CHAPTER 5: COMMUNICATION

What is Communication?
- Communication may be defined as the transfer of information including
feelings, and ideas, from one person to another. The goal of
communication is to have receiver understand the message as it was
intended. The transfer process, however, is affected by a number of
factors that either help or hinder the message.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

 Without communication, organization cannot exist. It is through
communication that the individual members of the organization will know
important concerns such as:

1. What their organization is

2. What objectives their organization wants to achieve
3. What their roles are in achieving the organizations objectives
4. How they will achieve those objectives
5. Who the individual members of the organization are

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication is a two way process in which a sender reaches a receiver

with a message. There is a need for people in organization to have
knowledge of the communication process, and it is the first step to make it
effective. There are six components of an effective communication. They are
the following;
1. SENDER
2. MESSAGE
3. CHANNEL
4. RECEIVER
5. FEEDBACK
6. THE ENVIRONMENT

THE SENDER
A communication source or sender is a person who makes the attempt to
send a message which could be spoken, written, in sign language, or
nonverbal to another person or group of persons. The degree of attention the
message will receive will depend on the perceived authority and experience
of a sender.

THE MESSAGE
The message is a purpose or an idea to be conveyed in a communication
event. The message is the actual physical product as a result of encoding
Thus, when speaking, the speech is the message; when writing, the
movements of the arms and the expressions on faces are the message.

HOW THE MESSAGE IS RECEIVED IS INFLUENCED BY THE

FOLLOWING FACTORS:

1. Clarity of the message

2. Alertness of the receiver
3. Complexity and length of the message
4. How the information is organized

THE CHANNEL
The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It consist of
various types which are as follows:

Face to face
Telephone and cellphones
E-mail
Written memos and letters
Posted notes
Bulletins
TYPES OF CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

THE RECEIVER
The person receiving a message is the receiver. He must interpret and
understand the message. In doing so, however, he will be influenced by
factors like his age, gender, beliefs, past experiences, cultural influences,
and his individuals needs.

THE FEEDBACK
Feedback refers to the process of communicating how one feels about
something another person has done or said. When a supervisor calls his
subordinates over the phone and asks" how are you getting along with our
new recruits? " the answer is actually a feedback, could be " I think we made
a mistake in recruiting these people"

THE ENVIRONMENT
The environment refers to the circumstances in which messages are
transmitted and received. In an environment of trust are transmitted and
received. In an environment of trust and confidence, messages are easily
transmitted even if these messages are easily transmitted even if this
messages are controversial. The advantages of this type of environment is
that management is provided with the opportunity to address a problem
before it develops into a full-blown concern.
THE NOISE
Noise refers to anything that disrupts communication, including the attitude
and emotions of the receiver. Noise includes loud, music, the feeling about a
sick relative, children playing in the background, and many others.

BASIC METHODS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Three basics methods which consist of the following:
 VERBAL
 WRITTEN
 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Verbal communication is major means of sending messages, It includes one
on one meetings, speeches, grapevine, telephone, departmental or
interdepartmental meetings, presentations, and the like.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Written communication include memos, notice-boards, and letters to staff,
emails, faxes, internal newspaper, and instant messaging.

The advantages of written communication are the following:

1. It is formal and authoritative;
2. It provides a permanent record of what have been said;
3. It provides a document useful for legal purposes;
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION IS NOT APPROPRIATE WHEN:
1. The receiver needs to ask question or seek clarification
2. More discussion is needed before facts are established
3. A friendly an d informal atmosphere is needed

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Communication that takes place through facial expressions, body
movements, eye contact, and other physical gesture is referred to as
nonverbal communication. This type of communication reveals what the
sender really mean or thinking.
For example, when we see a person inside a restaurant taking his meal and
we noticed that his eyes are gleaming, we can safely presume that he is
enjoying what he is eating.

COMMONLY ACCEPTED INTERPRETATIONS OF VARIOUS FORMS OF

BODY LANGUAGE:
FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Information function
2. Motivation function
3. Control function
4. Emotive function

Information function – communication provides information needed in

decision making.

Motivation function – communication is a means use to encourage

commitment to organizational objectives.

Control function – communication clarifies duties, authority, and

responsibilities, thereby permitting control.

Emotive function – communication permits the expression of feeling and

the satisfaction of social

Basic goals of effective communication

1. To gain goodwill
2. To inquire
3. To inform
4. To persuade

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
1. Filtering 6. Communication apprehension
2. Selective perception 7. Absence of feedback
3. Information overload 8. Physical separation
4. Emotions 9. Lack of credibility
5. Language
of the sender

Filtering - refers to the manipulation of information so that is will be seen

more favorably by the receiver.

Selective perception - receivers selectively see and hear messages based

on their needs, motivations, experience, background, and other personal
characteristics.
Information overload - refers to the condition in which information inflow
exceeds an individual's processing capacity.
Emotions - the receiver's feelings affect his ability to understand any
message sent to him.

Language-words do not always mean the same thing to different people.

Communication apprehension - refers to the undue tension and anxiety

about oral communication, written communication, or both.

Absence of feedback - does not provide the sender the opportunity to

correct misimpressions about the message sent. Without feedback, the
sender will not know if the message was receive at all.

