MASTER 612: MANAGEMENT

(W/ SPSS APPLICATION)

TOPIC 12: COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

Part I-II

Submitted to:

Dr. Jeffrey Perida

Submitted by:

Richard J. Dawami
 Written Narrative

What is Communication?

Communication, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “a process by which information is

exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or

behavior.” It supports each of a manager’s Planning, Organizing, Leading, and

Controlling functions. The ability to effectively communicate is a necessary condition for

the success of the organization—it’s how we coordinate actions and achieve goals.  It

plays a vital role in management and can be a “matter of life and death”.

Communication can be either be poor or effective.

What’s the difference?

Poor communication or miscommunication is a breakdown that results from a

discrepancy or disconnect between what is said and what is understood. This lack of

mutual understanding can happen at the interpersonal level between colleagues or at

an organizational level. Miscommunication is an annoyance—it can interrupt workflow

by causing delays and interpersonal strife.

On the other hand, Effective communication is achieved when the flow of information is

in exactly the same manner the sender intends to do so. It goes through a process of

exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is
received and understood with clarity and purpose. To keep it simple, effective

communication is clear, factual, and goal-oriented. It is also respectful. 

Communication fulfills three main functions within an organization: (1) transmitting

information, (2) coordinating effort, and (3) sharing emotions and feelings. All these

functions are vital to a successful organization. Transmitting information is vital to an

organization’s ability to function. Coordinating effort within the organization helps people

work toward the same goals. Sharing emotions and feelings bonds teams and unites

people in times of celebration and crisis.

To communicate effectively, we must understand the communication process.

The communication process is made up of four key components. Those components

include encoding, medium of transmission, decoding, and feedback. There are also two

other factors in the process, and those two factors are present in the form of the sender

and the receiver. The communication process begins with the sender and ends with the

receiver.

The sender is an individual, group, or organization who initiates the communication.

This source is initially responsible for the success of the message. All communication

begins with the sender.

The first step the sender is faced with involves the encoding process. In order to convey

meaning, the sender must begin encoding, which means translating information into a
message in the form of symbols that represent ideas or concepts. This process

translates the ideas or concepts into the coded message that will be communicated.

The symbols can take on numerous forms such as, languages, words, or gestures.

These symbols are used to encode ideas into messages that others can understand.

When encoding a message, the sender has to begin by deciding what he/she wants to

transmit. This decision by the sender is based on what he/she believes about the

receiver’s knowledge and assumptions, along with what additional information he/she

wants the receiver to have. It is important for the sender to use symbols that are familiar

to the intended receiver.

To begin transmitting the message, the sender uses some kind of channel (also called a

medium). The channel is the means used to convey the message. Most channels are

either oral or written, but currently visual channels are becoming more common as

technology expands. Common channels include the telephone, mobile phones, and a

variety of written forms such as e-mails, memos, letters, and reports.

If a sender relays a message through an inappropriate channel, its message may not

reach the right receivers. That is why senders need to keep in mind that selecting the

appropriate channel will greatly assist in the effectiveness of the receiver's

understanding.

After the appropriate channel or channels are selected, the message enters the

decoding stage of the communication process.

Decoding is conducted by the receiver. The receiver begins to interpret the symbols

sent by the sender, translating the message to their own set of experiences in order to

make the symbols meaningful. Successful communication takes place when the

receiver correctly interprets the sender's message.

The receiver is the individual or individuals to whom the message is directed. All

interpretations by the receiver are influenced by their experiences, attitudes, knowledge,

skills, perceptions, and culture. It is similar to the sender's relationship with encoding.

Feedback is the final link in the chain of the communication process. After receiving a

message, the receiver responds in some way and signals that response to the sender.

The signal may take the form of a spoken comment, a long sigh, a written message, a

smile, or some other action. "Even a lack of response, is in a sense, a form of response"

Without feedback, the sender cannot confirm that the receiver has interpreted the

message correctly.

Feedback is a key component in the communication process because it allows the

sender to evaluate the effectiveness of the message. Feedback ultimately provides an

opportunity for the sender to take corrective action to clarify a misunderstood message.

"Feedback plays an important role by indicating significant communication barriers:

differences in background, different interpretations of words, and differing emotional

reactions".

The communication process is the perfect guide toward achieving effective

communication. When followed properly, the process can usually assure that the

sender's message will be understood by the receiver.

Although the communication process seems simple, it in essence is not. Certain

barriers present themselves throughout the process such as “noise”.

Noise is a common barrier. Noise can occur during any stage of the process. Noise

essentially is anything that distorts a message by interfering with the communication

process. Noise can take many forms, including a radio playing in the background,

another person trying to enter your conversation, and any other distractions that prevent

the receiver from paying attention.

In summary, successful and effective communication within an organization stems from

the implementation of the communication process. It has been proven that individuals

that understand the communication process will blossom into more effective

communicators, and effective communicators have a greater opportunity for becoming a

success.

