Chapter 3

Managing
Communications
 Worst Scenarios
2

Can the misunderstanding of a few

words literally mean the difference
between life and death?
 Scenario 1
3

History’s worst aviation disaster occurred in 1977

at foggy Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The captain of a
KLM flight thought the air traffic controller had cleared
him to take off. But the controller intended only to give
departure instructions. Although the language spoken
between the Dutch KLM captain and the Spanish
controller was English, confusion was created by heavy
accents and improper terminology. The KLM Boeing
747 hit a Pan Am 747 at full throttle on the runway,
killing 583 people.
 Scenario 2
4

In 1993, Chinese pilots flying a U.S. built MD-80

tried to land in a heavy fog in Northwest China. They
were baffled by an audio alarm from the jet’s ground
proximity warning system. Just before impact, the
cockpit recorder picked up one crew member saying to
the other in Chinese: “What does ‘pull up’ mean?” The
plane hit power lines and crashed, killing 12.
 Scenario 3
5

In September 1997, a Garuda Airlines jetliner

crashed into a jungle, just 20 miles south of the Medan
Airport on the island of Sumatra. All 234 aboard were
killed. The cause of this disaster was the pilot and the
air traffic controller confusing the words “left” and
“right” as the plane approached the airport under poor
visibility
 Communication Fundamentals
6

Communication is the transfer of information

from one person to another person.
Communication must include both the
transference and the understanding of
meaning and ideas.
Communication always involves at least
two people—a sender and a receiver.
 Importance of Communication
7

Organizations cannot exist without

communication.
Communication helps accomplish
all the basic management functions
so that organizations can achieve
their goals and meet their
challenges.
Effective communication tends to
encourage better performance and
job satisfaction.
Open communication is generally
better than restricted
communication.
The Two-Way Communication Process
8

Communication can be thought of as a

process or flow.
The two-way communication process
is the method by which a sender
reaches a receiver with a message.
Communication problems occur when
there are deviations or blockages in
that flow.
The process always requires eight
steps, whether the two parties talk, use
hand signals, or employ some
advanced technology means of
communication.
 The Communication Process Model

MESSAGE
R
S E
E BARRIERS C
N E
D DEVELOP
IDEA
ENCODE TRANSMIT RECEIVE ACCEPT DECODE USE
I
E V
R E
R
FEEDBACK FOR TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
The Two-Way Communication Process
10

1. Step 1 is to develop an idea that the sender wishes to

transmit.
2. Step 2 is to encode (convert) the idea into suitable
words, charts, or other symbols for transmission.
3. Step 3 is to transmit the message by the method
chosen, such as by memo, phone call, or personal
visit.
4. Transmission allows another person to receive a
message, which is step 4.
The Two-Way Communication Process
11

5. Step 5 is to decode the message so that it can be

understood. The sender wants the receiver to
understand the message exactly as it was sent.
6. The person has the opportunity to accept or
reject it.
7. Step 7 is for the receiver to use the information.
8. When the receiver acknowledges the message
and responds to the sender, feedback has
occurred. Feedback completes the
communication loop.
 Barriers to Effective Communication
12

 Even when the receivers receives the

message and makes a genuine effort
to decode it, a number of
interferences may limit the
receiver’s understanding.
 Three types of barriers are:
 Personal
 Physical
 Semantics
 Personal Barriers
13

 Personal barriers are

communication interferences that
arise from human emotions, values,
and poor listening habits.
 They may also stem from
differences in education, race, sex,
socioeconomic status, and other
factors.
 May include distracting verbal
habits.
 Physical Barriers
14

Physical barriers are

communication interferences
that occur in the environment.
May include distracting noise,
distances between people, walls
or statics that interfere with
radio message.
Spatial Separation across Cultures

Culture Personal Distance

United States 3 to 4 feet
Latin America and Asia Closer distances

Arab Countries Extremely close contact

The sender should be aware of cultural norms and the receiver’s preferences,
and make an effort to understand and adapt to them.
 Semantic Barriers
16

 Semantics is the science of meaning, as contrasted with

phonetics, the science of sounds.
 Semantic barriers arise from limitations in the symbols
with which we communicate.
 Semantics presents a particularly difficult challenge
when people from different cultures attempt to
communicate with each other.
 Jargon is a specialized terminology or technical
language that members of a group use to aid
communication among themselves.
 Communication Symbols
17

 Nearly all communication is

symbolic; that is, it is achieved
using symbols (words, pictures,
and actions) that suggest certain
meanings.
 To overcome personal, physical,
and semantic barriers, managers
must pay close attention to
communication symbols.
 Words
18

 Main communication symbol used on the job.

