C H A P T E R E I G H T
Organizational
Communication 8
Lecture Outline
Communication: Its Basic Nature
Dening Communication and
Describing the Process
Purposes and Levels of
Organizational Communication
Formal Communication in Organizations
Technology’s Role in Formal
Communication
Organizational Charts and What
They Reveal About
Communication
Upward Communication
Downward Communication
Informal Communication: Beyond the
Organizational Chart
Social Media and Informal
Communication
Hearing it Through the Grapevine
Rumors: The Downside of Informal
Communication
Communicating with and Without Words:
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Traditional Verbal Media
Computer-Mediated
Communication
Nonverbal Communication
Improving Your Communication Skills
Use Inspirational Communication
Tactics
Be a Supportive Communicator
Encourage Open Feedback
Walk the Talk
Be a Good Listener
Communication in Today’s Global Economy
Communicating Across National
Cultures
Communicating in a Multilingual
Workforce
Key aspects of interpersonal, organizational, and
crosscultural communication are introduced in this
chapter. Communication is the process through which
people send information to others and receive
information from them. The process involves:
encoding the message, transmitting it through
various channels of communication, and decoding
the message. In reverse, the process continues as
feedback on communication e5ectiveness. The
chapter distinguishes between formal and informal
modes of communication. Formal communication is
concerned with o6cial information and is guided by
the organizational structure. Within this framework,
downward, upward, and horizontal communication
are explained. Informal communication involves the
sharing of uno6cial information and is not
position-bound. The grapevine and rumors are
examples of informal communication; problems
associated with informal communication mechanisms
are explained. Verbal and nonverbal communication
is explored in depth. Verbal communication is
presented as a continuum from rich to lean
(face-to-face through e-mail, for example). Nonverbal
communication is in;uenced by the organizational
culture with respect to dress, space, and the use of
time. The improvement of one’s own communication
skills is examined within a developmental process.
The chapter concludes with a discussion on various
methods of improving crosscultural communication
skills and their importance in the global economy and
within organizations that have diverse workforces.
©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 40
ANNOTATED OUTLINE
1. COMMUNICATION: ITS BASIC NATURE
A. Dening Communication and describing the process
1. Communication ― 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).
a. Steps in the communication process
1. Encoding ― translating an idea into a form, such as
written or spoken language, that can be recognized by a
receiver
2. Transmission via communication channels ―
pathways over which information travels
a. Telephone lines, radio, and television
b. Fiber-optic cables (e-mail)
3. Decoding ― converting the message back into the
sender’s original ideas
4. Feedback ― providing information about the impact of
messages on receivers
5. Noise ― factors that distort the clarity of messages that
are encoded, transmitted, or decoded in the
communication process
a. Unclear writing
b. Listener’s inattentiveness
c. Static along a telephone line
d. Spam – unsolicited bulk email messages
B. Purposes and levels of organizational communication
1. Eight critical functions
a. Directing action
b. Linking and coordination
c. Building relationships
d. Explaining organizational culture
e. Interorganizational linking
f. Presenting an organization’s image
g. Generating ideas
h. Promoting ideals and values
2. Five distinct levels of communication
a. Interpersonal communication
b. Group-level communication
c. Organizational level communication
d. Interorganizational communication
e. Mass communication
2. FORMAL COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS
Formal communication ― sharing o6cial information with others who need
to know it.
A. Technology’s role in formal communication
1. Technology in;uences the nature of organizational communication
a. Technology has sped up the pace of work
b. Teams enhance the need for coordination
c. Employees are likely to be distributed geographically
©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 41
d. Knowledge and information are keys to success
e. Technology has transformed the way people do their jobs
B. Organizational charts and what they reveal about communication
1. Formally prescribed pattern of interrelationships that exist between the
various units of an organization is known as an organizational chart.
C. Downward communication
1. Downward communication consists of:
a. Instructions
b. Directions
c. Orders
D. Upward communication
1. Upward communication involves:
a. Information ;ows from lower levels to higher levels
b. Information that managers need for their jobs
c. Suggestions for improvement
1. Status reports
2. New ideas
d. Information can be inaccurate
1. MUM e)ect ― purposely avoiding communicating bad
news to your supervisor
E. Horizontal communication
1. Horizontal communication ― messages ;ow laterally at the same
organizational level
a. Coordination
.
3. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION: BEYOND THE ORGANIZATION CHART
Informal communication: beyond the organization chart.
