· Chap 2 and 3
· what barriers are there in terms of the interpersonal communication model?
Typically, communication breakdowns result from lack of understanding without clarification; often, there wasn't even an attempt at clarification. If barriers to interpersonal communication are not acknowledged and addressed, workplace productivity can suffer.
Language Differences
Interpersonal communication can go awry when the sender and receiver of the message speak a different language -- literally and figuratively. Not everyone in the workplace will understand slang, jargon, acronyms and industry terminology. Instead of seeking clarification, employees might guess at the meaning of the message and then act on mistaken assumptions. Also, misunderstandings may occur among workers who do not speak the same primary language. As a result, feelings may be hurt, based on misinterpretation of words or of body language.
Cultural Differences
Interpersonal communication may be adversely affected by lack of cultural understanding, mis-perception, bias and stereotypical beliefs. Workers may have limited skill or experience communicating with people from a different background. Many companies offer diversity training to help employees understand how to communicate more effectively across cultures and relate to those who may have different background experiences. Similarly, gender barriers can obstruct interpersonal communication if men and women are treated differently, and held to different standards, causing interpersonal conflicts in the workplace.
Personality Differences
Like any skill, some people are better at interpersonal communication than others. Personality traits also influence how well an individual interacts with subordinates, peers and supervisors. Extraversion can be an advantage when it comes to speaking out, sharing opinions and disseminating information. However, introverts may have the edge when it comes to listening, reflecting and remembering. Barriers to interpersonal communication may occur when employees lack self-awareness, sensitivity and flexibility. Such behavior undermines teamwork, which requires mutual respect, compromise and negotiation. Bullying, backstabbing and cut throat competition create a toxic workplace climate that will strain interpersonal relationships.
Generational Differences
Interpersonal communication can be complicated by generational differences in speech, dress, values, priorities and preferences. For instance, there may be a generational divide as to how team members prefer to communicate with one another. If younger workers sit in cubicles, using social networking as their primary channel of communication, it can alienate them from older workers who may prefer face-to-face communication. Broad generalizations and stereotypes can also cause interpersonal rifts when a worker from one generation feels superior to those who are younger or older. Biases against workers based on age can constitute a form of disc.
· Chap 2 and 3· what barriers are there in terms of the inter.docx
1. · Chap 2 and 3
· what barriers are there in terms of the interpersonal
communication model?
Typically, communication breakdowns result from lack of
understanding without clarification; often, there wasn't even an
attempt at clarification. If barriers to interpersonal
communication are not acknowledged and addressed, workplace
productivity can suffer.
Language Differences
Interpersonal communication can go awry when the sender and
receiver of the message speak a different language -- literally
and figuratively. Not everyone in the workplace will understand
slang, jargon, acronyms and industry terminology. Instead of
seeking clarification, employees might guess at the meaning of
the message and then act on mistaken assumptions. Also,
misunderstandings may occur among workers who do not speak
the same primary language. As a result, feelings may be hurt,
based on misinterpretation of words or of body language.
Cultural Differences
Interpersonal communication may be adversely affected by lack
of cultural understanding, mis-perception, bias and stereotypical
beliefs. Workers may have limited skill or experience
communicating with people from a different background. Many
companies offer diversity training to help employees understand
how to communicate more effectively across cultures and relate
to those who may have different background experiences.
Similarly, gender barriers can obstruct interpersonal
communication if men and women are treated differently, and
held to different standards, causing interpersonal conflicts in
the workplace.
Personality Differences
Like any skill, some people are better at interpersonal
communication than others. Personality traits also influence
2. how well an individual interacts with subordinates, peers and
supervisors. Extraversion can be an advantage when it comes to
speaking out, sharing opinions and disseminating information.
However, introverts may have the edge when it comes to
listening, reflecting and remembering. Barriers to interpersonal
communication may occur when employees lack self-awareness,
sensitivity and flexibility. Such behavior undermines teamwork,
which requires mutual respect, compromise and negotiation.
Bullying, backstabbing and cut throat competition create a toxic
workplace climate that will strain interpersonal relationships.
Generational Differences
Interpersonal communication can be complicated by
generational differences in speech, dress, values, priorities and
preferences. For instance, there may be a generational divide as
to how team members prefer to communicate with one another.
