COMMUNICATION CHAPTER | INTRODUCTION Meaning ‘Communication is a process by which all forms of information are transferred from one person to the other. So, for the communication to take place there must be some information to be conveyed and there must bbe two or more persons — one to deliver the message and the other to receive it. Communication is sald tobe perfect, only when the receiver understands itn the sense the sender expected him to understand. Dale S.Beach defines communication as “the transter of information and understanding from person to person.' According to McFarland communication is, “a process of meaningfut interaction among human beings. ‘More specifically itis the process by which meanings are perceived and understandings are reached among human beings* ‘Scott and others define communication as “a process involving the transmission and accurate replication of ideas reinforced by feedback purporting to stimulate actions to accomplish organizational goals.* Purposes of Communication in HRM ‘The purposes of communication in human resource management include: © Communication is needed to exchange the ideas, opinions, information etc. with the colleagues, superiors, subordinates, customers, public ote ¢ Communication is needed for designing jobs and human resource planning. ‘¢ Employee orientation and socialization programmes become possible mostly through communication. © Recruitment and selection functions are performed through communication by persuading the prospective employees to apply forajob, knowing the skis and knowledge of he prospective employees. Employees performance is evaluated by getting information, opinions and ratings from the superiors, subordinates, and employers. ‘¢Almostallthe process of training and exocutive development are carried out through the communication process. infact, most ofthe training and development are done through teaching and leaming processes ‘¢ Employees ventilate their griovances to their superiors through communication. Superiors also redress the employee grievances and deal the disciplinary cases through communication. TTS‘Gommunication «Collective bargaining process is mostly carried out through communication roves ‘of exchanging the ‘demands, offering proposals and counter proposals etc. «+ Participative managements successful through effective communication Procoss importance of Communication Communication is importantin the organization for three reasons. First allthe functions of management such as planning, organizing, leading and controling involve the act of communication without which they srnnot be performed at all, Second, managers devote @ maior portion of their time to the activity of _Revehor rot N 2 N eZ t Ss LY Decoding |e—frransmission fe] Encoding (Source: Modified Version from Moorhead & Galfin,op.cit,»:264,) | {@ Decoding: When the channel brings the message to the receiver he interprets the message and translates it into information that is meaningful to him. (@ Receiver: Receiveris a person who has o perceive the meaning of the message i Hs PRESS sense. ‘olV{4 the receiver does not receive the message we can say that the communication has not taken place at all. ing | | (Feedback: Allthat helps the sender to know what and how the receiver understood the message is \called feedback. This is important for effective communication. Better foedback always results in better ‘Communication. Without feedback, the communication process fs not said tobe complete, MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (Mls) AND: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Management information system isa formal method of making avaliable to managemert accurate and smely information necessary to facitae the decision-making process and enable the ‘organisation's planning, —ontrol and operational functions to be carried-out effectively. ‘Management information systems do nothave to y Wh computerized. But the number of computor based information systems has grown ‘exponentially during the 2025}ast two decades. “Aninformation system isa sot of organized procedures which when executed, provides information 6 19.20 ypport decision-making. Communication through computers and electronic media play a vital role in management communications revolution brought significant changes in the communication modes 1. Lehformation systems. Tele nd channels. the "etecommunications Tolecommunications is closely related to management information system. Computers and cor munipations closely interact with each other and make the communication fast, direct and cheap, This ofan resulted telecommuting. Telecommuting reters to home-cur-oflees. Iidoes mean that performing arm olfice work including product design at home and communicate the same to the office through local-area- 3r90@stwork or Intranet. ‘ors’ The important modes of telecommunication include ‘e-mail, video-conferences, local-area-network, intranet sJoctiag internet (e00 Box 20.1). These miodes resulted in efficient organizational communication.Personnel and Human Resource Management Ce Oe UC Co ed ‘The purpose of the intranets Is for employees in different parts of a company to share information. For example, at Ford ‘Motor, an intranet links engineering and design centres in the United States, Europe, and Asia; it was used to help design the ‘new Taurus, which Ford introduced in 1996. At VISA International intranets provide member banks with instant customer data, fraud alerts, and information on marketing Issues; previously, this information had only been available in huge quarterly manuals. ‘The use of Intranets arose because many companies found that although project teams in various paris of the world were making progress in research, testing, product development, marketing promotions, and other areas, each team ‘seemed to be reinventing everything for itself each time it did a project. They needed a way to share their work with othor divisions so they would not make the same mistakes, which was increasing development times and slowing down a company’s response to the market. They are finding that a series of intranets within the company allows instant information sharing across organizational units. Use of intranets slashses development times and gives the company a chance to respond to important market segments. In one example of intranet use, Exxon Chemical Company needed a computer software tool to help it blend typicel off the-shalf software with its custom software throughout its operations. It had spent months looking for help and expected development to take up to eighteen months. A French computer service company, CAP Gemini Sogeti, explained the problem over its intranet to its seventeen thousand software engineers. Within forty-eight hours CAP Gemini had the ‘solution, which they implemented in three weeks to solve Exxon’s problem. CAP Gemini reports that thelr project time has been cut in halt and that bids are presented faster because the intranet keeps designers from repeating the samo work on differont projects, Sources: Gail Edmondson, “One Electronic SOS Clinched the Deal,” Business