Communication (09) Flashcards
(50 cards)
SUMMARY
In summary, the following are covered in this topic:
1. The communication process includes the sender; message and receiver;
encoding and decoding; the medium; feedback and noise.
2. There are two types of communication channels, formal and informal. Formal
channels include vertical, horizontal and external communication. Informal
communication channels include the grapevine and management by walking
around/ wandering about.
3. Barriers to effective communication prevent a message from being received or
correctly understood The types of barriers include physical, semantic and
personal barriers.
What is Communication?
Communication is the process of transmitting information, ideas or thoughts from one person to another for the purpose of exchanging common meanings.
What is Information?
Information refers to the data presented in verbal or non verbal form.
Note:
Communication is only effective if the message has been received and understood by the receiver and the sender knows, through feedback, that it has been understood.
go to page 2 for communication process
What are Communication Channels?
Communication Channels refers to the route through which communication occurs.
Communication channels can be formal or informal.
What is Formal Communication?
Formal Communication refers to communication that follows paths or routes specified by the official hierarchical organization structure whether within the organization or with external stakeholders.\
Formal Communication channels include vertical, horizontal, and external communication
What’s Informal Communication?
Informal Communication refers to the passing of information outside the official channels.
Informal communication channels are often initiated by employees on their own.
The contents of the communication are usually unrelated to work and centre around hobbies, families, gossips etc.
What is Vertical Communication?
It refers to communication that flows both upwards and/or downwards along the formal reporting lines within the organisation.
It follows the authority-responsibility relationship of superiors and or subordinates in the organisation chart.
Vertical communication is usually used in more established and traditional organisations.
What is Downward Communication?
Downward Communication, which flows from a higher level to lower levels in the organisation, usually takes the form of staff meetings, announcement of company policies, distribution of newsletters or informational memos.
The contents of the message could include the following:
Job instructions related to specific tasks, giving directions and assigning duties
Information on procedures and practices of the organisation, as well as changes to work processes
Feedback on the subordinates’ individual performance.
What are the advantages of Downward communication?
1) Promote sense of security.
- Minimises fears and suspicion as information would give subordinates a sense of security and better idea of the big picture.
2) Setting expectations
- Work expectations are defined and subordinates are better able to work towards the expected performance.
What are the disadvantages of Downward communication?
1) Filtering
- Messages are likely to be filtered and modified. Managers may not
pass down sufficient information to subordinates, leading to confusion and inability to complete tasks.
2) Lack of motivation
- Some organisations predominantly uses the top-down communication whereby employees are discouraged from giving opinions. This causes the employees to be demotivated as they feel that unappreciated by management.
What is Upward Communication?
Upward communication, which flows from a lower level to one or more higher levels in the organisation, usually takes the form of progress reporting, providing feedback
or suggestions, airing of grievances, responding to management memos or requesting for help from superiors.
The contents of the message could include the
following:
Progress report of current work projects
Serious unresolved problems which require help from superiors
Feedback or suggestion for improvement or innovation
Airing of grievances or complaints
What are the advantages of Vertical Upward Communication?
1) Management awareness
- Superiors are kept informed about lower-level activities and understands employees’ views, concerns, values and attitudes.
2) Improved motivation
-Employees may feel a sense of belonging to the organisation as there are avenues for them to give feedback to the management.
What are the disadvantages of Vertical Upward Communication?
1) Filtering by management
- Messages, such as unfavourable information, are likely to be filtered by middle management.
2) Status effect
- Employees may feel that they are of ‘lower statuses’ as compared
to the management. They view management as having higher qualification, have better knowledge and hence make better decision. This perception will prevent subordinates from speaking up.
What is Horizontal Communication?
Horizontal Communication refers to communication among people at about the same level in the hierarchy of authority.
It occurs along an organisational chart, between those who have approximately the same status, but different areas of responsibility.
It may involve peers within the same work unit or department who
report to the same supervisor, or across departments to involve individuals who report to different supervisors.
What are the advantages of Horizontal Communication?
1) Improved coordination
- Horizontal communication brings about coordination among different departments or work units to meet business objectives.
For example, frequent exchange of information between sales department and production department brings about better coordination as production
department will be able to meet the quality and quantity as required by the sales department.
