Communication

Transfer of information (data) from

one person to another
Act or process of receiving and
transmitting messages and that
message are correctly received and
understood

Communication Process

Importance of Good Communication

Transmission phase in which

information is shared by two
or more people.

Feedback phase in which a

common
understanding is assured.

Increased efficiency in new

technology
Improved quality of products and
services
Increased responsiveness to
customers
More innovation through
communication

Sender person wishing to share

information with some other person

Message what information to

communicate

Encoding sender translates the

message into symbols or language

Noise refers to anything that

hampers any stage of the
communication process

Receiver person or group for

which the message is intended

Medium pathway through which

an encoded message is transmitted
to a receiver

Decoding - critical point where the

receiver interprets and tries to make
sense of the message

Feedback phase is initiated by the

receiver

Dangers of Ineffective Communication

Phases of the Communication

Process:

When managers and other members

of an organization are ineffective
communicators, organizational
performance suffers and any
competitive advantage the
organization might have is likely to
be lost

Types of Communication
1. Internal Communication
o With people inside the
organization
o E.g. Notice board
2. External Communication
o Between the organization
and the people outside
o E.g. Organization letter

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Receiver decides what message to

send to the original sender

Feedback eliminates
misunderstandings, ensures that
messages are correctly interpreted

Communication Networks and Channels

1. Formal
o transmits information such as
the goals, policies and
procedures of an
organization
o Newsletter, business plan,
customer satisfaction survey,
annual reports, employer's
manual, review meetings
2. Informal
o News media (journals, tv,
radio, newspapers),
colleagues, salespersons,
gossips
A. Communication Direction
1. Formal
a. Vertical
Formal messages are
channelled from top
management to
bottom
b. Horizontal
Occurs during the
normal conduct or
business when
managers and staff
talk to each other as
peers
2. Informal
o Grapevine
o Can be constructive and
informative if used properly
o Detrimental effects on victims
B. Means and Methods of
Communication

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1. Dynamic Communication
o Both parties can
simultaneously exchange
ideas and receive
spontaneous feedback
o Can be conducted through
meetings, via telephones,
components networks and
videoconferences
Telecommunication Services
o Telephones
Freefone
Texting
Answering services
o Video-conferencing
TV link up of sounds
2. Canned and packaged
messages
o Delivered in formats that do
not allow both parties to
respond to each other right
away

Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

Verbal communication
o The encoding of messages
into words, either written or
spoken
Non-verbal communication
o The encoding of messages
by means of signals, facial
expressions, voice tone,
body language and styles of
dress, personal distance and
movement, physical
environment

Communication Formats
1. Oral or verbal
2. Written

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3. Visual

May not be confidential

Visual Communication
Oral Communication

Sending a verbal message

o Internal: face-to-face
o External: radio, telephones
Advantages
o Quick
o Instant feedback
Disadvantages
o No record
o May be hard to remember

Using charts, graphs, videos, TV

Advantages
o Easy to understand
Disadvantages
o Costly, Complex presentation
o Takes much time to
communicate

Barriers to Effective Communication

Some records are kept

o Internal: Notice board, Memo
o External: Letter, E-mail, Fax
Memo
o Short note used within a
business
o To
From
Date
Subject
Message
Signed
Notice of a Meeting
o Information about a meeting
o Sent by the secretary
o Name
Date
Place
Time
Signed

A. Structural Barriers
Spatial constraints:
geographic separation, job
duties may isolate people
from communication
channels
B. Problem of Semantics
Semantics branch of
communication science that
deals with the denotation and
connotation of words and
messages
Denotation exact meaning
of a word or phrase
Connotation context and
non-verbal messages
associated with the word or
phrase
C. Technical Problem
Can occur during
transmission and reception of
message

Advantages
o Record kept
o Dont have to remember
anything
Disadvantages
o No instant feedback

D. People Barrier
1. Perception Factors
How a message is viewed
from the standpoint of the
receiver
2. Interpersonal

Written Communication

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Credibility of a person as
perceived by another

Communication Media
o

Role of Perception in Communication

o

Perception - process through which

people select, organize, and
interpret sensory input to give
meaning and order to the world
around them
Biases - systematic tendencies to
use information about others in ways
that can result in inaccurate
perceptions
Stereotype
o often inaccurate beliefs about
the characteristics of
particular groups of people
o can interfere with the
encoding and decoding of
messages

Information Richness and Communication

Media
Managers and their subordinates can
become effective communicators by:
o

Selecting an appropriate medium for

each message - there is no one
best medium.
Considering information richness
o A medium with high richness
can carry much more
information to aid
understanding.

