MGT2900

Principles of Management
Ch15: Interpersonal & Organizational
Communication
Communication Process: What it is, How
it works
Communication
The transfer of information and understanding
from one person to another
One study found that 81% of a manager’s time in a
typical workday is spent communicating
1. Sender, Message, & Receiver
2. Encoding & Decoding
3. The Medium
4. Feedback

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How the Communication Process Works

1. Sender, Message, & Receiver

The sender is the person wanting to share
information – called a message – and the
receiver is the person for whom the
message is intended as follows:
Sender Message Receiver

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2. Encoding & Decoding

Encoding is translating a message into

understandable symbols or language
Decoding is interpreting and trying to make
sense of the message

Sender Message Receiver

(Encoding) (Decoding)

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3. The Medium

The pathway by which a message travels:

Sender Message Receiver

(Encoding) (Medium) (Decoding)

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4. The Feedback

The receiver expresses his or her reaction to the

sender’s message

Sender Message Receiver

(Encoding) (Medium) (Decoding)

(Feedback)

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How the Communication Process Works

Noise
Any disturbance that interferes with the
transmission of a message
The noise can occur in the medium, encoding,
decoding, nonverbal communication, and cross-
cultural communication

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 Communication Process

Mr. Robert Mr. David

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Selecting the Right Medium for Effective
Communication

Media richness indicates how well a particular

medium conveys information and promotes
learning.
Matching the appropriate medium to the
appropriate situation
Posters/
Face-to-face bulletin board
Video Telephone Letters/
Emails/texts
conference calls memos

Rich medium Lean medium

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Selecting the Right Medium for Effective
Communication
Rich Medium: best for non-routine situations and to avoid
oversimplification.
• e.g., a face-to-face is the most personal form of communication, is also
the richest.
• Using a rich medium for routine matters can result in information
overloading - more information than necessary.

Lean Medium: best for routine situations and to avoid

overloading.
• e.g., written memos or e-mails (Impersonal written media)
• Using a lean medium for non-routine matters can result in information
oversimplification - it doesn’t provide enough of the information the
receiver needs.

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Barriers to Communication
1. Physical barriers
Sound, time, space, etc.
2. Semantic barriers
The study of meaning of words
Semantic meaning becomes a problem because jargon
develops
Jargon: the terminology specific to a particular
profession or group
3. Personal barriers
Individual attributes that hinder communication

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Nonverbal Communication
Consists of messages sent
outside of the written or
spoken word.
Expressed through
interpersonal space, eyes
contact, facial expressions,
body movements &
gestures, touch, setting
and time.

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How Managers Fit into Communication Process

Formal Informal
Communication Communication
Channels Channels

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Formal Communication Channels

It follows the chain of command and are

recognized as official.

There are three types:

1. Vertical communication
2. Horizontal communication
3. External communication

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Formal Communication Channels
1. Vertical communication: Up and Down the chain of
command.
1. Downward communication: Top to bottom
Flow from a higher level to lower level(s)
2. Upward communication: Bottom to top
Flow from a lower level to a higher level(s)
2. Horizontal communication: Within and Between work units
Flow within and between work units; its main purpose is
coordination
3. External communication: Outside the organization
Flow between people inside and outside the
organization

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 Formal Communication Channels

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http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Books/B0/B66/IMG/fwk-collins-fig08_008.jpg
Informal Communication Channels

 Develop outside the formal structure and do not

follow the chain of command.

 Two types of informal channels:

1. The grapevine
2. Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)

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Informal Communication Channels
1. The grapevine
The unofficial communication system of the
informal organization, a network of gossip and
rumor of what is called “employee language.”

a. The grapevine is faster than formal channels.

b. It is about 75% accurate.
c. Employees use the grapevine to acquire the
majority of their on-the-job information.

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Informal Communication Channels
2. Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)
The term used to describe a manager’s literally
wandering around his or her organization and
talking with people across all lines of authority.

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Improving Communication Effectiveness

1. Being an effective listener

2. Being an effective reader
3. Being an effective writer
4. Being an effective speaker

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Improving Communication Effectiveness

1. Being an effective listener

 Judge content, not delivery
 Ask question, summarize remarks
 Listen for ideas
 Resist distractions, show interest
 Don’t rush to respond
 Give a fair hearing

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Improving Communication Effectiveness

2. Being an effective reader

 Realize that speed reading doesn’t work
 Learn to streamline reading
 Do top-down reading: SQ3R
S: Survey
Q: Question
3R: Read, Recite, and Review

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Improving Communication Effectiveness

3. Being an effective writer

 Don’t show your ignorance
 Understand your strategy before you
write
 Start with your purpose
 Write simply, concisely, & directly
 Telegraph your writing with a powerful
layout

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Improving Communication Effectiveness

4. Being an effective speaker

 Tell them what you’re going to say (5-15%)
 Say it (75-90%)
 Tell them what you said (5-10%)

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Any Questions?

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