CHAPTER 11:ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

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AGENDA• Communication process and noise• Leadership and communication • Electronic communication • Communicating across cultures• Nonverbal communication and silence

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“THIN-SLICING” A CONVERSATION • Can the first few minutes of

communication define the course of the conversation and the benefits or costs derived from it?

• These first few minutes are referred to as “thin slices” of behavior.

• A thin slice of behavior predicted professional competence as rated by a person conducting an employment interview.

• Based on both verbal and nonverbal behaviors.

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WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION?• The process by which individuals stimulate meaning in the minds of other individuals by means of verbal or nonverbal messages in the context of a formal organization

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THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Source: Weaver, W. (1949). Recent contributions to the mathematical theory of communication. The mathematical theory of communication, 1, 1–12.

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONMay distort communication • Communication apprehension• Language

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NOISE REDUCTION: ACTIVE LISTENING• Three components:

1. Demonstrating moderate to high nonverbal involvement

2. Reflecting the speaker’s message using verbal paraphrasing

3. Asking questions that encourage speakers to elaborate on their experiences

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COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• Chain gives best accuracy

• Wheel facilitates leadership development

• All-channel provides member satisfaction

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COMMUNICATION NETWORKS• Communication flows in organizations• External • Internal• Downward• Lateral• Upward

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COMMUNICATION FLOWS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Manager

Executive

ManagerEmployee

Manager

UpwardLateral

Downward

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THE GRAPEVINEEmerges when the situation:• Is important• Is ambiguous• Causes anxiety

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THE GRAPEVINEThree characteristics

1. Not controlled by management2. Perceived as being more believable

and reliable (and often is)3. Largely used to serve self-interest

of those willing to communicate

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ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION•E-mail• Text messages•Social networking•Video conferencing (e.g., Skype)

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LIMITATIONS OF E-MAIL• Easy to misinterpret• Should not be used for negative

messages• Overused and overwhelms• People are emotionally

uninhibited• Privacy concerns

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TEXT MESSAGES (AND INSTANT MESSAGING)• Essentially real-time • Inexpensive • Good for short messages• Some find it intrusive and

distracting• May be inappropriate for formal

business messages

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CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BARRIERS1. Semantics—words mean different

things to different people2. Word connotations—words imply

different things in different languages

3. Tone differences—in some cultures tone changes depending on context

4. Differences in perception—different worldviews

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CULTURAL CONTEXT• High-context cultures—rely on nonverbals and subtle situational cues (e.g., China, Korea, Japan)• Low-context cultures—rely on spoken and written words (e.g., Europe, North America)

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CULTURAL COMMUNICATION GUIDE1. Assume differences until

similarity is proved2. Emphasize description rather

than interpretation or evaluation3. Practice empathy4. Treat your interpretation as a

working hypothesis

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NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION• Nonverbal communication includes

facial expressions, posture, gestures, and tone of voice. • About 55% of understanding a

verbal message is attributed to facial expressions • 38% of meaning is attributed to verbal tone • Leaders are always being watched by

followers for cues

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ORGANIZATIONAL SILENCE • Intentionally withholding meaningful information from management• Includes not asking questions, expressing concerns, and/or offering suggestions

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EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL SILENCE• Lowers job satisfaction and

organizational commitment • Stifles organizational change • Impairs decision making • Enables corruption

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LEADERSHIP IMPLICATIONS: THE MANAGEMENT OF MEANING• Leaders influence followers

through effective communication that helps them make sense of organizational events. • They also use effective

communication to give followers a sense of meaning in their work which motivates them.• They use framing as a tool.

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OPEN-ACCESSSTUDENT RESOURCES• Checklist action plan

• Learning objective summaries

• Mobile-friendly quizzes

• Mobile-friendly eFlashcards

• Video and multimedia resources

• SAGE journal articles

edge.sagepub.com/scandura