CHAPTER 13

MANAGERIAL
COMMUNICATION

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–1
LECTURE OUTLINE
• Nature of managerial communication
• Influences on individual
communication & interpersonal
processes
• Group communication networks
• Organisational communication
channels

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–2
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

Nature of communication:
• Exchange of messages between people to
achieve common meanings.
• Unless meanings are shared, managers cannot
influence others.
• Therefore communication is critical to a
manager’s job.
• Managers spend up to 85% of their time
communicating.

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–3
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

Types of communication:
• Verbal:
Written or oral use of words to communicate
• Non-verbal:
Communication by means of elements and
behaviours that are not coded into words

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–4
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION
Written (verbal) communication:
• Forms
Letters, memos, reports, newsletters, manuals
• Advantages
Provides a record, easily circulated, time to
consider content
• Disadvantages
Cost, poor writing skills, unintended effect,
impersonality

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–5
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION
Non-verbal communication:
• Kinesic behaviour (body language)
• Proxemics (proximity & space)
• Paralanguage (vocal aspects)
• Object language (use of objects to
communicate)

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–6
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION
Desk work
Tours 26%
3%

Unscheduled Telephone
meetings calls
12% 9%

Scheduled
meetings
50%

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–7
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION
Components of communication:
• Sender
• Encoding
• Message
• Receiver
• Decoding
• Noise
• Feedback
Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–8
MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

Noise Sender/receiver Noise

Encoding message

Feedback Medium Feedback

Decoding message

Noise
Sender/receiver Noise

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–9
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES

• Perceptual processes
• Attribution processes
• Semantics
• Cultural context
• Communication skills

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–10
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Perceptual processes:
Processes individuals use to acquire and
make sense out of information from the
environment
• Three stages:
Selecting, organising, interpreting
• Distortions:
Stereotyping, halo effect, projection, perceptual
defence

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–11
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Three stages of perception:
• Selecting
Filtering of stimuli so that only some information
gets our attention
• Organising
Patterning of information to match familiar patterns
• Interpreting
Giving meaning to selected and organised
information

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–12
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Distortions:
• Stereotyping
Tendency to attribute characteristics to an
individual on the basis of an assessment of the
group to which they belong
• Halo effect
Tendency to use a general impression based on
one or a few characteristics of an individual

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–13
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Distortions:
• Projection
Tendency of an individual to assume others share
their thoughts, feelings and characteristics
• Perceptual defence
Tendency to block out or distort information one
finds threatening

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–14
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Attribution process
Theory attempting to explain how
individuals make judgments or attributions
about the cause of another’s, or their own,
behaviour
• Fundamental attribution error:
Tendency to underestimate situational influences & to
overestimate dispositional influences.
• Self-serving bias:
Attributing oneself as responsible for successes & others for
failures.

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–15
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Semantics
• Semantic net
Network of words and word meanings a given
individual has available for recall
• Semantic blocks
Blockages or communication difficulties arising
from word choices

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–16
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Cultural context
Culture also influences communication and
interpersonal processes.
• High-context cultures
Emphasis in communication is the establishment &
strengthening of relationships
• Low-context cultures
Emphasis is on exchanging information

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–17
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES

Low- Germany USA S. America Asia High-

context context
cultures Australia France Saudi China cultures
Arabia

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–18
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES

Communication skills
• Listening skills
Active listening
• Feedback
Giving & receiving
Positive & negative feedback

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–19
INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATION &
INTERPERSONAL PROCESSES
Communication skills:
Active listening: ‘…listener
actively participates in
attempting to grasp facts &
the speaker’s feelings’ Effective
communication
Feedback: both giving &
receiving is important.
Deal with ‘…specific,
observable behaviour,
not generalities.’
Importance of seeking
customer feedback

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–20
GROUP COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS
Communication network:
Pattern of information flow among
task-group members

• Centralised networks

• Decentralised networks

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–21
GROUP COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS
Centralised Chain Wheel
Y
X
X X

Decentralised Circle All-channel

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–22
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Communication channels:
Patterns of organisational communication
flow representing potential established
conduits through which managers and
other organisation members can send and
receive information
• Vertical communication
• Horizontal communication
• Informal communication

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–23
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

Vertical communication:
Message exchange between two or more
levels of the organisational hierarchy.

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–24
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Vertical communication:
• Downward communication
Can be distorted by faulty message due to
sender error
Managers overuse downward communication
Filtering (deliberate or accidental)
• Upward communication
Can be distorted by ‘only’ favourable messages
going up
Managers don’t encourage upward flow

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–25
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Horizontal communication:
Lateral or diagonal message exchange within
work-unit boundaries, involving peers reporting to
the same supervisor, or across work-unit
boundaries, involving individuals who report to
different supervisors.
Impeding factors:
• Rivalry
• Indifference to work of others
• Low motivation due to discouragement of
horizontal communication

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–26
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Informal communication (grapevine):
Communication which takes place without
regard to hierarchical or task requirements

Problems:
• Can carry gossip/distorted information
Benefits:
• Valuable tool for continuation/propagation of culture

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–27
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Using electronics to communicate:
• Electronic mail systems
• Voice mail
• Teleconferencing
• Videoconferencing

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–28
 ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Groupware Electronic mail

Electronic Internet
communication

Voice mail
Videoconferencing
Teleconferencing

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–29
LECTURE SUMMARY
• Nature of managerial communication
Verbal, non-verbal
• Individual communication &
interpersonal processes
Attribution process
Semantics
Cultural context
Communication skills

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–30
LECTURE SUMMARY
• Group communication
Networks

• Organisational communication
channels
Vertical
Horizontal
Informal

Copyright  2005 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd

PPTs t/a Management: A Pacific Rim Focus 4e by Bartol, Tein, Matthews, Martin 13–31