Organizational Communication

By:-Selam & Hiwot

20, February 2011
 The communication process

• Communication is a social process involving the transfer of information and

understanding.
• It is a social activity involving two or more people.
• Every management activity and function can be considered communication in one way
or another.
• Links in the communication process include
sender,encoding,medium,decoding,reciever,feedback and noise.
• Encoding-is a process of translating internal thought patterns in to language or code.
• Medium-a way of communicating information.
• Decoding-refers to the receiver's comprehension.
• Feedback-is a way of knowing whether the receivers ideas are understood.
• Noise-is any interference with the normal flow of understanding from one person to
another.
 The Communication Process

Idea Understanding
Perception Perception

Sender Feedback Receiver

N O I S E
Encode Medium Decode

Figure 1. The basic Communication Process

 Dynamics of organizational communication

There are four dynamics of organizational communication

1. Communication strategies
according to Philip G. Clampit the following are the main strategies.
A. Spray &Pray –Is one way communication and receivers are passive.
B. Tell &sell –involved communicating a more restricted set of message.
C.underscore &explore –it is a give and take strategy .
D.Intensify & reply –it is reactive and some times defensive strategy.
E.Withhold &Uphold –secrecy and control are paramount.
2.The grapevine
• It is unofficial and informal communication system.
• In spite of the negative attitude that managers have towards it, it has positive side.
It serves as emotional outlet for employee fear and apprehensions.
• It is advisable for managers to monitor the grapevine in nonthreatening manner.
• Experts estimate that grapevine communication is about 75 percent accurate
 3.Non verbal communication
• Is referred to as body language, which is important part of the communication
process.
• Non verbal behavior can give managers a window on deep-seated emotions .
• Positive non verbal feedback to and from managers is a basic building block of
good interpersonal relations.
Types of body language –there are three kinds of body
language:facial,gestural,and postural.
• Without the speaker or listener consciously thinking about it insignificant changes
in facial expressions ,gestures, and posture send various messages .
• In receiving non verbal communication listeners need to be especially aware of
subtitles such as an attentive gaze and glaring stare.
• In giving non verbal feedback a smile or nod of the head in the appropriate
situation tells the individual to keep up the good work.
 4. Upward communication
• Refers to a process of systematically encouraging employees to share their feelings and
ideas with management
• There are different options for managers to improve upward communication.

Formal grievance procedures-typically unionized employees utilize a formal

grievance for contesting managerial actions and oversights.
Employee attitude and opinion surveys – well prepared surveys can bring
employee attitude and feelings to the surface

Suggestion systems –Fairness and prompt feedback are keys to successful suggestion
systems.
Open door policy-managers keep their door open and employees feel free to
walk in at any time and talk with them.
Informal meetings –employees may feel free to air their opinions in informal
conditions
Internet chat rooms –meeting on the web give employees freedom of speech.
Exit interviews –taking feedback from an employee leaving the organization.
Communication problems and promises in the
internet age

 Mangers who want to be effective communicators need to

be aware of opportunities and obstacles in internet – age
communication system.
 There are continuous forces at work- called barriers which

tend to distort communication and promote

disorganization.
The four main types of communication barriers
process barriers
 Every step in the communication process is necessary for
effective communication
-Sender barrier
- Encoding barrier
- Decoding barrier
- Medium barrier
-Receiver barrier
-Feedback barrier
 In a large – scale enterprise where the chain

of command is too long or the span of control too big,

communication will be poor
 According to koontz and O. Dannel, in oral communication, something in the
order of 30 percent of the information is lost in each transmission.
Physical Barriers

 sometimes a physical object blacks effective communication .

 An inconveniently positioned wall in an office can be a barrier
 Distance is another physical barrier. In today's global managers
appreciate how the internet and modern telecommunications
technology have made the planet seemingly smaller place.

