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Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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a. The eight norms of Net Gen profiled in Table 14-6 are freedom,
customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed, and
innovation. Freedom is evident in the desire of younger employees to
6. How can Unilever’s Wendy Wilkes give employees more digital freedom without
endangering the company? Explain in terms of specific tools such as Skype,
Webcam videoconferencing, iPods, Facebook, and Twitter.
a. This is an interesting management question. The answer might include
elements of trying to partner with employees to find compromises that fit
LEGAL/ETHICAL CHALLENGE: We Know Where You Are and What You’re Doing.
What are the ethics of putting employees under constant electronic surveillance?
1. When employees are on company time they are fully accountable for their
activities and whereabouts. Electronic surveillance is acceptable, with or without
their knowledge.
2. Monitoring and geo-tracking your employees is acceptable if they are fully
informed about the technology, procedures, and consequences.
3. If employees will be monitored by their employer, then the employees need to
fully participate in formulating standards and limits of use. What standards and
limits do you recommend?
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4. Hello, Big Brother. Unacceptable infringements of personal privacy rights are
being discussed here. Which forms of employee monitoring are the worst (and
least) offensive? Explain.
5. Invent other options. Discuss.
Discussion:
Companies own the equipment and pay for the Internet capability and therefore have
the legal right to determine if employees can use the company computers for any
personal activity and to monitor employee actions while at work. However, electronic
surveillance does send a signal to employees that the company does not trust the
employees to make good judgments about how to use their time at work. Individuals
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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the system or to beat the rules. It would likely be more effective to determine the
underlying reasons behind the employees’ actions and then address the true root cause
as compared to just punishing employees for their inappropriate actions.
INTERNET EXERCISE
http://www.mindtools.com/
The http://www.mindtools.com/ website provides information about practical skills
important to one’s career. The site provides numerous articles and assessments for a
variety of critical skills sets including leadership, team management, problem-solving,
decision making, time management, stress management, and communication. Some of
the articles and assessments are viewable only by subscribing members to the site, but
many are provided for free. We will use this website to further explore your
communication skills.
From the website’s homepage at http://www.mindtools.com, click on the
“Communication Skills” link under the “Explore the Toolkit” content area. Then click on
the link for the “Brief Quiz” to complete the quiz “How Good are your Communication
Skills.” The quiz has 15 questions and should take you less than 5 minutes to
complete. After you have answered the quiz questions, click on “Calculate My Total” to
see your score and to review feedback based on your score. Return to the
“Communication Skills” content area to complete the quiz “How Good are your
Presentation Skills.” The quiz has 14 questions and should take you less than 5
minutes to complete. After you have answered the quiz questions, click on “Calculate
My Total” to see your score and to review feedback based on your score. Finally, return
once more to the “Communication Skills” content area and review the material in the
“Cross Culture Communication,” “Body Language,” and “Using LinkedIn Effectively”
sections, as well as any other sections that appear interesting to you.
Questions:
1. What feedback did you find most helpful from the results of the “How Good are
your Communication Skills” assessment? Discuss practical steps you could take
to improve your communication skills.
2. What feedback did you find most helpful from the results of the “How Good are
your Presentation Skills” assessment? Discuss practical steps you could take to
improve your presentation skills.
3. Summarize the main points you found most interesting from the “Cross Culture
Communication” and “Body Language” content areas.
4. Discuss how you could effectively use a LinkedIn profile to help you grow
professionally.
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INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
1. An interesting source to use to expand the conversation on the Net Generation
can be found in “Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your
World” by D. Tapscott (McGraw-Hill, 2008).
2. See “Topic 13: Communication” in “An Instructor’s Guide to an Active Classroom”
by A. Johnson & A. Kinicki (McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006).
3. See “E-Learning in Business” by H. Schweizer in Journal of Management
Education, 2004, Vol. 28(6), pp. 674-692.
4. See “Beyond the Silo Approach: Using Group Support Systems in Organizational
Behavior Classes to Facilitate Student Understanding of Individual and Group
Behavior in Electronic Meetings” by K. Ready, T. Hostager, S. Lester, and M.
Bergmann in Journal of Management Education, 2004, Vol. 28(6), pp. 770-789.
5. See “A Structural Equation Model of Predictors for Effective Online Learning” by
R. Marks, S. Sibley, and J. Arbaugh in Journal of Management Education, 2005,
Vol. 29(4), pp. 531-563.
TOPICAL RESOURCES
1. See “Improving Computer Skill Training: Behavior Modeling, Symbolic Mental
Rehearsal, and the Role of Knowledge Structures” by F. Davis and M. Yi in
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2004, Vol. 89(3), pp. 509-523.