Week, February 26, 1996, p.83; Amy Cortese, “Updates? Just a Mouse Click Away,” Business Week, February 26, 1996, p.84: Ainy Cortese, “Here Comes the Intranet” Cre een et ee or ae ee ay Sea ee cee : Information technology brought revolutionary changes in the communication process and media through Electronic Mail (E-Mail). Electronic mail has been becoming the common method of communication not only inthe general society but also in the corporate world. Computers are connected either by telephone lines or by fiber optic cable for the purpose of e-mail and internet. E-mail provides flexibility, fastness and convenience in communicating even with the large number of employees. Many organisations find it easy to send circulars to the employees through e-mail. In fact e-mail is used for sending applications, organizing interview call letters in the employment process. But e-mail causes privacy problems (see Exhibit 20.2). Hence, companies formulate ‘communication policy. Exhibit 20.3 presents a model employee communication policy. Exhibit | AMODEL EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION POLICY 20.2 ‘Because many organizations do not have explicit policies about communication, employees do not know what levels of privacy thay can expect. The following points represent what many experts consider the basic features of a good electronic ivacy communication policy | + Employees are snilled to reasonable expections of personal privacy on the job = Employees know what electronic survellance tools are used, and how management uses the collected data, = Management uses electronic monitoring or searches of data files, network communications, or electronic ‘mail to tho minimum extent possible. continuous monitoring is not permitted, = Employees participate in decisions about how and when electronic monitoring or searches take place. * Data are gathered and used only for clearly defined work-related purposes. = Management will not engage in secret monitoring or searches, excopt when credible evidence of criminal activity or other serious wrongdoing comes to light, ‘= Monitoring data will not be the sole factor in evaluating employee performance.Communication Ea activities or files captured «= Employees can inspceet, challenge, and correct electronic records kept on th through electronic means. «= Records no longer relevant to the purposes for whieh they were collected will be destroyed, 1s Monitoring data that identily individual employees will not be released to any third part, except to comply ‘will legal requirements. «Employees or prospective employees cannot waive privacy rights. «= Managers who violate these privacy principles are subject to discipline or termination. (Source: From “Bosses with X-ray Eyes” by Chares Piller in MACWORLD, July 1993, p.121.) | ORAL, WRITTEN AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Oral Communication Oral communication is also called verbal communication. It is considered to be the earliest common medium of communication. Speech is widely adapted tool in oral communication. Human relations is the fundamental element in this communication (See 80x 20.2). Pere ta are icin uaa daca ‘MicFaju, tho Managing Director of Satyam Computers communicated the routine issues of the communication orally to the first level managers. In fact, he encourages the first level managers also to communicate orally with him in order to avoid delay in the flow of information. Principles of effective oral communication include clarity of the message, brevity of the message, choosing precise and most appropriate words, sequence of the message, avoiding use ot jargons etc. ‘Techniques of oral communication include maintenance of friendly atmosphere. Using the personal greetings, showing appreciation, showing personal interest, opening of speech with smile, making the listeners feetimportant, showing empathy towards listeners, using appropriate language, appropriate personal appearance, taking care to see that actions wor't contradict words, use of aids, using sense of humour ete. ‘Advantages of oral communication: « It saves time and cost; e Itis effective media; « Easy to understand the message due to the possibility of two-way communication; « Effectiveness of communication can be measured immediately; « It can be used in emergency situations; « involves accuracy and speed; « Various mechanical devices can be used and e Proper control and supervision Despite these advantages, oral communication suffers from various disadvantages. These are: « Itcan be disturbed by noise; « Secrecy and confidentiality can't be completely maintained: « Involvement of problem of Problem of record, and evidence; » Sometimes it anical devices, language; « Problem of t is costly. Written Communication “The primary important category of communication is writen communication. The process of communication involves sending message by written words. It covers all kind of subject-matters like notices, memos, minutes, prospectus etc. (See Box 20.3). PE nae eae acme rains amcor eek ‘The doctors and administrators of Super Speciality Hospitals Lid., prefer reports, memos and other forms of written ‘communication, in order to have accuracy of information and data.Personnel and Human Resource Management Essential “The essentials of written communications include: e Unity of writing the message. Itimplios a condition of, being one; « Coherence. Itis most essential for good communication. Clear communication in simple sentences helps the readerto understand; » Emphasis on a particular aspect; « Clarity of written message is mostimportant “The message should be correctly planned and expressed; « Completeness of the message with comprehensive coverage of subjective matter, « Avoiding jargons; « Conciseness; « Brevity; » Accuracy; and e Strength. Objectives: The objectives of written communication include: ¢ To provide the facility for further reference; 1s To have a record of evidence; « To measure the progress; « To provide necessary information on earlier activities and decisions; e To reduce mistakes and errors based on the earlier records; « To provide information for etfective decision-making; « To improve organizational efficiency; and e To meet the legal requirements ‘Advantages: The advantages of written communication are: « Influence of self-interest and attitude is minimum; « Written communication is more reliable and one can trust it; » Written communication does not suffer from the danger of being destroyed; eItis the best method of communication when the sender and the receiver of the message are located geographically far off places; It has capacity of being stored; « It is suitable for lengthy matters to be communicated; « itis useful where documentary work's involved: « It will not ‘carry rumour or gossip; e This method is useful when secrecy or confidentiality of matters are involved. Limitations: However, written communication suffers from some limitations. These limitations include: confusion and misinterpretation, absence of personal touch, absence of two way communication, absence of ‘grapevine, slow movement, absence of scope