Technology Communication

Computer-
Mediated
Communication
Technology Communication
– Impact of advanced technology

– Impersonal versus interpersonal
communication
– Communication process and filters that affect
it
– Ways to improve communication skills
– Communication flow in organizations and
methods for improvement
– Communicating effectively using technology
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Advanced Technology's Impact on
Communication
– Information age is characterized by:

– rapid advances in technology-based
communication
– communication across language and cultural
barriers due to increase in global business
– increase in volume and speed of messages
– less face to face communication
Communication
– E-commerce:
– ability to instantly buy and sell products
or services via the World Wide Web
– requires efficient and effective
communication skills utilizing the latest
technology advances

Communication
– Need to balance technology with human touch

– Technology can enhance and create a barrier to
effective communication
– Too much information can lead to frustration
and breakdown in communication

The Communication Process
– Basic communication process is always the same

– Differences in:
– people
– cultures, countries, lifestyles
– methods
– technology, face to face
– individual interpretation

The Communication Process
– All organizational communication is

on a continuum
Impersonal Interpersonal

2-8 Impersonal Communication
– One-way information giving process
– Transmit or transfer of information
– Used to give basic information:
– company policies
– instructions
– facts
– Methods include:
– memos letters
– e-mail voice mail
– manuals bulletin boards

Impersonal Communication
– Advantage:
– Easy ways to get the word out
– Limitation:
– Limited feedback from receiver
– Understanding of message not know
– Timing of message not controlled
Interpersonal Communication
– Two-way communication
– Verbal exchange of thoughts or information
between two or more people
– Descriptions include:
– share discuss argue interact
– Formats include:
– meetings interviews
– phone calls classes
– Response from receiver necessary for
effectiveness
– Advantages:
– Builds stronger, more personal relationships
– Sender can be sure the message was
understood
– Limitations:
– Takes time
– Often not feasible

Total Person Insight
Many skills are valuable at work, but one skill is essential:

the ability to communicate. Whether you are presenting
your ideas at a committee meeting, dashing off fifteen
e-mails in a row, chatting with a coworker at a copy
machine, evaluating an employee, or closing a deal over
the phone, what you are doing is communicating. These
exchanges are the backbone and the life blood of every
organization and every relationship.
Eric Maisel
Author, 20 Communication Tips @ Work

Effective Communication
– Composed of three basic

elements:
– A sender
– A receiver
– An understood message

Figure 2.1
Diagram of Simple
2-14
Communication Process
Figure 2.1

Complex Communication
– Most communications are more

complicated
– Messages travel through filters which can
alter the way your message is understood
– Need to be aware of possible distortions so
miscommunication can be interpreted
Figure 2.2
Diagram of More Complex
2-16
Communication Process

Communication Filters
– Semantics
– Emotions
– Attitudes
– Role expectations
– Gender bias
– Nonverbal messages
Semantics
– Study of relationship between words and their

meaning(s)
– Words are not things, they are labels
– Assumptions about meaning can be dangerous
– Abstract terms are subject to more
interpretations of meaning
Language and Cultural Barriers
– Language
– English has been the dominant language
– Considerations when using English with non-native
speakers
– speak slowly, clearly
– avoid slang
– Multilingual transactions more common with growth of
transnational companies
– Culture
– An accumulation of values, forms of
expression, beliefs, and language
– Shapes one's interpretations of what events
mean
– communication problems can be caused by
conflicting cultural assumptions
– Cultures have different standards for

– how fast you should talk
– how much you should talk
– how long you should pause between ideas
– how long you should wait after someone
finishes talking before you say something

– Culture is getting more attention

because of
– globalization
– rapid increases in immigrant groups
– growing support for cultural diversity by
employers

– Remember:
– Your words and gestures may influence
how the other person is interpreting your
message
– Avoid making judgments about others'
messages if they are coming from a
culture different from your own
Emotions
– Powerful communication filter

– Receivers may think with their emotions
– Strong emotions can prevent reception, or
distort the strength of a message
– May shift attention from the message
content to feelings

