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Kinicki/Williams, Management, 9e: Chapter 15 Interpersonal and Organizational Communication: Mastering the
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● Decoding is interpreting and trying to make sense of the message.
● The medium is the pathway by which a message travels, such as by using text,
e-mail, hand-written notes, face-to-face conversation, phone calls, or
o The noise can occur in the medium, such as a poor cell phone connection,
or it can occur during encoding or decoding.
Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Basic Model of Communication
Summary of Activity:
In this Click and Drag exercise, students will properly sequence the components of
the perceptual model of communication.
Interactive Classroom Material:
EXAMPLE: Secrecy and Silence
This Example details how the culture of silence at Volkswagen and the enforced silo
effect at Theranos enabled unethical and illegal practices and prevented employees
and investors from knowing how bad the situations actually were at these two
companies.
Selecting the Right Medium and Media Richness
● Managers need to use the right communication tool for the right condition.
● All media have their own advantages and disadvantages, and there are a few
different criteria to consider when choosing the right medium, including whether a
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● Media richness indicates how well a particular medium conveys information and
promotes learning. Figure 15.2 presents the different types of media over a
continuum, ranging from high to low.
● A rich medium should be used in a routine situation and to avoid
oversimplification, while a lean medium is best for a routine situation and to avoid
overloading, which provides more information than is necessary.
Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Communication Media Richness
Summary of Activity:
In this Click and Drag exercise, students will match fictitious situations with their
corresponding media richness.
PowerPoint Slides:
Section 15.2 discusses formal and informal communication channels. Formal
communication channels, which follow the chain of command, include vertical,
15.2 How Managers Fit into the Communication Process
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approach to leadership, as discussed in Chapter 14. Since men are more likely to
use task leadership, you could probably be more direct and focus on your individual
contributions to the company. Since women display more relationship leadership,
you might to emphasize “we” rather than “me” when communicating upward with a
female manager. Since women use a more democratic or participative style than
Describe a time when you experienced ineffective horizontal communication with one of
your co-workers. What factors contributed to the poor communication, and how should
you have handled the situation differently?
Horizontal communication occurs at the same level as you within the organization.
Your ineffective horizontal communication with your co-worker could have been
caused by your company’s organizational structure that encouraged your co-worker
to only be concerned about his job, and not about yours. Your co-worker might view
Describe a time when you relied on information from your organization’s grapevine.
Was the information accurate? How could managers at your organization better
manage the grapevine?
The grapevine is an informal communication channel not controlled by the company.
Though the information that flows through the grapevine is sometimes mere
personal gossip, the grapevine can often be a source of accurate information,
Section 15.2 Key Concepts:
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Formal Communication Channels
● Formal communication channels follow the chain of command and are
recognized as official.
● Vertical communication is the flow of messages up and down the hierarchy
within the organization.
o Downward communication flows from a higher level to a lower level (or
levels).
o Upward communication flows from a lower level to a higher level (or
levels).
● Horizontal communication flows within and between work units; its main
purpose is coordination.
o Examples of horizontal communication include sharing information,
coordinating tasks, solving problems, resolving conflicts, and getting the
support of your peers.
o Barriers to horizontal communication include:
● External communication flows between people inside and outside the
organization.
o This form of communication is increasingly important because
organizations desire to communicate with stakeholders such as
customers, suppliers, shareholders, or other owners in pursuit of their
strategic goals.
Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Formal Communication Channels
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Summary of Activity:
In this Click and Drag exercise, students will match the different types of formal
communication channels with appropriate examples
Informal Communication Channels
● Informal communication channels develop outside the formal structure and do
not follow the chain of command.
● Informal communication channels are more spontaneous, can skip management
levels, and can cut across lines of authority.
● Two types of informal channels are the grapevine and face-to-face
communication.
o The grapevine is the unofficial communication system of the informal
organization, a network of in-person and online gossip and rumor.
▪ The grapevine is more active when official communication is
lacking.
o Face-to-face communication builds trust and depends heavily on
managers' effective listening skills.
▪ Employees value authentic human contact with the boss and
welcome the implication that their manager cares about them.
▪ Face time builds relationships and trust, shows respect for
employees as individuals, and thus is highly motivating.
▪ To make the most of face-to-face communication in the work
environment, you should:
● Make time for face-to-face communication by scheduling
time with individual employees when everyone will be free of
distractions.
● Listen not just to the words the other person is saying but
also to the emotional content behind the words, and be brief
when it's your turn to speak.
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● Use webcasts to achieve face time if your employees work
remotely.
Interactive Classroom Material:
PRACTICAL ACTION: How To Streamline Meetings
This Practical Action sets out clear guidelines for both meeting leaders and
participants so they act before, during, and after meetings in ways that make
meetings more productive.