for interaction, absence of immediate feedback etc. Non-verbal Communication “Actions speak louder than words.” ‘We summon a bearer in restaurant with a signal of hand. We blink our eyes when we do not understand what the other person is talking about. We raise our left eyebrow indicating our surprise and disbelief. All hese actions are nothing but non-verbal communication. Communication can never be complete and effective without non-verbal communication (see Exhibit 20.3) HAND GESTURES MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: The A-OK Sign The “Hook’em Horns” Sign In the United States, this is just a friendly ‘Tis sign encourages University of Texas ‘Sign for “Alright” or "Good going.” In athistes, and it's @ good luck gesture ia ‘Australia and Islamic countries, it Brazil and Venezuela. In parts of Afica ‘equivalent to what genorations of high itis a curse, In aly, itis signating to ‘choo! sludants Know as “tipaing ‘another that *your spouse is boing the 040." unfaithful” “v" for Victory Sign Finger-Beckoning Sign In many paris of the world, his means “Ths sign means “come hero" inthe “ietory’ or "peace. n England, ifthe United States, In Malaysia, itis used palm and fingare face inward, t means ‘only for calling animals. In indonesia “Up yours” especially tf executed with ‘and Australia, fis used for beckoning an upward jrk of the fingers. “tadioe of the night” (Source; What's A.0.K. nthe U.S.A. Is Lewd and Worthless Beyond.” New York Times, August 18, 1996, p.E7. From Roger E.Axtell, GESTURES:The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World.)Communication Even before verbal communication was established, communication was on non-verbal. Communication ig most effective when the non-verbal communication exists along with that of verbal. Visual aids are always ‘considered better than audio aids. ‘Apart trom body language, non-verbal communication also include mode of dressing, physica distance maintained otc. These body movements are labelled as Kinesics’ which include gestures, facial configurations andother movements. Itis very important for Manager to observe the communication expressed through Kinesios apart from being attentive tothe verbal communication. For example, a good salesman can watch the spark of acceptance {rom the eyes of customer, at a particular rate of product and can stick on to it. itis also important to observe the emotional state ofthe other person which is expressed through facial expressions. If ho is Iaoking ahs wristwatch very often, it does mean that hei in a hurry and anxious to ond the meeting soon. An accountant, may outwardly accept to work aftr offic hours to mee! the overload but his. impationce would be obvious in his face. In such situations, itis wise to depend upon the non-verbal ommunication, Because the person who is in a hurry cannot concentrate on what you are talking and as such, communication is not effective Physical distance maintainedis also important in assessing the other person's attitude. But this changes from place to place depending upon the cultural norms. "For example, what s ‘Business like’ distance in some European countries would be viewed as ‘intimate’ in many parts of North America” Improving Non-verbal Effectiveness “The managers who read the non-verbal cues and behave accordingly in social situations, would become offcient and successful in communicating with the people. These managers have high emotional inteligence. Non-verbal communication can be improved through the following means: 4. Look at what is happening in the situation. 2. Considerthe discrepancies between the non-verbal behaviour and verbal statements. Non-verbal signals are correct rather than the verbal statements when there is discrepancy between them 43, Watch for subtleties in the non-verbal behaviour. The real smile can be easily diferentiated from a fake smile. Cultural diterences must be recognizedin non-verbal communication. The cultural ferences are influenced by sex. community, region, age ete. Employees in L&T Cement Factory respect the trade union joater who is 2 poitician rather than their boss. Employees in Bellary Steots and Aloys Ltd, never walkin front of thelr boss. People in aly and Eritrea, goneraly shake their hands with everyone. Japanese respect the elders, North tnalane touch the feet of the elders as a mark of respect, Punctuality in Spain is taken seriously, only when attending a bultight. | COMMUNICATION CHANNEL AND NETWORK Information must low faster than ever before in modem organisations, Even a cismal stoppage on fast moving operation timo can be very costly. What is more important is providing more, relevant and faster information, Managers need information t carry out managerial functions and activities effectively. There n° cmnvorsally applicable communication system. But individual managers have to tall their own system depending on their needs. Communication ows through various channels. These channels include downward, upward, hizontal and ose mise, Traditional, downward communication was emphasized. But ater, it's realized that upward communication is also equally important.Personnel and Human Resource Management Downward Communication Downward communication flows from higher level to lower level in the organizational hierarchy. This type of flow is an essential character of an authoritarian atmosphere. Thus, downward flow of information is from ‘superior to subordinate (See Box 20.4). Ie a Lc A AM aden ec lesb br. Reddy of DrReddy’s Laboratory prefers to communicate the company's policies, vision, mission, objectives, strategies and tactics through downward communication method to all the employees of the company. The basic purposes of communication are: « Toprovide specific task directives or instructions; ‘¢ Toprovide information about task relationships; # Toprovide information about organisation’s missions, objectives, policies, procedures, programmes ete. '* Toprovide feedback about subordinate’s performance; « Tolet the people know the pride of being relatively well informed. ‘The advantages of downward communication are: «Ithelps to inform the employees about policies; objectives etc. ‘* Toexecute and implement various programmes; « Itfacilitates to improve quality of response. ‘The disadvantages of downward communication are: It causes delay and time consuming process; Itis only one way process; ‘¢ There is no provision for feedback, It provides for rigid communication network; «There is no scope for subordinates to express their views. Media used for Downward Communication “The organizational cuture pertaining to organizational structure, tines of command and communication has changed dramatically ater the globalisation and privalization of business. The of downward ‘communication has been changed significantly. The traditional downward communication include, print and oral modia. The written media include letters, manuals, handbooks, house magazines, notice-board items, reports, posters, orders and the lke, ‘The oral media in downward communication include face-to-face orders, instructions, telephonic orders, speeches, meetings, closed-circuit