Industrial/ Organizational Psychology
Chapter 11: Organizational Communication Reviewer
Aamondt
Types of Organizational Communication
Upward communication
 communication of subordinates to superiors
or of employees to managers
 Ideally, employees speak directly to
management in an environment with an
“open door” policy
 Serial communication
o the message is relayed from an
employee to her supervisor, and so
on until the message reaches the
top
o MUM (minimize unpleasant
messages) effect – It negatively
affects the organization by keeping
important information from
reaching the upper levels
o Proximity
 Attitude surveys
o usually conducted annually by an
outside consultant who administers
a questionnaire asking employees
to rate their opinions on such
factors as satisfaction with pay,
working conditions, and supervisors
o Employees are also given the
opportunity to list complaints or
suggestions that they want
management to read
 Focus Groups and Exit Interviews
o which an outside consultant meets
with groups of current employees
to get their opinions and
suggestions
o Exit interviews with employees
voluntarily leaving an organization
also provide an excellent source of
information
 Suggestion Boxes
o they allow employees to
immediately communicate their
feelings in an anonymous fashion.
o Suggestion boxes provide a safe
voice for subordinates and
customers, and essential feedback
to the organization as well
 Third-Party Facilitators
o responsible for taking employee
complaints and suggestions and
personally working with
management to find solutions
Downward Communication
 It is considered a key method not only of
keeping employees informed but of
communicating vital information needed by
employees to perform their jobs.
 Such communication can be accomplished
in many ways, including bulletin boards,
policy manuals, newsletters, and intranets
Business Communication
 the transmission of business-related
information among employees,
management, and customers.
 Business communication methods include
memos, telephone calls, and email and
voice mail
Informal Communication
 informal information is transmitted through
the grapevine
o The communication across these
lines was often distorted
o They are common because they
provide employees with
information, power, and
entertainment
o Four grapevine patterns:
 single strand
 gossip
 probability
 cluster
 Three categories of employees:
o Isolates were employees who
received less than half of the
information
o Liaisons were employees who both
received most of the information
and passed it on to others
o dead-enders were those who heard
most of the information but seldom
passed it on to other employees
 The grapevine contains two types of
information:
o Gossip
 Primarily about individuals
and the content of the
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 message lacks significance o Empathic listening
to the people gossiping o Nonconforming listening
o Rumour
 contains information that is Improving Employee Communication Skills
significant to the lives of Interpersonal Communication Skills
those communicating the  One of the most common methods
message, and can be about used is the training workshop
individuals or other topics conducted by an outside consultant
Written Communication Skills
Interpersonal Communication  Attempts to improve the quality of
 involves the exchange of a message across a written communication have generally
communication channel from one person to taken two paths.
another o One concentrates on improving
Problem Area 1: Intended Message Versus the writer’s skills, and
Message Sent o The other concentrates on
 Interpersonal communication problems can making material easier to read.
occur when the message a person sends is  Improving Writing
not the message she intended  Readability
 There are three solutions to this problem:
o thinking about what you want to
communicate
o practicing what you want to
communicate
o learning better communication skills.
Problem Area 2: Message Sent Versus Message
Received
 Even though an individual knows what she
wants to say and says it exactly as she
planned, many factors affect how that
message is received.
Problem Area 3: Message Received Versus
Message Interpreted
 Even though a person knows exactly the
intended message, and the receiver
receives the intended message, its meaning
can change depending on the way in which
the receiver interprets the message.
 this interpretation is affected by a variety of
factors, such as:
o listening skills
o listening style
o emotional state
o cognitive ability
o personal biases.
Styles of Listening
 Attitudinal Listening Profile
o Leisure listening
o Inclusive listening
o Stylistic listening
o Technical listening