PowerPoint Slides:
Section 15.3 discusses several barriers to communication. These barriers are classified
as physical barriers, personal barriers, cross-cultural barriers, nonverbal barriers, and
gender differences.
One way that you could begin your coverage of these topics is to have the students
watch the Wall Street Journal video “The Vocal Habit That Women Are Being Criticized
for at Work.” In this nearly 3-minute video, linguist Lisa Davidson explains “vocal fry” or
Topics and Tips for Discussion:
Describe examples of miscommunication that can occur with nonverbal communication.
Miscommunication can occur with nonverbal communication when the sender and
the receiver apply different meanings to the same behavior. This often happens in
cross-cultural communication. Eye contact does not have the same meaning across
cultures. Eye contact is viewed as a way to express interest in the United States,
Assume you are communicating with someone who as an oversized ego. What actions
could you take to increase the effectiveness of your communication with this person?
15.3 Barriers to Communication
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Sometimes a person with an oversized ego is really lacking in self-confidence. Their
oversized ego is a way to compensate for their lack of confidence. It may be
effective to praise them and acknowledge them when they do make a good point,
but don’t point out when they are wrong or try to disagree with them. You don’t want
Discuss what you could do to overcome mindlessness and be a better listener.
Mindlessness is a state of reduced attention, often caused by overloading our
brains. To be a better listener, you need to engage in mindful behaviors. You
should not rush to respond by thinking about what you are going to say while your
Section 15.3 Key Concepts:
Physical Barriers
● Sound, time, and space are examples of physical barriers.
Personal Barriers
● Variable Skills in Communicating Effectively
o Some people are simply better communicators than others.
o Better communication skills can be learned.
● Variations in How Information is Processed and Interpreted
● Variations in Trustworthiness and Credibility
o Without trust between you and the other person, communication is apt to
be flawed.
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o Instead of communicating, both of you will be concentrating on defensive
tactics, not the meaning of the message being exchanged.
● Oversized Egos
● Faulty Listening Skills
o Mindlessness is a state of reduced attention or thoughtlessness.
● Tendency to Judge Others’ Messages
● Generational Differences
Cross-Cultural Barriers
● Culture represents the ideas, values, practices, and material objects that allow a
group of people to carry out their collective lives in relative order and harmony.
● Culture naturally affects the way we communicate, both with those who share
that culture and especially with those from other cultures.
Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Barriers to Communication
Summary of Activity:
In this Click and Drag exercise, students will match descriptions with their
corresponding barrier to effective communication.
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Interactive Classroom Material:
EXAMPLE: Personal and Cross-Cultural Barriers to Communication Can
Adversely Affect an Organization
This Example details culturally based miscommunication by Dove Soap, Wendy’s,
and Tesco Markets. It demonstrates how easily a company’s marketing and
advertising can rebound and cause reputational problems for organizations.
Nonverbal Communication
● Nonverbal communication consists of messages sent outside of the written or
spoken word.
● Some research suggests that about 55 percent of what we communicate is
transmitted nonverbally.
● Four ways in which nonverbal communication is expressed are through (1) eye
contact, (2) facial expressions, (3) body movements and gestures, and (4) touch.
● Eye Contact
o Westerners use eye contact to signal the beginning and end of a
conversation, to reflect interest and attention, and to convey both honesty
and respect.
● Facial Expressions
o In the United States, smiling represents warmth, happiness, or friendship,
whereas frowning represents dissatisfaction or anger.
● Body Movements and Gestures
o Open body positions express openness, warmth, and availability for
communication.
o Closed body positions represent defensiveness.
● Touch
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o Norms for touching vary significantly around the world.
o Kissing on the cheek, patting on the shoulder, and embracing may be
appropriate in the U.S., but people in other cultures find these actions
offensive.
Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Understanding Nonverbal Communication
Summary of Activity:
In this Click and Drag exercise, students will review scenarios and match them with
the appropriate form of nonverbal communication.
Group Exercise #1: Practicing Nonverbal Communication with a Twist on
Charades
There is a group exercise available at the end of this manual that provides students
with the opportunity to further examine the topic of nonverbal communication.
Exercise Objective
● To examine the difficulty in using nonverbal communication during the
communication process.
Gender Differences
● Women and men process language in different parts of the brain, so perhaps it's
not surprising that gender differences in communication exist.
● There are several general differences in communication between genders
including the use of questions, whether people should be asked to participate
before contributing, and how to solve problems.
● Table 15.4 presents some possible general differences in communication
between genders.
● One researcher suggests that everyone become aware of how differing linguistic
styles affect our perceptions and judgments.
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o A linguistic style is a person’s characteristic speaking patterns.
o This includes pacing, pausing, directness, word choice, and use of
questions, jokes, stories, apologies, and similar devices.
