Chapter

Robbins & Judge

Organizational Behavior
14th Edition

4.3
4.3 Communication
Communication

Kelli J. Schutte
William Jewell College

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Chapter
Chapter Learning
Learning Objectives
Objectives
 After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
– Identify the main functions of communication.
– Describe the communication process and distinguish between
formal and informal communication.
– Contrast downward, upward, and lateral communication with
examples.
– Contrast oral, written, and nonverbal communication.
– Contrast formal communication networks and the grapevine.
– Analyze the advantages and challenges of electronic
communication.
– Show how channel richness underlies the choice of
communication channel.
– Identify common barriers to effective communication.
– Show how to overcome the potential problems in cross-cultural
communication.

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 Functions
Functions of
of Communication
Communication
 Communication
– The transference and understanding of meaning
is a two-way process

 Communication Functions
– Control member behavior: when employees for instance
are required to communicate any job related grievance to their
Immediate boss, or to follow their job description or comply with
Company policies

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 – Foster motivation for what is to be done,
clarifying employees what is to be done, how
well they are doing
– Provide a release for emotional expression by
which members Show their frustration and
feelings
– Provide information needed to make decisions

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The
The Communication
Communication Process
Process
 Communication Process
– The steps between a source and a receiver that result in the
transference and understanding of meaning

E X H I B I T 11-1
E X H I B I T 11-1

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Key
Key Parts
Parts of
of Communication
Communication Process
Process
 The Sender – initiates message
 Encoding – translating thought to message
 The Message – what is communicated
 The Channel – the medium the message travels through–
writing, speaking, etc
 Decoding – the receiver’s action in making sense of the
message
 The Receiver – person who gets the message
 Noise – things that interfere with the message
 Feedback – is the check on how successful we were in
passing the correct message to the receiver.
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Communication
Communication Channels
Channels
 Channel
– The medium selected by the sender through which the message
travels to the receiver
 Types of Channels
– Formal Channels
• Are established by the organization and transmit messages that are
related to the professional activities of members
• They formally follow the authority chain within the organization
– Informal Channels
• Used to transmit personal or social messages in the organization.
• These informal channels are spontaneous and emerge as a
response to individual choices such as who you eat lunch with.

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Direction
Direction of
of Communication
Communication

CEO
DO
VP VP WN
UP
WA
WA
RD
RD
Mgr Mgr Mgr Mgr

LATERAL

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 Interpersonal
Interpersonal Communication
Communication
 Oral Communication oral communication or the spoken word.
– Advantages: Speed and feedback
– Disadvantage: Distortion of the message
 Written Communication include memos, letters, fax
transmissions, electronic mail, instant messaging,
– Advantages: Tangible and verifiable
– Disadvantages: Time consuming and lacks immediate feedback
 Nonverbal Communication this can be a nod, a look, crossing of
hands
– Advantages: Supports other communications and provides observable
expression of emotions and feelings
– Disadvantage: Misperception of body language or gestures can
influence receiver’s interpretation of message
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 Nonverbal
Nonverbal Communication
Communication
 Body Movement
– Unconscious motions that provide meaning
– Shows extent of interest in another and relative perceived status
differences. If u feel higher status than another you are more likely to
display it in body movements such as crossed legs, or a slouched seating
position, that reflect a casual and relaxed manner
 Intonations and Voice Emphasis
– The way something is said can change meaning
 Facial Expressions along with intonations can show emotions such
as arrogance, agressiveness,fear, shyness
 Physical Distance between Sender and Receiver
 We are more likely to position ourselves closer to people and touch
them more often
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E X H I B I T 11-2
Cont…
Cont…
– Depends on cultural norms If some one closer to you than is
considered appropriate, if farther away than usual it may
mean disinterest or displeasure with what is being said in
many parts of North America
– Can express interest or status

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Three
Three Common
Common Formal
Formal Small-Group
Small-Group Networks
Networks
 Chain:
– Rigidly follows the chain of
command
 Wheel:
 The wheel is a network where
there is a central figure who
controls all the communication.
This must be a team with a very
strong leader who can
communicate effectively.
– Team with a strong leader
 All Channel: no formal channel
– All group members communicate
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Small
Small Group
Group Network
Network Effectiveness
Effectiveness
 Small group effectiveness depends on the desired
outcome variable

