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Initial Postings: Read and reflect on the assigned readings for the week. Then post what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s), term(s), and/or any other thing that you felt was worthy of your understanding in each assigned textbook chapter.

Your initial post should be based upon the assigned reading for the week, so the textbook should be a source listed in your reference section and cited within the body of the text. Other sources are not required but feel free to use them if they aid in your discussion.

Also, provide a graduate-level response to each of the following questions:

You have recently been promoted to district manager of a large scale restaurant chain which specializes in affordable meals in a pleasant environment. In accordance with management objectives, you are responsible for increasing sales of appetizers by 20 percent by the next quarter for the 15 locations in your area. Keeping channel richness in mind, how will you make contact with the restaurant employees to facilitate the sales increase?

[Your post must be substantive and demonstrate insight gained from the course material. Postings must be in the student’s own words – do not provide quotes!]

[Your initial post should be at least 200+ words and in APA format (including Times New Roman with font size 12 and double spaced).

Book:

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. (2022). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Student Value Edition. Pearson 15th Edition.

Chapter11.Communication.pptx

Essentials of Organizational Behavior

Fifteenth Edition

Chapter 11

Communication

Learning Objectives

11.1 Describe the functions and process of communication.

11.2 Contrast downward, upward, and lateral communication through small-group networks and the grapevine.

11.3 Contrast oral, written, and nonverbal communication.

11.4 Describe how channel richness underlies the choice of communication channel.

11.5 Differentiate between automatic and controlled processing of persuasive messages.

11.6 Identify common barriers to effective communication.

11.7 Discuss how to overcome the potential problems of cross-cultural communication.

Functions of Communication Learning Objective 11.1

Managing behavior

Feedback

Emotional sharing

Persuasion

Information exchange

Communication serves five major functions within a group or organization. Almost every communication interaction that takes place performs one or more of these interactions. Keep in mind that none of the five is more important than any of the others.

The Communication Process (Exhibit 11-1)

This graph outlines the communication process between the sender and the receiver. The sender takes the message to be sent and encodes it, either through verbal or written methods. The message is passed through the determined channel, and then it is handed off to the receiver, who receives the message and decodes it. The process is hindered by noise or communication barriers such as the perceived message. Feedback is the check on how successful the sender was in passing the correct message to the receiver.

Long Description:

Details of the communication process are as below:

Sender: Message to be sent; encoding message.

Channel: Affected by noise, which also affects sender, receiver, and feedback.

Receiver: Message received; Message decoding.

Feedback: Links receiver back to sender.

Channels of Communication

Formal	Informal
Path follows the authority chain Messages relate to professional activities	Spontaneous channels from individual choice Messages often personal or social

The channel is the medium through which the message travels. The sender selects it, determining whether to use a formal or informal channel. Formal channels transmit messages that are related to the professional activities of the members, such as email, memos, and planned speeches. The second type is informal channels, used to transmit personal or social messages. Informal channels are more spontaneous in nature and a result of individual choices such as whom you eat lunch with.

Direction of Communication Learning Objective 11.2

Vertically

Downward

Upward

Horizontally

In an organization, communication flows vertically or laterally. It can flow downward from the top management to people in lower levels of the organization. It can flow up from workers on the ground floor to the CEO. Or it can flow between or within departments in a lateral movement.

Downward Communication

Communication that flows from one level to a lower level

One-way communication

Managers explain why a decision was made but do not solicit advice or opinions of employees

Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level is downward communication. Managers using this one-way communication explain why decisions are made, but they don’t solicit advice or opinions from employees. This can be problematic because employees are more committed to decisions when they understand why they were made. The organization ignores potentially valuable information from employees.

Upward Communication

Communication that flows to a higher level

Keeps managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, coworkers, and the organization

To engage in effective upward communication, try to communicate in short summaries, support your summaries with actionable items, and prepare an agenda to make sure you use your boss’s attention well.

Lateral Communication

Communication that occurs between members of a work group, members at the same level in separate work groups, or any other horizontally equivalent workers

Saves time and facilitates coordination

Some lateral relationships are formally sanctioned. Some are informally created to short-circuit the vertical hierarchy and expedite action.

Three Common Small Group Networks (Exhibit 11-2)

In an organizational context, communication is commonly broken down into three formal small-group networks.

The chain is a very formal and rigid chain of command. Employees know who the next person in the chain is and that is where they give and get their information.

The wheel is a network where there is a central figure who controls all the communication. This type of group requires a very strong leader who can communicate effectively.

The all-channel network is a much more fluid arrangement where all group members communicate actively with each other and there is no formal channel or single person. This works best in a situation such as a self-managed team.

Long Description:

Details of the various networks are as follows:

Chain: In this schematic the dots are positioned in the shape of a pentagon. Each dot is interconnected to each other via a bi-directional arrow to the dot next to it, but two dots at the bottom are unconnected.

Wheel: In this schematic the dots are positioned in the form of a pentagram, where one dot connects back and forth to the other four dots.