television programmes, and the like, ‘Tho shift in organizational culture reduced the gap between or among the organizational hierarchies. Consequently downward communication has been acquiring the characteristics of informal communication for the purpose of free-iow of information, Further, the developments in tetecommunication increased the ofectivaness ‘of downward communication. These developments include video-conferences, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide- ‘Area Network (WAN), fax, telephone and the likenication ‘Upward communication tlows rom lower level o upper levelin organizational hierarchy. This low is often by managers in the chain particularly in case of unfavourable information (See Box 20.5). Pee N PEO Mie ALLE DRC ad P MrRamana Rao, Human Resource Manager, LAT Cement Works, Tadipatri encourages the subordinates to ventiate ei grievances and lodge their complains through upward communication. Further, he encourages upward communication or expressing views and ideas by the employees in meetings and for decision-meking. ‘Upward communication is necessary to offer suggestions, to lodge complaints, ventilate grievances, to sonse to the counselling, opinion survey, exit interviews, to discuss in meetings and participate in decision- ing (See Exhibit 20.4). (OBTAINING EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK: SOME USEFUL TECHNIQUES The techniques summarized here are designed to improve organizational functioning by providing top .. management with information about the attitudes and ideas of the workforce, They are used to promote the |. upward flow of information. TECHNIQUE DESCRIPTION Employee surveys: ‘Questionnaires assessing workers’ attitudes and opinions about key areas of organizational functioning, especially when results are shared with the workforce. Suggestion systems Formal mechanisms through which employees can submit ideas for improving things in organizations (often by pulting a note in a suggestion box); good ideas are implemented and the people who submitted them are rewarded. Corporate hotlines ‘Telephone numbers employees may call to ask questions about important ‘organizational matters; useful in addressirg workers’ concerns before they become too serious. Brown bag meetings Session in which subordinates and superiors meet informally over breakfast or lunch to discuss organizational matters Skip-level meetings Meetings between subordinates and superiors two or more levels above them in the organizational hierarchy. (Source: Jerald Greenberg and Robert A.Baron, p.359) Managers should encourage upward communication wit a view to: «Create receptiveness of communication: © Create afeeling of botongingness through a shared mening; Evaluate communication; and «Demonstrate a concern for the ideas and views of lower level employees. Advantages of upward communication include: ‘¢ Itprovides scope for two-way communication; «Possibility forimmediate feedback; and ‘* Toprovide scope for employee satisfaction.Personnel and Human Resource Management Methods of Improving the Effectiveness of Upward Communication ‘As stated earlier, the globalisation ‘and privatization of business brought significant changes in the communication culture-due to severe competition. Top management initiates and encourages upward ‘communication for the operational and organizational efficiency. Managements use the following methods to improve the effectiveness of upward communication: 4. Managing by walking around: Managers under this style of leadership do not confine their office to their chambers. Instead, they walk around and meet all their subordinates at the work place of the latter Managers discuss various issues relating to the job, organization and employee. The subordinates freely expresses his views, shares his ideas, offers his suggestions and ventilates his problems as the subordinate is in his place of work and the boss comes down there. Many managers started using this style, as ithas been improving upward communication. 2. The open-door/ open-mind policy: The open-door/ open mind policy does mean thatthe managers would invite and encourage the subordinates to meet them always and communicate with them various job, organizational and individual related issues freely. When the managers say, that ‘my doors are always open to you,’ they mean that others can have unlimited access to the former. This policy also improves upward ‘communication. Managers should put this policy in practice as the adage, ‘actions speak louder than words’ applies. 3, The ombudsman position: The ombudsman position is largely held by the senior people in the ‘organization who are about to retire. These senior people offer suggestions and advice to the junior employees regarding career and personal issues. These senior people offer suggestions based on their experience and expertise. The ombudsman plays a figure-head role and well-wisher role. Therefore, he encourages upward ‘communication through open-door policy. 4, An empowerment strategy: Empowerment involves imparting power to the subordinates by providing them information, knowledge, expertise and special skills in addition to delegating authority. Managers empower their employees with a view to equip the latter with necessary power to make appropriate decisions in right time by avoiding the unnecessary procedures and formalities. This, in turn, helps to carry-out the job most efficiently. In fact, subordinates, communicate upward freely in empowerment situation as they are regarded as knowiedgeable and expert employees. 5. Participative management: Participative style of management involves the employees in information sharing, arguments, proposals and counter proposals, development of alternative decisions and selection of the best decision. This entire process enables and enhances the upward communication, Employees in participative decision-making are more satisfied and motivated as they are allowed to communicate freely. 6. Counselling, attitude surveys and exit interviews: Human Resource Management department ‘conducts employee and career counselling sessions. These sessions encourage the employee to communicate his feelings freely. Further, managements conduct attitude surveys through questionnaires which solicit ‘employee's views. Similarly, exit interviews also solicit employee's reactions to the policies and practices of management. Thus, counselling, attitude surveys and exit interviews facilitate upward communication. 7. The grievance procedure: If employees are not satisfied with the action of their superiors, they can ‘communicate thoir dissatisfaction beyond their immediate superior and seek redressal of the grievance. This process allows the employees to communicate upward. 