If younger workers sit in cubicles, using social networking as
their primary channel of communication, it can alienate them
from older workers who may prefer face-to-face
communication. Broad generalizations and stereotypes can also
cause interpersonal rifts when a worker from one generation
feels superior to those who are younger or older. Biases against
workers based on age can constitute a form of discrimination.
· The active listening process contains six steps; which are most
critical?
SIX STAGES OF LISTENING PROCESS: hearing, attending,
understanding, remembering, evaluating, and responding. these
stages occur in sequence, but they generally performed with
little awareness an often rapid succession
1. HEARING - it refers to the response caused by sound waves
stimulating the sensory receptors of the ear; it is physical
response; hearing is perception of sound waves; you must hear
to listen, but you need not listen to hear (perception necessary
for listening depends on attention
2. ATTENTION- brain screens stimuli and permits only a select
few to come into focus- these selective perception is known as
3. attention, an important requirement for effective listening;
strong stimuli like bright lights, sudden noise…are attention
getters; attention to more commonplace or less striking stimuli
requires special effort; postural adjustments are aided by
physical changes in sensory receptor organs; receptor
adjustments might include tensing of the ear´s tympanic muscle
for better response to weak sounds
3. UNDERSTANDING- to understand symbols we have seen
and heard, we must analyze the meaning of the stimuli we have
perceived; symbolic stimuli are not only words but also sounds
like applause… and sights like blue uniform…that have
symbolic meanings as well; the meanings attached to these
symbols are a function of our past associations and of the
context in which the symbols occur; for successful interpersonal
communication, the listener must understand the intended
meaning and the context assumed by the sender.
4. REMEMBERING- it is important listening process because it
means that an individual has not only received and interpreted a
message but has also added it to the mind”s storage bank; but
just as our attention is selective, so too is our memory- what is
remembered may be quite different from what was originally
seen or heard.
5. EVALUATING- it is a stage in which active listeners
participate; it is at these point that the active listener weighs
evidence, sorts fact from opinion, and determines the presence
or absence of bias or prejudice in a message; the effective
listener makes sure that he or she doesn’t begin this activity too
soon ; beginning this stage of the process before a message is
completed requires that we no longer hear and attend to the
incoming message-as a result, the listening process ceases
6. RESPONDING- this stage requires that the receiver complete
the process through verbal and/or nonverbal feedback; because
the speaker has no other way to determine if a message has been
received, this stage becomes the only overt means by which the
sender may determine the degree of success in transmitting the
message.
4. · How can the image of leadership be a barrier to active
listening?
· image can be a barrier to listening if one is dressed indecently
or in a funny way. For example a woman who is skimpily
dressed addressing a meeting will have the men drooling about
her curves and they will not concentrate on the real issue in
hand. although the student might at the end of it all get what
was being taught, he might have missed some points because of
the dstraction in dress code by the speaker.
· a message centered approach is one person A calls person B to
be able to deliver important information between people
altogether. a listening center approach is one when the persons
are listening on the points being brought about then maybe they
will get to react later when they have understood the
information that is being presented to them.
Plan the Work: Strategic Communication Planning for Not-for-
Profit Organizations (pp. 12–16)
Communications in the Workplace
Full Text
Listen
Good communication skills are essential for success in virtually
any organization. No matter how good one's technical skills or
how innovative one's ideas, if not communicated clearly to
others, they are irrelevant. Employees today need to be able to
effectively communicate within the organization to each other,
their bosses, and their subordinates as well outside the
organization to customers or clients and vendors. Clear
communication that unambiguously conveys one's meaning,
however, is not a simple task and can be hampered by numerous
barriers including different perceptions of a situation, filtering,
language, jargon and ambiguity. In addition, cultural and gender
5. differences can compound the process, making communication
even more difficult. However, through such techniques as active
listening, disclosure, and feedback, employees can learn to
become better communicators and improve their own
effectiveness and that of the organization.
I once worked on a project that required me to use a technical
manual written for Japanese fax repair technicians that had been
translated very literally (and badly) into English. "Imagine," it
started, "two giants standing on opposite mountaintops in the
fog." The illustration went on to describe a scenario in which
the giants wished to communicate but were having difficulty
because the mountaintops were too far away to allow them to be
heard by each other and the fog obscured their view so they
could not signal each other. Eventually, the two giants threw
boulders through the fog in an attempt to attract each other's
attention. The story sounds strange and unprofessional to
Western ears, but the point is that communication can be a
complex process between sender and receiver,
and requires that each party is paying attention and that the
"fog" of distortion is cleared away no matter where in the world
occurs. Even the very strangeness of the story illustrates how
cultural expectations can color what we anticipate to hear.
