COMM

UNICATI

ON

COMM

UNICATI

ON BIS-2012

Management in IT

Anna Somozo Jung Tubo

Master in Public Management (MPM-ZSCMST)

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Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating

- Joel in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION

• Communication means an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions, information or emotions by two or more persons -Newman & Summer

• Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning- Robbins & Coulter

• Communication is a process which aims to transfer and implement the meaning of symbols from one person, group or organization to another

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ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Organizational communication is the process by which activities of an organization are collected and coordinated to reach the goals of both individuals and the organization”

• It is the information flow that happens in an organization but the flow of information has got a structure , direction and process.

• It flows through its organizational structure, which affects: behavior human relations performance

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ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

The Sender – initiates message

Encoding – translating thought to message

The Message – what is communicated

The Channel – the medium the message travels through

Decoding – the receiver’s action in making sense of the message

The Receiver – person who gets the message

Noise – things that interfere with the message

Feedback – a return message regarding the initial communication

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COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Source: Organizational Behaviour (15e) – Stephen P Robbins & Timothy A Judge

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

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Types of ChannelsFormal Channels

Are established by the organization and transmit messages that are related to the professional activities of members.

Informal ChannelsUsed to transmit personal or social messages in the

organization. These informal channels are spontaneous and emerge as a response to individual choices.

WAYS OF COMMUNICATION BY CHANNELS

Formal Channels Informal Channels

For Top Management

Memoranda Hosted meals

Policy issuances/statements Use of key informants like secretaries, aids , runners

Meetings (board, ex-com)

Conferences, briefings

For Middle Management

Memoranda Informal meetings

Reports Liaisons, cliques

Meetings (committee, staff) Bridges

Conference

For Rank and File

Meetings (unions, associations) Small talk

Letters Grapevine 8

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

The Grapevine: Informal communication network in organization

GossipRumors

the appointment of new bossesthe relocation of officesdownsizing decisionsor the realignment of work assignments.

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TWO GRAPEVINE CHAINS

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Source: Based on Keith Davis and John W. Newstrom, Human Behavior at Work: Organizational Behavior, 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1985).

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ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

• The Grapevine – Why need ?

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Number of People Involved:

1. Intrapersonal communication2. Interpersonal communication3. Group communication4. Mass communication

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INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

• This occurs when the sender and the receiver of the message is one and the same person, as in someone talking to himself.

• This could involve self-rationalizing, daydreaming, or conscience examination.

• This is usually done quietly

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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Oral CommunicationAdvantages : Speed and feedback.Disadvantage : Distortion of the message.

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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Written Communication Advantages : Tangible and verifiable. Disadvantages : Time consuming and

lacks feedback.

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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Nonverbal CommunicationAdvantages : Supports other communications

and provides observable expression of

emotions and feelings.Disadvantage : Misperception of body

language or gestures can influence receiver’s interpretation of message.

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GROUP COMMUNICATION AND MASS COMMUNICATION

GROUP COMMUNICATION•The process involves several people. A meeting of the supervisor and the employees in his unit.

MASS COMMUNICATION•This takes place with an indefinite number of people which some would term as a faceless audience

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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Give fuller meaning to message

Can change message’s meaning

Show more emotion

How closer the relationship

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Levels of Source and Receiver:

1. Downward2. Upward3. Horizontal4. Circular5. Cross-Channel/ Diagonal Communication

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DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION

Vertical communication

Horizontal/Lateral communication

Downward Upward

DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

• Flows from top to bottom, from higher to lower authority

• Main motivation of downward communication is to guide and direct the behavior of those individual as the lower organization

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• Communication that flows Downward from a manager to employees is known as downward communication.

• It is used to inform , direct , coordinate and evaluate employees e.g

1. Managers assign goals to their employees

2. Provide job description3. Inform about policies and

procedures.4. Evaluate employee performance.

MERITS DEMERITS Helps to get things done Serves as the basis of

supervision , motivation and leadership.

Keeps employees informed about plans and decisions.

Conveys assessment of work.

• Long time in transmission

• Message maybe partly lost in transmission.