Interactive Classroom Material:
PRACTICAL ACTION: Improving Communications between Men and Women
This Practical Actions describes four ways in which men and women can improve
their cross gender communication. These include making sure task instructions are
clear, balancing how much you need to say, striking a happy medium between
relationships and power, and recognizing that people don’t all listen in the same way.
Connect® Exercise
VIDEO CASE: Language and Thinking
Summary of Activity:
In this video case, students will first watch a video that highlights how language
impacts one’s thinking. After watching the video, students will respond to 4 multiple
choice questions to measure comprehension.
Follow-Up Activity:
Instructor can open the floor for a follow-up discussion by asking the following
questions:
1. Has anyone ever traveled to a foreign country and noticed differences in how
some objects are described in a foreign language?
2. Can anyone speak a different language? If so, can you describe any
differences in linguistic styles between English and this language?
PowerPoint Slides:
15.4 Social Media and Management
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One way that you could begin your coverage of these topics is to have the students
watch the CBS video “Joy of Missing Out.” In this nearly 5-minute video, David Pogue
discusses the benefits of “JOMO,” or finding joy in disconnecting. For a supplemental
activity, you could have the students discuss if they show any signs of being addicted to
their phone and have them discuss how they could implement the tips for a healthy
digital diet.
Topics and Tips for Discussion:
Does social media make you more or less productive at work? Explain your point of
view.
While avid personal social media use at work will diminish productivity, some
personal social media use at work can likely foster productivity. Someone who
accesses personal social media at work for a few minutes will likely be able to return
to their work duties with a boost in mood and a heightened ability to focus. If the
employee does not feel like he is missing out on social media, he may be more likely
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using crowdsourcing. Describe best
practices for using crowdsourcing to solve organizational problems.
Crowdsourcing is using the Internet and social media to enlist a group outside the
organization for help solving a problem. Critics of crowdsourcing believe that using
a large group of outsiders to solve a problem is unlikely to provide better results than
if the company had used “experts” to make the decision. Supporters of
Describe best practices for effectively managing your e-mail.
One best practice is to limit the number of emails that you get by unsubscribing to
newsletters or notifications that you don’t need, or at least having the messages
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could become public and perhaps used against you. Don’t forward to others emails
that the sender did not intend to get the message. Be brief and professional in your
Section 15.4 Key Concepts:
Social Media
● Social media use web-based and mobile technologies to generate interactive
dialogue with members of a network.
Social Media and Managerial and Organizational Effectiveness
● With their ease of use, speed, and potentially huge audiences, social media have
increasing applications for managers' and organizations' effectiveness.
● Employment Recruiting
o About 92 percent of companies today use social media for recruiting,
especially for recruiting “passive” job candidates, that is, those who aren't
actively looking for a new job.
o LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are the primary social media sources
used for recruiting.
Interactive Classroom Material:
PRACTICAL ACTION: Building Your Personal Social Media Brand
This Practical action gives four more important pieces of advice for developing and
promoting your individual brand: 1) optimize your profile; 2) follow companies that
interest you; 3) Participate in industry-related chat rooms and discussion groups; and
4) edit your general online social presence.
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● Employee Productivity
o Social media tools at work, if used appropriately, can make
communication by and among employees more productive.
o The key for employees, managers, and employers is to harness the speed
and reach of social media to enhance individual performance.
SELF-ASSESSMENT 15.1 CAREER READINESS
To What Extent Are You Effectively Using Online Social Networking
at Work?
This 11-question self-assessment measures positive versus distracting online social
networking use at work. Questions on accessing relevant work knowledge,
socializing, and distractions are presented.
● Employer Productivity
o Companies of all sizes and industries believe in the benefits of social
media.
o Social media can allow firms to connect in real time over distance with
employees, customers, communities, suppliers, and prospective talent; to
o If deployed effectively, social media enable businesses to do the following:
▪ Connect with key stakeholders.
o On the other hand, if not managed effectively, social media can create
many legal, financial, and human resource risks.
CAREER
READINESS
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Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Social Media and Productivity for Employers and Employees
Summary of Activity:
In this Click and Drag exercise, students will match the various benefits to using
social media with their corresponding employee or employer category.
● Social Media and Innovation
o Crowdsourcing is using the Internet and social media to enlist a group
outside the organization for help solving a problem.
● Social Media and Sales and Brand Recognition
o Social media presence can generate customers and brand recognition
when:
▪ Social media increase product/service awareness and generate
customer inquiries.
▪ Social media enhance relationships with customers.
o Recent research suggests that social media won't create positive
outcomes unless two conditions are present.