A. Social media and informal communication
1. Internet technology has changed the nature of informal
communication, making it possible for nearly anyone to share
information with the whole world.
B. Hearing it “through the grapevine”
1. Grapevine ― pathways along with uno6cial information travels
a. Flows quickly
b. Reaches many people
c. High risk of inaccuracy
C. Rumors: the downside of informal communication
1. Rumors – information that is almost totally without any basis or fact
that is transmitted through the grapevine
a. Based on speculation rather than facts
b. Quickly spread through an organization
c. Inaccurate but is taken as fact
4. COMMUNICATING WITH AND WITHOUT WORDS: VERBAL AND NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
1. Verbal communication – transmitting and receiving ideas using words.
2. Verbal communication can be oral or written, and can involve computer
assistance or more traditional communication methods.
©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 42
3. Nonverbal communication – refers to facial gestures, body language,
the clothes people wear, and so on that communicate information about
an individual.
A. Traditional verbal media: their forms and e5ectiveness
1. Forms of written communication
a. Newsletters
i. Intranet – a Web site that can only be accessed by
company employees
b. Employee handbooks
2. The e5ectiveness of verbal media: matching the medium and the
message
a. Depends on type of message being sent
b. Media richness theory – managers prefer using oral media
when communicating ambiguous messages, but written media
for communicating clear messages
B. Computer-mediated communication
1. Computer-mediated communication – verbal communication
assisted by computers
a. Comparing face-to-face and online communication
1. Online communication more e5ective for general issues
2. Face-to-face more e5ective for detailed discussions
b. Emoticons to express emotions in e-mail
1. Do not always qualify the meanings of written messages
2. Gender di5erences in use
C. Nonverbal communication
1. People communicate nonverbally
a. Mode of dress
b. Waiting time
c. Seating position
5. IMPROVING YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS
A. Use inspirational communication tactics
1. Key ways to inspire others:
a. Project condence and power with emotion-provoking words
b. Be credible
c. Pitch your message to the listener
d. Avoid “junk words” that dilute your message
e. Use front-loaded messages
f. Cut through the clutter
B. Be a supportive communicator
1. Supportive communication – involves showing that we are
interested in what the other person has to say and respond in ways
that strengthen the relationship between ourselves and the target of
our messages
a. Focus on the problem instead of the person
b. Match your words and body language
c. Acknowledge the other person’s ideas
d. Keep the conversation going
C. Encourage open feedback
©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 43
1. Feedback is a prime source of information
a. 360-degree feedback
b. Suggestion systems
c. Corporate hot-lines
Winning
Practices
Mistake of the Month
Use Winning Practices Case for class discussion.
2. Use simple language
a. Jargon – refers to the special language used in an organization
or group
b. K.I.S.S. principle ― keep it short and sweet
3. Avoid overload
a. Don’t provide more information than people can handle
D. Walk the talk
1. Actions speak louder than words
E. Be a good listener
1. E5ective listening
a. Be nonjudgmental
6. COMMUNICATION IN TODAY’S GLOBAL ECONOMY
Two fundamental facts:
Business relationships span various national cultures
A. Communicating across national cultures
1. Try to speak the local language
2. Learn local cultural rules
a. Challenges of cross-cultural communication
1. Di5erent words mean di5erent things to di5erent people
b. Guidelines for avoiding pitfalls in cross-cultural communications
1. Learn local cultural rules
2. Don’t take anything for granted
Self-Assessment Exercise How Familiar Are You with Foreign
Communication Practices?
Students should consider the following upon completion of the exercise.
1. How many correct matches did you make? How does this gure compare to how you
expected to score before you began this exercise?
2. Based on your own experiences, to what extent do you believe these descriptions are
generally accurate?
3. How would you characterize your own culture relative to those described in the
exercise?
B. Communicating in a multilingual workforce: “You say tomato, I say domates,
or pomidor, or tomate.”
1. Companies have implemented “English only” rules.
2. Most companies are delighted with multilingual work force.
You Be the Consultant Suggested Answers
1. Casting the problem as one of poor communication between company ocials and
lower-level employees, what steps could be taken to ll everyone in on the
company’s plans, goals, and activities?
Student answers will vary. Key points are presented in bullet form.
2. What specic tactics would you advise the company’s managers use so as to
improve communication within its ranks?
3. In what ways might di%erences in nationality be responsible for this state of a%airs,
and what can be done to help improve communications despite these di%erences?
©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 45