PRESTON UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

Organizational Communication

Assignment # 3

Q 1. Write a note on Communication Style.

Submitted to

Dr. Abdul Basit

Submitted by

Abid Ali Akbar1434-315005

MBA-IT (2.5)Quarter Jun-Aug 2015

Submitted Date29 June 2015

Communication Style.

Definition

A Communication style is the way we share information with others. Although we all

like to think that we're saying exactly what we mean, that's not always the case because

we may be speaking with someone who uses a totally different communication

style than our own

Four styles of communication.

1. An effective manager has a variety of styles that he or she can use depending on

the situation. They all involve the degree to which a manager decides to involve

employees in decision making. Management styles also reflect the relationship the

manager has with employees. A management style model will help you see the

difference

between the available management approaches.” R. Tannenbaum and W. Schmidt

(1958) and Sadler (1970) provide a continuum for management and employee

involvement that includes an increasing role for employees and a decreasing role for

managers in the decision making process. The continuum includes these management

styles.

2. Now we will discuss all of these types in detail.

a. Tell . This is also known as the autocratic style of management. It

represents top down, dictatorial decision making with little employee input.

Tell is also the manner in which traditional, hierarchical organizations

communicated with employees. For example. A professor who is teaching

communication strategies

to his students. The

professor must have

sufficient knowledge

about the objectives and

subject both in order to use tell style of communication. He can however,

ask questions about the subject which will be aprox 5-10% of the

communication.

b. Sell . In the sell management style, the communicator has made the

decision and then attempts to persuade audience that the decision is

correct. The communicator attempts to gain commitment from audience by

selling the positive aspects of the decision. During the process of selling

the decision, the communicator may allow the audience to influence the

details of the decision.

For example, a

company project

manager delivering the

presentation regarding

his proposal, mentioning all the objectives of that project and proves that,

this project will go in the favour of the company. The audience are

involved in the discussion about various aspects of the project or for

seeking details.

c. Confer / Consult . In the

consult management style,

the communicator requests

audience’s input into a decision but retains the authority to make the final

decision. The key to using the consult management style successfully is to

inform audience, on the front end of the discussion, that their input is

needed, but that the communicator will make the final decision. When

audience are asked for input, and feel that their input was not used and

did not influence the decision, this may create audience

disenfranchisement. This is the level of involvement that can create

severe audience dissatisfaction when the reasons for the decision are not

clear. They may become cynical and unwilling to provide input the next

time the communicator needs their advice and thoughts. Additionally, for

success, the communicator must explain why audience’s input was or was

not used. For example a social group’s workshop or conference about a

social cause where all are consulted and conferred upon to reach to

objective of the meeting.

d. Join . In the join management style, the communicator invites audience to

join him or her in making the decision. The communicator considers his or

her voice equal to the

audience in the decision

making process. All are sitting

together around the same

table and every voice is a key

in the decision. A join

management style is effective

when the communicator truly

builds agreement and commitment around a decision. The communicator

must also be willing to keep his or her influence equal to the degree of

influence that other audience who provide input exert. The join

management style is effective whenever a communicator is willing to

share authority. For example, A production manager invites employees to

join him in making the decision about a impromptu problem being faced on

the production line.

e. On the positive side, the join management style engenders a great deal of

commitment to and ownership by employees of the course of action

chosen. The manager will not need to sell his or her idea or tell employees

what to do. On the flip side, reaching a shared agreement on a decision

takes a lot of time. It requires employees to participate in conflict about the

solution, an act that many employees are unprepared to do, by culture,

nature, or training. Consensus decision making is not always positive

either. It can encourage group to think and sink a decision to the lowest

common denominator. When the goal is agreement, the optimum solution,

goal, or approach is rarely the result.