 Nearly every common word has several meanings.
 Context provides meaning.
 Readability is the process of making writing and speech
more understandable.
 Organizational literature sent to employees and customers
is more difficult than standard levels of readability.
 Factors to consider: functional illiteracy; cultural diversity
 There is a need to consider the needs of receivers and
adapt the use of words to their level.
 Pictures
19

Used to clarify word communication.

Pictures can provide powerful visual images.
 “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

“Shaped like a ball”

 Action (Nonverbal Communication)
20

 Such action is open to interpretation by others. For example, a

handshake and a smile have meaning.
 Two significant points about action:
• Failure to act is an important way of communicating.
• Actions speak louder than words.
 An important part of nonverbal communication is body language,
by which people communicate meaning to others with their bodies
in interpersonal interaction.
• Ex: facial expressions, eye contact, smiles, frowns, physical
touch, hand and hip movements, leaning forward or back,
sighing or yawning.
• Their interpretation is highly subjective and loaded with the
potential for error. CAUTION is in order.
 Direction of Communication
21

Communication can flow vertically or laterally. The

vertical dimension can be further divided into
downward and upward directions.
Lateral Communication (Horizontal)
 Downward Communication
22

 Downward communication flows from

one level of a group or organization to a
lower level. It is used by group leaders
and managers to assign goals, provide
job instructions, inform underlings of
policies and procedures, point out
problems that need attention, and offer
feedback about performance.
 Upward Communication
23

 Upward communication flows to a higher

level in the group or organization. It is used to
provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them
of progress toward goals, and relay current
problems. Managers also rely on upward
communication for ideas on how things can be
improved.
 Examples: performance reports prepared by
lower management for review, suggestion
boxes, employees attitude surveys, grievance
procedures, informal “gripe” sessions.
 Upward Communication Practices
24

 Questioning (open and close)

 Listening (active)
 Employee Meetings
 An Open-Door Policy (and
MBWA)
 Participation in Social Groups
(informal, casual recreational
events)
 Guidelines for Active Listening
25

 Stop talking!
 Put the talker at ease
 Show a talker that you want to listen
 Remove distractions
 Empathize with a talker
 Be patient
 Hold your temper
 Go easy on argument and criticism
 Ask relevant questions
 Stop talking!
 Lateral Communication
26

 Lateral communication, or cross-communication is a

communication across chains of command.
 It is necessary for job coordination with people in
other departments. It also is done because people
prefer the informality of lateral communication.
 Employees who play a major role in lateral
communication are referred to as boundary
spanners.
 Networks have become popular ways for employees
to develop and maintain contact and to exchange
information about a shared interest.
 Cross-Cultural Communication
27

Cross-cultural factors clearly

create the potential for increased
communication problems
Cultural barriers
• Barriers caused by semantics
• Barriers caused by word
connotations
• Barriers caused by tone differences
• Barriers caused by differences
among perceptions
 Cultural Context
28

High-context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal and

subtle situational cues when communicating with
others. What is not said may be more significant than
what is said. A person’s official status, place in society,
and reputation carry considerable weight in
communications.
Low-context cultures rely essentially on words to
convey meaning. Body language or formal titles are
secondary to spoken and written words.
 High- vs. Low-Context Culture
29

 Chinese
High  Korean
context  Japanese
 Vietnamese
 Arab
 Greek
 Spanish
 Italian
 English
 North American
 Scandinavian
 Swiss
Low  German
context
 Electronic Communications
30

Electronic Mail (e-mail)

 Computer-based communication system
that allows sending a message to
someone—or to a hundred people—
almost instantaneously.
 Advantages: speed and convenience
 Disadvantages: loss of face-to-face
contact and the associated difficulty of
accurately conveying and interpreting
emotions.
 Showing Emotions in E-mail
31

E-mail needn’t be emotion free. Over the years, a set of

symbols (emoticons) has evolved that e-mail users have
developed for expressing emotions. For instance, the use of all
caps (i.e., THIS PROJECT NEEDS YOUR IMMEDIATE
ATTENTION) is the e-mail equivalent of shouting.