Interactive Classroom Material:
EXAMPLE: TD Bank Dominates Social Media
This Example focuses on how on particular bank, Toronto-Dominion – the 11th largest
bank in the US—is leveraging social media to remain connected with customers. The
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Example points out that with ever increasing numbers of customers banking online
and through ATMs rather than in person in local branches, banks need to find new
ways to connect with customers. TD Bank gives individually customized gifts to
customers to show how TD knows and values them. TD also maintains a rapid
response online presence to answer questions and conducts online financial
management seminars.
● Social Media and Reputation
o Some companies have been very successful at using social media to build
and protect their reputations online.
o To limit the harm of negative comments posted by disgruntled customers
or employees, firms should:
▪ Create and enforce a social media policy for employees.
Downsides of Social Media
● It’s fair to say the digital age and rise of social media have introduced almost as
many difficulties as efficiencies into people’s lives.
● Cyberloafing
o Cyberloafing refers to lost productivity due to using the Internet at work
for personal use.
o Employees waste time talking on cell phones or texting, surfing the
Internet, spending time on social media, sending personal e-mail, and
shopping.
● Phubbing and FOMO
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Copyright © 2020 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
o Microaggressions, or acts of unconscious bias, include a number of
seemingly tiny but repeated actions, like interrupting others,
mispronouncing or mistaking someone’s name, and avoiding eye contact.
o The urge to phub others springs from the fear of missing out—FOMO—or
of being out of touch with something happening in our social network
● Security
o Security is defined as a system of safeguards for protecting information
technology against disasters, system failures, and unauthorized access
that result in damage or loss.
o Internal attacks by disgruntled employees are one of the biggest security
threats a business can face.
o Table 15.6 presents some ways to protect yourself against security and
privacy breaches on the Internet.
● Privacy
o Privacy is the right of people not to reveal information about themselves.
o Determined employees can often get around monitoring tools and devices,
sometimes weakening the organization's security protocols in the process.
● The Need to Manage E-mail
o The average worker can receive hundreds of e-mails a day, even though
most of us can handle no more than a few dozen in that time.
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Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Practical E-mail Tips
Summary of Activity:
In this click and drag exercise, students will review fictitious scenarios based on what
people should and should not do, when using e-mail. Then, students will match these
scenarios with their corresponding e-mail tips.
Managerial Implications of Texting
● Many feel that those who deal directly with customers should not be texting at
work.
● For others, some very limited use of texting for personal reasons at work, in the
right time and place, can be a big help in increasing work-life balance and
relieving stress.
● To make the most of texting for work purposes:
o Strictly limit your use for personal reasons during the work day.
o Text only important messages.
Managerial Considerations in Creating Social Media Policies
● Many employees say they would quit their job if their ability to do at least some
personal tasks during the work day were restricted.
● While some social media use during work hours may be taking place for non-
work reasons, many employees do use social media for constructive work
purposes.
● A social media policy describes the who, how, when, and for what purposes of
social media use, and the consequences for noncompliance.
Connect® Exercise
CLICK AND DRAG: Elements of Effective Social Media Policy
Summary of Activity:
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In this Click and Drag exercise, students will match the different elements of an
effective social media policy with their appropriate examples.
Interactive Classroom Material:
EXAMPLE: A Sampling of Social Media Policies
This Example provides selected provisions from some prominent companies’ social
media policies. Organizations include IBM, Best Buy, McDonald’s, and the
Washington Post.
SELF-ASSESSMENT 15.2
Assessing Social Media Readiness
This four-question assessment gauges organizational readiness for social media.
Topics of leadership, management, culture, and organization are covered.
PowerPoint Slides:
Section 15.5 describes essential communication skills. These skills include using
nondefensive communication and displaying empathy. Recommendations on how to be
a better listener, writer, and speaker are presented.
15.5 Improving Communication Effectiveness
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Topics and Tips for Discussion:
Describe a time when someone was using defensive communication with you. How
effective was the conversation? How should the person have approached the situation
differently?
Defensive communication is either aggressive, attacking, angry communication or
passive, withdrawing communication. When a sender is using defensive
communication, it is harder for the receiver to actually hear what the sender is
Describe action steps that you could take to display more empathy.
Empathy is the ability to recognize and understand another person’s feelings and
thoughts. There is cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassionate
Think of a presentation or a public speech to which you really enjoyed listening. What
about the speech made it an effective presentation?
to (1) tell them what you’re going to say; (2) say it; and (3) tell them what you said.
Section 15.5 Key Concepts:
SELF-ASSESSMENT 15.3 CAREER READINESS
Assessing My Communication Competence
This 12-question self-assessment measures students’ communication competence at
school and work. Questions on interrupting, following-up, and speaking volume are
presented.
CAREER
READINESS