2. See “Charting the Language of Leadership: A Methodological Investigation of
President Bush and the Crisis of 9/11” by M. Bligh, J. Kohles, and J. Meindl in
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2004, Vol. 89(3), pp. 562-574.
VIDEO RESOURCES
1. Constructive communication is the topic of the film, "Constructive
Communication: How to Give It and How to Take It" (American Media
Incorporated).
2. For a look at the causes and symptoms of defensive behavior, see the film
"Communicating Non-Defensively" (CRM Films).
3. Active listening is the topic of the film "The Power of Listening" (CRM Films).
4. Effective verbal communication is discussed in the film "Verbal Communication:
The Power of Words" (CRM Films).
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5. Accurately reading nonverbal communication is explored in the film
“Communication: The Nonverbal Agenda" (CRM Films).
6. A general look at communication is found in the film "Communication: The Name
of the Game" (CRM Films).
7. The importance of verbal and nonverbal communication skills is discussed in
“Oral Communication” (Films for the Humanities & Sciences).
8. Insight Media produces a number of videos on verbal and nonverbal
communication including “How to Develop Effective Communication Skills,”
“Communication is Power,” “Nonverbal Communication,” “Making Your Point
Without Saying a Word,” and “Reading People: The Unwritten Language of the
Body.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Evaluate the reasons why a professor might implement a “laptop-free zone” for
the classroom. Is such a policy a good idea?
2. Discuss the barriers to communication that are created by cultural differences.
3. Which of the five listening styles described in the chapter is your dominant
listening style? Discuss actions you could take to become a more effective
listener.
4. Do you think you would enjoy telecommuting? Analyze the benefits and
disadvantages of the decision to be a telecommuter.
5. How can employees deal effectively with email overkill?
6. Analyze the pros and cons of using social media at work.
SUPPLEMENTAL EXERCISE 1: THE GRAPEVINE IN ACTION1
APPLICATION
This exercise demonstrates that the grapevine can be quite accurate, depending on the
circumstances. Here, the personally relevant message usually survives the grapevine
quite precisely.
1 Source: Robert Kreitner, Arizona State University.
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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* * *
With the help of your class, you can test the accuracy of the single-strand grapevine
pattern by having individuals at opposite sides of the room read one of the following
messages (that you have jotted down on slips of paper), whispering it in their neighbor's
ear, and telling them to pass it on (until the message reaches the other end of their
room). Message 1 should be started at one end of the room while message 2 is started
at the other end, with the two messages passing each other about halfway across the
room.
Message 1: "We might get out early today."
Message 2: "A female shrimp will breed in captivity if you remove one of her eyes."
(Note: This is actually true, by the way. Although researchers can't fully explain why,
they think the eye surgery triggers hormonal changes.)
The idea of circulating two messages at once is to introduce a degree of novelty to this
now familiar exercise and simulate a busy organizational setting. Also, by circulating a
simple and personally relevant message (message 1) and a complex and personally
irrelevant message (message 2), you can demonstrate to your group that message
content often determines the accuracy of the grapevine. Generally, message 1 is
communicated perfectly, while some very strange things happen to message 2.
A general group discussion can be employed to critique the exercise and draw
conclusions about grapevine communication. Some suggested discussion questions
are listed below.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When you received the message, how sure were you of what exactly was being
said? If the message seemed nonsensical, did you try to make it more sensible
before transmitting it? Why or why not? Do you think that type of message
adjustment could happen in an organization?
2. At what point did the more complex message begin to garble? How much of the
original message was left by the end?
3. Have you experienced similar effects with the grapevines you are a part of at home,
at school, or at work? What criteria can you use and what can you do to help you
check the accuracy of grapevine information?
4. How would you respond to the following statement? "The grapevine can't be
trusted; it specializes in misinformation."
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SUPPLEMENTAL EXERCISE 2: ROBERTA ENCOUNTERS RUMORS AND
CHANGES AT HRI2
APPLICATION
In order to make this case as effective as possible, it is a good idea to have students at
least read the case and solution from “Introduction to Roberta” in Chapter 1. It provides
the background information needed to understand the situation fully. Although the
cases are written in chronological order following the order of the chapters, only the
Chapter 1 case is needed in order to fully understand the other cases. In the current
case, the effects of organizational change begin to show. One of these effects is the
grapevine, which has been working overtime. Discussion question are interspersed at
relevant points throughout the case.
The primary issue here is communication, both formal and informal. Roberta has to
decide how to manage the informal communication lines, and how much to share with
her staff. The case also shows the de-motivational effect the grapevine can have, and
the problems an organization can create by not selecting the correct medium needed to
explain the layoffs and policy changes. The communication medium should be a rich
one, to allow for a clear message to be presented, and some capability for interaction.
