Week 4 Communication in Organisations 2024 PDF

Communication in organisations The consequences of poor listening skills Mr. Tsikata, a product manager, found out that his subordinates viewed him as an ineffective leader. The problem seemed to be a breakdown in communication at the workplace. Failure to provide information was a common c...

Communication in organisations The consequences of poor listening skills Mr. Tsikata, a product manager, found out that his subordinates viewed him as an ineffective leader. The problem seemed to be a breakdown in communication at the workplace. Failure to provide information was a common complaint against him. Mr Tsikata also began to understand that he was perceived as a poor listener. Mr Tsikata realized he had a problem and he had to make changes quickly or lose some of his talented employees. He decided to change his communication style and have regular meetings to open up lines of communication. His employees immediately sensed the change in leadership style and positively responded.  Poor communication is cited as a source of interpersonal conflict Over 70% of time is spent writing, Overview reading, speaking and listening Communication skills is therefore a desired characteristic  The transfer and the understanding of meaning (message) between two or more people (Judge and Robbinson, 2015) Thus, the process by which a person, group, or organization (the sender) transmits some type of information (the message) to another person, group, or organization (the receiver). Communication Communication is perfect when the idea or thought was transmitted so the receiver perceived exactly the same mental picture as the sender. The specific process through which information moves and is exchanged throughout an organization (Schmerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, 2003)  Sender: (initiates the message) Forms message & encodes into words, gestures, voice intonations etc. Sends encoded message through communication channel(s)/media encoding – translating an idea into a form, such as The communication written or spoken language, that can be recognized process by a receiver. We encode information when we select the words we use to send an e-mail message or when we speak to someone in person. Receiver: (person to whom message is directed) Senses incoming message and decodes into something meaningful.  Feedback: (determines whether understanding has been achieved) Sender typically seeks evidence that message received & understood Formal acknowledgement, or indirect acknowledgement through receiver’s behavior. Note: feedback essentially repeats the communication process (two-way relationship) Noise: (barrier distorting clarity of message) Distort & obscure sender’s intended message  Verbal: Any oral or written means of transmitting meaning through words Nonverbal: Any part of communication that does not use words (gestures, tone of voice, distance, silence etc) Includes communication medium: i.e., face-to-face, Channel (sender email, phone, SMS, TV etc. chooses): the medium Channels can be Formal or informal through which the message travels The former follows the chain of command established by an organization’s hierarchy of authority The latter does not follow any hierarchy of authority (e.g. grapevine)  Transmit Message Sender Receiver Form Receive Encoded Decode Encode Message Message Message Message Noise Decode Receive Feedback Encode Feedback Form Feedback Feedback (McShane & Travaglione, 2010 ) Transmit Feedback  Communication media/channels May be characterized along a continuum ranging from highly rich, interactive media (e.g., telephone and face to face discussions) to lean, static media (e.g., flyers and bulletins) Communication is most effective when multiple channels are used. (Buchanan, 2022) Two-way communication – (oral messages have the benefit of allowing for this form of communication) One-way communication (e.g., memos) However, the medium that enhances effectiveness depends on the kind of message being sent. E.g., use oral media when communicating ambiguous messages E.g., use written media for communicating clear messages Information Richness of Communication Media Figure 16.2 16-10 Directions of communication Vertically (downward/upward) Downward (communication that flows from upper levels to a lower level. E.g. managers use that to assign goals, provide instructions and explain policies and procedures, offer feedback about performance) Managers need to explain issues to employees in order to get their commitment Upward (information flow to a higher level in the group) Soliciting information from subordinates Useful in making managers aware of issues in the organization, enhancing engagement and improving innovation  Laterally or horizontally (flow of communication among members of the same work group or people at the same level)  Channels of communicating Verbal (the power of words) Oral Speeches, one on one discussions, grapevine (rumour) Commonest form with the advantage of speed and feedback especially face-to face communication Major drawback is the amount of distortion if it passes through a number of people because it is subject to different interpretation Written – memos, letters, emails, instant messaging, notices It provides written records and can be stored Prevents instant feedback  Non verbal – kinesics (body movements, gestures (help me, I am lonely, surprise, indifferent, forgetful) Intonations (the way we say things), Facial expressions (smile, a frown, shyness, eye contact is important) Proxemics (physical distance between the sender and receiver (proper spacing distance is dependent on culture. E.g. Intimate distance (0-18 inches): Close personal relationships, Personal distance (18 inches-4 feet): Friends and family, Social distance (4-12 feet): Professional interactions, Public distance ) Colours (Colors communicate emotions, cultural meanings, and psychological states. E.g. Red: Passion, anger, excitement; Blue: Calm, trust, stability; Yellow: Happiness, optimism; Black: Power, sophistication, mourning; Green: Nature, growth, harmony) Aesthetic (creative expression such as music, dance, theatre) Avoid contradictions when communicating using both verbal and non-verbal. Creamy ad (Contradictory Verbal and Nonverbal Communication) Non-verbal movie: (form of storytelling that relies almost entirely on visual communication, minimal dialogue, and expressive acting to convey narrative and emotions).  Non-verbal communication Mainly used to transmit emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, surprise, disgusting, envy, fear, love, amazement, excited) When there is a conflict between verbal and non-verbal communication, the true meaning is gotten from the non-verbal Generally, non-verbal communication: repeat a message Contradict the message Substitute verbal communication Can add meaning to verbal communication  Distort & obscure sender’s intended message Sources of noise Filtering – a sender purposely Barriers to manipulating information so the receiver effective will see it more favorably. (e.g. telling communication your boss what you feel he should hear). (Noise) Fear of conveying bad news or the desire to please the boss can lead to that. Information overload – when information exceeds our processing capacity. It therefore leads people to select, ignore, pass over or forget  Barriers to communication Not knowing grammar Not knowing jargon Semantic Accent – sometimes different accents can make the same word sound barriers completely different Idiom – are expressions and can be specific to the culture or region Solution: KISS (keep it short and sweet) Barriers to communication Context – the building, temperature, other people in the room – how can you overcome these? Distance – face to face is the easiest, problems can occur without the non-verbal signals Physical to help us – how can you overcome these? Physical disabilities – barriers hearing, eyesight, speech – how can you overcome these? Technical difficulties – computers, telephone lines – how can you overcome these? Illness and tiredness – colds, flus, tiredness can effect a person’s concentration – how can you overcome these?  Barriers to communication Culture – cultural differences can make people feel like they don’t fit in so they may try to adjust very quickly Religion – religion does not often cause too many communication barriers Values – people can have different values which can impact on how they perceive a message remember that people may not have the same values as you do Differing fields of experience – differences can create barriers Psychological Lack of feedback – this means the communication process is unfinished, people like to know how others feel and think about barriers the message they have sent out Emotion – can be a barrier when it prevents us from communicating or thinking. Negative emotion can be difficult to express at work and can be inappropriate Stereotyping and gender Personality Lack of confidence – a lack of confidence may reduce your ability to communicate an idea clearly or in a convincing way. Assertiveness training can help Improving communications Encourage open feedback Use simple language (no jargon, know your audience, KISS – keep it short and sweet) Avoid overload Be a good listener (not talking, ask questions) Improving listening skills Do not talk while being spoken to Make the speaker feel at ease Eliminate distractions Show empathy with the speaker Be as patient as possible Hold your arguments Ask questions