Attitudes
– Can be a barrier to effective

communication like emotions
– Negative and positive attitudes can create
resistance or bias to a message
– Attitude may be based on:
– voice accent gesture
– dress delivery mannerisms
– speaker’s topic

Role Expectations
– Influences how people expect themselves,

and others, to act
– Two ways they can distort communication
– People may identify others too closely with
their roles
– People use their roles to alter the way they
relate to others or “position power”

Gender-Specific Focus
– Learned gender roles can influence the way men

and women communicate
– Genders conditioned to approach communication in
different ways
– Boys: take charge
– Girls: facilitative and cooperative
– Most recent research contents genders more alike
than different

Nonverbal Messages
– Messages without words or silent messages

– Not spoken or written
– Include:
– posture facial expressions
– voice tone gestures
– appearances eye contact
Nonverbal Messages
– More impact than verbal message

– Being more conscious of nonverbal
messages improves communication
– Make sure verbal and nonverbal
messages are consistent:
– message clarity
– builds trust
The Impact of Nonverbal
Messages
2-30
Figure 2.3
Source: Silent Messages by Albert Mehrabian (Wadsworth: 1981).

Eye Contact
– Transmit more information than

any other part of the body
– Western standard in business
setting:
– meet other person’s eyes 60 - 70%

2-32 Facial Expressions
– Identifies inner feelings and emotions of person

– Most observations are accurate
– “Wearing your emotions on your sleeve”

2-33 Gestures
– Messages indicating reaction to situation

– Should command respect
– Meanings vary across cultures

2-34 Personal Space
– Used to define relationships

– Edward Hall identified “zones” of comfortable distances
– Distances vary across cultures

Comfort Zones
Intimate Distance Personal Distance

Touching to 18 inches From 18 inches to 4 feet
Social Distance Public Distance

From 4 feet to 12 feet From 12 feet to 15 feet

Responsibility for Effective
Communication
– Senders and the receivers share equal

responsibility
– Senders for sending a clear and concise
message
– Receivers for receiving the message that the
sender intended
– Use of feedback to ensure accurate message

Steps to Improve
Communication
1. Send clear messages

2. Develop active listening skills

Send Clear Messages
– Use simple, clear and concise words

– Use repetition
– Use appropriate timing
– Consider the receiver’s preferences

Develop Listening Skills
– Listening is a learned behavior

– Studies show poor listening habits
– People listen at a 25 percent efficiency rate
– About 75 percent of the messages are missed
– Listening should be “active or generous”
not passive

Active or Generous Listening
– Intense involvement and concentration on

what one is hearing
– Opportunity to:
– Gain stronger relationships
– Learn new information
– Make fewer mistakes

Develop Active Listening Skills
1. Develop a listening attitude

2. Give the speaker your full attention
3. Clarify by asking questions
4. Feed back your understanding of the
speaker’s message
– Add depth and dimension with critical and
empathic listening skills
Total Person Insight
Listening well is at the heart of intimacy and connection.

When we are able to listen to another person with
attention and care, that person feels validated and
enhanced.
Harriet Lerner
Author, The Dance of Connection

Critical Listening
– Organized cognitive process to carefully examine

the thinking of others
– Attempt to see topic from speakers point of view
– Especially important when emotions are involved
– Important during impersonal and interpersonal
communication
Empathic Listening
– Listening with the intent to

understand how the person feels
– One often has need to talk without
expectation of advice or guidance
– Listening with “ears, eyes and heart”
– Rare in Western culture
Develop Empathic Listening
Skills
– Adopt three practices:

– Avoid being judgmental
– Accept what is said
– Be patient

Communication Channels in
Organizations
– Organizations depend on teamwork

– Good communication builds teamwork by
– permitting two-way communication
– unifying group behavior
– Use both formal and information channels

Formal Channels
– Formal channels used for official

information
– Two types
– Vertical
– Horizontal

Formal Channels
– Vertical channels
– between top and lowest levels
– often via impersonal methods
– less opportunity for feedback
– Horizontal channels
– people on the same level
– often via interpersonal methods

