communication flow in organizations

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Dt: 7th

Sep 2011


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Formal Network Flow: It follows a companys formal

organizational chart to achieve organizational goals

Informal Network Flow: It develops when people interact

within formal communication system to accommodate social

and psychological needs.


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The direction can be of

Downward Communication

Upward Communication

Horizontal / Lateral Communication


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It flows from the hierarchy to the subordinates on the

organizational chart.

Supervisor to employees

Policy makers to operating personnel

From top to bottom


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It is the feedback to downward communication and involves

risk.

Managements requests information

Employees talk about their fellow employees, work , methods

and their perceptions

It keeps the management informed about the feelings of the

lower-level employees and taps the expertise of employees

It may be misleading sometimes


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It describes interactions between organizational units on the

same hierarchical level.

The primary means of achieving coordination in a functional

organizational structure

Helps in accomplishing task goals

Relevant in cross-functional teams

Do not allow much room for this communication


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The Grapevine

The grapevine, often called the rumor mill, is one of the best

example of informal communication systems

It is spontaneous, speedy but inaccurate

Output depends on message Input

Spreads information to a huge number in a short time

It has no single, consistent source


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Four Principle Factors

Legal and Ethical Constraint Diversity Challenges

Team Environment

Changing Technology


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International Laws

Domestic Laws

Code of Ethics

Stakeholder Interest

Ethical Frameworks

Personal Values


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Consider your personal value system

Check your tendency to rationalize

Learn to analyze ethical dilemma


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Excessive emphasis on profits

Misplaced corporate loyalty

Obsession with personal advancement

Expectation of not getting caught

Unethical tone set by the top management

Uncertainty about whether an action is wrong

Unwillingness to take a stand for what is right


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Four Dimensions of Business Behaviour

Behaviour that is Illegal and Unethical

Behaviour that is Illegal, yet Ethical

Behaviour that is Legal, yet Unethical

Behaviour that is Both Legal and Ethical


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Dt:9th Sep

2011


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When a person fails to consider the diversities in the

workplaces such as age, gender, culture, education,

communication suffers, and the result is often embarrassing

and potentially costly.

Communication Opportunities and Challenges in Diversity

Culture and Communication

Barriers to Intercultural Communication


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Need of the hour

Trace out Diversity Skills Requirement Make them Competent in Diversity Skills

Steps taken

To undertake Diversity Initiative

To provide Diversity-Training Seminar


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Culture can be observed in three levels

Visible Level: All Physical and visible elements of culture

such as dress, art, music, monuments, food, and artifacts.

Behavioral Level: It explains how members of a culturalgroup communicate, explain, rationalize, and behave in

different situations.

Belief System: It answers fundamental questions about life ,morality, life after death.


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These 4 dimensions can be useful in understanding andcommunicating with people from different culture.

Power Distance:

It describes the extent to which less powerful people expectand accept the fact that power is unequal within the country oran organization.

Individualism versus Collectivism:Individualistic cultures are those that emphasize individualgoals and behavior, while collectivist cultures emphasize groupgoals and behaviors.(Low & High Context Communication Practices)


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Masculinity versus Femininity:

Cultures that are high in masculinity enforce distinctly different

roles for men and women, while those that are feminine allowfor more the blurring of roles between men and women.

Uncertainty Avoidance:Different attitude in accepting risk

(US / France)


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Barriers to intercultural communication includes

Ethnocentrism

Stereotypes

Chronemics Proxemics

Haptics

Kinesics

Language Translation Limitations

Commonsense Approach


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Ethnocentrism: The belief that the specific patterns of behavior desired in ones

own culture are universally valued. We must learn to develop

sensitivity towards other culture to minimize ethnocentricreactions.

Stereotypes: A mental picture of the main characteristics of another group,

creating preformed ideas of what people in this group are likeis called stereotypes. Here the other person perceived as arepresentative of a class rather than an individual.


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Chronemics: The study of how a culture perceives time and it use . Like

In India In US, Canada, Northern Europe

Latin America, Asia, and Middle East

Proxemics; The study of cultural space requirements is known as

proxemics.


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Intimate

6-18Inches

18-48Inches

Personal

4-12Feet

Social

Public

Public

PublicPublic

Proximity TheoryEdward T. Hall


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Haptics: The study of touch. What is appropriate and peoples tendency

to touch differs by culture and gender.

Kinesics: The study of body language. It is not universal and should be

learned from ones culture. Like North American symbol for okey means zero in France money in Japan an expression of vulgarity in Brazil, Greece, Italy, Turky,

Russia Excellent in India


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Translation Limitation: Words in one language do not always have an equivalent

meaning in other language, and the concepts the words

describe are often different as well.

Commonsense Approach: Minimize the barriers Learn about and experience other culture

Cultivate patience with yourself and with others

Get help when you need it


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High time to do away with traditional hierarchical

communication pattern.

Trust Building Open Meetings with employees

Shared Leadership with internal customers

Listening, Problem Solving, Conflict Resolution,

Negotiation, Consensus for group communication Vertical (top-down) and horizontal information flow

to make all informed


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Self-directed Work Team

Teams must be encouraged to establish the three Rs

- roles, rules, and relationships Constructive criticism

Emotional barriers

Process barriers

Cultural barriers

Distributed leadership


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THANK YOU

communication flow in organizations

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