Lecture 11: Communication in Organisation

Question 1

The concept of communication

Answer 1

• Communication permeates every function of management:
  o Planning
  o Leading
  o Organising
  o Controlling
• Managers facilitate strategic conversations
  o Dialogue across boundaries and hierarchical levels about the team or organisation’s vision, critical strategic themes and the values that help achieve important goals

Question 2

What is communication

Answer 2

• Communication is the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or influence behaviour

Question 3

The Communication process

Answer 3

• Message – sender decides what to send eg you did a good job
• Encode – select signals to compose message eg 
• Channel – the carrier of communication eg whats app
• Decode – receive translates signals into meaning ed I did a good job
• Feedback – two way eg receiver: thanks for letting me know sender: you are welcome
• However noise can arise in communication such as some talking over someone

Question 4

Communicating among people

Answer 4

• Communication channels
  o Ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously
  o Ability to facilitate rapid, two-way feedback
  o Ability to establish a personal focus
• Non-verbal communication
  o Communication transmitted through actions and behaivour rather than through words
  o Mostly face-to-face
  o Facial expressions, voice, mannerisms, posture and dress
  o Not what you say but how you say it
• Listening
  o The skill of grasping facts as well as feelings to interpret a message’s genuine meaning
  o Requires attention, energy and skill
  o Good listener: Actively listens, Finds areas of interest, Resists distractions, Summarises, Is responsive

Question 5

Organisational communication

Answer 5

• Formal communication channels
• Team communication channels
• Personal communication channels

Question 6

• Formal communication channels

Answer 6

A communication channel that flows within the chain of command or task responsibility define by the organisation

Downward communication: 1. Implementation of goals and strategies, 2. Job instructions and rationale, 3. Procedures and practices, 4. Performance Feedback, 5. Indoctrination

Upward communication: 1. Problems and exceptions, 2. Suggestions for improvement, 3. Performance reports, 4. Grievances and disputes, 5. Financial and accounting information

Horizontal communication: 1. Intradepartmental problem solving, 2. Interdepartmental coordination and 3. Change initiatives and improvements

Question 7

Team communication channels

Answer 7

o Centralised network: communicate through one individual to solve problems or make decisions
o Decentralised network: team members communicate freely then arrive at a decisions together

Question 8

Personal communication channels

Answer 8

o Developing personal communication networks
o Written communication
o The need to write clearly and quickly in today’s globally economy is important

Question 9

Innovations in organisational communication

Answer 9

• Dialogue
• Crisis Communication
• Feedback learning
• Climate of trust and openness

Question 10

• Dialogue

Answer 10

o A group communication process in which people create a stream of shared meaning that enables them to understand each other’s point of views

Question 11

• Crisis communication

Answer 11

o Maintain your focus
o Be visible
o Get the awful TRUTH out
o Communicate a vision for the future

Question 12

• Feedback and learning

Answer 12

o The use of evaluation and communication to help individuals q and the organisation learn and improve
o Also feedback on positive things such as ‘that’s such a good idea’

Question 13

• Climate of trust and openness

Answer 13

o Honest communication, truth telling, transparency and elimination of threats or fear