Communication

Avelino L. Gonzales Jr. DBA

Communication
• The transfer and the understanding of meaning.
Functions of Communication
• Communication acts to manage member behavior in several ways.

• Communication creates feedback by clarifying to employees what they must do,

how well they are doing it, and how they can improve their performance.

• The workgroup is a primary source of social interaction for many employees.

• Like emotional sharing, persuasion can be good or bad depending on if, say, a
leader is trying to persuade a workgroup to believe in the organization’s
commitment to corporate social responsibility.

• The final function of communication is information exchange to facilitate decision

making.
Communication process
• The steps between a source and a receiver that result in the transfer
and understanding of meaning
Formal channels
• Communication channels established by an organization to transmit
messages related to the professional activities of members.
Informal channels
• Communication channels that are created spontaneously and that
emerge as responses to individual choices.
Downward Communication
• Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization
to a lower level is downward communication. Group leaders and
managers use it to assign goals, provide job instructions, explain
policies and procedures, point out problems that need attention, and
offer feedback
Upward Communication
• Upward communication flows to a higher level in the group or
organization. It’s used to provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them
of progress toward goals, and relay current problems.
Burger King improved
lateral communication
among its executives by
eliminating their closed-
door offices and
organizing their desks in
an open-space setting.
Shown here, from left,
are executives Jonathan
Fitzpatrick, Jose Tomas,
and Daniel Schwartz
communicating in their
new work area at
company headquarters
in Miami. Source: C.W.
Griffin/MCT/Newscom
Lateral Communication
• When communication occurs between members of the same
workgroup, members at the same level in separate workgroups, or
any other horizontally equivalent workers, we describe it as lateral
communication
Formal small-Group networks
• Formal organizational networks can be complicated, including
hundreds of people and a half-dozen or more hierarchical levels
The Chain
• Rigidly follows the formal chain of command; this network
approximates the communication channels you might find in a rigid
three-level organization.
The Wheel
• The wheel relies on a central figure to act as the conduit for all group
communication; it simulates the communication network you might
find on a team with a strong leader.
All Channel
• The all-channel network permits group members to actively
communicate with each other; it’s most often characterized by
selfmanaged teams, in which group members are free to contribute
and no one person takes on a leadership role. Many organizations
today like to consider themselves all-channel, meaning that anyone
can communicate with anyone (but sometimes they shouldn’t).
The Grapevine
• The grapevine is an important part of any group or organization
communication network. It serves employees’ needs: small talk
creates a sense of closeness and friendship among those who share
information, although research suggests it often does so at the
expense of those in the outgroup.14 It also gives managers a feel for
the morale of their organization, identifies issues employees consider
important, and helps them tap into employee anxieties.
Oral Communication
• A primary means of conveying messages is oral communication.
Speeches, formal one-on-one and group discussions, and the informal
rumor mill or grapevine are popular forms of oral communication.
Meetings
• Meetings can be formal or informal, include two or more people, and
take place in almost any venue.
Videoconferencing
• Permits employees and clients to conduct real-time meetings with
people at different locations. Live audio and video images let us see,
hear, and talk with each other without being physically in the same
location.
Conference calling
• Is generally limited to telephone exchanges where some people may
gather around one speaker phone, and others call in through a secure
line. There may be some shared files or videos everyone can see on
their computers. Both modes are used selectively, according to the
application.
To address the pitfalls of videoconferencing and conference calls,
experts offer the following suggestions:

• 1. Set more explicit agendas and firmer rules than for face-to-face
meetings.

• 2. Have callers begin by introducing themselves, their roles in the

project, and what they are looking for in the meeting. They should
also state their names each time they speak.

• 3. Leaders should talk 40 percent of the time and listen 60 percent of

the time.
To address the pitfalls of videoconferencing and conference calls,
experts offer the following suggestions:

• 4. Distribute discussion questions before the meeting, and note the

responses of each participant during the meeting.

• 5. Assign a moderator for the meeting (not the leader) and a secretary
(again, not the leader).