TYPES OF NETWORKS
Criteria Chain Wheel All Channel

Speed Moderate Fast Fast

Accuracy High High Moderate
Emergence of a leader Moderate High None
Member satisfaction Moderate Low High

E X H I B I T 11-4
E X H I B I T 11-4

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 The
The Grapevine
Grapevine
 Three Main Grapevine Characteristics
1. Informal, not controlled by management
2. Perceived by most employees as being more believable and reliable
than formal communications. For instance a survey found that 75%
of employees hear about matters through rumors on grapevine
3. Largely used to serve the self-interests of those who use it
 Results from:
– Desire for information about important situations
– When there is ambiguous conditions
– Reduce Conditions that cause
anxiety
 Insightful to managers important source of
information
Serves employee’s social need to connect
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Reducing
Reducing Rumors
Rumors
1. Announce timetables for making important
decisions
2. Explain decisions and behaviors that may
appear inconsistent or secretive
3. Emphasize the downside, as well as the
upside, of current decisions and future plans
4. Openly discuss worst-case possibilities—
they are almost never as anxiety-provoking
as the unspoken fantasy

Source: Adapted from L. Hirschhorn, “Managing Rumors,” in L. Hirschhorn (ed.), Cutting Back (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1983), pp. 54–56. With permission.

E X H I B I T 11-5
E X H I B I T 11-5

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 Electronic
Electronic Communications:
Communications: E-mail
E-mail
 E-mail
 E-mail tends to be the preferred medium for coordinating work (e.g.,
confirming deadlines with a co-worker’s schedule) and for sending
well-defined information for decision making.
– Advantages: quickly written record, sent, and stored; low cost for
distribution
– Disadvantages:
• Messages are easily and commonly misinterpreted
• Not appropriate for sending negative messages e.g lay offs, plant closings,
that might evoke emotional responses and require empathy or social support
• Over used and over loading readers
• Difficult to “get” emotional state understood – emoticons
• Non-private: e-mail is often monitored and may be forwarded to anyone

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Electronic
Electronic Comms:
Comms: Instant/Text
Instant/Text Messaging
Messaging
Forms of “real time” communication of short messages that
often use portable communication devices.
– Explosive growth in business use
due to the explosion of portable communication devices
– Fast and inexpensive means of communication
– Can be intrusive/disturbing and distracting. Instant
message’s continual online presence can make it
hard for employees to concentrate and stay
focused
– Easily “hacked” with weak security
– Can be seen as too informal
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contd
contd
Text Messages
– Short messages typically sent to cell phones or other
handheld devices

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Electronic
Electronic Comms:
Comms: Networking
Networking Software
Software
 Linked systems organically spread through out the
nation and world that can be accessed by a PC

 Includes:
– Social networks like MySpace® and Facebook®
– Professional networks like Zoominfo® and Ziggs®
– Corporate networks such as IBM’s BluePages®

 Key Points:
– These are public spaces – anyone can see what you post
– Can be used for job application screening
– people are becoming over stimulated with all the information
and contact.
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 Electronic
ElectronicComms:
Comms:Blogs
Blogsand
andVideoconferencing
Videoconferencing
 Blogs: Web sites about a single person (or entity) that are
typically updated daily
– A popular, but potentially dangerous activity:
• Employees may post harmful information
• Such comments may be cause for dismissal
• Can be against company policy to post in a blog during company time and
on company equipment/connections
 Videoconferencing: uses live audio and video Internet streaming
to create virtual meetings
 It permits employees in an organization to have meetings with people
at different locations
– Now uses inexpensive webcams and laptops in place of formal
videoconferencing rooms
– Live audio and video images of members allow them to see, hear, and
talk with each other
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 Choice
Choice of
of Communication
Communication Channel
Channel
 The model of “media richness” helps explain an individual’s
choice of communication channel
– Channels vary in their capacity to convey information
 A “rich” channel is one that can:
– Handle multiple cues(words, postures,
– facial expressions, gestures, intonations)&
immediate feed back(verbal &nonverbal)
simultaneously
– Facilitate rapid feedback
– And the personal touch is being there

– Impersonal written media such as formal reports and bulletins rate

lowest in richness
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 Contd..
Contd..
 Choice depends on whether the message is routine or non routine.