Communication is the process of transmitting information
between two or more parties. Although communication is often
thought of as a verbal process, transmissions can also be written
or even nonverbal; with our actions or body language
communicating our message. Communication can be intentional
(the interoffice memo describing a new implementation policy)
or unintentional (the boss receives the message -- correct or not
-- that the employee is not a hard worker when s/he never gets
assignments in on time).
Good communication skills are essential for success in business.
No matter how innovative one's idea is, no matter how skilled
the service one offers, no matter how much the marketplace
needs the product or service, if the business cannot articulate
what it can do for potential customers or clients, it will not be
6. successful. Good communication skills, however, are not only
necessary for successful marketing. Employees must be able to
communicate with each other and management must be able to
communicate with employees. A boss who expects employees to
be mind-readers will not be a boss for long. A team whose
members cannot communicate their ideas to each other will not
be able to achieve the synergy that is the goal of such work
groups. The technical expert who cannot communicate his/her
flash of insight will not be able to use it to help the
organization. In short, communication is key to success not only
on an organizational level, but on a personal level as well.
A study of entry-level job requirements listed in the job
advertisements from newspapers in 10 large metropolitan areas
found that "interpersonal skills" were mentioned most
frequently. Even for jobs such as accounting where it would be
reasonable to assume that mathematical ability was more
important than communication skills, it has been found that up
to 80% of work time is actually spent in communication rather
than in working with numbers. Despite the importance of good
communication skills in the workplace, however, research has
found that employees often do not possess adequate
communication skills for success. As a result, 89% of US
companies give communication training to employees in areas
such as team building; public speaking and presentation skills;
interviewing skills; and business and technical writing.
At its simplest, communication starts when the sender decides
to transmit a message to the receiver. S/he decides what
message to communicate and how best to express this message
(words, gestures, body language, intonation). This message is
then sent to the receiver. This person then decodes the message
and forms the appropriate feedback, be it a nod of the head, a
smile, or other body language; an action such as doing what the
sender requested; or forming another verbal or nonverbal reply
to show that the message was understood or not understood.
This message is then transmitted to the original sender who, in
turn, receives and decodes the response, and forms a return
7. message.
This is a simple enough process. However, communication is
more than the sender transmitting a message and the receiver
responding. There are numerous places during the process
where barriers to communication can keep the receiver from
correctly understanding the message sent in the way that the
sender intended it. When this happens, miscommunication can
occur. There are a number of different types of barriers to
communication that can lead to miscommunication by hindering
the unambiguous transmission and reception of a message
between parties trying to communicate. Communication barriers
include different perceptions of a situation, filtering, language,
jargon, and ambiguity. Other sources of miscommunication
include the degree to which the vocabulary (professional,
technical, or general) of the two persons is shared, differences
in their assumptions and expectations, and their relative skill at
forming and decoding messages.
For example, Harvey may wish to tell George that the budget
report that he had turned in was acceptable. So, Harvey forms a
message: "Good job." However, George may consider the
budget report to have been his best work to date or a significant
improvement over his previous attempts, and is looking for
more effusive praise. The terse "good job" may not carry with it
sufficient information to supply George with the feedback he is
seeking. As a result, George may think that Harvey did not
appreciate his work or that Harvey did not think that George
had done an outstanding job. Therefore, even though Harvey
may have been trying to praise George, the message that George
receives is that the work was neither extraordinary nor
noteworthy. Such a situation can result in resentment or
discouragement and may damage the relationship between the
two co-workers.
Everyone comes to a situation with his/her own unique
perspective, including assumptions and expectations. This
perspective helps determine how an individual will react to
what the other person says or does. For example, in the
8. illustration of Harvey and George above, if George has entered
the situation with the perception that Harvey is less than
pleased with his previous work, then the off-hand "good work"
could make him doubt his competence in other areas or lower
his self-esteem. On the other hand, if his perception is that
Harvey is pleased with his work in general, then the off-hand
"good work" could be a confirmation even if Harvey was
condemning the report with faint praise. On a small scale, this
could cause needless friction in the workplace. However, if the
miscommunication is between George and a customer, it could
potentially lead to lost contracts or hours spent focusing on the
wrong thing because an off-hand remark was misunderstood.