• Distorted information

DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

UPWARD COMMUNICATION

• Opposite of downward communications• The group below feels free to initiate and

suggest new programs and projects which are welcomed by management

• Main aim is to provide higher organizational levels with information about what is going on down below

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• Managers rely on their employees for information. It keeps managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, their co-workers and the organization in general. Managers also rely on this for ideas how things can be improved.

Examples :1.Reports on performance, suggestions , grievances and complaints, appeals2.Messages in suggestion boxes.3.Employee attitude surveys.

MERITS DEMERITS• Necessary feedback.• Well informed about the

progress of work and difficulties faced in its performance.

• Reveals what employees think of the organization

• Provides constructive suggestions

• Opportunities to express problems and grievances.

Employees hesitate to communicate upward.

Criticism maybe interpreted as a sign of their own weakness.

More prone to distortion. Depends upon the attitude

of the top management.

UPWARD COMMUNICATION

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

• Communication across rather than along the formal chain of command

• Individuals communicate with others who are on the same level

• Its main motivation is “task-oriented”

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HORIZONTAL/LATERAL COMMUNICATION

MERITS DEMERITS

Facilitates cooperation and communication between various departments.

Helpful for resolving inter-related problems of two or more departments.

Enables exchange of information without referring all matters to higher authorities.

• Persons at same level maybe reluctant to initiate communication.

• Inter group rivalry is a source of potential conflicts.

CIRCULAR COMMUNICATION

• Starts at any point or level• Moves on to another point or level• Moves back and forth in either formal or

informal progression or retrogression

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CROSS-CHANNEL/DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION

• The direction of information flow takes this type of communication in inter-unit exchanges, or in co-orientation activities

• Communication flows across the chain of command

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DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION

MERITS DEMERITS• Helps to speed up flow of

communication by cutting across departmental barriers.

• Highly required when Line managers delegate functional authority to line or staff units.

• Violates the principle of Scalar Chain

• Creates confusion and conflict as it is contrary to the principle of Unity of Command.

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COMPUTER-AIDED COMMUNICATION• E-mail

Advantages: quickly written, sent, and stored; low cost for distribution.

Disadvantages: information overload, lack of emotional content, cold and impersonal.

• Instant messaging

Advantage: “real time” e-mail transmitted straight to the receiver’s desktop.

Disadvantage: can be intrusive and distracting.

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COMPUTER-AIDED COMMUNICATION • Intranet

A private organization-wide information network.

• Extranet

An information network connecting employees with external suppliers, customers, and strategic partners.

• Videoconferencing

An extension of an intranet or extranet that permits face-to-face virtual meetings via video links.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE QUALITY OF COMMUNICATION

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Goal Clarity Sender Receiver Shared experience Symbol Medium Pathways Information overload Feedback

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Goal Clarity- Ultimate goal of communication is

to share meanings and to arrive at the outcome for which communication is intended

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Sender- the person or the sender (his

qualities, characteristics, status, role) affects the communication flows

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Receiver- the person or the recipient (his

qualities, characteristics, status, role, emotional state) is a factor in the success or failure of communication

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Shared experience- experience common to participants

helps enhance communication process. The greater the area of shared experience, the greater the likelihood that communication would succeed

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Symbol- communication is largely symbolic.

It is achieved through the use of symbols – both verbal and non-verbal.

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Medium- it used depends on the content,

objectives, scope of message; the sender’s choice, resources, skills; the size of the group to which the message is to be sent and the time available to formulate the message

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Pathways- the passages through which the

message travels can either be clear or clogged up with physical or psychological disturbances

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Information Overload- due to fast technological processes

of accumulating and transmitting information thru the radio, television, satellite network, telecommunications, newspapers, etc. many of our “managers are drowning in a flood of numbers, data, information and indices, and their failure to cope effectively with such information overload will have serious and even disastrous consequences not only for their organizations but for our entire economy”

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Feedback- Effective interpersonal

communication is achieved only when the sender obtains the intended response(s) from the receiver

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

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1. Physical Barriers2. Social Barriers3. Psychological Barriers