 Routine messages are straight forward and have a minimum of

ambiguity, the latter are complicated/ambiguous and have a potential
for misunderstanding

 Managers can communicate routine messages efficiently through

channels that are lower in richness. However, they can communicate
non routine messages effectively only by selecting rich channels

 High-performing managers tend to be very media-sensitive than low

performing managers.
 They are better able to match appropriate media richness with
ambiguity involved in the communication

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 Media
Media Richness
Richness Model
Model

Low channel richness High channel richness

Source: Based on R.H. Lengel and D.L. Daft, “The Selection of Communication Media as an Executive Skill,” Academy of Management Executive,
August 1988, pp. 225–32; and R.L. Daft and R.H. Lengel, “Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness, and Structural Design,”
Managerial Science, May 1996, pp. 554–72. Reproduced from R.L. Daft and R.A. Noe, Organizational Behavior (Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt, 2001), p.
311.

E X H I B I T 11-6
E X H I B I T 11-6

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 Barriers
Barriers to
to Effective
Effective Communication
Communication
 Filtering
– A sender’s manipulation of information so that it will be seen more
favorably by the receiver. For example a manager tells his boss what he
feels his boss wants to hear
 Selective Perception
– People selectively interpret what they see on the basis of their interests,
background, experience, and attitudes
 Information Overload
– A condition in which information inflow exceeds an individual’s
processing capacity. Regardless the result is lost information and less
effective communication
 Emotions
– How a receiver feels at the time a message is received will influence how
the message is interpreted. The same message received when you’re
angry is often interpreted differently when you're happy
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 More
More Barriers
Barriers to
to Effective
Effective Communication
Communication
 Language
– Words have different meanings to different people
 Communication Apprehension/anxiety
– Undue tension and anxiety about oral communication, written
communication, or both for example, oral apprehensives may extremely
find it difficult face to face communications or become extremely
anxious/nervous when they have to use telephones.
– As a result they may rely on memos or faxes
 Gender Differences
– Men tend to talk to emphasize status while women
talk to create connections
Men are often direct than women in conversation, A man might
Say “I think u are wrong on that point” A woman
might say" Have u looked at the marketing department research at that
point?
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 Politically
Politically Correct
Correct “PC”
“PC” Communication
Communication
 We exist in a PC or politically correct culture where lawsuits and
media attention have forced organizations to become very concerned
with avoiding any potentially offensive language

 Certain words do stereotype, intimidate, and insult

– In a highly diverse workforce this is problematic: We must be sensitive

to how words might offend others
• “Garbage” becomes “post-consumer waste materials”
• “Quotas” become “educational equity”
• “Women” become “people of gender”
– Such non-standard sanitizing of potentially offensive words can reduce
the clarity of messages

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 Global
Global Implications
Implications
 Cross-cultural factors increase communication difficulties
 Cultural Barriers:
– Semantics: some words aren’t translatable
– Word Connotations: some words imply multiple meanings beyond their
definitions
– Tone Differences: the acceptable level of formality of language. The tone
changes depending on the context: People speak differently at home, in
social situations, at work
– Perception Differences: language affects worldview
 Cultural Context:
– The importance of social context to meaning
– Low-context cultures (like the U.S.) rely on words for meaning
– High-context cultures gain meaning from the whole situation

E X H I B I T 11-8
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11-27
 Body
Body Language
Language Issues
Issues

All of these common U.S. hand signs are offensive some

where in the world.
E X H I B I T 11-9
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 AA Cultural
Cultural Guide
Guide

– Assuming differences until similarity is

proven
– Emphasizing description of events and tasks
rather than interpretation or evaluation
– Practicing empathy in communication
– watch your own interpretations to make
sure you are not drawing conclusions
prematurely.

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Summary
Summary and
and Managerial
Managerial Implications
Implications
 good communication reduces uncertainty!
 Communication is improved by:
– Choosing the correct channel
– Being a good listener
– Using feedback
 Potential for misunderstanding in electronic
communication is higher than for traditional modes
 There are many barriers to international
communication that must be overcome

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