 Architects and office layout specialists called “ organizational

ecologists are trying to redesign buildings and offices with more
effective communication in maid.
Semantic Barriers

 In today’s highly specialized world, managers and professionals in

such fields as accounting, computer science, advertising, medicine,

and law become so accustomed to their own technical language

that they forget that people outside their field may not under
stand them.
- unexpected reactions or behavior by others may signal a
semantic barrier.
- it may become necessary to re-encode the message using more

familiar terms.
 social groups develop their own terminology or in- group language.
- this special language, though provides a means for precise and quick
communication within the groups creates severe communication
breakdown when outsiders or other groups are involved.
Psychosocial Barriers
 psychological and social barriers are probably responsible
for more blacked communication than any other type of barrier.
 people’s backgrounds, perceptions, values, biases, needs, and
expectations differ.
 childhood experiences may result in negative feelings toward
authority figures (such as supervisors), racial
prejudice, distrust of the opposite sex, or lack of self
confidence,

 family and personal problems, including poor health, alcoholism,

lack of sleep, and emotional strain, any be so up setting that an
employee is unable to concentrate on work.

 One reason for distortion of meaning is that different

individuals often interpret the same communication differently;
each individual uses his own frame of reference.
Sexist and Racist communication
 critics maintain that wholly masculine wording subtly denies women a
place and image worthy of their equal status and importance in
society.

 This criticism is largely based on psychological and sociological

considerations.

 In English language words like chairman, brotherhood etc

traditionally been used in reference to both men and women.
The usual justification is that everyone understands that these word
refer to both sexes, and it is simpler to use the masculine form.
 The same cautions carry over to the problem of racist communication

for both ethical and legal reasons.

 progressive and out of their vocabularies and correspondence to
eliminate both international and in advertent demeaning of women
and racial minorities.
Communicating in the online workplace.
 Organizational communication already significantly
reshaped by computer technology, is under going its own
revolutionary change.

 The impact of some established internet – age – technologies

on work place communications.
A. E-mail
 E-mail via the internet has precipitated a communication
revolution akin to those brought about by the printing press,
telephone, radio, and television.
 If you are on the internet, you are ultimately liked to each
of hundreds of millions of people on earth capable of
sending and receiving e-mail
 E-mail is a two- headed beast easy and efficient, while at
the same time grossly abused and mismanaged.
 By properly managing e-mail, the organization can take a big step
toward properly using the internet lists of bullet items.

How to composes a clear E- mail message

* concise
* logical
* empathetic
* action-oriented
* right
2. Cell phone
* cell phones are in wide use in the united states, other countries have
much higher rates like Hong Knog Italy.
* like e-mail, cell phones have proved to be both a blessing and a curse.
* offsetting the mobility and convenience are concerns about distracted
drivers and loud and obnoxious phones conversations in public places.
* managers need to be particularly sensitive to the risk of in advertently.

3. video conferences
* is a live television or broadband internet video exchange between
people in different locations.
* the decreasing cost of steadily improving video conferencing
technologies and the desire to reduce costly travel time have
fostered wider use of this approach to organizational
communication.

4.Telecommuting
Futurist Alvin Toffler used the term electronic cottage to refer to the practice of

working at home in a personal computer connected –typically by telephone to an

employer’s place of business.
Becoming a Better Communicator
- Three communication skills as important as ever in today’s highly
organized world are listening, writing and running meetings,
- Mangers who master these skills usually have relatively few
interpersonal relations problems.
Effective Listening
* we can hear and process information much more quickly than the
normal speaker can talk.
* according to researchers, our average rate of speaking is about 125

words per minute, where as we are able to listen to about 400 to 600

words a minute.
* Thus, listeners have up to alternatively analyzed the information and
plan a response.
* effective listeners know how to put that slack time to good use
Effective writing
* Good writing is clearly part of the encoding step in the basic
communication process. It is done skillfully, potentially trouble some
semantic and psychosocial barriers can be surmounted.
* managers often complain about college graduates’ poor writing skills.
* as learned skill, effective writing is the product of regular practice.

Running a meeting
* meetings are an ever- present feature of modern organizational life.
* whether they are convened to find facts, devise alternatives, or
pass along information, meetings typically occupy a good deal of a
mangers time.
* Too often, as illustrated by research insight, meetings are a waste
of valuable time
* Some useful pointers for conducting successful meetings are the
following.
Guidelines
* prepare a head of time
* have a reason for the meeting
* give participants at least one day’s notification
* limit attendance and designate a leader.
* Have a specific start and end time
* enourge everyone to talk.
* Follow up
Thank you!!