8. E-mail: Sending messages through e-mail to any one has become the order of the communication to~ day. Employees who were reluctant to speak to their bosses face-to-face, and to speak on phone can use the e-mail freely. Therefore, use of e-mail encourages the upward communication.communication problem of Vertical Communication Downward communication keeps reducing as it is modified and filtered at each level. Superiors always think of what should be passed down to subordinates and passed on only that which they feel can be passed down, Upward communication also undergoes all this as middle managers betieve that i is part of their job to decide what information should go up and how much. For these reasons, vertical communication is often incomplete. ‘Communication is said to be horizontal when it takes place between two employees of the same level in the organizational hierarchy. For example, communication between production and marketing managers, Horizontal communication is essential bocause of the fact that the departments in an organization are interdependent and the co-ordination of their activities is necessary. Horizontal communication is used to bring about task co-ordination among peers, to provide emotional ‘and social support, to strengthen relationships among peers, and to allow the flow of information faster. Communication Network Managers, in organisations, establish communication flows with others in different patterns in order to {aciltate the flow of information from one point (or source) to all other points. These patterns of flow of information ‘are called communication network. There are innumerable ways or pattems of communication. There are afew frequently used networks. ‘Communication networks reduce the channels by which information flows. These networks are classified into two, viz., formal networks and informal networks, Formal networks are typically verticle (Fig, 20.3), follow the authority chain and are limited to task-related ‘communications. In contrast, the informal network usually known as grapevine is free to move in any direction, skip authority-responsibily relationship levels. The likely purpose of informal networks to satisly social needs ‘of the group membors with a view to motivate the members of task accomplishment. Superior ‘Subordinate Formal Networks ‘There are three common small-group networks. These are chain, wheel, and star (Fig.20.3). The chain tiglly follows the formal chain of command. In the whee! network, communication flow depends on the superior to act as the central point for all group communications. The star or all-channel network all group members actively communicate with each other. This type of network's essential for teamwork. ‘The effectiveness of each network depends on the dependent variables (Exhibit 20.5). For example, ‘speed of communication is fast in wheel and star. Accuracy of information is high in chain and wheel notworks. Dependency on leaders high in whee! network. Members are highly satistiad in star network. Distortion is high incchain network and low in star network. Work overload is moderate in chain and star networks and very high in wheel network. All chain/star network is best for team work, which satisfies members as well as produces qualitative work. Itis also clear that no single network will be the best forall occasions.Personnel and Human Resource Management EFFECTIVENESS OF FORMAL NETWORKS 1 Criteria Chain Networks Whee! ‘StalV/All Chain ‘Speed Moderate Fast Fast Accuracy High High Moderato Efficiency of a leader Moderate High None Member satisfaction Moderate Low High Distortion High Moderate Low Overioad Moderate Very high Moderate “Adapted trom Stephen Robbins, opi, p.921 and Brian LHawkins and Paul Preston, Managerial Communication, Scot, Foreshman and Co. Informal Network ‘The informal network has three main characteristics, viz., « Itis not controlled by management; ‘* Most employees perceive that they get reliable information through this technique; and © Itis largely used to serve the self interests of the members. There are no clear patterns of flow of information in informal network. Information can flow in any direction in this network. l INTER-PERSONAL COMMUNICATION ‘The major emphasis in interpersonal communication is on transferring information from one person to another. The purpose of interpersonal communication is to effect behavioural change by incorporating psychological processes (perception, leaning and motivation) and language. In addition, listening sensitivity andnon-verbal communication, are also included. Getting feedback and providing feed forward are most important in interpersonal communication. The importance of feedback cannot be over emphasized as effective interpersonal ‘communication highly depends on it. Both formal and informal networks should be used for effective feedback. {tmakes communication two-way process.” Some characteristics of effective and ineffective feedback are summarized and shown in Exhibit 20.6. These characteristics are: Exhibit } 20.6 | ‘CHARACTERISTICS OF FEEDBACK Effective Feedback “Ineffective Feedback _ - 1. Intended to help tha employee 1. Intended to be litle the employee 2. Specific 2. General 3. Descriptive 3. Evaluative 4. Useful 4, Inappropriate 5. Timely 5. Untimely 6. Employer readiness for feedbaak 6. Make the employee defensive 7. Clear 7. Not understandable 8. Valid 8, Inaccurate (Source: Fred Luthans, and Mark J Martinko, The Practice of Supervision and Management, ‘MeGraw Hil, Now York, 1979, p.183.)‘Communication () Intention: The intention of effective feedback is to improve job performance. (i) Specificity: Effective feedback s designed to provide with specific information to recipionts. (ii) Description: Etfective feedback is descriptive rather than evaluative. (iv) Usefulness: Etfective feedback provides employees with useful information to improve job performance. (vy) Timeliness: Effective feedback provides information in right time. (vi) Readiness: Employees must be ready to receive information in order to make feedback effective. (vii) Clarity: The recipient must understand the information clearly. (vill). Validity: The information communication must be reliable and valid. Other Variables In addition to feedback other variables like trust, expectations, values, status and compatibility influence interpersonal communication greatly If the subordinate does not tusthis boss, communication willbe ineffective. Similarly, the other variables also contribute for ineffective communication. Interpersonal communication is central subsystem of the organizational communication.” | LISTENING Listening is very important aspect in the process of communication, but itis a very difficult task. Many people take their skills for granted and they confuse hearing with listening, Listening is different from hearing. Hearing is merely picking up sound whereas listening is making sense from what we hear. Hence, listening requires paying attention, interpreting and remembering sound stimuli. Active and Passive Listening Effective listening must be active but not passive. In passive listening the receiver just records the information, Active listening gets the receiver inside the sender of the information as the receiver understands the information from the point of view of the sender. The receiver has to concentrate and fully understand the information in the process of receiving the information (See Exhibit 20.7). ‘The four essential requirements of active listening are: (i) Intensity; (il) Empathy; (ii) Acceptance; (iv) A willingness to take responsibilty for completeness.