural Communication (3 of 3)
A Cultural Guide
 Know yourself.
 Foster
a climate of mutual respect, fairness,
and democracy.
 State facts, not your interpretation.
 Consider the other person’s viewpoint.
 Proactively maintain the identity of the group.

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