This is critical because of the importance and potential strong emotional content of the
message. It is possible that Roberta's staff is in no danger, but without clear
communication from the top, they will assume the worst. In terms of managing the
grapevine, Roberta could look for other advocates for her department, and encourage
them to present her department in a positive light. Other sources for information could
include some of the other managers she worked with during her training program, other
new supervisors she trained with, Francie Hill, and her own staff through their
interaction with other departments. Roberta needs to establish as much consistency as
possible, possibly through the reinforcement of departmental and individual goals. It is
probable that Sam Moore is no longer a reliable support base for Roberta. The fact that
Francie Hill is interested in her department is encouraging. Roberta needs to cultivate
that connection, and perhaps even generate a proposal for Francie explaining the
benefits of putting customer service under marketing.
* * *
ROBERTA ENCOUNTERS RUMORS AND CHANGES AT HRI
Roberta began to get concerned about the future of her department as they moved
toward the end of the year. During the last six months, productivity had been up, and
her department easily absorbed the additional work that had come its way. In addition,
the reports it generated on the frequency of certain types of complaints had been
instrumental in several changes in the distribution system. However, this was
2 Co-written by Edwin C. Leonard, Jr., Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne and Maria Muto, Arizona State
University.
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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yesterday's news in the company, and rumors of end-of-the-year layoffs had been
flying.
Sam Moore, Roberta's boss, hadn’t been down to visit her department in several
months, and the junior executive grapevine was hinting that he was on his way out. If
this was true, Roberta and her department were essentially in limbo until everything
shook out and people were reassigned.
Recently Francie Hill, the high-energy vice president of marketing, spoke to Roberta in
confidence about the possibility of moving her and her department under the marketing
umbrella. Roberta thought this was where her department belonged, rather than under
its current position in business services. In addition, Roberta got along well with
Francie, and knew that she would find support with her for innovative ideas.
Roberta hoped that she would be able to keep morale and productivity up during this
tough time. While she couldn’t share the information she had gleaned from the junior
executive grapevine and Francie, she debated just what and how much she could say
to her staff.
At the Monday morning meeting, it became clear that something had to be said. The
staff was restless, and not focused on the issues at hand. Finally Andrea, the most
outspoken member of the group, stopped in the middle of a sentence and turned to
Roberta, “You know, we could all concentrate better if we knew how the layoffs will
affect us. Do you have any information?”
This seemed to unleash a flood of comments. Several employees had heard the
rumors about Sam Moore and were worried about where that left them. Others were
more generally concerned that the slowdown in business would leave them with more
employees than the department needed. “Somehow it just doesn't seem all that smart
to talk about being more productive now,” Sue commented. “With no new business to
speak of, we could be working ourselves out of a job.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How should Roberta respond to the concerns of her staff?
2. What can Roberta do to motivate her staff in the face of uncertainty and confusion?
3. Is there anything Roberta can do to reduce the fear level of her employees?
4. Handling staff concerns is only half of Roberta's problem. The other half is where
her department will fall when the dust settles from the layoffs. What can Roberta do
to position herself and her department the most effectively?
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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5. Based on the contingency model for selecting communication media, what medium
of communication would you use to communicate about the potential layoff? Explain
your rationale.
6. Roberta clearly has access to information through one of the office grapevines. How
else might Roberta manage the grapevine for the benefit of her and her department?
Now that Roberta's boss seems to be out of the information loop, what else might
Roberta do to get information?
Headache, nausea, fever, and fatigue are all symptoms of the flu. If you take an aspirin,
the headache will diminish but the other symptoms will remain. You still have the flu.
Roberta began to realize that Sam Moore’s forced retirement was just a symptom of
much larger problems at HRI.
Although Sam hadn't really been a mentor, he had provided some support. In
retrospect, Roberta realized that he had provided her with needed resources and
shielded her department from some of the problems other areas had been experiencing.
Over the past year, Roberta had learned to manage her relationship with Sam, and
there had been a great deal of mutual respect. His abrupt departure was a surprise.
Although she had realized for some time that he lacked the power base of some of the
other executives, he seemed to be well-liked and respected by many people.
After Sam's departure, Bob Hiberley had been brought in from the main corporate office.
Word on the junior executive grapevine was that he was not particularly liked at
corporate, and they all breathed a sigh of relief to see the back of him. He was also
rumored to be a known hatchet man, brought in to “clean up the deadwood in business
services.” Hiberley had barely spoken to Roberta since his arrival.
