Management

Fourteenth Edition

Chapter 14
Managing Communications

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Learning Objectives

14.1 Define the nature and function of communication.

14.2 Compare and contrast methods of interpersonal
communication.
14.3 Identify barriers to effective interpersonal communication
and how to overcome them.
14.4 Explain how communication can flow most effectively in
organizations.
14.5 Describe how technology affects managerial communication
and organizations.
14.6 Discuss contemporary issues in communication.

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 What Is Communication?
• Communication
– The transfer and understanding of meaning
– Interpersonal communication
 Communication between two or more people
– Organizational communication
 All the patterns, network, and systems of
communications within an organization

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Functions of Communication
• Control
• Motivation
• Emotional Expression
• Information

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Interpersonal Communication
• Message
– Source: sender’s intended meaning
• Encoding
– The message converted to symbolic form
• Channel
– The medium through which the message travels
• Decoding
– The receiver’s retranslation of the message
• Noise
– Disturbances that interfere with communications
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Exhibit 14.1
The Interpersonal Communication Process

Message Channel Receiver

Encoding Decoding

Sender Noise Message

Feedback

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Distortions in Communications
• Sender
• Message
• Channel
• Receiver
• Feedback Loop

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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Evaluating Communication Methods

• Feedback • Time-space constraint

• Complexity capacity • Cost
• Breadth potential • Interpersonal warmth
• Confidentiality • Formality
• Encoding ease • Scanability
• Decoding ease • Time of consumption

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 Fitting Communication with Circumstances
Managers can use 12 questions to help them evaluate
appropriate communication methods for different
circumstances.
1. Feedback. How quickly can the receiver respond to the
message?
2. Complexity capacity. Can the method effectively process
complex messages?
3. Breadth potential. How many different messages can be
transmitted using this method?
4. Confidentiality. Can communicators be reasonably sure their
messages are received only by those for whom they’re
intended?
5. Encoding ease. Can the sender easily and quickly use this
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
channel?
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 Fitting Communication with Circumstances

6. Decoding ease. Can the receiver easily and quickly decode

messages?
7. Time–space constraint. Do senders and receivers need to
communicate at the same time and in the same space?
8. Cost. How much does it cost to use this method?
9. Interpersonal warmth. How well does this method convey
interpersonal warmth?
10. Formality. Does this method have the needed amount of
formality?
11. Scanability. Does this method allow the message to be easily
browsed or scanned for relevant information?
12. Time of consumption. Does the sender or receiver exercise
the most control over when the message is dealt with?
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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Interpersonal Communication Methods
• Face-to-face • Bulletin boards
• Telephone • Audio-/videotapes
• Group meetings • Hot lines
• Formal presentations • E-mail
• Memos • Computer conference
• Postal mail • Voice mail
• Fax • Teleconference
• Publications • Videoconference
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Exhibit 14.2
Interpersonal Communication Methods

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 Nonverbal Communication
• Communication that is transmitted without words
– Sounds
– Images
– Situational behaviours
– Clothing and physical surroundings
• Body language: gestures, facial expressions, and
other body movements that convey meaning
• Verbal intonation (paralinguistics): emphasis that a
speaker gives to certain words or phrases that
conveys meaning
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Interpersonal Communication Barriers

Filtering
National
Culture Emotions

Language Interpersonal Information

Communication Overload

Selective
Defensiveness Perception

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication
• Filtering
– The deliberate manipulation of information to make it
appear more favourable to the receiver
• Emotions
– Disregarding rational and objective thinking processes
and substituting emotional judgments when interpreting
messages
• Information Overload
– Being confronted with a quantity of information that
exceeds an individual’s capacity to process it
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication
• Selective Perception
– Individuals interpret “reality” based on their
own needs, motivations, experience,
background, and other personal characteristics
• Defensiveness
– When threatened, reacting in a way that
reduces the ability to achieve mutual
understanding

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication
• Language
– The different meanings of and specialized
ways (jargon) in which senders use words can
cause receivers to misinterpret their messages
• National Culture
– Culture influences the form, formality,
openness, patterns, and use of information in
communications

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Overcoming the Barriers to Effective
Interpersonal Communications

• Use Feedback
• Simplify Language
• Listen Actively
• Constrain Emotions
• Watch Nonverbal Cues

Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Exhibit 14.3
Active Listening Behaviours
Don't
Avoid overtalk
Be
interrupting empathetic
speaker

Active Make eye

Paraphrase
Listening contact

Exhibit affirmative
Avoid distracting
head nods and
actions or
appropriate facial
gestures Ask
expressions
questions

ChapterSource: Based on
10, Stephen P.P.L. Hunsaker,
Robbins, Training
Mary in Management
Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
Skills (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001).
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 Types of Organizational Communication
• Formal Communication
– Communication that follows the official chain of
command or is part of the communication required to
do one’s job
• Informal Communication
– Communication that is not defined by the organization’s
hierarchy
 Permits employees to satisfy their need for social
interaction
 Can improve an organization’s performance by creating
faster and more effective channels of communication
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Direction of Communication Flow
• Downward
– Communications that flow from managers to
employees to inform, direct, coordinate, and
evaluate employees
• Upward
– Communications that flow from employees up
to managers to keep them aware of employee
needs and how things can be improved to
create a climate of trust and respect
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Direction of Communication Flow
• Lateral (Horizontal) Communication
– Communication that takes place among
employees on the same level in the
organization to save time and facilitate
coordination
• Diagonal Communication
– Communication that cuts across both work
areas and organizational levels in the interest
of efficiency and speed
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Types of Communication Networks

• Chain Network
– Communication flows according to
the formal chain of command, both
upward and downward
• Wheel Network
– All communication flows in and out
through the group leader (hub) to
others in the group
• All-Channel Network
– Communication flows freely among
all members of the work team
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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 Exhibit 14.4 Three Common Organizational
Communication Networks and How They Rate
on Effectiveness Criteria

Chain Wheel All-Channel

CRITERIA
Speed Moderate Fast Fast
Accuracy High High Moderate
Emergence of leader Moderate High None
Member satisfaction Moderate Low High
Chapter 10, Stephen P. Robbins, Mary Coulter, and Nancy Langton, Management, Eighth Canadian Edition.
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The Grapevine

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Nonverbal Cues

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Technology and Communication

• Networked computer systems

• Wireless capabilities

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Networked Communication

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Networked Communication Applications

• E-mail
• Instant messaging (IM)
• Voice mail
• Fax machines

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13-29
Networked Communication Applications

• Electronic Data interchange (EDI)

• Teleconference and videoconference meetings
• Organizational intranet
• Organizational extranet
• Internet-based voice/video communication

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Wireless Communication

People don’t need to be physically at the office

to communicate, collaborate, and share
information with managers and colleagues.

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Contemporary Issues
• Communication management in an Internet
world
• Managing the organization’s knowledge
resources
• Communicating with customers
• Getting employee input
• Communicating ethically

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Communication in an Internet World

• Legal and security issues

• Lack of personal interaction

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Legal and Security Issues

• Electronic information is potentially admissible in

court
• Sensitive, proprietary information is at risk

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Personal Interaction

Social media can minimize personal interaction.

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Knowledge Management

Cultivating a learning culture in which

organizational members systematically gather
knowledge and share it with others.

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Customer Service

Three components in any service delivery

process:
• Customer
• Service organization
• Individual service provider

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Strong Service Culture

Finding out what customer needs are, meeting

these needs, and following up to make sure
those needs were met satisfactorily.

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Employee Input

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Ethical Communication

Presented material that contains all the relevant

information, is true in every sense, and is not
deceptive in any way.

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Copyright

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