Physical separation - refers to interferences to effective communication

occurring in the environment where the communication is undertaken.
Physical barriers like:

1. distances between people

4. an intimidating person posted near the door
2. walls
5. wrong timing
3. an office that is not conducive to communication

Lack of credibility of the sender - depending on the credibility of the

sender, messages can get through the channel to the receiver. If the sender
has low credibility, the message, even if it gets through, will likely be ignored.
This is a type of barrier that should be overcome by leaders of organization.

KINDS OF COMMUNICATION FLOW

1. DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
2. UPWARD COMMUNICATION
3. HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

Downward communication
Communication refers to message flows from higher levels their purposes
are:

1. To give instructions
2. To provide information about policies and procedures
3. To give feedback about performances
4. To indoctrinate or motivate.

Various techniques used in downward communication are:

1. letters, meetings, and the telephone or cell phone.
2. Manuals
3. Handbooks
4. newsletters

Upward communication
Refers to the messages form the lower level in the organization to higher
positions. Purposes are:

1. to provide feedback to higher-ups

2. to inform higher-ups of progress towards goals
3. to relay current problems

Techniques used in upward communication are:

1. Performance reports 4. open-door policy

2. Suggestion systems 5. Exit interviews
3. Informal gripe sessions

Horizontal communication
Refers to messages sent to individuals or groups from another of the same
organizational level or position. Its purposes are:

1. To coordinate activities between departments

2. To persuade others at the same level of organization
3. To pass on information about activities or feelings.

The techniques appropriate for horizontal communication are:

1. memos 3. Picnics
2. Telephones or cell phones 4. Dinners and other social affairs.

Improving communication in organization

1. The message should be improved so it could be easily understood

2. The receiver must improve his skill in understanding the messages sent to
Him.

COMMUNICATION
- is an essential element of organizations.
- without communication, organizations cannot exist
CHAPTER 6: ESSENTIAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL
BEHAVIOR
Motivating by Changing the Work Environment: JCM
Job characteristics model: jobs are described in terms of five core
dimensions:
 Skill variety
 Task identity
 Task significance
 Autonomy
 Feedback

The Job Characteristics Model

JCM: Designing Motivational Jobs

 JCM-designed jobs give internal rewards
 Individual's growth needs are moderating factors
 Motivating jobs must be
o Autonomous
o Provide feedback
o Have at least one of the three meaningfulness factors
How Can Jobs Be Redesigned?

Job Rotation – The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to

another.
Job Enrichment – Increasing the degree to which the worker controls the
planning, execution and evaluation of the work.

GUIDELINES FOR ENRICHING A JOB USING JCM

Alternative Work Arrangements

 Flextime
Some discretion over when worker starts and leaves
 Job Sharing
Two or more individuals split a traditional job
 Telecommuting
Work remotely at least two days per week

The Social and Physical Context of Work

 Social characteristics that improve job performance
 Interdependence
 Social support

Interactions with people outside the workplace

 Work context also affects performance
 Temperature
 Noise level
 Safety
Employee Involvement
 Employee involvement: A participative process that uses the input of
employees to increase their commitment to the organization's
success.
 Two types:
 Participative management
 Representative participation

Participative Management
 Participative management: Subordinates share a significant degree
of decision-making power with superiors
 Required conditions:
 Issues must be relevant
 Employees must be competent and knowledgeable
 All parties must act in good faith
 Only a modest influence on productivity, motivation, and job
satisfaction

Representative Participation
 Representative participation: Workers are represented by a small
group of employees who participate in decisions affecting personnel
 Works councils
 Board membership
 Redistribute power within an organization
 Does not appear to be very motivational

Rewarding Employees
Major strategic rewards decisions:
 What to pay employees
 How to pay individual employees
 What benefits to offer
 How to construct employee recognition programs

What to Pay
 Need to establish a pay structure
 Balance between:
 Internal equity – the worth of the job to the organization
 External equity – the external competitiveness of an
organization's pay relative to pay elsewhere in its industry
 A strategic decision with trade-offs
How to Pay: Variable-Pay Programs
 Bases a portion of the pay on a given measure of performance

 Piece-Rate Pay – workers are paid a fixed sum for each unit of
production completed
 Merit-Based Pay – pay is based on individual performance
appraisal ratings
 Bonuses – rewards employees for recent performance
 Skill-Based Pay – pay is based on skills acquired instead of job
title or rank - doesn't address the level of performance

More Variable Pay Programs

 Profit-Sharing Plans – organization-wide programs that distribute
compensation based on an established formula designed around
profitability
 Gainsharing – compensation based on sharing of gains from
improved productivity
 Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) – plans in which
employees acquire stock, often at below-market prices.
 While it appears that pay does increase productivity, it seems that
not everyone responds positively to variable-pay plans

What Benefit to Offer: Flexible Benefits

 Each employee creates a benefit package tailored to their own
needs and situation
o Modular plans – predesigned packages to meet the needs
of a specific group
o Core-plus plans – core of essential benefits and menu of
options to choose from
o Flexible spending plans – full choice from menu of options

How to Recognize Them: Employee Recognition Programs

 In addition to pay there are intrinsic rewards

 Can be as simple as a spontaneous comment
 Can be formalized in a program
 Recognition is the most powerful workplace motivator - and the least
expensive.