All channel: In this schematic a pentagram is placed inside a pentagon and there are dots at its vertices. Each dot connects back and forth to all other dots.

Small Group Networks and Effectiveness Criteria (Exhibit 11-3)

The effectiveness of each network depends on the outcome you are interested in.

Long Description:

The details are as below:

Speed: Chain, moderate; Networks wheel, fast; All channel, fast.

Accuracy: Chain, high; Networks wheel, high; All channel, moderate.

Emergence of a leader: Chain, moderate; Networks wheel, high; All channel, none.

Member satisfaction: Chain, moderate; Networks wheel, low; All channel, high.

The Grapevine

Informal communication network

Word-of-mouth

Mixed blessing

Serves employees’ needs

The grapevine is a common network that has been shown to be an effective mode of communication. Typically, the grapevine is not controlled by management nor do they feed it information. However, employees see it as a very believable and reliable form of communication. The grapevine has no formal purpose. It is mainly there to serve the self-interests of those who use it, developing from a need for these individuals to get more information about an important but ambiguous situation. The grapevine can be a way to receive information about the situation and reduce anxiety as well as fill a social need to connect.

Modes of Communication (Learning Objective 11.3)

Three modes of communication

Oral

Written

Nonverbal

As we looked at earlier, communication can move through different modes of communication. Certain modes are highly preferred for specific types of communication. We all draw upon oral, written, and nonverbal modes to communicate with others.

Oral Communication

Advantages

Speed

Feedback

Exchange

Disadvantages

Potential for distorted message when passed through a number of people

One communication channel is oral communication or the spoken word. This form of communication is quick, and there is immediate feedback. The exchange given through oral communication has social, cultural, and emotional components. The disadvantage is that the message can be distorted based on the sender and the receiver.

Written Communication

Any method that conveys written words or symbols

Letters

E-mail

Instant messaging

Organizational periodicals

Natural language processing

Written communication can include letters, e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, social media, and blogs.

Through natural language processing, researchers can train algorithms to incorporate the actual words people use in written communication media to measure emotions, moods, personality traits, stress, and other characteristics of employees.

Nonverbal Communication

Body language

Body movements

Intonations

Facial expression

Every movement has meaning

Can affect the behavior of communication receivers

Nonverbal communication is another channel often used in organizations. This can be a nod, a look, or the crossing of arms. It supports other channels of communication and helps to express emotions and feelings.

There are many different types of nonverbal communication that send a lot of messages. Body movement is a common method. Tapping your fingers, for example, can show that you are impatient or nervous. The way you emphasize words can change the way the receiver perceives the message. Your facial expressions can show emotion and express how you feel about an assignment or task.

Choice of Communication Channel Learning Objective 11.4

Channel richness

The amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode

Face-to-face is the richest channel

Channels differ in their capacity to convey information. Some are rich, in that they can handle multiple cues simultaneously, facilitate rapid feedback, and be very personal. Others are lean, in that they score low on these factors. Face-to-face communication scores highest in channel richness because it transmits the most information per communication episode.

Choosing Communication Methods

Channel choice depends on whether the message is routine

Oral communication

Written communication

Nonverbal communication

The choice of channel depends on whether the message is routine. Non-routine messages are likely to be complicated and have the potential for misunderstanding. Managers can communicate effectively only by choosing rich channels.

Choosing Oral Communication

Use of oral communication when gauging the receiver’s receptivity is important

But consider:

The receiver’s preference

Pace of work environment

Your speaking ability

Whenever you need to gauge the receiver’s receptivity, oral communication – face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, video conferencing – is usually the better choice. Also consider the receiver’s preferred mode of communication; some individuals focus on content better in written form and others prefer discussion. The pace of your work environment matters also. A fast-paced workplace may thrive on pop-by meetings.

Research indicates the sound of your voice is twice as important as what you are saying.

Choosing Written Communication

Written communication:

Provides a tangible and verifiable record that can be stored for an indefinite period of time

Message is physically available for later reference

Messages are more likely to be well thought-out, logical, and clear

Grammar mistakes can be problematic

Written communication is generally the most reliable mode for complex and lengthy communications, and it can be the most efficient for short messages. Written communication is a channel that is tangible and easy to go back to verify. Often when people put down their thoughts and ideas in written format, they are more logical and clearer. However, written communication is more time consuming, doesn’t provide immediate feedback, and might not even be read.

Choosing Nonverbal Communication

Contradictions between messages

Leaders’ mixed messages

It is important to be aware of the nonverbal aspects of our communication – especially the contradictions between messages. We misinform others when we express one message verbally, such as trust, but nonverbally communicate a contradictory message that suggests a lack of confidence.

Research suggests that organizational leaders send similar mixed messages when they state that they value gender diversity, yet have male-dominated corporate boards.

