The sharing of information between two or more people to achieve a common understanding about an object or situation. Success occurs when the person receiving the message understands it in the way the sender intended.
Communication process
Organizational Communication
- patterns of communication at the organizational level - formal & informal
- purpose to facilitate achievement of organizational goals
- involves the use of communication networks, policies & structures
Communication
- Two-way communication - includes feedback and exchange of information between two or more parties
- One-way communication - communication that does not include feedback
Communication Networks
Direction of Organizational Communication
Interpersonal Communication
Direct verbal or nonverbal interaction between two or more active participants
Communication Media
Richness depends on:
- the availability of feedback
- the use of multiple cues
- the use of effective language
- the extent to which the communication has a personal focus
Face-to-face is the richest medium
Nonverbal Communication
Communication that takes place without using language, such as facial expressions or body language
- body language
- paralanguage (tone & pitch of voice, use of silence)
- gestures
- attitude
- lying
Barriers to Effective Communication
Organizational Barriers:
- information overload - receiving more information than can be reasonably processed
- time pressures - in most organizations work needs to be done under deadlines
- speciality area jargon - one problem in large, complex organizations concerns the proliferation of specialists.
- cross-cultural barriers - lack of language fluency and lack of cultural fluency
- noise - disrupts communication/distorts the message
- network breakdowns - because so much information flows through those networks
- information distortion - intentional (competition between work units in an organization for scarce resources in their operating budgets) OR unintentional (various problems or because of perceptual differences)
Individual Barriers:
- differing perceptions - caused by differing frames of reference. Our expectations or frames of reference can influence how we recall and interpret information
- status differences - organizations create status differences through titles, offices, and support resources, but individuals attribute meaning to these differences.
- personal space - differs by gender and across cultures
- semantic differences - refers to the meaning people attach to symbols, such as words & gestures. the same words may have different meanings to different people
- consideration of self-interest - often, information provided by a person is used to assess his or her performance. People may provide incomplete data, selecting only information that is in their own best interests.
- poor listening skills - a frequent problem in communication rests not with the sender but with the receiver
*Managers spend more than 50% of their time in verbal communication, and some researchers estimate that they spend as much as 85% of this time talking.
Communication Audit
Analysis of an organization's internal and external communication to assess communication practices and capabilities and determine needs
Recommended Audit Methodology:
- Hold a planning meeting - approach and commitment
- Conduct interviews with top management
- Collect, inventory, and analyze material
- Conduct associate interviews
- Prepare and administer a questionaire to measure attitudes toward communication
- Communicate towards survey results
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