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McKee Chapter 4:
COMMUNICATION: THE KEY TO RESONANT
RELATIONSHIPS
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
4.1 Explain why communication is key to fostering effective relationships.
4.2 Explain how humans communicate.
4.3 Analyze how we communicate and interpret sophisticated information.
4.4 Define the interpersonal communication process.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Chapter 4 takes an in depth look at the most critical function of not only any
organization, but of any human interaction; communication. The chapter begins with an
exploration of why communication is central to effective relationships at work followed
by looking at the varied forms of communication; including spoken, sign language, and
body language.
Next, we explore how our emotions affect how and what we communicate,
particularly how we interpret our own and other’s emotions. The dynamic of
The chapter then shifts toward various communication barriers encountered in
normal business environments, including poor choice of channels, dialects and jargon,
poor written or oral expression, failure to recognize nonverbal signals, physical
distractions, selective perception, and stereotyping.
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The chapter concludes with a look at how Human Resources can help drive
effective communication and resonant relationships in the organization as well as
discussing what we all can do to improve communication and build resonant relationships
at work.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Teaching Objective: To increase awareness of the critical importance of clear
communication and the impact that our emotions have on the communication process.
I. Why Is Communication Central to Effective Relationships at Work?
1. Success at work is based in part on our ability to share information and to
II. How Do Humans Communicate?
1. Communication – conveying a message from one person or group to another
A. Language: Our Human Specialty
1. Verbal and Sign Language
a. Language – a systematic form of communication that is comprised of
a set of sounds and symbols shared by people.
2. Written communication produces a permanent record
B. Nonverbal communication – any gesture, expression, physical action, or vocal
intonation, pitch or volume that communicates a message either intentionally or
unintentionally
1. Body language – hand gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, physical
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2. Vocal Intonation, Volume, and Pacing in Communication
a. Vocal intonation is a term that describes using changes in pitch or tone of
III. How Do We Communicate and Interpret Sophisticated Information?
A. Expressing Emotions: Nonverbal Behavior Shows the Truth
1. People of all cultures immediately recognize at least six basic emotional
B. A Sophisticated Skill: Interpreting Emotions at Work
1. Accurately conveying and reading emotions is essential in life and at work.
C. How We Manage Our Image through Communication
a. Face is the public representation of an aspect of our identity that we want
others to accept
1. Saving Face – the process of building, maintaining, and responding to
D. Making Sense of Information
1. Wilbur’s theory of integral communication helps us make sense of the
information we receive or send
IV. What Is The Interpersonal Communication Process?
1. Most interpersonal communication models focus on how people send
messages to receivers
1. Sender – a person who encodes and sends a message through a
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4. Encoding – the process of converting information from one format
into another before sending it
5. Channel – the medium through which a message is transmitted from
a sender to a receiver
A. Models of Communication — The communication process has been studied
extensively, and there are at least three different communication models that are
commonly used to help explain how it works
1. Shannon-Weaver Mathematical Model of Communication – information is
encoded by a sender, transmitted through a channel, and decoded by a receiver
B. Effective and Efficient Communication
1. Effective communication – the result of information conveyed accurately
C. Choosing “Rich” or “Lean” Communication Channels – different channels of
communication can carry different types and amounts of information
1. Rich channel – can carry more information than a lean channel, and is less
V. How Do We Use Information Technology to Communicate at Work?
1. Technology has made sharing information faster and easier
2. Technology has also placed pressure on us to develop new rules and
conventions for proper communication behavior.
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A. Email and Text Messaging – we can share written messages (for all essential
purposes, in real time) with people who are far away, who can then provide
feedback and build on our ideas
VI. What Are Common Barriers to Effective Communication?
A. When Language Gets in the Way of Communication
1. Globalization and migration have produced an increasingly diverse workforce,
and language barriers are clearly one potential area of difficulty
2. Literal or near literal translations rarely work or lose a great deal of meaning
from one culture to another
B. Poor Communication
1. Grammar, spelling, and professional communication are important.
2. We need to listen and pay attention
C. Selective Perception and Stereotyping
1. Selective Perception – Consciously or unconsciously focusing on certain
parts of a message and ignoring others
D. Interaction of Communication and Power
1. Communication is also affected by the amount of power senders and receivers
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VII. Why Is It Challenging to Communicate in a Socially Diverse World?
