Because learning changes everything.

Chapter 9
Communication

© 2022 McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No
reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.
 Learning Objectives 1

1. Explain why effective communication helps an

organization gain a competitive advantage.
2. Describe the communication process, and explain
the role of perception in communication.
3. Define information richness, and describe the
information richness of communication media
available to managers.

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 Learning Objectives 2

4. Describe the communication networks that exist

in groups and teams.
5. Explain how advances in technology have given
managers new options for managing
communications.
6. Describe important communication skills that
managers need as senders and as receivers of
messages and why it is important to understand
differences in linguistic styles.

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 Communication and Management
Communication:
• The sharing of information between two or more
individuals or groups to reach a common
understanding.
• A human endeavor.
• Does not take place unless a common understanding
is reached.

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 The Importance of Good Communication

Increased efficiency in new technologies and skills.

Improved quality of products and services.

Increased responsiveness to customers.

More innovation through communication.

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 Figure 9.1: The Communication
Process

Access the text alternative for slide images.

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 The Communication Process 1

Sender
person wishing to share information with some other person

Message
the information to communicate

Encoding
sender translates the message into symbols or language.

Noise
refers to anything that hampers any stage of the
communication process

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 The Communication Process 2

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

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 The Communication Process 3

Verbal Nonverbal
communication: communication:
• The encoding of • The encoding of
messages into words, messages by means of
either written or facial expressions, body
spoken. language, and styles of
dress.

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 The Role of Perception in
Communication 1

Perception:
• Process through which people select, organize, and
interpret sensory input to give meaning and order to
the world around them.
• Influenced by people’s personalities, values, attitudes
and moods as well as their experience and
knowledge.

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 The Role of Perception in
Communication 2

Biases:
• Systematic tendencies to use information about others
in ways that can result in inaccurate perceptions.
• For example, stereotypes.

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 The Role of Perception in
Communication 3

Stereotypes:
• Simplified and often inaccurate beliefs about the
characteristics of particular groups of people.
• Can interfere with the encoding and decoding of
messages.

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 The Dangers of Ineffective Communication

Not only can ineffective communication harm the

competitive advantage, it can be dangerous.
• Harvard University studied the risk of doctors’
communications during shift changes.
• Change in communication reduced risk of adverse
events in patients by 30%.
• Improving communication, reduced medical errors by
almost 25%.

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 Information Richness and Communication
Media
Managers and their employees can become
effective communicators by:
Selecting an appropriate medium for each message
—there is no one “best” medium./
Considering information richness.
• A medium with high richness can carry much more
information to aid understandings.

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 Information Richness
• 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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 Figure 9.2: Information Richness of
Communication Media

Access the text alternative for slide images.

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 Face-to-Face Communication 1

Face-to-face:
• Has highest information richness.
• Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.
• Example: ProQuest, although mainly electronic
communication, every four months, face-to-face.

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 Face-to-Face Communication 2

Management by wandering around:

• Face-to-face communication technique in which a
manager walks around a work area and talks
informally with employees about issues and concerns.

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 Spoken Communication Electronically
Transmitted
• Has the second highest information richness.
• Telephone conversations are information rich with
tone of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick feedback,
but provide no visual nonverbal cues.

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 Personally Addressed Written
Communication
Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of
communication, but still is directed at a given person.
Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually
reads the message.
• Personal letters and email common forms.

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 Impersonal Written Communication 1

Impersonal written communication:

• Has the lowest information richness.
• Good for messages to many receivers where little or
feedback is expected (for example, newsletters,
reports).

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 Impersonal Written Communication 2

Information overload:
• The potential for important information to be ignored
or overlooked while tangential information receives
attention.

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 Impersonal Written Communication 3

Blog:
• A website on which an individual, a group, or an
organization posts information, commentary, and
opinions and to which readers can often respond with
their own commentary and opinions.

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 Impersonal Written Communication 4

Social networking site:

• A website that enables people to communicate with
others with whom they have some common interest or
connection.
• Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

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 Communication Networks 1

Communication Type of communication

networks: network depends on:
• The pathways along • The nature of the group’s
which information tasks.
flows in groups and • The extent to which group
teams and members need to
throughout the communicate with each
organization. other to achieve group
goals.

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 Figure 9.3: Communication Networks in
Groups and Teams

Access the text alternative for slide

images.
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 Communication Networks 2

Wheel Network:
Information flows to and from one central member. Other group members
do not communicate with each other.

Chain Network:
Members only communicate 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:
These are networks found in teams with high levels of communications
between each member and all others.
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 Organizational Communication
Networks 1

Organization chart:
• The chart summarizes the formal reporting channels
in an organization.
• Communication in organization flows through formal
and informal pathways.
• Vertical communications flow up and down corporate
hierarchy.

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 Organizational Communication
Networks 2

Organization chart:
Horizontal communications flow between employees of
the same level.
Informal communications can span levels and
departments.
Grapevine:
• An informal network carrying unofficial information
throughout the firm.

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 Figure 9.4: Formal and Informal
Communication Networks in an Organization

Access the text alternative for slide

images.
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 Technology and Communication
Intranets:
• A companywide system of computer networks.

Advantages of intranets:
• Versatility as a communication medium.
• Can be used for several different purposes by people
who may have little expertise in computer software
and programming.

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 Collaboration Software
Programs that promote and facilitate collaborative,
highly interdependent interactions and provide an
electronic meeting site for communication among
team members.
• Site where employees can post, share, and save data;
have team-based conferences; and communicate with
messages.
• More efficient than email or instant messaging for
managing ongoing team collaboration.
• Stored documents one click away.
• Zoho, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.

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 Barriers to Effective Communication
Origins with sender:
• Messages unclear, incomplete, difficult to understand.
• Messages sent over the inappropriate medium.
• Messages with no provision for feedback.

Origins with receiver:

• Message that are received but ignored.
• Messages that are misunderstood.

Errors with technology:

• Messages delivered through automated systems that lack
the human element.
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 Table 9.1: Communication Skills for
Managers as Senders
Seven Communication Skills for Managers as Senders of
Messages
1. Send messages that are clear and complete.
2. Encode messages in symbols that the receive understands.
3. Select a medium that is appropriate for the message.
4. Select a medium that the receiver monitors.
5. Avoid filtering and information distortion.
6. Ensure that a feedback mechanism is built into messages.
7. Provide accurate information to ensure that misleading rumors
are not spread.

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 Communication Skills for Managers
as Senders 1

Jargon:
• Specialized language that members of an occupation,
group, or organization develop to facilitate
communication among themselves.
• Should never be used when communicating with
people outside the occupation, group, or organization.

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 Communication Skills for Managers
as Senders 2

Filtering:
• Withholding part of a message because of the
mistaken belief that the receiver does not need or will
not want the information.

Information distortion:
• Changes in the meaning of a message as the
message passes through a series of senders and
receivers.

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 Communication Skills for Managers as
Receivers
Pay attention.

Be a good listener.

Be empathetic.

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 End of Main Content

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© 2022 McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.
No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.