DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What are your preferred methods of receiving information? Does your answer differ depending
on the type of information being sent?
2. What are the implications of organizational diversity on the communication media the company
should use?
Words and gestures mean different things in different cultures. For example, in much of the world the
thumb up sign means “O.K.” However, in Nigeria, it is an insult. Because of global diversity, even
3. What are some of the most common sources of noise when others try to talk to you? What can
you do to reduce their effects?
Answers will vary. The most common sources of noise for me are cell phones and text messaging.
4. Think of a time when you have been persuaded by someone to do something. Why was the
other person able to change your attitude or behavior?
I was persuaded to serve on the board of directors of Clover House, a residential facility for drug and
5. If you had to tell your boss bad news, what communication media would you use?
If possible, I would use face-to-face communication, the richest media, because this would allow me
6. If you were about to be fired, how would you want to hear the news? Why? How would you
least want to hear the news? Why?
I would want to hear the news face-to-face so that I could ask questions and respond. I would least
7. Which do you think is more important for organizations: downward communication or upward
communication?
I think downward communication is more important because it consists of messages about how to do
a job, performance goals, the firm’s policies, and how the company is performing. This information
8. Which do you think is more important for organizations: formal or informal communication?
Formal communication is more important because it is official, organization-sanctioned
communication that can be upward, downward, horizontal, or diagonal. Formal communication
9. What role, if any, do you feel the grapevine plays in organizations?
The grapevine plays a critical role in organizations because it carries rumors that may or may not be
GROUP EXERCISE – Active Listening*
Learning Objective: Explain how the way we communicate can be more important to a message’s
meaning than the words we actually say.
Summary: Form small groups. Each group selects a workplace scenario:
1. An employee asking for a raise
2. A supervisor explaining a new vacation policy to an employee
3. A new employee asking a coworker about the company’s culture
4. Two new employees generating potential solutions to a problem.
Each group has 20 minutes to prepare two 3-minute skits. The first skit, performed by team members one
and two, shows the interaction without active listening techniques. The second skit, performed by team
members three and four, duplicates the conversation but uses active listening techniques.
Task: Questions to guide the discussion:
1. What is the difference between active listening and hearing?
2. What steps can you take to become an active listener?
*(The authors thank Professor Jim Gort at Davenport University for suggesting this exercise.)
VIDEO EXERCISE
Intermountain Healthcare
Summary: The healthcare industry today is changing rapidly. There actually seem to be two different—
and conflicting—sets of pressure affecting healthcare that relate to communication. Intermountain
Healthcare is a non-profit healthcare system that provides hospital and other medical services in Utah and
Idaho. Intermountain uses clinical data to improve patient outcomes. The importance of communication
is highlighted in the way Intermountain works, especially in a field where information can be a matter of
life and death.
1. What characteristics of information are most important in Intermountain Healthcare?
Intermountain takes great care in making sure that all patient information is contained within the
system and easily pulled up on the computer by any other doctor or nurse within the Intermountain
2. How is the horizontal form of communication more prominent in Intermountain Healthcare?
Intermountain’s integrated patient records allow doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to
3. In what way is digital communication an important form of communication in Intermountain?
All patient records are digitized into the integrated patient care system at Intermountain. The system
allows doctors and nurses throughout the system to pull up a patient’s previous care information.
Now What?
Imagine having a tight deadline requiring you to focus on writing a report for the rest of the day in order
to get it done on time. A worried looking subordinate enters your office and ineffectively tries to
communicate a hurried message. What do you say or do? Go to this chapter’s “Now What?” video, watch
the challenge video, and choose a response. Be sure to also view the outcomes of the two responses you
didn’t choose.
OB Concepts Applied: encoding; noise; message; channel; decoding; feedback; one-way
communication; one-way and two-way communication; selective perception;
body language; nonverbal communication; active listening; media richness;
upward and downward communication; formal and informal communication
Discussion Questions
1. What communications barriers are illustrated in these videos?
Barriers to effective communication are illustrated in these videos (see Table 9-2). Mary uses a heavy
accent and poor verbal communication. She is ineffective at communicating her message. This is a
There was also the barrier of information overload. Alex was busy thinking about the report and
didn’t completely process the information about the broken machine. There was also the barrier of
2. How do these situations illustrate the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication as
well as active listening?
Communication is the transmission of information from one person to another to create shared
understanding. Mary did not successfully explain what was malfunctioning on the extrusion machine,
and Alex did not understand the message (incorrect response #2). Alex says, “…. I don’t fully
Nonverbal communications are not spoken or written but that have meaning to others. Body language
is a gesture or expression. Mary shows concern by having a serious expression on her face when Alex
Active listening means becoming actively involved in the process of listening to what others are
saying and clarifying meaning. It requires Alex to become actively involved in the process of
listening to what Mary has said about the broken machine (correct response). Both Alex and Mary
3. Which other aspects of communication discussed in this chapter are illustrated in these videos?
Explain your answer.
Mary sent Alex a message about the problem with the machine but did not get a response. This time,
Mary chose to talk to Alex face-to-face. This type of communication is important in this situation due
