2010 Cengage Learning Organizational Communication 1 2010 Cengage

© 2010 Cengage Learning Organizational Communication 1

© 2010 Cengage Learning Think of a situation in which you and another person did not communicate effectively. Describe what happened. Why you think the miscommunication took place? 2

© 2010 Cengage Learning Types of Organizational Communication • • • Upward Downward Business Informal Interpersonal 3

© 2010 Cengage Learning Organizational Communication Upward Communication • Serial communication – MUM effect – open-door policy • • • Attitude surveys Focus groups Exit interviews Suggestion boxes Third party facilitators – Liaison – Ombudsperson 4

© 2010 Cengage Learning Organizational Communication Downward Communication • Bulletin boards – Non-work related • Policy manuals – Policy manual & handbook • Newsletters • Morale – Good or news • Intranets 5

© 2010 Cengage Learning Organizational Communication Business Communication • Memos-detailed info to large number of people • Telephone calls-only when message is short; conference calls • Email • Voice mail • Business meetings • Office Design 6

© 2010 Cengage Learning Email Etiquette • • Include a greeting Included a detailed subject line Don’t write in all caps Delete unnecessary information when forwarding email • Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes • Don’t spend company time on personal email • Allow ample time for a person to respond 7

© 2010 Cengage Learning Voice Mail Etiquette • Speak slowly • Give your name at the beginning of the message and then repeat it at the end • Spell your name • Leave your phone number • Indicate good times for the person to return your call • Don’t ramble • Don’t include information you don’t want others to hear 8

© 2010 Cengage Learning Bull pen work design Uniform Plan Free standing work design Free form work station 9

© 2010 Cengage Learning Office Design • Designs – Open (landscaped) offices • bullpen design • uniform design – Cubicles – Private offices • Research on open designs – decreased satisfaction – increased socialization – decreased costs 10

© 2010 Cengage Learning Organizational Communication Informal Communication • Grapevine – – single-strand grapevine gossip grapevine probability grapevine cluster grapevine • Gossip & Rumor – Poorly Substantiated information about people • Isolates (less info)& Deadenders (heard most of it) 11

© 2010 Cengage Learning Grapevine Patterns Single Strand JONES Smith Brown Tinker Evers Gossip Strand Tinker Brown Evers Smith Chance Frey Martin Austin JONES 12

© 2010 Cengage Learning Probability Brown Alston Smith Evers JONES Chance Tinker Cluster Brown Smith Frey Tinker Frey Martin Alston Evers JONES Martin Chance 13

© 2010 Cengage Learning Interpersonal Communication • The exchange of a message across a communication channel from one person to another • Three problem areas – Intended message versus message sent – Message sent versus message received – Message received versus message interpreted 14

© 2010 Cengage Learning Sender Receiver Encodes Message Sends Message Receives Message Decodes Message What I want to say What I say I hear her say I think she means 15

© 2010 Cengage Learning Problem Area I: Intended Message Versus Message Sent • Think about what you want to communicate • Practice what you want to communicate • Learn better communication skills 16

© 2010 Cengage Learning Problem Area II: Message Sent Versus Message Received 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Actual words used Communication channel Noise Nonverbal cues Paralanguage Artifacts Amount of information 17

© 2010 Cengage Learning Actual Words Used • The word “fine” – to describe jewelry – to describe the weather – to describe food • The applicant was a: – – female girl babe woman 18

© 2010 Cengage Learning Use concrete words and ask how the other person might interpret your message • Avoid such words as: – as soon as possible – I’ll be back soon – I’ll be out for a while • Why not be specific? – Avoid confrontation – “test the water” – Avoid being the bad guy (MUM effect) 19

© 2010 Cengage Learning Gender Differences in Communication (Tannen, 1986 & 1990) • Men – – – Talk about major events Tell the main point Are more direct Use “uh-huh” to agree Are comfortable with silence – Concentrate on the words spoken – Sidetrack unpleasant topics • Women – – – Talk about daily life Provide details Are more indirect Use “uh-huh” to listen Are less comfortable with silence – Concentrate on nonverbal cues and paralanguage – Focus on unpleasant topics 20