Different perceptions, however, are not the only reason for
miscommunication in the workplace. Because the nature of
workplace communication is often more formal than social,
communications are often filtered to remove unwanted
messages. For example, the culture in some organizations
rewards good news but punishes bad news. In such cases,
employees may tell only the good news ("we can put on a
demonstration for the customer next week") but filters out the
bad news ("but only if we get needed input from a vendor on
time"). Similarly, when delivering performance feedback,
supervisors may try to phrase negative feedback in a positive
manner in the hope that it will be encouraging ("you may want
to try to make your reports a little longer in the future") rather
than giving the employee the entire message ("this report had
none of the needed information in it and is totally
unacceptable"). In the first example, if the needed input does
not come from the vendor, not only does the employee look bad
for not having delivered what was promised, but the supervisor
looks bad to the customer or executives because the needed
demonstration was a failure. In the second example, the
employee's feelings were not hurt in the short-term. However, in
the long-term, s/he will be left confused and bitter because
raises, promotions, or other rewards that were reasonably
expected on the basis of a perceived positive performance
9. appraisal did not materialize.
To communicate effectively, both parties need to speak the
same language and use words that clearly say what is meant.
This does not just mean the difference between English and
German, but the words chosen within the same language. One
such language barrier is the use of jargon. This is any technical
language, acronyms, specialized language, or other words or
phrases that are unique -- or uniquely interpreted -- to a given
group or organization but that are not in wide acceptance
outside of that group. For example, the following message
might not make sense to many people:
I've kluged a POC for the demo next week, but I need to stay
down in the weeds so you'll have to pretty it up for the big
boys.
However, to an engineer, it means that the sender has pulled
together ("kluged") a proof-of-concept ("POC") to demonstrate
that a theory will work. However, the sender of the message
needs to work on other details ("stay down in the weeds") so the
receiver will have to fine-tune it so that it looks viable ("pretty
it up") when shown to the company executives ("big boys").
Although such short hand may enable communication between
parties who both understand the jargon, it prevents
communication when one or more parties do not.
Similarly, text messaging and other byproducts of today's high
tech society have brought with them a language all their own.
For example, the message "c u here @ 445 on 4/5" may mean to
meet the sender at 4:45 on the 5th of April at his/her office.
However, unless the organizational culture supports the use of
such abbreviations, they are best left for less formal, social
occasions. Using established rules of communication and
grammar, however, apply not only to the abbreviations one
might use in e-mails, but to any written -- or oral --
communication. One's professionalism is judged in part by the
way that s/he expresses him/herself. The inability to write a
coherent sentence using the established rules of English can
prevent one from advancement within the organization or in
10. one's career. There are social boundaries to language and its
use. What is an acceptable way to speak or write to one's friend
or in a social situation is not necessarily acceptable in a
business setting.
Another language barrier to communication regarding the use of
language is ambiguity. For example, Harvey asks George if he
would like to redo the report, it could be taken in several ways:
a polite response to George's concern that the report might not
be acceptable, but which is assumed George will not do, an
option that can be taken at George's discretion, or a polite way
of telling George that the report needs to be redone. If Harvey is
merely making a polite response but George interprets it as a
mandate to redo the report, much time is wasted. If Harvey is
demanding that the report be redone but George interprets it as
a polite response not requiring action, the miscommunication
can lead to a strained working relationship.
Applications
The current trend toward cultural diversity in the workplace
makes communication an interesting proposition. Each
individual comes with his/her own set of values, assumptions,
and communication styles, yet needs to be able to communicate
with others who have an entirely different set of communication
rules. Further, the communication pattern that is effective in
one work group may actually hamper communication between
groups because of differing jargon or other barriers to
communication. However, good communication skills are not
only necessary but essential to the success of the organization.
Fortunately, there are methods to improve communication skills
both within the organization and between the organization and
other parties so that work gets done more efficiently.
Cross-Cultural & Gender Communications
Culture is defined as the basic shared assumptions, beliefs,
norms, and values held consciously or unconsciously by a group
of people. In today's diverse workplaces, cultures often collide,
causing miscommunications as a result of differing assumptions
or differing ways of expressing oneself. For example, in Japan
11. it is considered important that neither party in a transaction
"lose face." As a result, communication tends to be much more
formal and even ritualistic than is usually the case in the West.