• 6. Understand people’s preferences for videoconferencing versus

conference calling before the meeting and make sure everyone
understands the technology. “I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard
people say, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with my webcam, so I’m just going
to be here in voice’” when they might just prefer conference calling, said
Laura Stack, author of Execution Is the Strategy.
Telephone
• The telephone has been around so long that we can overlook its
efficiency as a mode of communication. Communication by telephone
is fast, effective, and less ambiguous than e-mail.
Written Communication
• Written communication includes letters, e-mail, instant messaging,
organizational periodicals, and any other method that conveys
written words or symbols. Written business communication today is
usually conducted via letters, PowerPoint, e-mail, instant messaging,
text messaging, social media, apps, and blogs. We are all familiar with
these methods, but let’s consider the unique current business
communication applications of them.
Letters
• With all the technology available, why would anyone write and send a
letter? Of all the forms of written communication, letter writing is the
oldest— and the most enduring. Letter writing can be used to great
effect in business, adding a personal touch to a communication or,
alternately, creating a lasting document to signal an official
communication.
PowerPoint
• PowerPoint and other slide formats like Prezi can be an excellent
mode of communication because slide-generating software combines
words with visual elements to engage the reader and help explain
complex ideas.
E-mail
• The growth of e-mail since its inception nearly 50 years ago has been
spectacular, and its use is so pervasive it’s hard to imagine life without
it. There are more than 3.1 billion active e-mail accounts worldwide,
and corporate employees average 105 e-mails each day.
Some advices about Email:

• 1. Don’t skip the subject line, but make it short and topic-related.

• 2. Give a greeting/salutation. “Dear” and “hello” are good starting

points. In later exchanges, “hi” may be appropriate. Use the person’s
name. “Err on the side of being more formal” in your greeting and the
body of the e-mail, Whitmore advises. Same for your closing; “Best
regards” is more formal.

• 3. Keep sentences, paragraphs, and thoughts short. Use bullet points

when possible
Some advices about Email:
• 4. However, don’t be curt. “No one can see your facial expressions or hear your
tone of voice, so the only way they’re gauging your emotions is the tone that you
use in that e-mail.”

• 5. Don’t use text language. “Even if you’ve just graduated from college and you’re
now out in the workforce,” Whitmore observed, “remember that a lot of your
clients may be baby boomers. It’s important for you to stay professional.”

• 6. Check your spelling. Check it again.

• 7. When people write back, reply within 24 hours. “Even if you don’t have an
answer for someone, reply anyway.”
Text messaging
• Text messaging maybe a little bit better than IM but has many of the
same pitfalls in business usage. The guidelines for the business use of
texting are still evolving, but experts continually caution that business
text language should be as formal as any other business
communication. The level of informality and abbreviations we use in
personal text messages is usually not advisable at work.
Social media Websites
• Nowhere has online communication been more transformed than in
the rise of social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, and business is
taking advantage of the opportunities these social media present.
Many organizations have developed their own in-house social
networking applications, known as enterprise social software, and
most have their own Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. Social
networking has become a tool for prospective employees, hiring
managers, employees, and human resource divisions.
Apps
• An application, especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile
device.
Blogs
• A blog (short for web log) is a website about a single person or
company. Experts see blogging as a business necessity for
organizations, so it should not be overlooked as a vital form of
communication to employees and customers, who can post feedback
if they choose.54 However, outdated blogs look bad to employees,
customers, and the public, so new ones must be continually added to
maintain relevancy.
Blogs
• A blog is a website or page that is a part of a larger website. Typically,
it features articles written in a conversational style with
accompanying pictures or videos. Blogging is a fun and flexible way
for self-expression and social connection, so it is no wonder blogs
have become very popular.
Nonverbal communication
• Includes body movements, the intonations or emphasis we give to
words, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the
sender and receiver.
Facial Expressions
• Convey meaning. Facial expressions, along with intonations, can show
arrogance, aggressiveness, fear, shyness, and other characteristics.
Physical distance
• What is considered proper spacing between people largely depends
on cultural norms. For example, a businesslike distance in some
European countries feels intimate in many parts of North America.
If someone stands closer to you than is considered appropriate, it
may indicate aggressiveness or sexual interest; if farther away, it may
signal disinterest or displeasure with what is being said.
Emotions
• You may interpret the same message differently when you’re angry or
distraught than when you’re happy. For example, individuals in
positive moods are more confident about their opinions after reading
a persuasive message, so well- designed arguments have a stronger
impact on their opinions.