© 2010 Cengage Learning Communication Channels • Oral – in-person – word-of-mouth – answering machine • Nonverbal • Written – personal letter/memo – general letter/memo – email 21

© 2010 Cengage Learning Noise • • Actual noise Appropriateness of the channel Bias Feelings about the person communicating • Mood • Perceived motives 22

© 2010 Cengage Learning Nonverbal Cues • Are ambiguous • Those that aren’t, are called emblems • Gender and cultural differences are common • Nonverbal cues are thought to be 80% of the message received 23

© 2010 Cengage Learning Body Language – – – Eye contact Interruptions Raising/lowering head Touching Lie-pursing lips, raising chin, fidget and nervouness 24

© 2010 Cengage Learning Use of Space • Intimacy zone – 0 to 18 inches – close relationships • Personal distance zone – 18 inches to 4 feet – friends and acquaintances • Social distance zone – 4 to 12 feet – business contacts and strangers • Public distance zone – 12 to 25 feet 25

© 2010 Cengage Learning Use of Time • Being late/Tardy • Leaving a meeting early • Setting aside time for a meeting • Multi-tasking (working while talking) 26

© 2010 Cengage Learning Basic Assumptions About Nonverbal Cues & Paralanguage • People are different in their use of nonverbal cues and paralanguage • Standard differences among people reveal information about the person • Changes in a person’s style reveal new messages 27

© 2010 Cengage Learning Paralanguage • • Rate of speech Tone Tempo Loudness/Volume Intonation Amount of talking Voice pitch Pauses 28

© 2010 Cengage Learning The Importance of Inflection • • I did not say Bill stole your car. I did not say Bill store your car. I did not say Bill stole your car. 29

© 2010 Cengage Learning Artifacts • Our office – décor – desk placement – messy • What we wear – – clothing accessories hair styles tattoos • The car we drive • The house we live in 30

© 2010 Cengage Learning The Amount of Information When we have too much information, we tend to: • Assimilate (information modifies to fit existing beliefs) • Sharpen (interesting element of the message is kept) • Level (unimportant details are removed) 31

© 2010 Cengage Learning The Amount of Information Reactions to Information Overload • • • Omission Error Queuing Escape Use of a gatekeeper Use of multiple channels 32

© 2010 Cengage Learning Problem Area III: Message Received Versus Message Interpreted • • • Listening Skills (45%) Listening Style Emotional State Cognitive Ability Bias 33

© 2010 Cengage Learning The Importance of Listening • 70% of a manager’s job is spent communicating • Of that time – – 9% is spent writing 16% is spent reading 30% is spent speaking 45% is spent listening 34

© 2010 Cengage Learning Listening Styles (Geier & Downey, 1980) • Leisure (words that indicate pleasure) • Inclusive (main ideas) • Stylistic (way in which it is presented) • Technical (factual info vs meaning) • Empathic (non-verbal cues) • Nonconforming (nonconsistent with way of thinking) 35

© 2010 Cengage Learning Other Factors • Emotional State – – – Anger Fear Anxiety Excitement Love • Bias • Cognitive Ability • Drugs and Alcohol 36

© 2010 Cengage Learning Tips: Listening Skills 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Stop talking Let people finish Focus on what person is saying Ask questions to understand factual information Be patient and have an open mind Use non-verbal cues such as eye contact and nodding head 7. Resist distractions 8. Pause after the person has finished talking 37

© 2010 Cengage Learning Written Communication Skills 1. Improving writing 2. Making material easier to read 38

© 2010 Cengage Learning Writing is easiest to read when it: • Has short sentences • Uses simple rather than complicated words • Uses common rather than unusual words • Spelling errors • 12 th grade reading level 39

© 2010 Cengage Learning Reading • No college education: 12 th grade reading level • Various reading indexes are available 40

© 2010 Cengage Learning Comparison of Readability Scales Readability Index Method Fry Flesch Average number of syllables per word X X Average sentence length X X FOG Average number of words per sentence X Average number of 3 syllable words X Number of unusual words Dale-Chall X 41