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• Organization
o Collaborative communities extend the way a social organization works.
A company becomes a social organization as it gains confidence and
opens itself up to the potential of the insight, experience and interest of
customers, employees, associates, and others.
3) The class can discuss as a whole and the instructor can see if the groups’
Self-Assessment scores affected their analysis.
SELF-ASSESSMENT 15.3 CAREER READINESS
Assessing My Communication Competence
This Self-Assessment encourages students to reflect on their level of communication
competence.
Student Questions:
1. Are you surprised by the results? Explain.
Students will vary in their level of astonishment with their scores and their
views of their strengths and weaknesses, but remind students that
communication competence can be improved.
2. Based on your scores, what are your top three strengths and your three
biggest weaknesses?
Students may realize that there are ways they can improve their
communication competence and use their strengths in any of their roles,
including student, worker, or relationship partner. For example, students may
realize that eye contact sends a message that you are engaged in the
conversation. Introducing new topics, bringing new parties to the conversation,
or asking follow-up questions sends the message that you want to learn from
paper should be discussed. The candidate can also discuss times when he or
she had to write on someone else’s behalf (i.e. a campaign manager writing
on behalf of a candidate).
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Supplemental Activity:
1) Students should be put into one of three groups based on the communication
skills. A good mix of high and low scorers should be in each group.
2) Each group should discuss examples of how to properly exhibit the assigned
communication skill in the workplace.
a) Two representatives from the groups can do a 30-second mock simulation of
a supervisor/subordinate discussion for the class.
b) The simulation should portray the assigned communication skill.
3) The instructor can lead class discussion after the groups have completed their
work. How does noise play a role in inhibiting communication skills?
SELF-ASSESSMENT 15.4
Does Your Organization Have a Supportive or Defensive
Communication Climate?
This survey was designed to assess the supportive and defensive communication
climate of students’ organizations.
Student Questions:
1. Where does the work environment stand in terms of having a supportive or
defensive communication climate?
Student responses will differ based on assessment results. Many students
may be surprised to find that their organization has a supportive or defensive
communication climate.
2. Based on your survey scores, what advice would you give to management in
order to promote a more supportive communication climate? Be specific.
Generally, management should have an “open door policy” which allows
employees to express their ideas and opinions without being treated
not to make employees feel inferior so that opinions can be shared.
3. Considering your project teams at school, what can you do to create a more
supportive communication climate in these teams?
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on a school team, it is important for all team members to treat colleagues with
respect and listen to everyone’s opinions.
Supplemental Activity:
1) Students should be put into pairs notwithstanding their self-assessment scores.
2) Each pair is to simulate two 30-second conversations between a supervisor and
subordinate. The first simulation should portray a defensive climate, and the
second should portray a non-defensive climate.
3) Select groups can present their simulation to the class and students can point out
which simulation portrays a defensive climate and which portrays a non-defensive
climate.
SELF-ASSESSMENT 15.5 CAREER READINESS
Assessing Your Listening Style
This survey was designed to assess the overall strength of students’ listening skills.
Student Questions:
1. Is your listening style detached, passive, or involved? Based on your survey
scores, what can you do to become more of an involved listener? Be specific.
Student responses will differ based on assessment results. Students may be
surprised at how detached, passive, or involved their listening styles are.
Generally, students should listen at their capacity when others are talking;
listen to the complete message received before making judgement; and
question when they do not fully understand a speaker’s message.
2. Think of two ways you can practice better listening in your teams at work or
entire message? Students can also record their conversation with another
person (make sure you get consent), and see how their listening skills are.
3. What can you say or do during an interview to display your listening skills?
First, candidates should discuss their approach to conversations. It would be
beneficial to discuss how a candidate actively listens to others before
responding. Second, candidates should exhibit active listening during the
interview itself as that is the best representation of one’s listening skills.
Supplemental Activity:
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1) Students should be placed in groups based on their scores on the Self-
Assessment. Those who had a detached listening style should be placed
together, and those with an active listening style should be placed together.