:)  Smile :-[ Really sad face

<g> Grin :’( Crying
:(  Frown :-@ Scream
;) Wink :-0 Yell
 Electronic Communications
32

Telecommuting (electronic cottage)

 Telecommuters accomplish all or part of their work
at home (or at a satellite location) through computer
links to their offices.
 Personal advantages
 Corporate advantages
 Societal benefits
 Problems for telecommuters
 Electronic Communications
33

 Virtual Offices
 Physical office space and individual desks are being replaced
with an amazing array of portable communication tools.
 Employees armed with these tools can perform their work not
just in their homes (as telecommuters do) but almost
anywhere—in their cars, in restaurants, or in airports.
 Corporate Advantage: reduction in the needed office space.
 Personal Disadvantages: loss of an opportunity for social
interaction; employees still need to gather informally,
exchange ideas and experiences face-to-face, and develop a
sense of teamwork.
 Informal Communication
34

 Communication networks define the channels by which

information flows. These channels are one of the two
varieties—either formal or informal.
 Formal networks are typically vertical, follow the
authority chain, and are limited to task-related
communications.
 Informal network—usually better known as the
grapevine—is free to move in any direction, skip
authority levels, and is likely to satisfy group
members’ social needs.
 Grapevine Communication
35

Grapevine communication tends to be sent orally.

It arises from social interaction; it is the expression of
employees’ natural motivation to communicate. It is the
exercise of their freedom of speech and is a natural,
normal activity.
It reflects a human instinct, because whenever people
congregate into groups, a grapevine is sure to develop.
 The Grapevine Pattern
36

Managers get the impression that the

grapevine operates like a long chain
in which A tells, who tells C, who
then tells D, and so on, until twenty
people later, X gets the information
—very late and very incorrect.
Grapevine generally follows the
cluster pattern.
CLUSTER (Some tell others)

B
I

D
F
C

A
 GOSSIP (One tells all)

G
F
I
J
F
C H
B

K
A
A
SINGLE STRAND (Each tells the
other)

A
 Grapevine Activity
40

 Factors that encourage grapevine activity:

• Excitement and insecurity
• Involvement of friends and associates

• Recent information

• Work that allows conversation

• Job that provides information desired by others

• Personality of communicator

 No gender difference in grapevine activity, as both men

and women are equally active on the grapevine.
 Features of the Grapevine
41

Most of grapevine information

are true.
The grapevine information gives
managers much feedback about
employees and their jobs.
Grapevines are fast.
Grapevines are influential.
 Management Response
42

 Organizations need to adjust to

grapevines.
 Their objective is to reduce
negative effects and increase
positive effects.
 They try to reduce anxiety,
conflict, and misunderstanding
so that the grapevine will have
less cause to spread negative
information.
 Rumor
43

 Rumor is grapevine information that is communicated

without secure standards of evidence being present.
 Interest and ambiguity lead to rumor.
 It is subject to filtering, by which it is reduced to a few
basic details that can be remembered and passed on to
others.
 It is also subject to elaborating, by which people add
new details, often making the story worse, in order to
include their own feelings and reasoning.
 Types of Rumors
44

 Historical and explanatory: They attempt to make meaning

out of incomplete prior events.
 Spontaneous and action-oriented: They arise without much
forethought and represent attempts to change a current
situation.
 Negative rumors: They drive a wedge between people or
groups, destroy loyalties, and perpetuate hostilities.
 Positive rumors: When employees speculate the beneficial
effects of a new product just released.
 Guidelines for Control of Rumor
45

 Remove its causes in order to

prevent it.
 Apply efforts primarily to serious
rumors.
 Refute rumor with facts.
 Deal with rumor ASAP.
 Emphasize face-to-face supply of
facts.
 Summary
46

 Communication is the transfer of information and understanding

from one person to another.
 Organizations need effective communication in downward,
upward, and lateral directions.
 Managers play a key role in communication and many tools are
available for their use.
 Listening remains one of the most powerful tools.
 Informal communication system, called the grapevine, develop in
the form of a cluster chain. Overall, the grapevine is accurate,
fast, and influential.
 Rumor is grapevine information communicated without secure
standards of evidence.
 Managers’ objective is to integrate interests of the formal and
informal communication systems so that the two systems can
work together better.
http://www.slideshare.net/JeremyBalius/101-inspiring-quotes-
about-communication
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