Telling a Japanese businessperson negative information in a
blunt way would be considered a terrible breach of etiquette
because it would cause him/her to lose face. Similarly, a
Japanese businessperson would be considerate of the other
person's feelings even when delivering bad news. Therefore,
s/he might say that serious consideration would be given to the
other person's idea but use body language that -- to the
knowledgeable observer -- would indicate just the opposite.
One does not have to travel half way around the world to
encounter different communication styles, however. Even within
a culture, men and women frequently (although not universally)
have different communication styles. While men, for example,
tend to feel comfortable communicating in larger groups,
women often prefer one-on-one communication or small group
communication. Men also tend to multitask (doing two or more
things at once such as looking for or even reading a report while
talking), while women tend to make eye contact and focus on
only the conversation at hand. Men often jump from topic to
topic in their conversations, while most women prefer to talk
about one topic at length. Although these may seem like little
differences, they can cause significant problems. For example, a
woman in conversation with a man might interpret his
multitasking as a lack of concern or that he is not taking her
seriously. If differences in communication style are not
understood, such misunderstandings can lead to serious
problems in the workplace.
To help employees become better communicators and better
understand the text and subtext of the communications between
people from different cultures, many organizations offer
diversity training. This type of training is designed to help
employees deal with persons from different cultures more
effectively by helping them gain an understanding of the
assumptions, values, and communication styles of the people
12. that they may encounter in the workplace. With this
understanding, employees are better prepared to be effective
communicators in the workplace and both understand the
message of others and get their own message across.
Improving Communication
Although good communication can be a complex process with
many potential barriers that can distort the message that one is
trying to send, it is also a skill that can be learned and
improved. In addition to diversity training, many organizations
offer training courses that help employees learn how to improve
their communication skills with each other as well as with
customers and clients in order to improve their effectiveness
and the organization's success. Such skills relate not only to
being a better sender of messages, but also to being a better
receiver. There are many techniques that can help improve
communication. Two of these are active listening -- a way to
improve one's skills as a receiver of messages and
communication -- and the Johari Window -- a model used to
explain techniques for improving communication effectiveness.
Active listening is an approach to improving communication
through techniques to help better decode the message received
from the sender, clarify the message, and respond appropriately.
To listen actively, one must receive and process all the signals
being transmitted by the sender. This includes not only the
actual words that are said, but the body language and other
nonverbal cues that accompany the verbal message. For
example, if Harvey smiles and pats George on the back while
telling him that his report shows that he is ready for a
promotion, the message is quite different than if Harvey says
that same thing with his arms crossed and in a sarcastic tone.
Active listening skills include receiving and processing all the
signals that the sender receives. This means that the receiver
needs to postpone evaluation of what the sender is saying until
all the information has been received. To further this process,
the receiver should avoid interrupting, postpone evaluating what
the sender says until s/he is finished and maintain interest.
13. These skills help the receiver obtain sufficient data to
accurately decode the message and form appropriate feedback.
After the information has been received, the receiver needs to
evaluate the information s/he has received, organize it, and form
an appropriate response. Part of this process includes showing
the receiver that s/he has been understood and that his/her
thoughts and feelings have been taken into account. Such
displays of empathy are critical to showing the sender that both
verbal and nonverbal cues have been received and understood.
In addition, the receiver needs to organize the information that
s/he has received. Human beings tend to process what they hear
over three times faster than the average rate of speech. The
active listener uses this opportunity to organize the information
received into key points rather than becoming distracted while
the sender completes transmission of the message. In
complicated communications, it can also be helpful to
summarize this information when the sender is finished to make
sure that both parties understand the message in the same way.
Similarly, active listeners take the opportunity to clarify any
ambiguity in the transmission to avoid misunderstandings.
In most communication, each party is both a sender and receiver
and each needs to be aware of the potential barriers to
communication and how these can be avoided. One approach to
helping people improve their communication through mutual
understanding is called the Johari Window. In this model, it is
posited that true communication occurs in the "arena"; that area
where both the sender and receiver strive for open, honest
communication. This area can be increased through disclosure
and feedback. Disclosure in the workplace would include
making sure that all parties to the communication understand
the assumptions and preconceptions of each other. For example,
when trying to communicate on a technical matter, it is helpful
to know at what level to talk to the other person. Two engineers
talking to each other, for example, would share many
assumptions and knowledge in common, so could use
professional jargon and talk at a higher level than if one person
14. did not have a technical background. Disclosure can also apply
to other areas in the person's life, too.