* Our brain is capable of handling a speaking rate of about four times the speed of the average speaker. It leaves a lot of time for idle mind. Hence, listeners have to ‘summarise and process the information what they receive. Empathy requires the listener to get into the shoes ‘ofthe speaker. Itdaes mean that the receiver should try to understand what the speaker wants to communicate. Anactive listener should demonstrate acceptance. Finally the listener should do whatever is necessary to gel the full intended meaning from the speaker's communication. Developing Effective/Active Listening Skills ‘The specific behaviours of effective active listener are: (@ Make eye contact: The receiver should maintain eye contact with the sender during the process of receiving information. (i) Exhibit affirmative head nods and appropriate facial expressions. (i) Avoid distracting actions or gestures: When listening don't do any other work.Personnel and Human Resource Management PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING Principle Good Listener Bad Listener ‘Look for areas of interest ‘Seeks personal enlightenment “Turns out dry subjects, andor information, entertains narrowly defines what is, new topics as potentially interesting. interesting. 2, Overlook errors of delivery Attends to meaning and Ignores if dativery is poor, content, ignores delivery misses messages because of errors while being sensitive personal attributos of the to any message in them. ‘communicator. 3. Postpone judgement ‘Avoids quick judgements, Quickly evaluates and waits until comprehension passes judgement, inflexible of the core message is complete. regarding contrary messages, 4. Listen for ideas: Listens for ideas and themes. Listens for facts and details. Identities the main points, 5. Take notes ‘Takes careful notes and uses ‘Takes incomplete note a variety of note taking or using one system, recording schemes depending (on the speaker. 6. Be actively responsive Responds frequently with nods, Passive demeanour, fow or “uhhuhe", etc., shows active no responses, litle energy body state, works at listening ‘output. 7. Resist distractions Resists being distracted, longer Easily distracted, focusses on ‘concentration span, places loaded or emotional words, loaded words in perspective. short concentration span. 8 Challenge your mind Uses difficult material to Avoids dificult material, stimulate the mind, seeks to does not seek to broaden enlarge understanding, knowledge base. 9. Capitalise on mind Uses listening time to summarise Daydreams with siow speed and anticipate the message, speakers, becomes attends to implicit messages preoccupied with other ‘as woll as explicit messages. thoughts, 10, Assist and encourage the Asks for clarifying information Interrupts, asks trivial speaker ‘or examples, uses reflecting questions, makes phrases, helps to rephrase distracting comments. the idea. (Souree: David J.Cherrington, Organisational Behaviour, p. 577.) (Ask questions: Asking questions during the process of listening provides clarification, ensures understanding and assures the speaker that the receiver is listening. () Paraphrase: Paraphrasing means restating what the speaker has said in listener's own words. (¥) Avoid interrupting the speaker. (vi) Don't over talk: Allow the speaker to talk completely and speak only to the extent necessary. (vil) Make smooth transitionsbetween the speaker and listener. Concentrate on what the speaker has to ‘say rather than what you are going to say.© What all is true of interpersonal communication is also true of organizational communication. Here too sfective communication involves getting an accurate massage from one person to another. However, there ‘certain factors that are unique to organization which influence the effectiveness of communication. J Raymond V. Lesikar has described four factors that influence the effectiveness of organizational | gernunication ? =. 4, The formal channels of communication. 2, The organisations’ authority structure. 3, Job specialization. 4, Information ownership. “The communication effectiveness is influenced by formal channels in two ways. First, the formal channels cover the widening distance that usually occurs when the organisations develop and grow. Second, the formal ‘channels inhibit the free flow of information between organizational levels, particularly in upward communication. Forexample, a worker communicates his problems to a foreman or supervisor rather than to the Plant Manager. Ithas both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that the managers are fed with the limited important information and the disadvantage is that sometimes the manager may not receive the information he should receive. ‘The Authority structure in the organization also influences the effectiveness of communication. The content and accuracy of information are also affected because of the differences in authority and status. For ‘example, there cannot take place a frank conversation between a clerk and the company managing director, since the clerk's speech is always characterized by politeness and formali Job specialization also affects the effectiveness of communication. Members belonging to the same work group use the same jargon and understand each other better, while communication between highly diferontiated groups is likely to be a problem for both. Information ownership refers to the unique knowledge and information about their jobs possessed by the Individuals."° For many individuals, such information is a sort of power that helps them function more effectively than others, Most of the persons with such scales are often reluctant to share the information with others. Hence, open communication is not always possible in the organization Organisational communication may be formal or informal. Formal communication is an official ‘communication having official support and sanction. Formal communication flows through the authority and responsibilty channels of an organization which exists in order to: (i) Measure and control outputs; (i) To coordinate complex activities in the system and relate the sub-systems to the total systems; (ii) To regulate response to external environment; iv) Co-ordinate resource allocations; and (v) Greate a climate within which the organization can adjust its output as it receives and process feedback." ‘The advantages of formal communication includes: ()) Providing correct information; (i) Having official ‘support with authority; (i) Uniformity in transmission; and (iv) Handling of message efficiently. However, formal ‘communication suffers from the drawbacks, like: (a) Delay in sending information dus to official channels; (b) Absence of immediate feedback; (c) Absence of interest to send and receive; and (a) Lack of ability to communicate upward. Organisational communication takes place in a variety of ways. It may flow vertically or horizontally. The Vertical communication can be either downward or