Management by chuch williams chapter 15

Chapter 15
Managing Communication
MGMT
Chuck Williams

Designed & Prepared by
B-books, Ltd.
1


What Is Communication?
After reading these sections,
you should be able to:

1. explain the role that perception plays in
communication and communication problems.
2. describe the communication process and the
various kinds of communication in
organizations.
2


Perception and
Communication Problems
Basic
BasicPerception
Perception
Process
Process
Perception
Perception

Problems
Problems
Perceptions
Perceptions
of
of Others
Others
Self-Perception
Self-Perception
1
3


Basic Perception Process
Perception
The process by which individuals attend to,
organize, interpret, and retain information from
their environments.

Perception Filters
The personality-, psychology-, or experiencebased differences that influence people to
ignore or pay attention to particular stimuli.
1.1
4


Basic Perception Process
Stimulus

1.1

Stimulus

Stimulus

Perceptual

Attention

Filter

Perceptual

Organization

Filter

Perceptual

Interpretation

Filter

Perceptual

Retention

Filter
5

Perception Problems
 Selective perception
•
•

notice and accept stimuli which are consistent
with our values and beliefs
ignore inconsistent stimuli

 Closure
•
•

tendency to fill in the gaps when information is
missing
we assume that what we don’t know is consistent
with what we do know

1.2
6


Perception of Others
• Attribution Theory
– we have a need to understand and explain the
causes of other people’s behavior

• General reasons to explain behavior
– Internal attribution

• the behavior was voluntary or under their control

– External attribution
• the behavior was involuntary and beyond their control

1.3
7


Attribution Bias and Error
Defensive
Defensive
Bias
Bias

The
Thetendency
tendencyfor
forpeople
peopleto
to
perceive
perceivethemselves
themselvesas
aspersonally
personallyand
and
situationally
situationally similar
similarto

to someone
someonewho
who isis
having
havingdifficulty.
difficulty.

Fundamental
Fundamental
Attribution
Attribution
Error
Error

The
Thetendency
tendencyto
toignore
ignoreexternal
externalcauses
causes
of
ofbehavior
behaviorand
andto
toattribute
attribute other
other
people’s
people’sactions

actionsto
tointernal
internalcauses.
causes.

1.3
8


Attribution Bias and Error

1.3
9


Self-Perception
Self-Serving Bias
The tendency to overestimate our value by
attributing successes to ourselves (internal
causes) and attributing failures to others or the
environment (external causes).

1.4
10


Kinds of Communication
Communication
Communication
Process

Process

Formal
Formal
Communication
Communication
Channels
Channels

Nonverbal
Nonverbal
Communication
Communication

2

Informal
Informal
Communication
Communication
Channels
Channels

Coaching
Coachingand
and
Counseling
Counseling
11

The Interpersonal Communication Process
Sender
Message
Message
to
to be
be
Conveyed
Conveyed
Encode
Message

2.1

Transmit
Message

Receiver
Feedback to Sender

N
N
oo
ii
ss
ee

N
N

oo
ii
ss
ee

N
N
oo
ii
ss
ee

N
N
oo
ii
ss
ee

Communication Channel

Message
Message
that
that was
was
Understood
Understood

Decode

Message

Receive
Message
12


The Communication Process
Noise occurs if:
1. The sender is unsure what message
to communicate
2. The message is not clearly encoded
3. The wrong channel is chosen
4. The message is improperly decoded
5. The receiver lacks experience
or time
2.1
13


The Communication Process
Meanings of the Word Fine
1. Penalty
2. Excellence
3. Tight
4. Small
5. Pure
6. Flimsy
2.1

7. Okay
14


Formal Communication Channels
The system of formal
communication
channels includes:
• Downward communication

– top down
• Upward communication

– bottom up
• Horizontal

– within a level
2.2
15


Improving Formal Communication
1. Decrease reliance on downward communication
2. Increase chances for upward communication
3. Encourage much greater use of horizontal
communication
4. Be aware of communication problems

2.2
16

Common Problems with Downward,
Upward, and Horizontal Communication
Downward

•
•
•
•

Upward

• Risk of telling upper management about problems
• Managers reacting angrily and defensively to problems
• Few opportunities for workers to contact upper levels
of management

Horizontal

2.2

Sending too many messages
Issuing contradictory messages
Hurriedly communicating vague, unclear messages
Issuing messages indicating management’s low regard
for lower-level workers

• Management discouraging or punishing horizontal
communication

• Managers and workers not given time or opportunity
for horizontal communication
• Not enough opportunities or channels for lower-level
workers to engage in horizontal communication
17


Informal Communication
Channels
• Transmitting messages
outside the formal
communication channels
• The Grapevine
• Highly accurate
– information is timely
– senders seek feedback
– accuracy can be verified
2.3
18


Informal Communication
Channels

2.3
19


Managing Organizational
Grapevines

• Don’t withhold information from it
• Don’t punish those who use it
• Embrace the grapevine and keep
employees informed
• Use it as a source of information

2.3
20


Coaching and Counseling
• Coaching
– communicating with someone for the direct
purpose of improving the person’s performance

• Counseling
– communicating with someone about non-job
related issues
– issues may be affecting a person’s performance
2.4
21


A troubled employee may have…
1. excessive absenteeism patterns
2. poor judgment and bad decisions
3. unusual on-the-job accidents
4. involvements with the law
5. deteriorating personal appearance
6. problems relating to other people

22


Employee Assistance Programs
Counseling
Financial
Services

Pet Care

Child Care
Employee
Assistance
Programs

Health
Lifestyles

Senior Care

Legal
Services

2.4
23


Nonverbal Communication
• Any communication
that doesn’t involve

words
• Kinesics
– movements of the body
and face

• Paralanguage
– the pitch, tone, rate,
volume, and speaking
pattern of a person’s
voice
2.5
24


How to Improve
Communication
After reading these sections,
you should be able to:

3. explain how managers can manage effective
one-on-one communication.
4. describe how managers can manage effective
organization-wide communication.

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