CHAPTER 13: MANAGING COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION

– Communication:

A transfer of understanding and meaning from one person to another.

– Communication Process:

The seven-part process of transferring and understanding of meaning.

Sender: The communication source

Encoding: Converting intended message into meaningful symbols (verbal,

visual and/or nonverbal).

Message: Points to be conveyed.

Channel: The medium by which a message travels (email, memo, letter, fax,

website, meetings).

Decoding: Receiver interprets a received message.

Receiver: The person to whom the message is directed.

Feedback: Checking to see how successfully a message has been transferred.

Written Communications

– memos, letters, e-mail, organizational periodicals, bulletin boards, etc.

– tangible, verifiable, and more permanent

Oral Communications

– allow receivers to respond to what they hear.

– presents feedback evidence that the message has been received and

understood.

Grapevine:

An unofficial channel of communication that take place in an organization.

Word of mount, emails etc

Nonverbal communication

Body Language: Nonverbal communication cues such as facial expressions,

gestures, and other body movements.

Verbal Intonation: An emphasis given to words or phrases.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Filtering: A sender manipulates information to make it appear more favorable

to the receiver.

Selective Perception: Selectively perceiving/hearing a communication based on

your own needs, motivations, experiences, or other personal characteristics.

Information Overload: Information exceeds processing capacity.

Emotions: How a receiver feels when a message is received influences how

he/she interprets it.

Language (Jargon): Words may have different meaning to different people,

Senders and receivers may not share similar interpretation.

Gender: How male and female react to communication may be different, and

they each have a different communication style.

National culture: Communication differences arising from the different

languages that individuals use to communicate and the national culture of

which they are apart.

Overcoming Communication Barriers

– Use Feedback: Many problems are attributable to misunderstanding.

– Use Simplified Language: communicate in clear, easily understood terms.

– Listen Actively: Listening is an active search for meaning, whereas hearing

is passive.

Constrain emotions

– Emotions can cloud and distort communication.

– Need to recognize when your emotions are running high. When they are,

do not communicate until you have calmed down.

Emphasis on non-verbal cues

– Actions speak louder that words.

– Important to make sure action and words are aligned.

– Effective communicator watches his/her non-verbal clues.

Technology and Communication

• E-mail

• Instant messaging

• Voice Mail System

• Fax machines

• Teleconferencing

• Videoconferencing

• Intranet/internet