Information Richness
o
o

The amount of information that a

communication medium can carry
The extent to which the medium
enables the sender and receiver to
reach a common understanding

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Face-to-face
o Has highest information
richness.
o Can take advantage of verbal
and nonverbal signals
o Provides for instant
feedback.
o Management by wandering
around takes advantage of
this with informal talks to
workers.
o Video conferences provide
much of this richness and
reduce travel costs and
meeting times.
Spoken Communication
Electronically Transmitted
o Has the second highest
information richness.
o Telephone conversations are
information rich with tone of
voice, senders emphasis,
and quick feedback, but
provide no visual nonverbal
cues.
Personally Addressed Written
Communication
o Has a lower richness than
the verbal forms of
communication, but still is
directed at a given person.
o Personal addressing helps
ensure receiver actually
reads the message
personal letters and e-mail
are common forms.
o Does not provide instant
feedback to the sender
although sender may get
feedback later.

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Excellent media for complex

messages requesting followup actions by receiver.
Impersonal Written Communication
o Has the lowest information
richness.
o Good for messages to many
receivers where little or
feedback is expected (e.g.,
newsletters, reports)

Many managers do not have time to

read all the electronic work-related
information available to them
Problem with information overload is
the potential for important
information to be ignored or
overlooked
Can result in lost productivity

o
o

E-mail Dos and Donts

o

E-mail allows telecommuting

employees to work from home and
keep in contact.
The use of e-mail is growing rapidly
and e-mail etiquette is expected:
o Typing messages in all
CAPITALS is seen as
screaming at the receiver.
o Punctuate your messages for
easy reading and dont
ramble on.
o Pay attention to spelling and
treat the message like a
written letter.

Communication Skills for Managers as

Senders
o
o

Send clear and complete messages.

Encode messages in symbols the
receiver understands.

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Select a medium appropriate for the

message and, importantly, one that
is monitored by the receiver.
Avoid filtering (holding back
information) and distortion as the
message passes through other
workers.
Include a feedback mechanism is in
the message.
Provide accurate information to
avoid rumors.
Jargon
o specialized language that
members of an occupation,
group, or organization
develop to facilitate
communication among
themselves
o should never be used when
communicating with people
outside the occupation,
group, or organization

Communication Skills For Managers as

Receivers
o
o
o
o
o
o

Pay attention to what is sent as a

message.
Be a good listener: dont interrupt.
Ask questions to clarify your
understanding.
Be empathetic: try to understand
what the sender feels.
Understand linguistic styles: different
people speak differently.
Speed, tone, pausing all impact
communication

Communication Networks
o

Communication Networks
o The pathways along which
information flows in groups

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and teams and throughout

the organization.
o

Type of communication network

depends on:
o

The nature of the groups

tasks

The extent to which group

members need to
communicate with each other
to achieve group goals.

Communication Networks in
Groups and Teams
Type of Network
Wheel Network

Information flows
through and from
one central member
Chain Network
Members
communicate only
with the people next
to them in the
sequence
Wheel and Chain Networks provide little
interaction
Circle Network
Members
communicate with
others close to them
in terms of expertise,
experience, and
location
All-Channel Network Networks found in
teams with high
levels of
communications
between each
member and all
others
Organization Communication Networks

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Organization Chart
o Summarizes the formal
reporting channels in an
organization
o Communication in an
organization flows through
formal and informal pathways
o Vertical communications flow
up and down the corporate
hierarchy
o Horizontal communications
flow between employees of
the same level.
o Informal communications can
span levels and departments
the grapevine is an
informal network carrying
unofficial information
throughout the firm.

Technological Advances in Communication

o

Internet
o Global system of computer
networks that is easy to join
and is used by employees to
communicate inside and
outside their companies

World Wide Web (WWW)

o Business district with
multimedia capabilities

Intranets
o A company-wide system of
computer networks for
information sharing by
employees inside the firm

Advantages of intranets

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o
o

Lies in their versatility as a

communication medium
Can be used for a number of
different purposes by people
who may have little expertise
in computer software and
programming

Groupware
o Computer software that
enables members of groups
and teams to share
information with each other
and improve communication.

How to Be Successful Using Groupware

1. Work is team-based and members
are rewarded for group performance
2. Groupware has full support of top
management
3. Culture of the organization stresses
flexibility

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4. Groupware is being used for a

specific purpose
5. Employees receive adequate
training

Groupware
o

Employees are likely to resist using

groupware when:
o people are working primarily
on their own
o people are rewarded for their
own individual performances
o People are reluctant to share
information
Collaboration software
o groupware that aims to
promote collaborative, highly
interdependent interactions
among members of a team
and provide the team with an
electronic meeting site for
communication

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