Feedback is when one party gives the other party information
about how the communication is received. As in active
listening, this could include information about how well the
message was received by paraphrasing or summarizing it to
make sure that it was correctly received. Feedback could also
include information about the nonverbal portion of the
communication: "When you say that in that way, I am not sure
if you are kidding or not." Such comments -- when
considerately and empathetically expressed -- can help both
parties better understand both the text and subtext of the
conversation.
When disclosure and feedback are not used to increase the
openness of communication, miscommunication is more likely
to arise. Sometimes this is intentional: the hidden area or façade
that everyone uses from time to time to keep the communication
on a profession level by not revealing likes and dislikes,
personal experiences, or other attitudes that are not appropriate
or relevant to the situation. Increasing the area of the arena
through feedback also improves communication effectiveness by
helping the person understand things that s/he does not know
about him/herself (Harvey frequently says "um" while giving a
presentation, which is distracting to the listener). The
combination of disclosure and feedback can also help the person
discover more of his/her hidden potential; that unknown area
that neither party understands in isolation.
Information and Communication Technologies
A strong social network has been shown to improve employee
performance in that a worker who is able to seek timely advice
from colleagues will benefit from a broad knowledge pool.
One's reputation within such a network motivates a worker to
defend perceptions of his/her competence, and feedback
stimulates innovative problem solving. These dynamics have
transferred to online social networking. Much face-to-face
interaction has given way to technology-based modes of
15. communication. The office memo has been almost entirely
replaced by email, and employees can access forms and policy
statements from the company Web site rather than encounter
someone from human resources. Internal "ticketing" systems
allow queries to find those best able to respond without the
query poster having to personally track down the right parties.
Online communications provide documentation of
conversations, which is more reliable than memory or
notetaking. Such documentation, however, has also been
problemmatic for employees who regard their conversations as
private and do not practice discretion. Companies in litigation
may have their email records subpoenaed.
Terms & Concepts
Active Listening: An approach to improving communication in
which the receiver of the message attempts to better understand
the message being transmitted, formulates a response based on
this understanding, and responds in a way that clarifies the
message.
Body Language: The communication of thoughts or feelings
through physical expression such as posture, gesture, facial
expression, or other movements. Body language may reinforce
or contradict the verbal message being given by the person.
Communication Barriers: Anything that hinders the
unambiguous transmission and reception of a message between
two persons trying to communicate. Communication barriers
include different perceptions of a situation, filtering, language,
jargon, and ambiguity.
Culture: The basic shared assumptions, beliefs, norms, and
values held by a group of people. These may be either
consciously or unconsciously held.
Diversity Training: A training program designed to help
employees to deal with persons from a different culture more
effectively through an understanding of their values,
assumptions, and communication styles. Diversity training can
be used to help employees preparing to work with a different
culture or for employees within a culturally diverse workplace
16. to better understand each other.
Feedback: Information a person receives about his/her behavior
or its consequences.
Filtering: The process of eliminating or reducing the amount of
certain types of information (negative or emotionally-charged
information) from a communication.
Jargon: Technical language, acronyms, specialized language, or
other words or phrases that are unique -- or uniquely interpreted
-- to a given group or organization that are not in wide
acceptance outside that group.
Johari Window: A model of interpersonal communication that
encourages the use of disclosure and feedback to decrease
communication barriers and increase open communication.
Nonverbal Communication: Communication that does not use
words (is not written or spoken). Nonverbal communication
includes gestures, facial expression, tone of voice, body
language, posture, dress, and spatial distance from the other
person.
Organizational Culture: The set of basic shared assumptions,
values, and beliefs that affect the way employees act within an
organization.
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communication. Business Communication, 68 (4), 429-456.
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Landy, F. J. & Conte, J. M. (2004). Work in the 21st century:
An introduction to industrial and organizational psychology.
Boston: McGraw Hill.
McShane, S. L. & Von Glinow, M. A.. (2003). Organizational
behavior: Emerging realities for the workplace revolution (2nd
ed). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
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performance: The role of online and offline workplace
communication networks. MIS Quarterly, 37(3), 695-A3.
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Couzins, M. & Beagrie, S. (2004, Nov 30). How to… produce
powerful business writing. Personnel Today, 21. Retrieved April
5, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source
Complete.