It is said that all members within an organization will improve their communication skills

if they follow the communication process, and stay away from the different barriers.

Such communication barriers are as follows.

1. Filtering is the distortion or withholding of information to manage a person’s

reactions. This prevents members of an organization from getting a complete

picture of the way things are. Messages exposed to many filters should be

 repeated in various ways to make sure they were understood as the sender

intended.

2. Selective Perception refers to filtering what we see and hear to suit our own

needs. This process is often unconscious. There is a tendency to either “under

notice” or “over focus on” stimuli that cause emotional discomfort or contradict

prior beliefs. This is called perceptual defense. Perceptual defense refers to

people creating a barrier to screen out stimuli they find threatening or unpleasant.

For example, a smoker might filter out a photo of a diseased lung. Selective

perception introduces bias into the communication process –when two selective

perceptions collide, a misunderstanding occurs.

3. Information Overload is a symptom of the high-tech age, which is too much

information for one human being to absorb in an expanding world of people and

technology. We have all been in situations when we felt that too much

information was coming at us. When this happens, we feel overwhelmed and fear

that we will not be able to retain any information at all. Sometimes it is not just

the quantity of communication but the level that causes overload. If the message

contains information that is new to the receiver, including processes or concepts

that are not familiar, then the chances of overload increase greatly. The sender

should break up the message and make it simple to reduce the amount of

information that has to be absorbed at any one time. The sender has the primary

responsibility to check that the receiver has understood the message.

4. Emotional Disconnects happens when the Sender or the Receiver is upset. For

example, when a person is feeling stressed or anxious, an expressed concern is

 more likely to be interpreted as criticism. Constructive criticism made while an

employee is emotionally fragile may be perceived as a personal attack. If

possible, it is better to postpone a communication if there is a strong likelihood

that the intended receiver will misinterpret it because of his emotional state.

5. Lack of Credibility. In communication, the validity of the message is tied to the

reputation of the sender. if the Sender lacks credibility or is untrustworthy, the

message will not get through and receivers may be suspicious of the sender’s

motivations. If the sender is trustworthy, the receiver will likely believe the

message despite her personal opinions about that subject. In other words, the

trustworthiness of a communication, regardless of format, is heavily influenced by

the perceived credibility of the source of that communication.

6. Workplace Gossip also known as the grapevine gossip offers politically minded

insiders a powerful tool for disseminating communication within an organization.

It is an informal and unofficial means of communication within an organization. It

lacks a specific Sender, which can create a sense of distrust among employees.

7. Semantics is the study of meaning in communication. Words can mean different

things to different people, or they might not mean anything to another person.

Nowadays, employees fondly use Jargons – the language of specialized terms

used by a group or profession. However, when jargons are used in the wrong

audience, miscommunication will occur. Eliminating jargon is one way of

ensuring that our words will convey real-world concepts to others.

 8. Gender Differences have different styles of communication. Men focus more on

competition, data, and orders in their communications while Women tend to

focus more on cooperation, intuition, and requests. Being aware of these gender

differences can be the first step in learning to work with the team and

understanding the differences is a first step in avoiding misunderstandings.

9. Differences in Meaning “Mean what you say, and say what you mean.” The less

we consider our audience, the greater our chances of miscommunication will be. 

10. Biased Language can offend or stereotype others on the basis of their personal

or group affiliation. That is why political correctness is now being practiced.

Political correctness means avoiding language and actions that insult, exclude or

harm people who are already experiencing disadvantage and discrimination.

Listening skills are skills that contribute to your ability to accurately receive information

when communicating with others. These skills are an important part of effective

communication in the workplace.

Poor listening leads to assumptions and misunderstandings. These lead to errors,

ineffective decisions, and/or costly mistakes. On a personal level, poor listening leads to

hurt feelings and a loss of team cohesion. This deteriorates trust and weakens

communication even further. Also, it lowers employee morale and increase turnover

because employees do not feel their managers listen to their needs, suggestions, or

complaints.
Active listening can be defined as giving full attention to what other people are saying,

taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and

not interrupting at inappropriate times. This creates a real-time relationship between the

Sender and the Receiver. Active listening is a communication skill that involves going

beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks but also seeking to

understand the meaning and intent behind them. It requires being an active participant

in the communication process.

Active listening techniques include:

1. Being fully present in the conversation

2. Showing interest by practicing good eye contact

3. Noticing (and using) non-verbal cues

4. Asking open-ended questions to encourage further responses

5. Paraphrasing and reflecting back what has been said

6. Listening to understand rather than to respond

7. Withholding judgment and advice

These will be discussed further by my partner in his presentation.

In communication, active listening is important because it keeps you engaged with your

conversation partner in a positive way. It also makes the other person feel heard and

valued. This skill is the foundation of a successful conversation in any setting—whether

at work, at home, or in social situations.

When you practice active listening, you are fully engaged and immersed in what the

other person is saying.