© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

The Meaning of Communication

• Communication

– Is the process of transmitting information from one person to another.

• Effective Communication

– Is the process of sending a message in such a way that the message as received is understood as close in meaning as possible to its intended meaning as sent.

7–2

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

The Role of Communication in Management

Communication Roles

INTERPERSONALFigurehead

Leader

LiaisonINFORMATIONAL

DECISIONAL

Spokesperson

Monitor

Disseminator

Entrepreneur

Disturbance-handler

Negotiator

7–3

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Interpersonal Communication

• Oral Communication• Face-to-face conversations, group discussions, telephone

calls, and other situations in which the spoken work is used to express meaning.

• Advantages Promotes prompt feedback

and interchange in the form of verbal questions and responses.

Is easy to use and can be done with little preparation.

• Disadvantages Suffers from problems

with inaccuracy in meaning and details.

Leaves no time for thought and consideration and no permanent record of what was said.

7–4

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Interpersonal Communication (cont’d)

• Written Communication– Memos, letters, reports, notes, and other methods in

which the written word is used to transmit meaning.– Advantages

• Is accurate and leaves a permanent record of the exchange.

• Leaves for thought and consideration, can be referenced.

• Is easy to use and can be done with little preparation.

– Disadvantages• Inhibits feedback and interchange due to burden of

the process of preparing a physical document.

• Considerable delay can occur in clarifying message meanings.

7–5

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Communication in Networks and Work Teams

• Communication Network

– The pattern through which the members of a group or team communicate.

– Research suggests:

• When the group’s task is simple and routine, centralized networks perform with the greatest efficiency and accuracy.

• When the group’s task is complex and nonroutine, decentralized networks with open communications that foster interaction and exchange of relevant information tend to be most effective.

7–6

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Organizational Communication

• Formal Communications

– Follow the official reporting relationships between managers and subordinates and/or prescribed channels.

– May involve several levels of the organization.

• Communication Pathways

– Upward communication

– Downward communication

– Horizontal communication

7–7

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Electronic Communication

• Formal Information Systems

– Are typically the responsibility of the Chief Information Offices (CIO)

• Personal Information Technology

– Corporate intranets, teleconferences, e-mail, smart phones, and instant messaging

– Disadvantages:

• Separation of work and personal life, lack of personal relationships, falling behind professionally, and losing out in office politics.

• Threat of dysfunctional employee communication behaviors

7–8

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Communication in Organizations

• Informal Communications– May or may not follow official reporting relationships

and/or prescribed organizational channels

– May have nothing to do with official organizational business.

• Common Forms of Informal Communications– The grapevine

– Management by wandering around

– Nonverbal communication

7–9

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Informal Personal Communications

• Nonverbal Communication

– Any communication exchange that does not use words, or uses words to carry more meaning than the strict definition of the words themselves.

• Facial expression

• Inflection and tone of voice

– Only a small portion of the message content is due to the words in the message.

Facialexpression55%

Inflectionand tone38%

Words in the message

7%

7–10

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Informal Personal Communications (cont’d)

Settings Body LanguageImages

Kinds of NonverbalCommunications

7–11