Informal Channels
– Also known as the “grapevine”

– Exists in all organizations
– Can be both positive and negative
– Information passes quickly
– Can clarify message from formal channels
– Provides for employees’ social needs
– Messages can be distorted, abbreviated, exaggerated, or
completely inaccurate

Improving Organizational
Communication
– Develop an effective listening environment

– Encourage upward communication
– employees sharing feelings and ideas with
management
– Remove barriers that prevent open
communication
– builds trust among all employees, regardless of
position

Communicating via
Technology
– Traditional – High-tech
– memos – virtual office
– letters telecommuting
– phone calls – e-mail
– face-to-face – cellular phone

conversations – fax modem
– electronic documents
– voice mail

Communicating via
Technology
– Advantages
– Time efficiency
– Cost effectiveness
– Disadvantages
– Receiver’s impressions
– Frustration and stress
– Must be used with care to avoid
miscommunication
What is CMC?
– CMC is Computer Mediated

Communication.
Definition:
– CMC is communication that takes
places between human beings via the
instrumentality of computer.
CMC is an emerging area within the CALL
domain. It occurs when learner use the
computer to communicate with each other or
even with the native speakers.
–That communication takes place through different

ways in the following elements:
– Timing
– Number of participants and
– Medium
What is CMC concerned about?
– Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is the use of an
application computer to control multimedia interactive and
message-based communication to provide more effective
ways of doing things. (Rob Walters)
– Computer-Mediated Communication is a process of human
communication via computers, involving people, situated in
particular contexts, engaging in processes to shape media
for a variety of purposes. (John December)

– The CMC contexts for human participation follow the offline
human communication contexts: individual, group, mass;
organizational, or societal.
– At the individual level, people use Internet tools to retrieve
information, and communicate with others. Electronic mail is
probably the most prevalent form of this kind of
communication.
– There's a wider range of activity in group communication on the
Internet. Electronic mail, and other forms of text, audio, and
video means exist.
– To communicate at the mass level, it is often simply a matter of
taking the tools from the group or individual level and applying
them to larger numbers of people
– People go online for one reason or another.
It may be “to work”, "to play," "to kill time,"
or even "to be cool," but there is a reason.
– Moreover, the purposes people give for
using the Net and Web relate to their
context, with factors such as peer pressure
and social context influencing online
behaviour.

2-58

CMC Involves Processes Online
– People might:
– Create meaning by writing emails, posting articles to Internet,
writing in real-time chat environments, creating websites, and
preparing multimedia files.
– Disseminate meaning through point to point communication
(email), point to multipoint (Internet Relay Chat, email lists, Web
forums, Web sites), and multipoint to multipoint (within email
lists, Chat, or IRC when many people are involved in a discussion).

– Perceive meaning in text and multimedia on
Web sites, email, Usenet, etc.
– Continuously participate in forums for
communication that begin to exhibit
characteristics of community--including a
shared sense of purpose, norms for behaviour,
and traditions.

What needed for CMC?
– For all of the CMC system you need

a computer network connection.
– For audio conferencing we need a
microphone.
– For video conferencing we need a
video camera.
Elements in CMC
– Sender’s anonymity
– Receivers
– Channel
– Messages
– Feedback
– Context in CMC

Synchronous
– The exchange of information in real time is
known as synchronous communication. It means
learners are communicating at the same time. It
helps e-learners to feel like participants.
– Synchronous communication can be in
– Text
– Audio or
– In video form

Features:
– Collaboration
– Immediate response
– 1 to1 communication
– Allow body language

Synchronic Applications:
– Most well known synchronic

communication applications:
– Instant Messaging
– Skype
– Video conferencing
– Telephone conversation
– Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and many more.