1. People in organizations come from a variety of places in the world, have
different cultures, different native languages, gender, and age
A. Communication and Culture
1. Nonverbal Behavior in Cross-Cultural Communication
2. Communication in High- and Low-Context Cultures
a. high context culture – favors communicating in a way that supports
B. Yes, Men and Women Communicate Differently
1. Men tend to assert independence, so they use communication to define
their status relative to others
VIII. What Is Organizational Communication?
A. Direction of Communication Flow – Communication moves in all sorts of
directions in an organization: Up, down, across, and back again
1. Downward communication – the flow of information from higher
in an organizational hierarchy to lower
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B. Organizational Communication Networks – the pattern of communication
among a group of people
1. Wheel network – sometimes called a Hub and Spoke network , this
kind of network is when one person acts as a central conduit for all
C. Formal vs. Informal Communication
1. Formal communication — communication governed by known rules
D. Crisis Communication–keeping calm, focusing one’s attention on gathering
crisis, avoids much confusion and misrepresentation of the facts
E. The Power of Storytelling – the art of creating or delivering a narrative—a
description of events that people can relate to, learn from, and remember
1. far more persuasive and effective than abstract concepts
IX. What Can HR Do to Ensure Effective Communication and Resonant Relationships in
Organizations?
A. Communicating Labor Laws
1. the challenge for HR professionals is to communicate labor law
information in such a way that people in the organization can
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1. Employee morale – the state of the collective mood or spirit in an
organization
2. qualitative research – a process of gathering and analyzing subjective
X. What Can Managers, Leaders, and You Do to Improve Communication and Build
Resonant Relationships at Work?
1. You need to be clear, avoid ambiguity, and be concise. You must also
provide just the right level of necessary information—not too much, and
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.1:
1. When you begin working with a group or team (on a class project, for example), what
strategies do you use to help people get to know each other and build resonant
relationships? What are some new ideas for relationship building that you may adopt as a
result of this course?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Often ice breaker exercises are a common and good way to
2. Recall a situation in which someone (maybe a boss or teacher) communicated clearly,
but in a way that offended you. What happened? Why did it bother you?
Suggested Answer:
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Discussion Questions for Objective 4.2:
1. How does your use of language change in social settings when meeting new people? In
professional settings? How does your use of language affect other people’s first
impressions of your character, your values, and your code of ethics?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. We communicate with words, both spoken and written. We
2. Have you ever received feedback on your body language? What was the feedback?
How did this affect how you think of yourself as a communicator? How did this affect
your awareness of your body language?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Good examples of such scenario might be to ask students to
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.3:
1. Recall and explore a recent communication you have had with someone. Describe how
you each attempted to maintain face and how you used positive and negative politeness in
the interaction.
Suggested Answer:
2. Consider a recent controversial situation at your school or workplace. Use Ken
Wilbur’s model to “plot” information about the problem, including your individual
interior and exterior states (feelings and behavior) and interior and exterior information
(culture and actual facts).
Suggested Answer:
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Student responses will vary. An example might be the institution of a new expense
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.4:
1. How do you give feedback during a conversation? Do you provide it face-to-face or
some other way? Are you aware of how you use body language? Do you ask questions?
Do you restate what have you heard? Do you talk about an experience that is similar to
what you have heard? How effective are your methods?