Kent, Dolores, and several others of Roberta's key staff had privately expressed their
concerns about the changes to her. It was increasingly difficult for Roberta or her staff
to keep their spirits up under the changes. Several groups of consultants had been
wandering around the corridors reviewing job descriptions and systems in place in other
departments within business services. Roberta knew it was only a matter of time before
they hit customer service.
Although the changes Roberta and the staff had made were positive, and she felt good
about her team, Roberta was aware that there were limits to what she could accomplish
given the damaging situation at HRI. As a result of the unexpected drop in revenues
and the costs incurred in the acquisition of Medium Conglomerate, Inc., HRI had
embarked on a major austerity program, including eliminating travel, outside training,
and even tuition reimbursement. This had wreaked havoc with the carefully created
personal development plans each of her staff members had in place.
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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HRI's problems were well known by Roberta's staff. Company-wide, morale was at an
all-time low. Management, from the supervisors to the vice presidents, seemed more
interested in jockeying for position than moving the organization forward, and Roberta's
staff was scared that they would lose their jobs. On top of that, with Sam Moore gone,
there was no one in business services that could serve as an advocate for the
department. The success of the past year was gratifying, but the attitude of the
company these days seemed to be, “what have you done for me lately?”
As Roberta sat in her office pondering the situation, Dolores appeared. “Roberta, do
you have a minute?”
“Sure, sit down Dolores. You know my door is always open to you,” Roberta
responded. “What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost.”
Dolores, her voice quivering and near tears, said, “I’m scared. You know my situation.
I'm a single parent and I need this job at HRI.”
Roberta was startled, “Dolores, what has gotten you so upset? You know that you are
one of the best employees in this department. There are some layoffs happening at
HRI, but our department is safe, at least at this point. Besides, with over five years of
service at HRI, you're covered under the job security policy. They either have to find a
new, comparable place for you or give you one year's severance at 100 percent of your
current salary and benefits.”
“That's just the point,” Dolores said. “That's not true anymore. They changed the
policy. I no longer qualify for the job security program.”
“I can’t imagine human resources changing a policy that is this important without input
or discussion with the managers,” said Roberta.
“Well, they did,” answered Dolores. “Check your E-mail messages. According to my
friend in HR, the decision was announced in this morning’s HR staff meeting.
Apparently they expect some repercussions from this.”
“They should,” responded Roberta, logging in on her E-mail. “This is outrageous.”
Roberta read the new job security policy. It was a simple enough change. Starting the
first of next month, the minimum length of service with HRI needed to be eligible for the
job security program was changed to 12 years from 5. (The job security policy stated
that employees who had so many years of continuous service were, if their jobs were
eliminated, guaranteed a position at the same level of pay for 12 months.)
Roberta grew angry and frustrated when she realized the damage this policy change
would do to morale within her department and the ability of her staff to trust HRI top
management. Before, over half of her staff was eligible for the job security program.
Now, none of them were. On top of this, there had been no warning to managers, and
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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no explanation. Obviously this information was already in the office pipeline, and would
create a major shake-up in people already near panic about the situation at HRI.
“Dolores, I know you're upset. So am I. I need to think about this for a minute. Then I
am going to go outside and scream, followed by setting up a meeting with Bob Hiberley
to get more information on this,” Roberta said. “I want you to know that I will do
everything in my power to keep you and all my staff in their positions. HRI needs all of
you, and it needs this department. Don’t forget that. Oh, and thank you for bringing this
to my attention.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What do you think about HRI’s approach to the policy change? Did HRI use the
appropriate communication medium to deliver news of the policy change?
2. HRI’s top management had come to the realization that the job security policy,
created when the company was flush and the market was growing, would no longer
work. HRI simply couldn't afford it. What approach could HRI have taken that would
have increased the likelihood of acceptance, reduced resentment, and helped
maintain the employees’ trust?
3. If you were HRI’s director of human resources and the decision on this policy
change came from the top, what could you have done to help increase acceptance
of the change?
4. Roberta has been placed in a difficult situation by HRI. How should she approach
Bob Hiberley on this and what specific questions should she ask?
5. Roberta needs to communicate to her staff about the policy change, to help clear up
confusions and defuse anger. What is her best approach for this?
SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURETTE 1: LISTENER COMPREHENSION3
APPLICATION
This lecturette supplements the chapter’s coverage of effective communication.
* * *
Listener comprehension represents the extent to which an individual can recall factual
information and draw accurate conclusions and inferences from a verbal message. It is
a function of listener, speaker, message, and environmental characteristics.