Information Security

Huge concern

Active monitoring of employees

Engage employees in creation of information-security policies

Security is a big concern for companies with private or proprietary information about clients, customers, and employees, especially when cloud-based electronic data storage is used. The use of this type of storage is likely to increase, so companies will probably continue to monitor Internet use, emails, and so forth. By engaging employees in creating security policies, companies can reduce anxiety over these monitoring processes.

Persuasive Communication Learning Objective 11.5

Automatic processing: superficial consideration of evidence and information making use of heuristics

Takes little time and minimal effort

Easy to be fooled

Controlled processing: detailed consideration of evidence and information relying on facts, figures, and logic

Requires effort and energy

Less likely to be fooled

To understand the process of persuasion, it is useful to consider two different ways in which we process information: automatic and controlled.

In automatic processing we give superficial consideration of evidence and information by making use of heuristics. This takes little time and minimal effort. Yet we can be easily fooled.

In controlled processing, we give detailed consideration of evidence and information relying on facts, figures, and logic. This requires effort and energy, but we are less likely to be fooled.

Automatic and Controlled Processing

The choice of processing depends on:

Importance/Interest level

Prior knowledge

Personality

Message characteristics

Which type of processing will be used? It depends on interest level, prior knowledge, personality, and message characteristics.

When people are very interested in the outcome of a decision, they’re more likely to process information carefully.

People who are very well informed about a subject area are more likely to use controlled processing.

If you have a high need for cognition, you are more likely to be persuaded by evidence and facts.

Finally, messages provided through relatively lean channels, with little opportunity for users to interact with the content of the message, encourage automatic processing.

Barriers to Effective Communication Learning Objective 11.6

Filtering

Selective perception

Choosing the message

Information overload

Emotions

Language

Silence

Communication apprehension

Lying

Communicating in times of crises

There are a number of barriers to effective communication that can distort the message being sent. Let’s look at a few of those. Filtering is a common barrier where the sender sorts the information shared so that it will be viewed more favorably by the receiver. Selective perception occurs when people selectively interpret what they see based on their own experiences and attitudes. This can then distort the message sent and the message received.

Each receiver is in a state of information overload, where the information they are receiving exceeds their capacity to process it all. This leads to barriers to receiving the complete message. Further complicating things are the emotions of the receiver at the time the message is received. The receiver’s emotions will influence their interpretation of the message.

When communicating, words will mean different things to different people and can influence the message significantly. Often this causes confusion between the sender and the receiver. Silence itself can be the message, communicating non-interest or inability to deal with a topic.

Many people are nervous about oral or written modes of communication and will not be able to clearly communicate because of their anxiety.

Research shows that many people lie, and that the frequency of the lies combined with the difficulty of detecting exactly when it’s occurring also contribute to poor communication.

The final barrier to effective communication can be found in the underlying context: communication becomes more challenging during times of crises.

Cultural Factors Learning Objective 11.7

Cultural barriers

Semantics

Word connotations

Tone differences

Differences in tolerance for conflict and methods for resolving conflict

Cultural context

High context culture

Low context culture

Communication, as we have seen, can be difficult to do effectively. Cross-cultural factors can increase that difficulty. So it is important for managers to understand the culture in which they are working. They should be careful of the words they use to make sure they are translatable and don’t hold double meanings. They need to understand how their tone, body language, or perceptions will differ based on culture.

Cross-cultural communication barriers include:

Semantics – words mean different things to different people

Word connotations – words imply different things in different languages

Tone differences – in some cultures tone changes depending on context

Differences in perception – tolerance and methods for resolving conflicts. (Individualist cultures tend to be more comfortable with direct conflict.)

Context is very important to understanding what is being communicated. In low-context cultures, people tend to rely more on words to convey meaning, while high-context cultures will rely more on the whole situation.

A Cultural Guide

Know yourself.

Foster a climate of mutual respect, fairness, and democracy.

State facts, not your interpretation.

Consider the other person’s point of view.

Proactively maintain the identity of the group.

When communicating with people from a different culture, follow these suggestions to reduce misinterpretations.

Implications for Managers

Remember that your communication mode will partly determine your communication effectiveness.

Obtain feedback from your employees to make certain your messages are understood.

Remember that written communication creates more misunderstandings than oral communication.

Make sure you use communication strategies appropriate to your audience and the type of message you’re sending.

Keep in mind communication barriers such as gender and culture.

In summary, good communication will always reduce uncertainty and beats out ambiguity every time. Communication has a better chance of succeeding if the right channel is used, the receiver is a good listener, and feedback is utilized. It is important to remember that even though electronic communication is quicker and easier to use, it can also raise the potential for misunderstanding. Finally, keep in mind that in different cultural contexts things have different meanings, and there are a lot of barriers to overcome for effective communication. Do your homework, and do not rush to conclusions.

Discussion Questions

Consider your own organization’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. What improvements could have been made in the communication during the crisis? Were all the recommendations on effective messaging followed?

Discuss how bloggers might make their messages more persuasive to their audiences. Provide examples of an effective and ineffective blog.

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