2. In general, a rich communication channel is considered superior for accurate
communication. Come up with three examples in which a lean channel is more effective
for specific purposes. Share the three examples you identify with a classmate and discuss.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. The leanest of all possible channels is impersonal written
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.5:
1. Consider two situations: one in which information technology helped you build a
relationship, and one in which it inhibited the development of a relationship. How did
technology help in the first instance and get in the way in the second?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Technology can be extremely effective when building a
2. Many argue that new communication technologies have made social interactions
impersonal and that people are not developing enough face-to-face communication skills.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Many students will tend to agree but also say that given that
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.6:
1. Do find yourself sometimes engaging in selective perception? What sorts of topics
(e.g., politics, religion) or situations (e.g., conflicts, close relationships) cause you to pay
more attention to certain things and less to others? While selective perception is usually
considered “bad,” can you think of some potential benefits?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Typically, those topics that carry dense emotional content,
2. Reflect on powerful people you know personally—either formal leaders or those who
have informal power, such as popular people. How would you describe the way that you
react to them and to their power and how you communicate with them? How do they
communicate with you?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. We react differently to constructive criticism from peers
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.7:
1. Consider a group that you have worked with that is socially or otherwise diverse. Take
a close look: Were there barriers to communication? What were these barriers? How did
the group overcome them? How did the group’s diversity enrich communication?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. In a diverse workforce or team environment, differences in
2. Have you noticed how your age or gender affects the way you communicate or the way
others communicate with you? Describe and explain.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Men and women approach communication process with a
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.8:
1. Describe a downward communication process used recently in your school or at work.
What channels were used? How effective was the communication? How could it be
improved?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. One form of downward communication in a school
2. Using the rules of telling a good story, create a story about your success on a difficult
school or work project. Make sure that someone hearing the story will learn from your
experience.
Suggested Answer:
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Discussion Questions for Objective 4.9:
1. How does your school’s HR department disseminate information about job openings,
labor laws, and employee policies? What channels do they use to provide people with this
information? Are the communication channels effective? Why or why not?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. The most effective forms of communicating such complex
2. Describe a situation in which morale played an important part in the effectiveness of a
group or organization to which you belonged. What was the impact of high or low
morale? Was anyone responsible for monitoring morale? If so, how did they do it, and
how did they communicate their findings to the group?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Morale can either make or break a group or organization’s
Discussion Questions for Objective 4.10:
1. During the next day or so, consciously monitor your intentions when communicating.
Then, reflect on these intentions and how they affect both you and others.
Suggested Answer:
2. Think of a situation in your personal or professional life when you specifically used an
indirect request to try to get what you wanted. Was it effective? What, in your opinion, is
the power of an indirect request that might make it more effective than a direct request?
What are some drawbacks?
Suggested Answer:
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END OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES: EXPERIENCING LEADERSHIP
Leading in a Global World: Could You Please Repeat That?!
Break into teams of four. Take a few minutes to write down eight slang and jargon
expressions that, if you were a nonnative English speaker, would sound ridiculous or
strange (e.g., “It’s raining cats and dogs”). Then, each group member will take two of the
expressions and translate their meaning into plain English for the rest of the group. If
your team includes nonnative English speakers, add slang or jargon from their language.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Some examples of such phrases may be: Bang for the buck,
Leading with Emotional Intelligence: How Do You Feel about That Thought?
Break into teams of four. One person is the observer/referee while the other three have a
thoughtful discussion about an emotionally charged topic, such as politics or religion.
The discussion should be based on reason and well thought out analysis, and team
members should attempt to leave their emotions about the subject out of the discussion.
The observer records instances in which group members betray their emotions through
body language, facial expressions, and/or tone of voice. The observer also acts as a
referee to remind the group to carry on a thoughtful dialogue when he or she observes
emotions gaining the upper hand. After the conversation is complete, the observer shares
what he or she has noticed. He or she also shares the personal biases/selective perception
that caused him or her to notice certain things and not others.
Suggested Answer:
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Leading with Critical Thinking Skills: Let Me Be Perfectly Clear
Break into teams of two or three and apply Wilbur’s model to the following scenario:
Your school has decided to go to a new online registration system for spring semester,
eliminating half of all undergraduate advisors from the registration process. The
administration thinks the advisors give conflicting information to students, creating
problems of inconsistency in policy. The new tool is more accurate in tracking course
requirements and is faster and more up-to-date on class closings and alternative offerings.
The beta launch of the system received mixed reviews. Some students found it faster and
easier to use. Others found it cumbersome and complicated, and they preferred to have an
advisor’s assistance when using it.