Communication researchers Kittie Watson and Larry Barker conducted a global review
of listening behavior research and arrived at the following conclusions. Listening
3Adapted from Kittie w. Watson & Larry L. Barker, “Listening Behavior: Definition and Measurement” in
Communication Yearbook 8, ed. R.N. Bostrom (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1984) pp. 178-197.
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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comprehension is positively related to high mental and reading abilities, academic
achievements, a large vocabulary, being ego-involved with the speaker, having energy,
being female, extrinsically motivated to pay attention, and being able to take good
notes. Speakers who talk too fast or too slow, possess disturbing accents or speech
patterns, are not visible to the audience, lack credibility, or disliked have a negative
impact on listening comprehension. In contrast, clear messages stated in the active
voice increase listening comprehension. The same is true of messages containing
viewpoints similar to the listener’s or those that disconfirm expectations. Finally,
comfortable environmental characteristics and compact seating arrangements enhance
listening comprehension.
SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURETTE 2: HOW E-MAIL IS CHANGING THE
WORKPLACE4
APPLICATION
This lecturette supplements the chapter’s coverage of communication in the
computerized information age.
* * *
Workers. Hearing-impaired workers, 8.4 million of them in the US, still face job
discrimination. However, thanks in part to E-mail, that’s changing. According to Judith
Harkins, director of the technology assessment program at Gallaudet University (a
liberal-arts school for the deaf), before e-mail and relay calls were commonly accepted,
most companies didn’t hire the deaf if phone work was required. (Relay calls involve
text-typewriters which allow deaf users to communicate through regular telephones with
the help of operators who translate typed messages to text, and vice versa.) Dr. Harkins
says “At Gallaudet, we have a different definition of communication handicap: not being
on the e-mail system.” Communicating via e-mail provides a sense of independence.
Sue Decker, marketing and outreach programs manager at AT&T Corp., in an interview
conducted via e-mail, says “When I communicate through e-mail, there is no reference
to my hearing impairment. I look and act no differently from any other e-mailer.”
According to the American Civil Liberty Union, more than 20 million workers now have
their computer files, voice mail, or e-mail searched by their supervisors. The result is
employee claims and grievances relating to privacy. Regardless of whether the
employer is looking for proprietary information leaks or monitoring quality, employees
likely see the act as an intrusion on their privacy. What should the company do?
Balance the privacy of employees with the needs of the company. Linda Bluso,
4 Adapted from “Employee E-Mail: Is It Really Private?” Nation’s Business, March 1996, Vol. 84 No. 3, p.10; “Work
Week” The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 1996, p. A1; A. Wakizaka, “Faxes, E-Mail Help the Deaf Get Office
Jobs” The Wall Street Journal, October 3, 1995, p. B1; T. Weber, “Simplest E-Mail Queries Confound Companies”
The Wall Street Journal, October 21, 1996, p. B1.
Chapter 14 - Communicating in the Digital Age
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founding partner of a Cleveland-based law firm, has three suggestions: (1) Don’t use
phrases such as “private” “personal” or “confidential” when describing e-mail or voice
mail systems. These terms may give employees the impression that these
communications are not subject to review by others. (2) Include a concise written notice
in the employment manual, or even better, a message that appears on the computer
screen. (3) Remind employees periodically that computer equipment is company
property and transmissions are subject to monitoring.
Customers. E-mail has also changed the way organizations interact with their
customers, at least when it’s used. Many companies invite consumers to send e-mail
through company-sponsored sites on the Internet. If a consumer needs information on
the product, it’s easy…just leave an e-mail message on the Web site. Or rather, that’s
how it’s supposed to work. A survey conducted by Matrixx Marketing Inc. randomly
checked Web sites of 100 of the 500 largest US companies. Of the half that had e-mail
capabilities, only 17 replied to the messages. Similarly a survey conducted by The Wall
Street Journal sent e-mail messages to two dozen major corporate Web sites with e-
mail capabilities (e.g. 3M, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, MCI). Nine of those contacted never
responded, two took three weeks to transmit a reply, 10 sent stock responses that didn’t
answer the question sent, and only three of the companies adequately answered within
one day. Of the 500 biggest companies, almost 80% have Web pages up.
What’s the consequence? Frustrated consumers. Responding to e-mail is just a
modern way of maintaining good customer relations. Elizabeth Stites, marketing
director at Matrixx Marketing Inc., says “When someone comes to your Web site, a
customer is seeking you out, if you’re not talking back to them, you’re crazy.” That’s
what Tony Pittarese, a college instructor, thinks too. After e-mailing Coca-Cola Co.’s
Web site to help him plan a visit to the Summer Olympic Games and waiting for a reply
that never came, Tony says “If you’re going to go onto the Web and you can’t do it right,
don’t do it at all.”