2) Active listeners should discuss how active listening at work is maintained through
policies and norms.
a) Did students just become active listeners one day, or was this something they
developed? If it was developed, how?
b) Have they received feedback from their supervisors on their active listening?
3) Detached listening style scorers should discuss what organizations can do to
promote active listening.
a) Have students missed something important that was said because they were
not actively listening?
b) Have they received feedback from their supervisors on their active listening
(or lack thereof)?
4) The class can discuss as a whole with select groups sharing.
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.
Group Exercise #1: Practicing Nonverbal Communication with a Twist on
Charades
Objective
1. To examine the difficulty in using nonverbal communication during the
communication process.
Introduction
The overall purpose of this exercise is to examine the difficulty in using nonverbal
communication. This exercise involves a fun way in which to examine nonverbal
communication. Nonverbal communication is a message sent outside of the written or
Instructions
This is a game of charades – the classic party game where teammates guess a topic
from nonverbal clues. Only this game has a twist, the guessers can’t use verbal
communication either. You run this exercise using one group as a demonstration in front
of the entire class, or you can break the class into subgroups. You can conduct two
rounds of the exercise if time permits.
1. Break students into groups of six. One teammate is the clue giver, one is the
2. Distribute the following set of topics to each group. The clue giver chooses one topic
and shares his or her associated clue with the observer.
● Musical Groups
4. After the game, reconvene as a class.
GROUP EXERCISES
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Questions for Discussion
1. Did any group get their team mates to guess the correct answer?
2. How difficult was it to get your point across using only nonverbal communication?
3. What are the pros and cons of nonverbal communication?
4. What are the dangers of interpreting nonverbal communication while
communicating with others?
5. What have you learned about nonverbal communication?
Role Descriptions
Clue Giver: Pick one of the seven topic areas you want to use in the exercise, and tell
your group of guessers so they know what to look for. Next, select a specific title, word,
name, etc. for that topic area, and inform the observer of your choice. For example:
Topic one is musical groups. You might choose the Rolling Stones. Make sure that the
clue you choose is something universally known – you want your team to guess the
correct answer. Now try to communicate this title, word, name, etc. to your group
without using any sort of verbal communication, props, sound effects, etc. You can only
communicate nonverbally.
Observer: Your role has three parts: (1) police the guessing sessions – watch for any
communication which breaks the rules; (2) ask the clue giver to tell you his or her clue;
(3) collect written guesses, and determine if they are accurate; (4) constantly observe
the guessing session, and record your observations for class discussion.
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Group Exercise #2: Observing Group Communication
Objectives
● To observe the communication process within a group, identifying strengths and
weaknesses.
● To get individual feedback on communication skills.
Introduction
You can learn a great deal about your communication style by receiving feedback from
others. Although we communicate all day long, we do not always stop to check whether
we are actually communicating the intended message. By practicing our communication
skills and receiving feedback, this exercise helps you become a more effective
communicator. The purpose of this exercise is twofold: to see how you communicate in
a group and to see how others communicate; and to learn how to develop your skills
from both experiences.
Instructions
The fishbowl technique has been used for many years as a vehicle for providing
feedback to individuals or groups. The class should first divide into subgroups of five or
six people. Next, these subgroups are formed into teams comprised of two subgroups of
five or six people. Once the subgroups/teams are formed, one subgroup is selected to
be the discussion group; the other subgroup will form the observing group.
The seats should be arranged so that members of one subgroup sit in the middle, and
members in the second subgroup arrange their desks to form a circle around this
subgroup. The center subgroup is the discussion group. This subgroup will discuss a
topic from the list below for approximately 10 minutes. The subgroup surrounding the
center subgroup will observe and take notes on the center subgroup’s discussion and
interaction with one another. A form like that shown below might be used by observers
to take notes.
After time is up, the subgroups switch—the outer subgroup moves to the center and
begins discussion on a topic, while the center subgroup moves to the outer circle and
begins observing and taking notes.
Once all of the subgroups have had a chance to both observe and discuss, all members
of the two subgroups/teams should share their observations with one another. The
feedback you receive from the teams can be used or discarded by you. It is often hard
to hear that we are different from how we think we are in terms of how others see and
hear us, but this is an opportunity to learn both.