upward.Personnel and Hunan Resource Management l INFORMAL COMMUNICATION OR GRAPEVINE ‘The communication that arise not out of formal relations between people but out of informal or social relationships is called the grapevine or informal communication. The management has no absolute control over this type of communication as they neither created nor destroyed it. Communication need not flow through authority-responsibilty relationships or channels of organization in informal communications. In informal ‘communication, there is no formal superior-subordinate relationships. “The informal communication does both good and bad to the organisations. The advantages of informal ‘communication aro: (i) t acts as a driving force to unite the workforce in cases of common matters; (i) It saves time and energy as the information flows at a high speed: (ii thas immediate response from the receiver, (iv) Itprovides the scope for creation of new ideas; (v) Itsatisfies the communication needs of various employees; (ui) It provides scope for immediate feedback. Informal communication sutfers from various drawbacks. They are: () Informal communication sometimes spreads wrong information and rumours; (i) It distorts information; (ii) Grapevine provides only inadequate information; (i) Information provided through grapevine has no formal authority; and (v) It overlooks superiors, ‘According to Koontz and O'Donnell, “the most effective communication results when managers utilise the informal organization to supplement the communication channels of the formal organization."* It should be remembered that itis a part of the manager's job to have a little control over this informal ‘communication so that he can take the appropriate action to minimize the adverse effect of this channel. Organisational Climate and Communication Organisational climate is very important in the context of communication. Organisational climate is the ‘summary perception which people have about an organization. It is thus, a global expression of what the organization is: Organisational climate refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organisations. The characteristics of organizational climate are: (Individual initiative. The degree of responsibilty, freedom and independence that individuals have. (i) Risk tolerance: The degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative and risk- seeking. (ii) Direction: The degree to which the organization creates clear objectives and performance expectations. (W)_Integration: The degree to which units within the organization are encouraged to operate in acoordinated ‘manner. (VY) Management support The degree to which managers provide clear communication, assistance and support to their subordinates. (v) Controt The number of rules and regulations and the amount of direct supervision that is used 10 ‘oversee andcontrol employee behaviour. (vi) Identity: The degree to which members identify with the organization as a whole rather than with their particular workgroup or fiold of professional expertise. (vii) Reward systems: The degree to which reward allocations are based on employee performance, (%) Conflict tolerance: The degree to which employees are encouraged to air conflicts and criticisms openly. () Communication Patterns: The degree to which organizational communications are restricted to the formal hierarchy of authority."* ‘Thus, the dependence on formal cornmunication denotes higher degree of organizational climate.‘communication ‘Communicating with the Employees Both formal as well as informal communications channels are used to communicate with the employees. Inadaition to following writen communication, oral and non-verbal communication should be relied upon. In vision to downward communication to communicate rules, procedures and programmes ofthe organization foemployees, employees should also be encouraged to communicate to thelr superiors. inorder to make use of team work, all channels of communication or star communication pattern should beencouraged. Interpersonal communication should be encouraged with a view to devotop interpersonal relations, Employees should also be encouraged to develop effoctive and active listening skills | BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION “There are certain factors that impede the proper flow of communication. Allthose factors that adversely affect ottectveness of communication, may be called barriers to communication. The barriers to communication may be classified into (i) External; (i) Organisational and (i) Personal. | EXTERNAL BARRIERS External Barriers are usually in the following forms: (a)Semantic Barriers: These barriers arise at the stage of encoding or decoding in the process of ‘communication. These barriers are often due to linguistic capacity of the sender and receiver. Badly expressed massager the messages not expressed clearly and precisely and when the ight word isnot used atthe right place, it ay not convey the proper meaning thatthe person has in mind, Exhibit 20.8 presents the barriers caused due to the use of ‘filer words.” BARRIERS CAUSED DUE TO THE USE OF ‘FILLER WORDS" ‘Many young people today use a vocabulary of ‘iler words’ that contribute to imprecise language, The following words and phrases distort communication because they're confusing and ambiguous to many listeners: Like you know See so OK Like on my God I mean Basically ‘And all that ‘And everything like that ‘And whatever ‘nt stuff ‘The following dialog captures the problem: “Like you know, | was 80 out ol was al, ke, Duh mean, tke oh my God. OK, so | said basically what's happening? OK, s0 I told him Fd be there and everything like that, you know? And he's all ike not absolutely certain ‘n’ stuff. It was totally on experience.” (Source: Stephen PRabbins, op.cit. p.314.)’ Eg Personnel and Human Resource Management (b) Faulty Translations: Managers are often required to translate the messages into a form suitable to their superiors or subordinates. Uniess one has good linguistic capacity he cannot do this job well. (@) Specialist Language: Technical personnel and other experts usually falinto the habit of using their ‘own technical jargon which others outside their group fail to understand. This hinders the communication toa large extent. Ul, Emotional or Psychological Barriers. The emotional or psychological state of a person also influences the communication (See Box 20.6). The following are some emotional or psychological barriers: (@) Premature Evaluation: People often jump to conclusion even before the message is completely communicated. This discourages the sender and may even give him a feeling of futility. One Ce SL As anarfist, Mark Mortis is a master at communication. Ata time when executives are being told that they must constantly- ‘and authentically-communicate their ideas and feelings, Morris has much to teach us. “One of the most important things I've learned in my work is that you don't got emotional to communicate emotion. A fabulous mezzo-soprano friend of mine once told me that the last way to make people cry isto cry yourself. You can't cry when you're