3 organisations

Organisational Communication

Organisational communication is an evolutionary, culturally dependant process of sharing information and creating relationships in environments designed for manageable, goal oriented behaviour.

Organisational Communication - Models

There are five general models :1)One way model2)Interaction model3)Two person relationship model4)Communication in context model5)Strategic model

One way model

Interaction model

Two person relationship model

Communication in context model

Strategic model

Alternative Perspectives on organisational communication

Communication Networks

• Communication Networks– The pathways along which information flows

in groups and teams and throughout the organization.

Communication Networks

• Type of communication network depends on:– The nature of the group’s tasks– The extent to which group members need to

communicate with each other to achieve group goals.

Communication Networks in Groups and Teams

Type of Network

Wheel Network Information flows to and from one central member.

Chain Network Members communicate only with the people next to them in the sequence.

Wheel and chain networks provide little interaction.

Circle Network Members communicate with others close to them in terms of expertise, experience, and location.

All-Channel Network

Networks found in teams with high levels of communications between each member and all others.

Communication Networks in Groups and

Teams

Organization Communication Networks

• Organization Chart– Summarizes the formal reporting channels

in an organization.– Communication in an organization flows

through formal and informal pathways– Vertical communications flow up and down

the corporate hierarchy.

Organization Communication Networks

• Organization Chart– Horizontal communications flow between

employees of the same level.– Informal communications can span levels

and departments—the grapevine is an informal network carrying unofficial information throughout the firm.

Formal and Informal Communication Networks in an Organization

Groupware

• Employees are likely to resist using groupware when:– people are working primarily on their own– people are rewarded for their own individual

performances– People are reluctant to share information

Communication Skills for Managers as Senders

–Send clear and complete messages.–Encode messages in symbols the receiver

understands.–Select a medium appropriate for the message and,

importantly, one that is monitored by the receiver.–Avoid filtering (holding back information) and

distortion as the message passes through other workers.

–Include a feedback mechanism is in the message.–Provide accurate information to avoid rumors.

Communication Skills for Managers as Senders

• Jargon – specialized language that members of an

occupation, group, or organization develop to facilitate communication among themselves

– should never be used when communicating with people outside the occupation, group, or organization

Discussion Question?

What is the most important communication skill for managers?

A. Be a good listener: don’t interruptB. Be empatheticC. Ask questions to clarify your

understandingD. Understand linguistic styles

Communication Skills For Managers as Receivers

– Pay attention to what is sent as a message.– Be a good listener: don’t interrupt.– Ask questions to clarify your understanding.– Be empathetic: try to understand what the

sender feels.– Understand linguistic styles: different people

speak differently.– Speed, tone, pausing all impact communication.

OversimplifiedZone

OverloadedZone

Nonroutine/Ambiguous

Rich

MediaRichness

Situation

Hierarchy of Media Richness

Lean

Routine/clear

Thumbs Up to the Boss!

In Australia, a co-worker asked Patricia Oliveira why she laughed when he gave the thumbs up that everything is OK. She explained that this gesture “means something not very nice” in her home country of Brazil.

©Mark M. Lawrence/Corbis

Thumbs Up to the Boss!

After hearing this, several co-workers gave the boss a lot more thumbs up signs!

©Mark M. Lawrence/Corbis

Communicating in Hierarchies

• Workspace design– Clustering people in teams– Open office arrangements

• Wikis, blogs, and e-zines– Wikis -- collaborative document creation– Blogs -- personal news/opinion for sharing– E-zines -- rapid distribution of company news

• Direct communication with management– Management by walking around (MBWA)– Town hall meetings

Direction of Communication

Downward Communication that flows from one level of a group or

organization to a lower level. it is used to 1. Assign goals 2. provide job instructions3. Informing about policies and procedures4. Point out problems that need attention5. Offer feedback about performance

Direction of Communication

Upward CommunicationIt flows to a higher level in the group or

organization1. It is used to provide feedback to higher

ups2. Inform them of progress towards goals3. Relay current problems

Direction of Communication

Lateral CommunicationWhen it takes place among members of

the same group or managers at same level or among any horizontally equivalent personnel.

