Organizational Communication

Dhruti Pandya
Introduction
 Human lives are meant to express.
 Life gets better when we have people to feel togetherness
 We may not be able to do a transaction in everyday life
without expressing what we need or what is going on in
our mind.
 Means, success in personal and professional life can only
be achieved by communicating effectively.

 But the question is, do we know what does ‘effective

communication’ mean?
Vitametavegamin
What is Communication?
 Communication is ‘Expression of Thoughts’

 “Communication is the process of exchanging information

(facts, ideas, opinions or emotions), usually through
common system or symbols.”

• It is a Process
• Need two or more people
• Need Common system/ medium
 Feedback

Transmission
of
Thought Encoding Reception Decoding Understanding
Message
Receiver
Sender

Noise

Communication Process
Steps in the communication Process
Steps in Communication Process
1. Sender conceives an idea depending on the purpose of
communication.
2. Sender chooses appropriate symbols, encodes the idea
and formulates the message
3. Sender sends the message through a suitable channel
(oral or written)
4. Receiver receives the message
5. Receiver decodes the symbols, and comprehend, and
interprets the message
6. Receiver sends the response that is observed by the
sender.
Basic facts about Communication
 Without receiving a
response the cycle is
incomplete.
 Meanings received are not
necessarily the same as the
meanings transmitted.
 Meaning received and
meaning sent is in the mind
of the sender and receiver.
 The symbols used in
communication are
imperfect.
Importance of Effective Communication
Roles of A Manager
Interpersonal Roles
(communication between people)

 Roles that help people work well among themselves.

 Every manager is required to perform duties that is
symbolic in nature.
 While performing such duties a manager plays an inter-
personal roles for his organization.
Informational Roles
Informational Roles
(Giving and Receiving Information)

 Collection of information by managers from organizations

and institutions in their external environment indicates the
informational roles played by them.
 A manager becomes monitor when he reads the
magazines, talks to others to learn the changes in the
public’s tastes, and what the competitors are planning, etc,
with a view to collect the information.
Decisional Roles
 In order to take various
decisions in the
business organization,
a manager need to
share and receive many
information regarding
various activities in the
organization.
Communication Networks
 Communication Networks means the way information flows
within and outside the organization.

 There are two types of organizational communication:

1. Formal Communication:
- When a CEO shares official information with the stakeholders
- Happens within the organizational hierarchy
2. Informal Communication:
- When information is shared without formally imposed obligations
or restrictions
- It goes beyond the organizational hiererchy
 Formal Communication Networks
Vertical Upward:
• The flow of information from lower levels to higher levels within an
organization.
• Eg. Requests, reports, proposals and feedback

Vertical Downward:
• The flow of information from the superiors to subordinates
• Eg. Instructions, directions, orders and feedback about past performances
Formal Communication Networks
 Horizontal:
 When communication takes place among the members of the same work
group, among members of same work groups at the same level, among
members at the same level, or among any literally equivalent personnel,
it is Lateral or Horizontal communication.
 Horizontal communication plays a significant role in organizations where
functions are decentralized.
 Spiral or Diagonal :
 Diagonal communication takes place at different levels in the
organization
 The path is mixture of vertical and horizontal movements
Informal Communication Networks
• When people communicate informally, they are not bound by
their organizational positions. Everyone is free to tell anybody
anything.
• When anyone can tell anyone else anything informally, the
result is a rapid flow of information along what is commonly
called the Grapevine
Communication Networks

President
I
I N
N S
F Vice Vice T
O President President R
R U
M C
A T
T I
I O
O N
Manager Manager Manager Manager
N S

Efforts at Co-ordination
 COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

• Hurdles or problems that affect the

transmission of information from the
sender to the receiver in the
communication process are called
communication barriers.
Types of barriers

Physical Psychological
barrier barrier

Semantic and
Intercultural
language
barrier
barrier

Interpersonal Organizational
barrier barrier
 PHYSICAL BARRIERS

• Noise
• Environmental & Physical discomfort
• Distraction & Ill health
• Poor Lighting
 PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS
• Prejudice
• Know-it-all
• Preconceived ideas
• Rigidity of thought
• Disinterest
• Status Block
• Cultural disparities
 SEMANTIC & LANGUAGE
BARRIERS
• Words have multiple meanings. Eg. Charge, spring, suit or
ring.
• Similar sounding words. Eg. Access & excess, site & sight,
steel & steal.
• Phrases can be tricky. Eg. A red & a blue carpet, A red & blue
carpet
• Improper sentence formation
• Imprecise and ambiguous sentences eg. What can I do for
you? The meaning changes depending on how they are
spoken.
• Not aware of the different meanings of words
 ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS
• Processing of information from several people
• Delay in getting information because of many transfers of
stations
• Distortion of message because of different sources
• Internal rivalries
• Poor communication culture
 INTERPERSONAL BARRIERS
• Attitude of the sender & receiver –
positive or negative
• Wrongly timed message
• Partial & inattentive listening
Intercultural Barriers
• Language
• Values & norms of behaviour
• Social relationships
• Concepts of time
• Concepts of space
• Thinking process
• Non-verbal communication
• Perception
Exercise: Identify the categories of barriers

Noise
Noise Poor
Poor Lighting
Lighting Know-it-all
Know-it-all

Similar
Similar sounding
sounding
Prejudice
Prejudice Disinterest
Disinterest
words
words

Attitude
Attitude of
of the
the
Processing
Processing of
of
Words
Words have
have sender
sender &&
information
information
multiple
multiple receiver
receiver ––
from
from several
several
meanings
meanings positive or
positive or
people
people negative
negative

Values
Values &
& norms
norms Internal
Internal
Concepts
Concepts of
of time
time
of behaviour
of behaviour rivalries
rivalries