2) Overcome status effect
- As subordinates view each other as being ‘equal’, they are more comfortable in sharing their opinions as compared to being in the presence of their management.
What are the disadvantages of horizontal communication?
1) Differences
- Different cultures, working style, objectives, etc. in different departments which may lead to conflicting ideas and departments may not empathise with each other’s differences.
2) Mishandling of sensitive information
- Sensitive information like individual
compensation packages or performance bonuses may be unintentionally made
known to colleagues.
3) Conflict of objectives
- The outlook and objectives of different departments could conflict, for example spending money on an advertising campaign the finance department feels is unnecessary.
4) Slower decision making
- Slower decision making as much time is spent on ideas generation among colleagues.
What is External Communication?
External communication refers to the communication between the organisation and external parties in the normal course of business activities.
E.g. Customers, suppliers, bankers, shareholders, government agencies, trade unions, etc.
The most common mediums used to communicate with external parties are letters, phone calls, faxes, or emails
What are the reasons of communicating with external parties?
1) Customers: New product launches, promotional campaign, customer service, handling customer complaints, educating customers on the use of the products, etc.
2) Suppliers: Negotiation for better credit terms, asking for quotations, clarification of statement of accounts, goods returns due to defects and not meeting specifications, etc.
3) Banks: Loan application, opening of bank accounts, negotiating repayment schedule, etc.
4) Shareholders: Annual General Meeting, Extraordinary General Meeting, circulars, annual financial reports, interim results etc.
5) Government agencies: Filing of annual returns, tax returns, application for government assistance schemes, etc.
6) Trade union: Human resource matters, workers’ grievances, wage freeze issues, etc.
What is Grapevine?
The grapevine is an informal communication network that carries gossips and information or misinformation throughout the organisation.
The information it carries may not necessarily relate directly to work matter.
What are the advantages of grapevine?
1) Increases the speed of communication
The message within the grapevine can travel faster and with greater impact, as compared to the same message passed
along using formal channels.
The management could tap on this advantage to supplement the official communication channels to spread an urgent and important message to all employees.
2) Improved sense of security
Grapevine gives employees a sense of security by keeping employees in the know concerning important matters that may impact them, such as possible change in immediate superior or potential change in company benefits
3) Sense of belonging
Employees are able to share concerns and personal issues with colleagues, which they may feel uncomfortable sharing with their immediate superiors.
This provides a form of social support and
satisfy personal needs and create, in the employees, a sense of belonging to the organisation.
4) Source of job-related information
Grapevine could become a channel to provide job-related information employees could not get hold of through formal
channels.
For example, through the grapevine, employees may come to know the reshuffle that could be taking place at management level.
5) Counter monotony at work
Being able to hear the ‘latest’ happenings in the
organisation or discussing hobbies during breaks will allow employees to take their mind off their work for a while.
This could help the staff to counter monotony in the workplace and may help improve their productivity.
What are the disadvantages of grapevine?
1) Transmission of inaccurate information
Through the grapevine, rumours, if not countered through official channels, could spread like wildfire. This could undermine morale of workers.
Furthermore, speculations and premature release of information can harm the organisation and cause investors to lose confidence in the organisation.
2) Loss of control
Management has little control over the grapevine as it is outside
of the formal hierarchy of the organisation.
Rumours, gossips or grossly inaccurate company-related information will only reach the ears of the top management later.
As such, management usually have to come into the picture to rectify the error.
This reactive remedy could be too late as damage might have already be done, such as workers becoming demotivated.
What are some was management could manage grapevine?
1) Acceptance of grapevine
Managers should accept the existence of grapevine as
it is unrealistic for them to think they can eliminate grapevines.
2) Openness with employees
Managers should be more open with employees in
the formal channels of communication.
This is because any deficiency in the formal channels of communication will lead to an increase in the activities of
the grapevine.
3) Supplement formal channels
Management could use grapevine to supplement
the formal channels by identifying the active grapevine members (informal leaders) and ensure they receive accurate information.
They could exploit the grapevine to reinforce important information sent through the formal channel.
4) Testing response
Management could selectively leak information of new ideas
to test the reactions of members of grapevine and obtain feedback before the proposal becomes official.
If the general feel of the response is negative, management may rework, refine and launch the new ideas later.
