1. Organizational
Behavior, 9/E
Schermerhorn, Hunt, and
Osborn
Prepared by
Michael K. McCuddy
Valparaiso University
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2. Chapter 13 Study Questions
What is the nature of communication in
organizations?
What are the essentials of interpersonal
communication?
What are the barriers to effective
communication?
What are current issues in organizational
communication?
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3. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
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4. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
Feedback and communication.
– Feedback is the process through which the
receiver communicates with the sender by
returning another message.
– Giving feedback often is associated with one
or more persons communicating an evaluation
of what another person has said or done.
– 360-degree feedback.
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5. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
Guidelines for effective constructive feedback.
– Give feedback directly and in a spirit of mutual trust.
– Be specific, not general; use clear examples.
– Give feedback when the receiver is most ready to
accept it.
– Be accurate; check validity with others.
– Focus on things that the receiver can control.
– Limit how much feedback the receiver gets at one
time.
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6. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
Communication channels.
– Formal channels.
• Follow the chain of command established by an
organization’s hierarchy of authority.
– Informal channels.
• Do not follow an organization’s hierarchy of
authority.
• The grapevine is an informal channel through
which rumors and unofficial information pass.
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7. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
Channel richness.
– The capacity of a communication channel to convey
information effectively.
– Richest channels — face-to-face communication.
– Moderately rich channels — telephone, electronic
chat rooms, E-mail, written memos, and letters.
– Leanest channels — posted notices and bulletins.
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8. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
Organizational communication is the
specific process through which information
moves and is exchanged throughout an
organization.
Information flows:
– Through formal and informal structures.
– Downward, upward, and laterally.
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9. Study Question 1: What is the nature
of communication in organizations?
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10. Study Question 2: What are the essentials
of interpersonal communication?
Effective and efficient communication.
– Effective communication.
• The accuracy of communication.
– Efficient communication.
• The cost of communication.
– Effectiveness does not guarantee efficiency or
vice versa.
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11. Study Question 2: What are the essentials
of interpersonal communication?
Nonverbal communication.
– Occurs through facial expressions, body
position, eye contact, and other physical
gestures.
– Gives clues to what a person is really thinking.
– Two important aspects of nonverbal
communication.
• Kinesics the study of gestures and body
postures.
• Proxemics the study of how space is utilized.
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12. Study Question 2: What are the essentials
of interpersonal communication?
Active listening.
– Ability to listen well is a distinct asset.
– Everyone needs to develop good skills in
active listening.
– Active listening is the ability to help the
source of a message say what he or she really
means.
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13. Study Question 2: What are the essentials
of interpersonal communication?
Guidelines for active listening.
– Listen for content.
– Listen for feelings.
– Respond to feelings.
– Note all cues.
– Reflect back.
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14. Study Question 2: What are the essentials
of interpersonal communication?
Cross-cultural communication.
– Ethnocentrism.
• The tendency to believe that one’s culture and its
values are superior to those of others.
– Cross-cultural communication challenges.
• Language differences.
• Use of gestures.
– One of the best ways to understand cultural
differences is to learn some of the language.
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15. Study Question 3: What are the
barriers to effective communication?
Physical distractions.
– Any aspect of the physical setting in which
communication takes place.
– Can interfere with communication
effectiveness.
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16. Study Question 3: What are the
barriers to effective communication?
Semantic problems.
– Involves a poor choice or use of words.
– Use the KISS principle of communication.
• “Keep it short and simple.”
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17. Study Question 3: What are the
barriers to effective communication?
Mixed messages.
– Occur when a person’s words communicate
one thing while actions or body language
communicates another.
– Nonverbals add important insights in face-to-
face meetings.
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18. Study Question 3: What are the
barriers to effective communication?
Absence of feedback.
– One-way communication flows from sender to
receiver only, with no direct and immediate
feedback.
– Two-way communication goes from sender to
receiver and back again.
– Two-way communication is more effective
than one-way communication.
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19. Study Question 3: What are the
barriers to effective communication?
Status effects.
– Status differences create potential communication
barriers between persons of higher and lower ranks .
– Mum effect.
• Occurs when people are reluctant to transmit bad
news.
– Management by wandering around (MBWA).
• Getting out of the office to directly communicate
with others as they do their jobs.
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20. Study Question 4: What are current
issues in organizational communication?
Advances in information technologies enable
organizations to:
– Distribute information much faster.
– Make more information available.
– Allow broader and more immediate access to
information.
– Encourage participation in the sharing and use of
information.
– Integrate systems and functions, and use information
to link with the environment.
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21. Study Question 4: What are current
issues in organizational communication?
Potential disadvantages of electronic
communications.
– Technologies are impersonal.
– Nonverbal communication is removed from
situation.
– Can unduly influence the emotional aspects of
communication.
– Information overload.
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22. Study Question 4: What are current
issues in organizational communication?
Communication and social context.
– Mean and women are socialized into different
communication styles.
• Women are socialized to be more sensitive to
interpersonal relationships in communication.
• Men are socialized to be competitive, aggressive,
and individualistic, which may cause
communication problems.
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