Chapter 6

Communication- may happen between superior and subordinate, between
peers, between a manager and a client or customer, between an employee

and government representative, etc.
Functions of Communications
Information Function- Information provided through communication
may be used for decision-making at various work levels in the
organization.
Motivation Function- Communication is also oftentimes used as a
means to motivate employees to commit themselves to the
organization’s objectives.
Control Function- When properly communicated, reports, policies,
and plans define roles, clarify duties, authorities and responsibilities.
Effective control is, then, facilitated.
Emotive Function- When feelings are repressed in the organization,
employees are affected by anxiety, which, in turn, affects
performance.
Communication Process
Develop an Idea- The most important step in effective
communication is developing an idea. It is important that the idea to
be conveyed must be useful or of some value.
Encode- The next is to encode the idea into words, illustrations,
figures, or other symbols suitable for transmission.
Transmit- After encoding, the message is now ready for transmission
through the use of an appropriate communication channel.
Receive- The next step is the communication process is the actual
receiving of the message by the intended receiver. The
requirement is for the receiver to be ready to receive at the precise
moment the message relayed by the sender.
Decode- The next step, decoding, means translating the message
from the sender into a form that will have meaning to the
recipient.
Accept- The next step is for the receiver to accept or reject the
message. Sometimes, acceptance (or rejection) is partial.
Use- The next step is for the receiver to use the information. If the
message provides information of importance to a relevant activity,
then the receiver could store it and retrieve it when required.
Provide Feedback- The last step in the communication process is
for the receiver to provide feedback to the sender. Depending on
the perception of the receiver, however, this important step may not
be made.
Forms of Communication
Verbal Communication- Verbal communication are those
transmitted through hearing or sight.
 Oral Communication- Oral communication mostly involves
hearing the words of the sender, although sometimes,
opportunities are provided for seeing the sender’s body
movements, facial expression, gestures, and eye contact.
Sometimes, feeling, smelling, tasting, and touching are
involved.
 Written Communication- The written communication is,
sometimes, preferred over the oral communication because of
time and cost constraints.
Non-verbal Communication- Nonverbal communication is a means
of conveying message through body language, as well as the use of
time, space, touch, clothing, appearance, and aesthetic elements.
Body language consists of gestures, bodily movement, posture, facial
expression, and mannerisms of all kinds.
Barriers to Communication
 Personal Barriers- Physical barriers refer to interferences to
effective communication occurring in the environment where the
communication is undertaken.
 Semantic Barriers- Semantics is the study of meaning as
expressed in symbols. Words, pictures, or actions are symbols
that suggest certain meanings. When the wrong meaning has
been chosen by the receiver, misunderstanding occurs.
Such error constitutes a barrier to communication.
Techniques for Communicating in Organizations
 Downward Communication- Downward communication refers
to message flows from higher levels of authority to lower levels.
 Upward Communication- Upward communication refers to
message flows from persons in lower-level positions to persons
in higher positions.
1. Formal Grievance Procedures- Grievances are part of a
normally operating organization. To effectively deal with
them, organizations provide a system for employees to air
their grievances.
2. Employee Attitude and Opinion Surveys- Finding out
what the employees think about the company is very
important. The exercise, however, require expertise and
the company may not be prepared to do it.
3. Suggestion Systems- Suggestions from employees are
important sources of cost-saving and production
enhancing ideas. Even if majority of the suggestions are
not feasible, a simple means of acknowledging them
contributes to employee morale.
4. Open-Door Policy- An open-door policy, even on a
limited basis, provide the management with an
opportunity to act on difficulties before they become full-
blown problems.
5. Informal Gripe Sessions- Informal gripe sessions can be
used positively if management knows how to handle
them. When employees feel free to talk and they are
assured of not being penalized for doing so, then
management will be spared with lots of efforts
determining the real causes of problems in the company.
6. Task Forces- When a specific problem or issue arises, a
task force may be created and assigned to deal with the
problem or issue.
7. Exit Interviews- When employees leave an organization
for any reason, it is to the advantage of management to
know the real reason.
Horizontal Communication- Horizontal communication refers to
messages sent to individuals or groups from another of the same
organizational level or position.
MIS- Management Information System
 defined by Boone and Kurtz as “an organized
method of providing past, present, and projected
information on internal operations and external
intelligence for use in decision-making.”

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Communication- may happen between superior and subordinate, between

peers, between a manager and a client or customer, between an employee

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