Chapter 5

Managing Communication and Human Resource

Learning Objectives
Define the nature and function of communication.
Compare and contrast methods of interpersonal communication
Identify barriers to effective interpersonal communication and how to overcome
them.
Explain the importance of the human resource management process
Discuss the tasks associated with identifying and selecting competent employees.
● Know how to be a good interviewee.
● Develop your skill at being a good interviewer.
Explain the different types of orientation and training..
Discuss contemporary issues in managing human resources
 The Nature of communication

 The ability to communicate effectively is a skill that must be

mastered by any person who wants to be an effective manager.
 Everything a manager does involves communicating. Not some
things, but everything!
 A manager can’t make a decision without information. That
information has to be communicated. Once a decision is made,
communication must again take place. Otherwise, no one would
know that a decision was made.
 What Is Communication

 The transfer and understanding of meaning.

 Communication between managers and employees is important
because it provides the information necessary to get work done
in organizations.
 Linked to managerial performance.
 Contd.

 For communication to be successful, the meaning must be imparted

and understood.
 For Example: A letter written in Spanish addressed to a person who
doesn’t read Spanish can’t be considered communication until it’s
translated into a language the person does read and understand.
Communication focuses on

 Interpersonal communication
Communication between two or more people

 Organizational communication
All the patterns, networks, and systems of
communication within an organization
 Functions of Communication
 Communication serves four major functions:
i. Control
ii. Motivation
iii. Emotional expression
iv. Information.
 Communication acts to control employee. Organizations have
authority hierarchies and formal guidelines that employees are
expected to follow.
 Next, communication acts to motivate by clarifying to employees
 what is to be done?
 How well they’re doing?
 what can be done to improve performance?
 Contd.
 The communication that takes place within the group is a fundamental
mechanism by which members share frustrations and feelings of
satisfaction. Communication, therefore, provides a release for emotional
expression of feelings and for fulfillment of social needs.

 Finally, individuals and groups need information to get things done in

organizations. Communication provides that information.
Methods of Interpersonal Communication
Methods of Interpersonal Communication
 Process of Interpersonal Communication
 Communication process
The seven elements involved in transferring meaning from one person to
another
 Message
A purpose to be conveyed.
 It passes between a source (the sender) and a receiver.
 Encoding
Converting a message into symbols
 Channel
The medium a message travels along to the receiver.
 Decoding
Retranslating a sender’s message
 Noise
Any disturbances that interfere with the transmission, receipt, or feedback
of a message
 An important part of interpersonal communication is Non-verbal
communication.
 Non-verbal communication
Communication transmitted without words
i. Body language
Gestures, facial expressions and other body movements that convey
meaning.
ii. verbal intonation
An emphasis given to words or phrases that conveys meaning.
Organizational Communication
Organizational Communication

 Formal communication
Communication that takes place within prescribed organizational work
arrangements.
• For example, when a manager asks an employee to complete a task,
that’s formal communication.
• Another example of formal communication occurs when an
employee communicates a problem to his or her manager.
 Informal communication
Communication that is not defined by the organization’s structural
hierarchy.
• For example, when employees talk with each other in the lunch
room, as they pass in hallways
• Direction of Communication Flow:

Organizational communication can flow:

 Downward
 Upward
 Laterally or
 Diagonally
 Direction of Communication Flow

 Downward communication
Communication that flows downward from a manager to employees.
 When managers assign goals to their employees, they’re using downward
communication.
 when providing employees with job descriptions, informing them of
organizational policies and procedures or evaluating their performance.
 Upward communication
Communication that flows upward from employees to managers.
 Some examples of upward communication include performance reports prepared
by employees and suggestion boxes.
 Lateral communication
Communication that takes place among any employees on the same organizational
level
 Diagonal communication
Communication that cuts across work areas and organizational levels
Managing Human Resources
 Managing Human Resources
 Human resource management (HRM) is an important task that involves having
the right number of the right people in the right place at the right time.
 Many organizations recognize that their people are their most important asset and
acknowledge the important role that employees play in organizational success.
 High-performance work practices
Work practices that lead to both high individual and high organizational performance.
 The way organizations treat their people has been found to significantly impact
organizational performance.
HRM Process
HRM Process
 HRM process
 Shows the eight activities in this process.
 The first three activities ensure that competent employees are
identified and selected;
 The next two involve providing employees with up-to-date
knowledge and skills;
 The final three ensure that the organization retains competent and
high-performing employees
External Factors That Affect the HRM Process
 HRM process is influenced by the external environment. Those factors most
directly influencing it include the
 Economy
 Employee labor unions:
An organization that represents workers and seeks to protect their interests through
collective bargaining.
 Governmental laws and regulations
1. Identifying and selecting competent employees
 Human Resource Planning (HRP)
Human resource planning is the process by which managers ensure that they have the
right number and kinds of capable people in the right places and at the right times.
Through planning, organizations avoid sudden people shortages and surpluses.
 Job analysis
An assessment that defines jobs and the behaviors necessary to perform them.
 Job description (position description)
A written statement that describes a job.
 Job specification
A written statement of the minimum qualifications a person must possess to perform
a given job successfully.
 If employee vacancies exist, managers should use the information gathered
through job analysis to guide them in recruitment.
 Recruitment.
Locating, identifying, and attracting capable applicants
 On the other hand, if HR planning shows a surplus of employees, managers may
want to reduce the organization’s workforce through Decruitment.
 Decruitment
Reducing an organization’s workforce
 Selection
Once you have a pool of candidates, the next step in the HRM process is selection.
 Screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired.
 TYPES OF SELECTION TOOLS:
The best-known selection tools include
Application forms
written tests
Interviews and in some cases, physical exams.
2. Providing employees with needed skills and
knowledge
• Orientation
Introducing a new employee to his or her job and the organization.

• Employee Training

Employee training is an important HRM activity. As job demands change, employee

skills have to change.

Managers, of course, are responsible for deciding what type of training employees
need, when they need it, and what form that training should take.
 3. Retaining competent, high-performing employees
 Performance management system
Establishes performance standards used to evaluate employee performance.
Performance appraisal methods
1. Written Essay: Evaluator writes a description of employee’s strengths and weaknesses,
past performance, and potential; provides suggestions for improvement.
2. MBO: Employees are evaluated on how well they accomplish specific goals.
3. Multi-person Comparison: Employees are rated in comparison to others in work group.
4. 360-Degree Appraisal: Utilizes feedback from supervisors, employees, and coworkers.
 Compensation and Benefits
Managers must develop a compensation system that reflects the changing nature of
work and the workplace in order to keep people motivated.
 Skill-based pay
A pay system that rewards employees for the job skills they can demonstrate.
 Variable pay
A pay system in which an individual’s compensation is contingent on performance.

Employee benefits commonly include offerings such as retirement benefits,

health care insurance, and paid time off.
 Barriers to effective communication
1. Information overload:
When information exceeds our processing capacity.
2. Filtering.
The deliberate manipulation of information to make it appear more favorable to the
receiver.
3. Emotions.
When people feel they’re being threatened, they tend to react in ways that hinder
effective communication and reduce their ability to achieve mutual understanding.
4. Language.
Specialized terminology or technical language that members of a group use to
communicate among themselves
Overcoming the Barriers
Overcoming the Barriers
 USE FEEDBACK: Many communication problems are directly attributed to
misunderstanding and inaccuracies. These problems are less likely to occur if the
manager gets feedback.
 SIMPLIFY LANGUAGE: Because language can be a barrier, managers should
consider the audience to whom the message is directed and tailor the language to
them.
Remember, effective communication is achieved when a message is both received
and understood.
 LISTEN ACTIVELY: Listening for full meaning without making premature
judgments or interpretations