NATURE

OF

COMMUNICATION

by:
DR. MRINALINI A. LANDICHO
Retention of Rumor Details
 NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
A More Accurate Picture of
Communication is as follows:

B (what B hears)

sender
A

B (what may
also be heard)
The self image mediates
between inner self and
other persons, for it is the
way the individual
presents himself to the
world.
 MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS

Communication is the transfer of information and

understanding from one person to another person.
Essentially, it involves a sender and a receiver
A. Importance of Communication. Organizations cannot
exist without communication. When communication is
effective, it tends to encourage better performance.

B. The two-way communication process. The communication

process is the method by which a sender reaches a receiver with
a message. There are (8) steps in the communication process:

1. Develop an idea 5. Decode

2. Encode 6. Accept
3. Transmit 7. Use
4. Receive 8. Provide Feedback
 THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

MESSAGE

Barriers
R
S E
E C
N Bridge
E
Develop

D Idea
Encode Transmit of
Meaning
Receive Decode Accept Use
I
E V
R E
Feedback for two-way communication R
C. Potential problems in a two-way communication:
1. Polarized 3. Cognitive dissonance
2. Defensive reasoning 4. Face-saving

D. Three types of barriers in organizational

communication:
1. Personal barriers
2. Physical barriers
3. Semantic barriers

E. Communication Symbols. Communication is

achieved by using symbols;
1. Words (verbal)
2. Physical barriers
3. Action (nonverbal)
II. Downward communication: This means that communication flow is from higher authority to lower
authority.

A. Prerequisites to effective communication:

1. Managers need to develop a positive communication attitude. Communication is an important part of their job.

2. Managers must continually work to get informed – seek out relevant information, share it, and
help employees feel informed.

3. Managers need to consciously plan for communication.

 4. Developing trust between senders and receivers is important in all communication.

B. Communication overboard. This occurs when employees receive more communication inputs than
they can process or than they need. The key to better communication is quality, not quantity.

C. Conditions that encourage acceptance of communication.

1. Acknowledge of the legitimacy of the sender to send a message;

2. Perceived competence of the sender;

3. Trust in the sender;
 4. Perceived credibility of the message; and
5. Power of the sender to enforce sanctions.

D. Communication needs. Failure to recognize communication needs of employees at lower levels causes downward communication to be overconfident and probably not to take enough care with their downward messages. Communication needs for employees include the following:
1. Job instruction
2. Performance feedback
3. News
4. Social Support
 III. Upward communication. Communication flows upward when employees send information to their
superiors.

A. Difficulties in upward communication:

1. Delay 3. Short-circuiting
2. Filtering 4. Need for response

B. Various practices that are needed to improve upward communication:

1. Questioning 4. Open-door policy
2. Listening 5. Participation in social
3. Employee meetings groups

Additional practices include counseling, grievance systems, consultative supervision, suggestion systems,
and job satisfaction surveys.
IV. Other forms of communication. Not all communication takes place directly down or up the organizational hierarchy.
Not all is formally prescribed by the firm, and not all of it takes place either at work or through face-to-face interaction.

A. Lateral Communication. This is communication across chains of command. Employees who play a major role in lateral communication are called
boundary spanners. Besides boundary spanners, communication takes place via:
1. Networks 2. Ombudsperson
B. Electronic Communications. Takes various forms such as:
1. Ombudsperson
2. Telecommuting
3. Virtual offices
V. Informal Communication. The term grapevine applies to all informal communication, including company
information that is communicated informally between employees and people in the community.

Rumor. The major problem with the grapevine is rumor. Rumor is grapevine
information that is
communicated without
secure standards of
evidence being present.
 Types of Grapevine Chains

Single Strand Gossip Probability Cluster

(Each tells (one tells all) (Each randomly (Some tell
one another) tells others) selected others)
 FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGE
GRAPEVINCE ACTIVITY

 Excitement and insecurity

 Involvement of friends & associates
 Recent information
 Procedure that brings people into contact
 Work that allows conversation
Job that provides information desired by
others

 Personality of communicator
 GUIDELINES FOR CONTROL OF RUMOR
 Remove its causes in order to prevent it
 Apply efforts primarily to serious rumors
 Refute rumor with facts
 Deal with rumor as soon as possible
Emphasize face-to-face supply of facts, confirmed
in writing if necessary

 Provide facts from reliable sources

 Refrain from repeating rumor while refuting it
Encourage assistance of informal and union
leaders if they are cooperative

Listen to all rumors in order to understand what

they may mean
 Communication Networks

Chain Y Wheel

Circle Star Com-con

 3M’s of COMMUNICATION

1. The speaker has a MEANING

2. He has to choose a MEDIUM
3. He has to frame a MESSAGE

5 C’s of COMMUNICATION
1. Is it CLEAR?
2. Is it COMPLETE?
3. Is it CONCISE?
4. Is it CORRECT?
5. Is it CONCRETE?
THE SPEAKER’S VOICE

A. VOLUME
B. PITCH
C. RATE
D. PAUSES
E. VOCAL VARIETY
F. PRONOUNCIATION
G. ARTICULATION