Asynchronous
– Asynchronous communication means that people

are communicating at different time.
– In it interaction is not real time.
– Like synchronic communication it can be in
– Text
– Audio or in
– Video form

Features:
– Available anytime
– Available anyplace
– Variety of media
– Multiple perspective
– One to one or one to many
communication

Asynchronous Applications:
– Most famous asynchronous

communication applications are:
– Email
– Texting
– Face book
– You tube
– Newsgroups

Voice Mail
– Voice mail tag

– exchange of several voice mails without
successful transmission of the message
– Avoid counterproductive exercise in
frustration

Voice Mail
– Voice mail tag

– exchange of several voice mails without
successful transmission of the message
– Avoid counterproductive exercise in
frustration

Voice Mail
– For incoming calls:

– Keep your recorded message updated daily
– Practice your greeting before recording it
– Include your first and last names, and the date
– Include when you will be retrieving your messages
– Explain how to reach ‘live’ person for urgent calls

Voice Mail
– When retrieving your voice mail:

– Keep a notepad beside your phone
– Write down the essential information
you need for calls you want to return;
then delete them
– Return calls promptly

Voice Mail
– When leaving a voice mail message:

– Be courteous
– Speak clearly and slowly
– Keep message short and simple
– Establish why you are calling
– Give name and contact number
– Let receiver know when you will be available or set a time
when you will call again

E-Mail
– Advantages
– Fast
– Alternative if not comfortable with face to face
– Great equalizer
– Can eliminate gender or racial biases
– Disadvantages
– Can take longer than other methods
– Careful planning and writing skills required

Guidelines for E-Mail
– Know your company’s e-mail policy

– Create an appropriate e-mail address and
signature
– Use the Subject: line
– Watch your language
– Avoid forwarding junk mail

E-mail Tips
– Do not send when angry or exhausted

– Do not substitute for face-to-face meetings
– Scan subject lines
– Always try to have error-free messages
– Do not use to share rumors, innuendos, or
sensitive information
– Avoid unprofessional abbreviations

Summary
– Age of information has generated

rapid advances in communications
technology
– But technology needs people to
make it work

2-83

Summary
– No longer a need to communicate

more; instead, learn to communicate
more effectively
– Need to understand the
communication process

Summary
– Two types of communication

– Impersonal
– one-way method used to share basic facts, policies,
and instructions that require no feedback from a
receiver
– Interpersonal
– two-way exchange in which the receiver understands
the message in the same way as the sender intended it

Summary
– Communication is often filtered through

– semantics
– emotions
– attitudes
– role expectations
– gender bias
– nonverbal messages

Summary
– Nonverbal body language conveys

thoughts and feelings through
– eye contact
– facial expressions
– gestures
– use of personal space

Summary
– Individuals can improve

communication by:
– making their messages clearer
– using repetition and good timing

Summary
– Organizational communication
– builds team work
– unifies group behavior
– Two channels
– Formal
– vertical or horizontal
– Informal
– grapevine
– Improve by creating channels for upward
communication

Summary
– Communications superhighway has

created tremendous opportunities
– Global marketplace has prompted
companies to train employees in
cross-cultural communication

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Computer-

– Impact of advanced technology

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Information age is characterized by:

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Need to balance technology with human touch

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Basic communication process is always the same

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– All organizational communication is

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Many skills are valuable at work, but one skill is essential:

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Composed of three basic

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Most communications are more

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Study of relationship between words and their

– Cultures have different standards for

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Culture is getting more attention

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Powerful communication filter

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Can be a barrier to effective

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Influences how people expect themselves,

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Learned gender roles can influence the way men

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Messages without words or silent messages

– More impact than verbal message

Source: Silent Messages by Albert Mehrabian (Wadsworth: 1981).

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Transmit more information than

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Identifies inner feelings and emotions of person

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Messages indicating reaction to situation

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Used to define relationships

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Intimate Distance Personal Distance

Social Distance Public Distance

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Senders and the receivers share equal

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

1. Send clear messages

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Use simple, clear and concise words

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Listening is a learned behavior

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

– Intense involvement and concentration on

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

1. Develop a listening attitude