singing because you get all choked up and everything shuts down. Deep communication is not an emotional free-for- all, That's why |, personally, am opposed to the method school of acting, where actors are encouraged to immerse themselves, in their feelings. | think solf-exprossion is terribly overrated; I profer communication. Of course, It may be fun for a three-year- ‘ld fo spin and spin until she falls down, but it gets a lite irritating if you're the uncle watching. That is not communication, its something else, The same is true of a lot of music, which is why most garage bands are stil playing in garages. Alot of people don't understand that controlling emotion is an essontial part of any performer's bag of tricks. Here's a beautiful example of what | mean. | was once in Tokyo and we were bumped from the plane and forced to spend the night near a mall at the outskits of the city. One shop had a display of about 1,000 TVs for sale. On every one was the same image; ‘a geisha crying with a handkerchief. I watched this picture for several minutes. | couldn't believe how moving it was, this ‘woman painted white and crying. After afew minutes, the camera came in for a close-up, and I realized that the crying geisha ‘was a puppet. It was a chunk of wood that a 75-year-old guy was manipulating. it made such an impression on me that | have ever forgotten it. When it comes to emotion, you see, mastery-and not indulgence-is everything.” ead (b) Existence of Preconceived Notions. (c) Inattention Due to Lack of Interest. (q) Distrust in Communication: Ifthe receiver does not trust that sender for any reason he does not pay the required attention to the message and he does not believe in the message received. (@) Fears: (i) Fear of misinterpretation of message by the receiver. (i) Fear of Distortion: sometimes the message of the sender is filtered when it reaches the receiver. This is also known as loss by transmission. (i) Fear of exposing oneself to criticism. (iv) Information is held back deliberately by the sender with the feeling that some action will be taken against him if he expresses his opinion frankly. This is known as fear of reprisal (9 Poor retention by the receiver because of his inability. (Q) Defensive Behaviour: Employees have a tendency to become defensive when they feel they are being threatened. in such circumstances, they tend to stop listening to the sender's message.> ‘organisational policies, rules and regulations, status relationships also affect the effectiveness of ecincation. For example, a frank feedback cannot be expected from the subordinate because of the superior subordinate relation. | Iv. Personal Barriers Personal barriers can again be classified into two types: (1) Barriers in superiors; and (2) Barriers in subordinates. 4, Barriers in Superiors (Barriers from Superiors) (a) Attiude of superiors: If the superior has an unfavourable attitude to the subordinates! act of giving nessage, adequate information cannot flow from the subordinate to the superior. . (0) Lack of confidence in subordinates: The information trom the subordinate does not interest the superior when he lacks confidence in him. . (c) Lack of awareness of importance of communication: The manager does not understand the ‘communication with the subordinate, if he doesn't know the importance of it. (@ insistence on proper channet: Superiors always insist on the subordinates giving the information through proper channel and this definitely discourages him to furnish the factual information. 2, Barriers in Subordinates (Barriers from Subordinates) (a) Unwilingness to communicate: Subordinates are often reluctant to provide information for the fear that apiece of information may have adverse effect on the attitudes of the superiors. Even if they provide information they modity it in such a manner to protect their own interest. (b) Lack of proper incentive: a novel suggestion made by a subordinate does not evoke any attention of the management, this experience will keep him away from conveying anything in future, How to Make Communication Effective? The analysis of communication process involves the following four elements: Communication can be made effective through the effective use of these elements. (a) The content Itcalls for clear thinking about objective (must be definite), message (frank and sensible), wording (accurate, clear, convincing and un-twistable), and presentation (planned, appropriate and effective). (b)The system must be clearly defined and recognized. (0) The technique: tinvolves selection of the most appropriate technique. The techniques are oral, written, graphic and psychological. (d) The media: The media of communication are personal contact, meetings, conferences, telephone talks, letters, reports, minutes, notices, handbooks, periodicals, schedules, balance sheets, organisational charts, attude, gestures, expression, inflexion etc. ‘A proper regard for content, system, technique and medium will help to communicate effectively. But, there are no substitute for real basic elements of good communication, viz., honesty, sincerity, clear thought and simplicityPersonnel and Human Resource Management Further, clear thinking is necessary primarily to all successful communication and decision-making. The ‘mental process involved in clear thinking covers (a) Collection of all relevant information; (b) Sorting out facts from opinions and inferences; (¢) Checking the facts, opinions and inferences, and (d) Evaluating the information and drawing conclusions from it. ‘Ten Commandments of Effective Communication ‘The American Management Association suggested ten commandments for effective communication, They are: 0 (i) (iii) ™ “ “ 7) (vill) w 0 PAX P Hee” 10. " 12, 19, 14, Clarity ideas before attempting to communicate. Exar the process of communication. Understand the physical and human environment when communicating. In planning communication consult with others, to obtain their support as well as the facts. Consider the content and the overtones of the message. Whenever possible, communicate something that helps or is valued by the receiver. ‘Communication to be effective, requires follow-up. ‘Communicate messages that are of short-run and long-run importance. ‘Actions must be congruent with communication, Be a good listener. References Dale 8. Beach, op.cit, p81 \MeFariand, Management: Principlos and Practica, p.552. Walter D, Scott ota, op.cit,p.255, Stephen P-Robbins, op cit, p.320. id, p21 ‘Andrew D. Szilagyi ot al, Organisational Behaviour and Performance, Scott Foreshman, 1987, p.410. Fred Luthans, Organisational Behaviour, McGraw Mill Book Co., New York, 1987, pp.515-17. GP. Rogers and R.E. Farson, Active Listoning, Industrial Relations Contre of the University of Chicago, Chicago, 1976. Ibi. Myers, M.T. and Myers, GM. Managing by Communication, McGraw-Hill Intemational Book Co., 1982, 137. Harold Koontz and Cyril O'Donnel, opcit,p.137. Ibia. ‘Stophon P. Robbins, op.cit, pp.672-573. Ten Commandments of Good Communication, American Management Association. Quoted in Harold Koontz ‘and Cyt O'Donnell, op.cit, pp. 453-455, Bee