Topics for Discussion
2. The Internet should be regulated.
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3. Chief executive officers should not make more than 20 times the lowest paid
employee in the organization.
4. The minimum wage should be $15 an hour.
5. All U.S. citizens should be allowed to attend college at the taxpayers’ expense.
Observation Guidelines
Use the form shown below to take notes on how the center subgroup communicates.
Use the following guidelines.
● What barriers to communication do you see in this subgroup?
o That is, do any of the members have a tendency to judge others’ messages?
o Do any of the members exhibit faulty listening skills?
● What types of communication styles do you see?
o Do some members appear to be better communicators?
o Were some individuals better listeners than others?
o Was anyone assertive, aggressive, passive-defensive, or disengaged?
● How well does this subgroup communicate nonverbally?
o Do any subgroup members look away from the speaker?
o Do any of the members speak too quickly or too slowly?
o Is there a subgroup member that smiles and is animated?
Questions for Discussion
1. Were you surprised at some of your behavior that your classmates noted?
2. Based on the feedback from your classmates, what are some things you can do
to work on your communication style?
3. During your observation role, did you notice any gender-related communication
differences? Explain.
4. Do you think the fishbowl technique is a valuable tool for obtaining feedback on
interpersonal skills? Why or why not?
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Group One: Communication Styles Noted:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
Student Name:
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CAREER CORNER GROUP EXERCISES
Career Corner Group Exercise—Giving and Receiving Feedback
Learning Objective
• To improve student ability to give and receive feedback.
Introduction
Managers must be able to give and receive constructive feedback in order to achieve personal and
organizational excellence. The best feedback is specific, respectful, and takes a problem-solving
approach. This exercise, a group role-play, gives students the opportunity to practice giving and receiving
feedback. The activity challenges each participant to think on their feet, exercise their decision-making
skills and solve the problem presented by the role-play scenario. Overall, this exercise provides an
opportunity to practice and become comfortable with confronting behavioral issues in the workplace.
Instructions
The purpose of this exercise is to help students become proficient in giving and receiving feedback. This
exercise requires pre-class preparation. The instructor will need to make copies of the scenarios to be
distributed to the class. These scenarios appear at the bottom of the instructions. Each scenario takes
approximately 8 to 10 minutes to run. First, the class will discuss what issues may arise when giving or
receiving feedback. Each group will then participate in a role-play exercise that forces them to deal with
an uncomfortable situation. Each group will then use this experience to develop a guideline for either
giving or receiving feedback.
1. Start the class discussion by asking the class what are the challenges when giving feedback.
Then, have them discuss what are the challenges when receiving feedback. Press the class to
describe what makes them defensive in these situations. If there is time, we recommend using the
following material to use as an introduction:
• Cultivating Collaboration: Don’t Be So Defensive TED TALK by Jim Tamm
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSTNv4gyMM)
2. Describe the activity as follows: This is a role-playing activity consisting of two parts, the
3. Put the students into groups of 4. Ask for two volunteers per group to assume the role of manager
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5. Facilitate a class discussion using the following questions:
• What constitutes constructive feedback versus criticism? What role does emotional
triggers play in this distinction?
• Why does probing for the intent behind the message allow you to discern constructive
feedback versus criticism?
• How can you stay engaged when receiving negative or critical feedback?
▪ When you receive negative or critical feedback what do you? What should you do? Have
you tried self-reflection?
▪ Having participated in this exercise, what have learned about giving and receiving
feedback?
▪ If we were to run the scenarios again, for would you do differently?
Scenario Options:
1. You are a payroll manager supervising 25 people. Your team works in close quarters with little
physical separation between workstations. Drew is one of your best performers, yet you have
2. You are an accounting manager, and the business relies on your department to produce accurate
financial reports the end of each month. Your department uses Excel. Last month, you hired a
3. You are an office manager overseeing a department of 25 people. One of your employees comes
4. You are a project manager and supervise a team of 11 people. It is near Christmas, and you notice
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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.
