CHAPTER
WHAT COMMUNICATING IS
WHAT COMMUNICATING IS
Morris Philip Wolf and Shirley uiperMorris Philip Wolf and Shirley uiper
de!ne communication as "
de!ne communication as " a processa process of sharing information through
of sharing information through symbols inclu!ing "or!s an! symbols inclu!ing "or!s an! message#
message#
Communication may happen #et$eenCommunication may happen #et$een
superior and su#
superior and su#ordinate% #et$eeordinate% #et$eenn
peers% #et$een a manager and a client peers% #et$een a manager and a client or customer% #et$een an employee and or customer% #et$een an employee and a go&ernment representati&e'
WHAT COMMUNICATING IS
WHAT COMMUNICATING IS
Morris Philip Wolf and Shirley uiperMorris Philip Wolf and Shirley uiper
de!ne communication as "
de!ne communication as " a processa process of sharing information through
of sharing information through symbols inclu!ing "or!s an! symbols inclu!ing "or!s an! message#
message#
Communication may happen #et$eenCommunication may happen #et$een
superior and su#
superior and su#ordinate% #et$eeordinate% #et$eenn
peers% #et$een a manager and a client peers% #et$een a manager and a client or customer% #et$een an employee and or customer% #et$een an employee and a go&ernment representati&e'
()*CTI+*S +(
()*CTI+*S +(
C+MM)*ICATI+*
C+MM)*ICATI+*
Information functionInformation function
information pro&ided through information pro&ided through
communication may #e used for decision, communication may #e used for decision, ma-ing at &arious $or- le&els in the
ma-ing at &arious $or- le&els in the organi.ation'
organi.ation'
Moti&ation functionMoti&ation function
Communication is also oftentimes Communication is also oftentimes used as a means to moti&ate employees to used as a means to moti&ate employees to commit themsel&es to the organi.ation/s commit themsel&es to the organi.ation/s o#0ecti&es'
Control function
When properly communicated% reports% policies% and plans de!ne roles% clarify duties% Authorities and
responsi#ilities'
Emoti&e function
$hen feelings are repressed in the organi.ation% employees are a1ected #y an2iety% $hich% in turn% a1ects
The communication
process
S E N D E R Develops idea encodes R E C E I V E R Who Receives message decodes Accept or reject then transmit message to Then provides the feedback to S
$e%elop an i!ea
The most important step in
e1ecti&e communication is de&eloping an idea' It is important that the idea into
$ords% illustrations% !gures% or other sym#ols suita#le for transmission'
Transmit
After encoding% the message is
no$ ready for transmission through the use of an appropriate communication channel'
&ecei%e
The ne2t step is the communication process is the actual recei&ing of the
$eco!e
The ne2t step% decoding% means
translating the message from the sender into a form that $ill ha&e meaning to the
Accept
The ne2t step is for the recei&er to accept or re0ect the message' Sometimes% acceptance or re0ection is partial'
use
The ne2t step is for the recei&er to use
the information' If the message pro&ides information of importance to a rele&ant acti&ity% then the recei&er could store it and retrie&e it $hen re3uired'
Pro&ide
feed#ac- The last step in the communication process is for the recei&er to pro&ide
'orms of
( ma)or forms
*erbal
*erbal communications
are those transmitted through
hearing or sight' This mode of transmission categori.es &er#al communication into t$o classes4 oral and $ritten
Oral communication mostly in&ol&es hearing the $ords of the sender
Written communication% ho"e%er has limitations an! to reme!y these some means are !e%ise!+
*on&er#al communication
is a means of con&eying message through the #ody language'
THE 5ARRIERS T+
C+MM)*ICATI+*
*arious factors may impe!e the e,cient -o" of communication+ Any or all of these factors may at any
point !erail the process+ .%en if the channel transmits the message the timing an! the meaning of the
message may be a/ecte! by the factors+
The barriers to
communication may be
classi0e! generally as
Personal #arriers
are hin!rances to e/ecti%e communication arising from a
communicator1s characteristics as a person such as emotion %alues poor listening habits se2 age race socio
economic status religion e!ucation etc+
Physical #arriers
refer to interferences to e/ecti%e communication occurring in the
en%ironment "here the communication is un!erta3en+
Semantic 5arriers
is the stu!y of meaning as
e2presse! as symbol+ Wor!s pictures or actions are symbols that suggest