It is important to1. Save time2. Facilitate coordination

HIERARCHY LEVELExecutive Director

Vice President

G.M.

All India Sales Manager

ZSM / DSM

RBM

ABM

MR

MR 3MR 1 MR 2

Manager

Horizontal Comm.

Interpersonal Communication

People essentially rely on oral ,written and nonverbal communication.

Oral Communication:1. Speeches2. formal one-on-one3. Group discussions4. Informal rumor mill and grapevine

Interpersonal Communication

Advantages of Oral Communication are • Speed • Feedback The major disadvantage of oral

communication surfaces in organization whenever the message has to be passed through a number of people

Interpersonal Communication

Written Communication -- any communication transmitted via written words or symbols

It includes 1. Memos2. Letters 3. Fax transmissions4. Electronic mail5. Instant messaging 6. Organizational periodicals , etc.

Interpersonal Communication

Non Verbal CommunicationWhen we give a message to anyone we impart non

verbal message as well.Such as 1. Lift an eyebrow for disbelief2. Rub your nose for puzzlement3. Shrug shoulders for indifference4. Slap our forehead for forgetfulness5. Tap our fingers for impatience

Organizational communication

Grapevine• It is informal• Yet an important source of information• It is not controlled by the management• It is perceived more believable• It is largely used to serve the self

interests of the people within it

Organizational Grapevine

• Early research findings– Transmits information rapidly in all directions– Follows a cluster chain pattern– More active in homogeneous groups– Transmits some degree of truth

• Changes due to internet– Email becoming the main grapevine medium– Social networks are now global– Public blogs and forums extends gossip to

everyone

Grapevine Benefits/Limitations

• Benefits– Fills in missing information from formal sources– Strengthens corporate culture– Relieves anxiety– Signals that problems exist

• Limitations– Distortions might escalate anxiety– Perceived lack of concern for employees when

company info is slower than grapevine

Organizational communication

Computer aided Communication• E- mail• Instant messaging• Intranet and extranet links• Videoconferencing

Seven C's of communication design

Do you design your communications or do they just kind of happen? When your communication is important -- that is, when you want it to be remembered -- you need to think carefully and design it to resonate with your intended audience.

Seven C's of communication design

Designing your communication is an interactive process. It begins at a high level, with good questions and good listening; and ends in details; constructing a presentation, document, system or user experience.

The Seven C’s

The seven C's lay out a simple sequence which can help you start broadly and work your way down to specifics.

1. Context.What's going on? Do you understand the situation? Ask good questions. You'll need a clear goal before you begin to design any communication. Ask: who are you talking to and what do you want them to do?

The Seven C’s

2. Content.

Based on your goal, define a single question that your communication is designed to answer. This is the best possible measure of communication effectiveness. What do you want your audience to walk away with and remember? Once you have defined your prime question, set out to answer it. What information is required? Do you have the answer already, or do you need to search it out?

The Seven C’s

3. Components.

Before you build anything, break down your content into basic "building blocks" of content. Formulate the information into clusters and groups. What patterns emerge? How can you make the information more modular? Given your goal, what is the most fundamental unit of information?

The Seven C’s

4. Cuts.This is one of the hardest parts of the process and most often neglected. People's attention will quickly drift -- they expect you to get to the point. Learn to edit.

The Seven C’s5. Composition.

Now it's time to design the way you will tell your story. Think in terms of both written and visual composition. When writing; who are your main characters? How will you set up the scene? What are the goals and conflicts that will develop? How will the story reach resolution? In visual terms; where will the reader begin? How will you lead the eye around the page? In all your compositional thinking; how will you engage your audience? How will you keep them engaged? Writing it down forces you to think it through.

The Seven C’s

6. Contrast.What are the differences that matter? Use contrast to highlight them: Big vs. little; rough vs. smooth; black vs. white. When making any point, ask, "in comparison with what?" Contrast is a trigger to the brain that says "pay attention!"

The Seven C’s

7. Consistency.Unless you're highlighting differences, keep things like color, fonts, spacing and type sizes consistent to avoid distracting people. Research shows that any extraneous information will detract from people's ability to assimilate and learn.