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=true&db=bth&AN=15414237&site=bsi-live
DeKay, S. H. (2012). Interpersonal Communication in the
Workplace: A Largely Unexplored Region. Business
Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 449-452. Retrieved November
5, 2014, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source
19. Complete.
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Nicoll, D. C. (1994). Acknowledge and use your grapevine.
Management Decision, 32(6), 25-30. Retrieved April 5, 2007,
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~~~~~~~~
20. Essay by Ruth A. Wienclaw, Ph.D.
Dr. Wienclaw holds a Doctorate in industrial/organizational
psychology with a specialization in organization development
from the University of Memphis. She is the owner of a small
business that works with organizations in both the public and
private sectors, consulting on matters of strategic planning,
training, and human/systems integration.
Copyright of Communications in the Workplace -- Research
Starters Business is the property of Great Neck Publishing and
its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or
posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express
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American Accent
3-1 Discussion: Interpersonal Communications in the Workplace
As I was reading Communication in the Workplace, I couldn’t
stop thinking and laughing at the same time, of all the
communication humor pointed out in the article. Some form of
21. communication identified I associate with was called street
corner talk, which was only understood by those that were just
hanging out in the neighborhood or part of the social circle. As
I start to write this post, I can provide a few that comes to mind,
and unless one my age or older would not be able to associate
the meaning. Here are some of the words used during my
younger years in HS, growing up in NYC: Bad (awesome) Bread
(Money) crash (going to bed) dig (understand, and many other
including some that cant be written in this post. These were
Jargons, I grew up with back in the 1960. It is no different than
the way we communicate today. Just about everyone prefers
texting than calling a person, one also uses letter which have
some meaning, for instance LOL, The Communications in the
Workplace article, by Ruth Wienclaw, the concepts presented I
could associate some to my own experiences in the workplace. I
will address my experience on the workplace diversity and
cultural employees background. I started working as a staffing
consultant for a national healthcare organization, covering
several regions which included Florida, Texas, Oklahoma,
Kansas, Arizona, and Washington State. In South Florida I
walked into one of the local facilities lacking personnel to fully
staff the place. South Florida is composed of diverse people
from countries with different cultural habits. To give a little
more detail, the facility had the highest turnover in the division,
meeting attendance was almost none, Communication among the
22. employees was almost none, except 10 minutes to do med count
during shift change. meetings, communication was posted in the
employee board, expected to be read by employees. No one
volunteers to stay for meetings as their assumption was that the
company will not pay for them to attend meetings after hours.
The Languages most spoken, are Spanish and creole. Oh,
another finding, HR person had no HR background, was payroll
and accounts payable clerk, promoted to HR. First, we must
solve the communication problems to keep employees, it was
suggested to have a translator at each meeting to pass on the
information in their native language, do the same in employee
boards.
Listen to employee complains and input to establish a better
relationship with leaders, being transparent to gain trust and
increase morale and improve performance.
According to the assigned article, in order “to communicate
effectively, both parties need to speak the same language and
use words that clearly say what is meant” (Wienclaw, 2013). If
language or verbal communication is a barrier in the workplace,
it becomes extremely difficult to build an efficient and
successful strategy to keep business going in the right direction.
Furthermore, some “sources of miscommunication include the
degree to which the vocabulary (professional, technical, or
general) of the two persons is shared, differences in their
23. assumptions and expectations, and their relative skill at forming
and decoding messages” (Wienclaw, 2013). I believe these
statements are well defined and portray significant barriers to
building effective communication within a company. In the
story I described an example, the facility Administrator most
likely assumed that all employees hired were fluent in the
English language and trusted the HRM to pass on information to
the stakeholders in a clear and concise manner, and
communicate in every possible way so employees can
understand the message. Without being able to properly
understand the leaders, it not only cost the company, but it
formed a negative relationship between a location managers and
stakeholders I also think that HR would have been properly
trained to communicate with employees, it could have prevented
some of the turnover. Ineffective communication, both
internally and externally, must be analyzed and improved for an
organization to be successful. Language barriers to
communication can truly damage a company if they are not
properly prevented to stakeholders
References
24. Managing Through Communication. McGraw-Hill Create.
VitalBook file.
Wienclaw, R. A. (2013). Communications in the
Workplace. Research Starters: Business
(Online Edition). Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true
&db=ers&AN=89163589&site=eds-live&scope=site