Modified from We Need to Talk: Ten Scenarios to Practice Handing Needed Conversations by Douglas
Crawford, PhD
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UBER CONTINUING CASE
Chapter 15: Interpersonal and Organizational Communication
This part of the Uber continuing case focuses on Chapter 15 and covers principles related to interpersonal
and organizational communication. This continuing case’s real-world application of management
knowledge and skills is designed to help you develop critical thinking ability and realize the practical
power of sound managerial skills for solving problems in your job and career.
The case includes five multiple-choice questions and two essay-based questions. The essay- based
questions can also be used in-class to spur discussion:
1. Using the four components of communication outlined in the communication process framework
in Figure 15.1, describe the process Uber initiates when a rider is being connected with a hearing
impaired driver.
2. Due to the nature of city infrastructure and existing taxi systems, Uber faces regulatory battles in
many cities. In turn, as Brad Stone put it, the leaders of Uber must be good “storytellers” when
talking to city government officials. Explain these challenges in terms of encoding and decoding
barriers and how Uber needs to frame their messaging.
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Students may complete the “Cyber-Loafing” Manager’s Hot Seat exercises in Connect
for this chapter.
Introduction
The need for organizations to keep their data secure constantly infringes on
workers’ electronic privacy rights. In this case, the challenges of Internet
monitoring are explored when a worker abuses his privileges and shirks his
workplace responsibilities. The case also explores how outward sources of
conflict may not actually be the real problem.
Learning Objectives
1) To recognize the role of electronic privacy in organizational settings.
3) To identify the difference between real and presenting problems.
Scenario Description
Overview
Bryan Dobbs, director of marketing at Sarga Inc., has received multiple
complaints about Davy Siegler over the past two months. Apparently,
Siegler spends his day surfing the net, passes all his own work on to
subordinates, and disrupts those around him by dragging them over to
Profile
▪ Bryan Dobbs, Director of Marketing, Sarga Inc.
▪ Davy Siegler, Product Group Manager, Sarga Inc.
MANAGER’S HOT SEAT
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Discussion Questions:
Learning Objective #1: To recognize the role of electronic privacy in organizational
settings.
Siegler seemed surprised to learn that Sarga Inc was monitoring his Internet
usage. How appropriate is it for Sarga Inc. to monitor their employee’s Internet
usage?
Learning Objective #2: To understand the role of performance appraisals in the
workplace.
Pretend you are in the role of Dobbs and that you have to provide an updated
performance appraisal for Siegler. What would you write?
Learning Objective #3: To identify the difference between real and presenting problems.
Dobbs suspected that something else was going on with Siegler beyond
increased Internet usage. What was the real problem that Siegler confessed to
during his meeting with Dobbs?
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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.
Sometimes when dealing with conflict, the problem that surfaces may not be the
real problem, but just a presenting problem. In Siegler’s case, the presenting
problem was using the Internet and shirking of responsibilities. The real problem
was hurt emotions about not getting a raise and not feeling challenged enough.
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APPLICATION-BASED ACTIVITY
Cyberloafing: Balancing Communication Priorities
I. Introduction
Vector Technology’s employees are enjoying the internet in the office a bit too much. The
company has been suffering a loss in productivity the past year and has determined it to be
II. Learning Objectives
1. Apply the correct communication medium based on the situation at hand.
3. Understand the impact of both formal and informal communication.
III. Scoring Dimensions
The following theoretical concepts from the chapter are covered and scored in the simulation:
Theoretical Concepts
Percentage of Simulation
Selecting the Right Medium for Effective
Communication
34%
Developing a Social Media Policy
33%
Improving Communication Effectiveness
33%
IV. Follow-up Activity
Students can be assembled into groups of 4 to 5 and tasked with reviewing the following article
on social media fails: The 7 Biggest Social Media Fails of 2017. Students should choose of the
organizations listed and create a Communications Plan for addressing the issue at hand. The
brief plan should include what top level executives will do, what mediums of communication
will be utilized, and how quickly all of this will materialize.