Chapter 10

Communication

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
S T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S
E L E V E N T H E D I T I O N
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Cook
 Functions
Functions of
of Communication
Communication

Communication
The transference and the understanding of meaning.

Communication
CommunicationFunctions
Functions
1.
1. Control
Controlmember
memberbehavior.
behavior.
2.
2. Foster
Fostermotivation
motivationfor
forwhat
whatis
isto
tobe
bedone.
done.
3.
3. Provide
Provideaarelease
releasefor
foremotional
emotionalexpression.
expression.
4.
4. Provide
Provideinformation
informationneeded
neededto
tomake
make
decisions.
decisions.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–2

 Elements
Elements of
of the
the Communication
Communication Process
Process
 The sender
 Encoding
 The message
 The channel
 Decoding
 The receiver
 Noise
 Feedback

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–3

 The
The Communication
Communication Process
Process
 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.
– 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.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–4

 Interpersonal
Interpersonal Communication
Communication
 Oral Communication
– Advantages: Speed and feedback.
– Disadvantage: Distortion of the message.
 Written Communication
– Advantages: Tangible and verifiable.
– Disadvantages: Time consuming and lacks feedback.
 Nonverbal Communication
– 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.
© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–5
 Grapevine
Grapevine
 Grapevine Characteristics
– Informal, not controlled by management.
– Perceived by most employees as being more
believable and reliable than formal communications.
– Largely used to serve the self-interests of those who
use it.
– Results from:
• Desire for information about important situations
• Ambiguous conditions
• Conditions that cause anxiety

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–6

 Computer-Aided
Computer-Aided Communication
Communication
 E-mail
– Advantages: quickly written, sent, and stored; low cost
for distribution.
– Disadvantages: information overload, lack of emotional
content, cold and impersonal.
 Instant messaging
– Advantage: “real time” e-mail transmitted straight to
the receiver’s desktop.
– Disadvantage: can be intrusive and distracting.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–7

 Computer-Aided
Computer-Aided Communication
Communication (cont’d)
(cont’d)
 Intranet
– A private organization-wide information network.
 Extranet
– An information network connecting employees with
external suppliers, customers, and strategic partners.
 Videoconferencing
– An extension of an intranet or extranet that permits
face-to-face virtual meetings via video links.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–8

 Knowledge
Knowledge Management
Management (KM)
(KM)

Knowledge Management
A process of organizing and distributing an
organization’s collective wisdom so the right
information gets to the right people at the right time.

Why
WhyKM KMisisimportant:
important:
Intellectual
Intellectualassets
assetsare
areas
asimportant
importantas
asphysical
physicalassets.
assets.
When
Whenindividuals
individualsleave,
leave,their
theirknowledge
knowledgeand
andexperience
experience
goes
goeswith
withthem.
them.
AAKM
KMsystem
systemreduces
reducesredundancy
redundancyand
andmakes
makesthe
the
organization
organizationmore
moreefficient.
efficient.
© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–9
 Choice
Choice of
of Communication
Communication Channel
Channel

Channel Richness
The amount of information that can be transmitted
during a communication episode.

Characteristics
Characteristicsof
ofRich
RichChannels
Channels
1.1. Handle
Handlemultiple
multiplecues
cuessimultaneously.
simultaneously.
2.2. Facilitate
Facilitaterapid
rapidfeedback.
feedback.
3.3. Are
Arevery
verypersonal
personalinincontext.
context.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–10

 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.

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.
© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–11
 Barriers
Barriers to
to Effective
Effective Communication
Communication (cont’d)
(cont’d)

Emotions
How a receiver feels at the time a message is received
will influence how the message is interpreted.

Language
Words have different meanings to different people.

Communication Apprehension
Undue tension and anxiety about oral
communication, written communication, or both.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–12

 Communication
Communication Barriers
Barriers Between
Between Men
Men and
and
Women
Women
 Men talk to:  Women talk to:
– Emphasize status, – Establish connection
power, and and intimacy.
independence. – Criticize men for not
– Complain that women listening.
talk on and on. – Speak of problems to
– Offer solutions. promote closeness.
– To boast about their – Express regret and
accomplishments. restore balance to a
conversation.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–13

 “Politically
“Politically Correct”
Correct” Communication
Communication
 Certain words stereotype, intimidate, and insult
individuals.
 In an increasingly diverse workforce, we must be
sensitive to how words might offend others.
– Removed: handicapped, blind, and elderly
– Replaced with: physically challenged, visually impaired,
and senior.
 Removing certain words from the vocabulary
makes it harder to communicate accurately.
– Removed: death, garbage, quotas, and women.
– Replaced with terms: negative patient outcome,
postconsumer waste materials, educational equity, and
people of gender.
© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–14
 Cross-Cultural
Cross-Cultural Communication
Communication
 Cultural Barriers  Cultural Guide
– Semantics – Assume differences until
similarity is proven.
– Word connotations
– Emphasize description
– Tone differences
rather than interpretation
– Differences among or evaluation.
perceptions
– Practice empathy.
– Treat your interpretations
as a working hypothesis.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–15

 Communication
Communication Barriers
Barriers and
and Cultural
Cultural Context
Context

High-Context Cultures
Cultures that rely heavily on nonverbal and subtle
situational cues to communication.

Low-Context Cultures
Cultures that rely heavily on words to convey
meaning in communication.

© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 10–16