certain meanings+ When the recei%er has chosen the "rong meaning
misun!erstan!ing occurs+ Such error
+VERC+MI*6 5ARRIERS T+
C+MM)*ICATI+*
When communication barriers
threaten e/ecti%e performance certain measures must be institute! to eliminate them+ To eliminate problems !ue to noise selecti%e perception an! !istraction the follo"ing are recommen!e!4
Use fee!bac3 to facilitate
un!erstan!ing an! increase the potential for appropriate action+
&epeat messages in or!er to pro%i!e
assurance that they are properly recei%e!+
Use multiple channels so that the
accuracy of the information may be enhance!+
Use simpli0e! language that is
easily un!erstan!able an! "hich
eliminates the possibility of people getting mi2e!5up "ith meanings+
TECHNIQUES FOR COUNIC!TIN" IN OR"!NI#!TIONS
Communicating may #e classi!ed as to the types of 7o$ of the message
$hich are as follo$s do$n$ard% up$ard or hori.ontal' Each of the types of the
message 7o$ has its o$n purposes and techni3ues'
Downward Communication
8o$n$ard communication refers to
message 7o$s from higher le&els of authority to lo$er le&els' Among the
purposes of do$n$ard communication are' 9' to gi&e instructions
;' to pro&ide information a#out policies and procedures
<' to gi&e feed#ac- a#out performance
Up$ard comm%nication &o$n$ard comm%nication Concerns Concerns
-problems and exceptions - implementation of goals, strategies and objectives -suggestions for improvement - job instruction and
rationa'e
-performance reports - procedures and practice - financial and accounting - performance feedback
HORIO!"#$ CO%%&!IC#"IO! Concern'
interdepartmental coordination
intradepartmental pro#lem,sol&ing sta1 de&ice to the departments
Up$ard Comm%nication
Refers to messages from persons in lo$er,le&el positions to persons in higher positions' The messages sent usually
pro&ide information on $or- progress% pro#lems encountered% suggestions for impro&ing output% and personal feelings a#out $or- and non,$or- acti&ities'
Formal Grievance Procedures.
6rie&ances are part of a normally
operating organi.ation' To e1ecti&ely deal
$ith them% organi.ations pro&ide a system for employees to air their grie&ances'
Employee Attitude and opinion surveys.
(inding out $hat the employees thin- a#out the company is &ery important'
The e2ercise% ho$e&er% re3uires e2pertise and the company may not #e prepared to do it' If the organi.ation/s operation is large enough to 0ustify such acti&ity% then it must #e done'
Suggestion systems
Suggestions from employees are
important sources of cost,sa&ing and production enhancing ideas' E&en if ma0ority of the
suggestions are not feasi#le% a simple means of ac-no$ledging them contri#utes to employee morale'
Open door policy
An open,door policy e&en of a limited #asis% pro&ides the management $ith an
opportunity to act on di>culties #efore they #ecome full,#lo$n pro#lems'
Informal Gripe Sessions
Can #e used positi&ely if
management -no$s ho$ to handle them' When employees feel free to tal- and they are assured of not #eing penali.ed for
doing so% then management $ill #e spared $ith lots of e1orts determining the real
Task Forces
When a speci!c pro#lem or issue arises% a tas- force may #e created and assigned to deal $ith the pro#lem or
issue' Since mem#ership of tas- forces consists of management and
Exit interviews
When employees lea&e an
organi.ation for any reason% it is to the ad&antage of management to -no$ the real person'
Hori(onta' comm%nication
Refers to message sent to
indi&iduals or groups from another of the same organi.ation le&el or position'
"(e purposes of (ori)ontal communication are*
to coordinate acti&ities #et$een
departments
to persuade others at the same le&el of
organi.ation
to pass on information a#out acti&ities
or
%#!#+%!" I!OR%#"IO! ./."%
is de!ned #y 5oone and urt. as "an organi.ed method of pro&iding past% present% and pro0ected information on
internal operations and e2ternal
"(e 0urposes of %I.
The MIS is esta#lished for
&arious reasons' Wheelen and Hunger enumerate them as follo$s4
To pro&ide a #asis for the analysis of early $arning signals that can originate #oth
eternally and internally'
To automate routine clerical operations li-e payroll and in&entory reports'
to assist managers in ma-ing routine
decisions li-e scheduling orders% assigning orders to machines% and reordering supplies' to pro&ide the information necessary for
management to ma-e strategic or nonprogrammed decisions'
