Management and Organizational Behavior Dr. Leigh Stelzer

REFERENCE OUTLINE: Communication, W&N, Chapter 12

Objectives

Know terms associated with communication.

Communication is an interpersonal dynamic relationship. Communication as relational, reciprocal, interactive, situational, and contingent. For me to communicate effectively to you, I must anticipate how you will read me. I need to know your language, your assumptions, where you are coming from. Is your learning style sensation or intuitive? Sender v. Receiver becomes an arbitrary designation.

Relevant vocabulary: encoding, decoding, data, channels, feedback, transmitters, receptors, noise.

Potential barriers to communication:

Individual

Personality: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion

Cognitive moral development: acceptability of rationalizations

Perceptual errors: attribution, continuity (conspiracy theorists), confirmation bias, stereotyping, projection.

Problem solving styles: rational v. intuitive; thinker v. feeler

Language: differentiation (jargon)

Organizational

Structure: networks, specialization (differentiation).

Power: filtering, ingratiating

Semantics: recognize that it is you, the individual who assigns meanings to words. Your meaning may be different than mine. What does it mean when the boss asks, "Where is the report?" What does it mean to say, "I cannot recommend him too highly"? "How nice to see you."

Meta communication refers to the hidden assumptions, inferences, and interpretations of the participants. In the Johari Window context, this could be "unknown" to both self and other. In Johari, "hidden" information is known to the person (self) but not to the other. In closed communications senders and receivers consciously and purposely hide their real agendas and messages.

Some communication is designed to conceal, hide the real message. During the presidential campaign Clinton said he would not raise taxes to support my programs. After the election, he said that he could raise taxes for other purposes. Lying and distortion strategies. Impression management strategies, ingratiation, self-promotion, face-saving.

Non verbal communication. Body language and space. Cross cultural differences on use of language/silence/body language/space. How can you decode people with a foreign culture. Note: High context cultures v. low context. High context communication assumes a prior relationship, we are members of a common culture, family. The U.S. low context has trouble negotiating with high context. When Americans say "yes", usually, they mean that they agree. When the Japanese say "yes", they mean they understand what you are saying. They are not signaling agreement. China and France are example of high context.

Dangers of ethnocentrism. Too often we assume that others are just like us. This can lead to devastating consequences.

Status and gender differences. How is status communicated? What is the difference between the boss and the employee in what each can say and do? What is the difference in communication of men and women (mars v. venus, is this a cliche), among and between? who can touch? Who uses body language? Who decodes better? Who has more eye contact?

Communication is related to organizational structure and to formal and informal interaction. Classical management theory stresses hierarchy and scaler chain of command. Vertical lines are the formal lines of communication. Most formal communication goes downward at the expense of upward and lateral communication. There are gaps, misinformation, distortion, omission. Implication: there is inadequate communication. The failure of the bottom to act on command is viewed as a problem of insufficient control when it can easily be a lack of communication effectiveness.

The organizational chart defines formal communication. But actual communication follows interaction. Instead of the organizational chart, we must think of managers as embedded in networks that include superiors, subordinates, formal and informal contacts, people in similar and collateral fields of work, in-house and the broader profession. Use your networks.

Networks are patterns of communication, they control the flow. WN:496. See effects of different networks. Which is more centralized? Which leads to member satisfaction?

Which solves problems best? Why does the all-channel have a very low range of individual member satisfaction and high group average satisfaction? What are the implications of network patterns for leadership?

The Grapevine is the informal communications network. Perhaps, its potency is based on its richness. Media Richness: If the medium is rich, it provides feedback, personalization (tailoring), multiple cues, and language variety. Which is richer? A customer satisfaction survey chart with percents, written statements, oral statements on tape (video)? Standard business communications often lack richness.

Enhance communication downward by paying attention to the perceiver-receiver. What are his hopes, dreams, needs, biases, languages, situation. To enhance communication: redundancy (repetition), verification, bypassing. Overcoming classical restraints on communication by use of: committees, gang-planks, linking pins, work groups, task groups, Scanlon plans, quality circles, grapevines, MBWA. How do these increase both vertical and horizontal communication. All communication becomes lateral.

Supportive communication W&N, p. 509. What do you think of self-disclosure?

Guidelines for giving effective/constructive feedback.

Specific (exactly what is required), not general.

Timely; not too late to matter; not if receiver is not ready to receive.

Descriptive, not judgmental

Trust. It is always helpful if there is a trusting foundation for communication.

How important is listening? Our culture rewards active, bullying talkers. Listeners are passive whimps.