Create a proposal to send to the administration that will gather data for all four quadrants
of Wilbur’s model. To help administrators understand what information you hope to
collect, provide a hypothetical example for each quadrant.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.
Ethical Leadership: A Stereotypical Response, or Not?
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Individually or in teams, read the following scenario and write a short paragraph
describing how you would handle the situation.
Richard, a young African American who recently graduated with honors, has joined a
Richard is surprised about this assignment because he is so new to the organization. He
speaks to his mentor, a partner in a different division, who explains to Richard that the
CIO in the prospective company is an African American man. How do you proceed if
you are Richard?
Consider the following questions in your response:
1. Is Richard being stereotyped by his company as someone the client CIO can “relate” to
because they are both African American?
2. If you were Richard, would you perceive that your inclusion on the team is a result of
your race?
3. How might this translate into an ethical dilemma for Richard and/or his company?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. One reality in life and in organizations is that diversity exists
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ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Videos:
• WSJ – Learning From Obama’s Effective Communication Skills
“T.J. Walker, who advises executives on effective speaking as CEO of Media Training
• Body Language: How good are you interpreting it?
“This is a Body Language questionnaire with which you can find out how good you are at
• Rebecca Saxe: How we read each other’s minds
“Sensing the motives and feelings of others is a natural talent for humans. But how do we
• Bonnie Brassler on how bacteria “talk”
“Bonnie Brassler discovered that bacteria “talk” to each other, using a chemical language
that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks. The find has stunning implications
• Martin Luther King Jr. – I Have a Dream speech
• Derek Sivers – Culture and Communication
“There’s a flip side to everything,” the saying goes, and in 2 minutes, Derek Sivers shows
• Rick Goodfriend – Emotional intelligence, anger management & Communication
Skills Training through Active Listening
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“Emotional Intelligence – Communication skills training that helps revive positive energy
in seconds. Excellent for anger management and stress management. Watch how you can
INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES
1. The effect that noise has on effective communication is easily illustrated by playing a
round of “telephone” in class. One student reads a short selected paragraph. He or she
2. Providing clear and compassionate constructive feedback is a difficult task for most
people. Students of management need to begin to practice this skill early on in their
career. Most will be involved, if they aren’t already, in project teams for various
classes. Present them with the following scenario:
3. Break into groups of 3 to 5 students. Have each group brainstorm a plan on how they
4. Give each student an index card with a short sentence on each card as demonstrated in the list
below. Next, divide them into pairs. Their task is to communicate the content of the card’s
Cards: I can speak Spanish I have a brand new sports car
I do not like meat at all I never go to the movies
I love hard rock music I will have to take a chemistry exam
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Tomorrow I will play tennis I had fish yesterday
Do you want to go to the concert tonight? My friend is mad at me
5. Break students into pairs. Ask them to prepare three things to say about themselves to their
partner, two of the three things are true, one is false. Tell the pairs that one partner, ‘the
6. Divide students into triads – an interviewer, interviewee, and an observer. Tell students they
have all been selected as Manager of the Month. Ask them to prepare a one minute (or 30
seconds) introduction of themselves for a potential interview in which they have to speak to
TEAM EXERCISE
The dynamics of communication are complex and widely variable. This exercise will
help underscore the importance of the various communication methods we may take for
granted that we rely on daily to convey our view of the world.
Break the class into teams of two. Have students interview each other to find out hobbies,
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Language and Symbols
A culture is communicated largely through the language and symbols that it employs to
express beliefs, values, and ideologies. The technical term for the study of the
construction and communication of meaning through language and symbols is semiotics.
In a much cited paper, Barley notes that systems of meaning that frame organizational
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Communication Model: Stuart Hall
Cultural theorist Stuart Hall’s model of communication draws on the disciplines of
discourse analysis and semiotics to create a complex model of communication.
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Hall
notes that the traditional story of communication that starts with sender and ends with
recipient is too simplistic. Hall focuses on the two processes of encoding and decoding to
illustrate his observation. In the traditional sense, the recipient who successfully decodes
a message is merely undoing what the speaker did when he coded it for transmission. The
truth is far more complex. Using television media as an example, Hall points out that a