Module 3

Communication, Perception,
and Learning
MGMT5100
Welcome to Module 3
Communication, Perception and
Learning
MGMT 5100
3

Road Map for Module 3

3.0 Welcome
• 3.1 Perception and Communication
• What is perception?
• Self-fulfilling prophecy
• Perceptual errors
• 3.2 Communication Models
• Choosing Channels
• Barriers to Communication
• 3.3 Learning
• Organizational Learning
• What is Knowledge?
• Individual Learning
• Types of learning
• Group Learning
Module 3 Learning Objectives and MPO Challenge
At the end of this module students will be able to:
• Identify the fundamental theories related to
Managing People and Organizations
communication perception and learning (C01, Discussion of Challenges
CO4)
• Describe a challenge related to managing Who is the best communicator you
perceptions, communication, and learning in have worked with?
organizations that is relevant to your career (CO1,
CO2)
• Analyze your own perceptual biases and the
impact on your behaviour (C01, CO2, CO3)
• Demonstrate effective communication and analyze
real world managerial challenges using theories
related to communication (CO2, CO3)
• Analyze how learning theories can enhance
employee development in organizations (C02, C03)
Module 3.2
Communication
The Communication Process
• Any verbal or nonverbal behaviour that is perceived ay
another person
Context
NOI
Chooses SE
NOI Channel
SE

Sender Sends
(encodes) Message

NOI NOI
Receiver SE
SE Feedback
Decodes

Context
The Transactional Model of Communication

• Communication: The process by which information is

exchanged between communicators with the goal of
achieving a mutual understanding.
Choosing Channels
• Channels differ in their capacity to
convey information.
• Rich channels have the ability to:
– Handle multiple cues
simultaneously.
– Facilitate rapid feedback.
– Be very personal.

– Communication apprehension
– Communication under stress

8
Noise
“I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not
sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant”
• Environmental noise
– Distractions
– Poor connection
– Competing Stimuli
– Competing Needs
• Sender noise
– Ambiguous intentions [e.g., feelings]
– Different meanings (average US word = 28 definitions) Acronyms
or lingo
– Incongruent verbal and non-verbal
– Attitude
• Receiver Noise
– Poor listening
– Evaluate & judge speaker
– Lack of trust in speaker
Decoding
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10
The Arc Of Distortion & Barriers to Communication

• Filtering
• Perceptual errors
• Defensiveness
• Information overload
• Language
• Gender
• Culture
• Poor relationships
• Poor listening skills
• Stress
• Jargon and lingo
Feedback
• Take initiative – ask.
• Don’t be defensive
• Summarizing statements
• Check out underlying assumptions
• Be aware of nonverbal feedback
• Ask questions to clarify
Understanding nonverbal messages
• Definition: All interpersonal messages and responses not expressed through linguistic means.
– Approximately 2/3rds of all communication is nonverbal.
– Interpreting nonverbal messages requires you to read in clusters.

• Categories • Why use nonverbal?

– Kinestics (body language) – Repeating
– Substituting
– Oculesics (use of eyes)
– Complimenting
– Haptics (use of touch) – Accenting
– Vocalics (paraletics) – Regulating
– Chronemics (use of time) – Contradicting
– Olfactics (use of smell) – Deceiving
– Objectics (use of objects)
– Proxemics (use of physical space)
High- vs. Low-Context Cultures
Individualistic vs. Relational Cultures
 Communicating with Time (Chronemics)
• Chronemics: How humans perceive, structure and
use time as a communication system
– Interest and affection
– Power and status
– Intentions
– Culture dependent
• Monochronic cultures: one thing at a time, focused on
tasks, rigid, strict agenda, promptness, task
completion is the priority.
• Polychronic cultures: multiple activities at the same
time, flexible, no strict agenda, relationship is the
priority.

• Online Chronemics
– Social chat, email,
Storytelling
• Story: the telling of a happening or connected series of
happenings, whether true or fictitious; account; narration.
• According to Denning (2011) there are four key elements in
storytelling:
1. Style
2. Truth
3. Preparation
4. Delivery
Humblebragging
• Humblebragging —bragging masked
by a complaint or humility”
• Type 1: Complaint (“I hate that I look so
young; even a 19-year-old hit on me!”)
• Type 2: Humility (“Why do I always get
asked to work on the most important
assignment?”).

• Reduced Liking and perceived sincerity

– Sezer et al. (2018)
Active vs. Passive Listening
Listening is a BASIC FUNDAMENTAL SKILL
• Hearing (physical process) is not the same as listening (mental process).
I.e. You should get worse at hearing and better at listening in your life.

Passive Listening is Very very difficult.

Active or empathic listening: requires that the listener try to understand

the speaker’s own understanding of an experience without the listener’s own
interpretive structures intruding on his or her understanding of the other
person.
1. Intensity: Stay focused, give space.
2. Empathy: Understand the context, communicate non-verbal.
3. Acceptance: Avoid judgement
4. Responsibility for completeness (facts & feelings): Ask questions,
paraphrasing.
Listening Style
Listening styles (def) ‘‘attitudes, beliefs, and predispositions about the how,
where, when, who, and what of the information reception and encoding
process’’ (Watson et al., 1995, p. 2).

Four styles of listening orientations that individuals habitually orient toward,

especially in novel situations (Imhof, 2004).
1. Relational Listening
2. Transactional Listening
3. Critical Listening
4. Analytical Listening
Electronic Communications:
• Benefits of E-mail vs. Text message (IM)

• Workload?

• Significant Limitations of E-mail

– Misinterpreting the message.
– Communicating negative messages.
– Overuse of e-mail.

– E-mail emotions. (Byron, 2008)

 Neutrality effect
 Negativity effect
 Should we include emotion in emails?
Before you talk, communicate
End of Module 3.2
Thank you!