Communication
Topic 5:3:1
Managerial Communication In this topic we will spend more of our discussing on managers
communicating in the organization, how they communicate and the modes they
use to communicate. We will show that managers spend a majority of their time
in communication with others internally and externally. We will examine the
reasons for communication and discuss the basic model of interpersonal
communication. Interpersonal communication is an important part of being an
effective manager: Ø It influences the opinions, attitude, motivation, and
behaviors of others. Ø It expresses our feelings, emotions, and intentions to others. Ø It is the vehicle for providing, receiving, and exchanging
information regarding events or issues that concern us. Ø It reinforces the formal structure of the organization by such
means as making use of formal channels of communication. Definition: Communication is the transfer
of information and understanding from one person to another or within a
system or organization. Communication is the process by which
information is passed between individuals and/or organizations by means of
previously agreed symbols (Little 1999 p.4). Communication is the process of
transmitting or exchanging information, ideas and feelings between (or among)
people in an organization using mutually agreed symbols. Effective communication is the
transmission of data, information so that it is received, understood and
leads to action (CIMA study pack, 2002). Effective communication is the giving,
receiving or exchanging of information, opinions or ideas by writing, speech
or visual means or any combination of the three so that the material
communicated is completely understood by everyone concerned (Sillas 200p.1). According to Fielding (2002), communication is a
transaction. A transaction involves two or more people who construct meaning
together and have to work together according to a set of rules. They have to
take one another into account. Topic 5:3:2 Function of
Communication Communication has five
functions:- Ø
To express emotions – people have emotions, which
they express to others through communication. The emotive function is
oriented toward feelings and is aimed at increasing acceptance of the
organization’s goal and actions. Ø
To activate motivation – communication concerned with
motivation is designed to promote commitment to the organization’s
objectives. Most of the major activities of leaders such as informing
subordinates about objectives, rewarding, disciplining and defining roles,
all require communication. Ø
To inform – the objective of the information function is to
provide the information necessary for decision-making. Whenever, a manager is
ready to make a decision he or she needs information. Ø
To control – reports, policies, and plans function to control the
behaviour of an organization’s members. They define
roles, clarify duties, authority and responsibilities, and reinforce
organizational structure which defines jobs and the authority to do them. By
providing a means of checking for the achievement of objectives, these types
of communication further the organization’s mission. Ø
To provide feedback on
performance – Topic 5:3:2 Basic Communication Model There are
five basic elements of the communication process: i. Idea Formation by sender – this is the start of communication, it
starts with an idea. This can be
verbal, written or sound. ii. Message Encoding – this is a way of converting the idea into
words or gesture that will convey meaning. The communication process is successful
only when the recipient
understands the message as intended by the sender. Many times
communication is totally misunderstood by the receiver due to the following: -
Use of difficult words by sender -
Cultural differences between sender and receiver -
Attitude towards sender by receiver iii. Message Transmission - this is channel by which the message
travels. Messages may be delivered by: -
Telephone -
Letter -
Newspaper -
Television -
Picture -
Fax -
Email -
Facebook iv. Message Decoding by receiver – the receiver should be able to
decode to interpret a message in successful communication. To be able to
communicate, the sender and receiver must have the following in common: -
Same language -
Same understanding of non-verbal communication It is not always easy to decode a message
because of the following differences amongst people: -
Feelings -
Beliefs -
Culture -
Sex -
Age, etc v. Feedback – Steinberg (1994) says that feedback is the
response of the participants to each other and may take different forms. For example, if you tell a friend a joke
and he/she smiles, the smile is feedback. If you ask your lecturer a question
and the lecturer answers, that also is feedback. You can see that feedback is
not just verbal, but it can also be non-verbal. Feedback is important as it
gives us a platform to exchange ideas and meanings. Note: Care must be taken how we communicate, so that message does
not get distorted. Topic 5:3:3 Barriers to Communication Challenges of communication
directly hinder the success of managers in the performance of their
functions. If messages are poorly transmitted, or if the action is not
effected management cannot plan or control activities properly. The following
are the barriers to good communication: 1.
Organizational Barriers i.
Differing specializations of members – distortion is likely to
result from inadequacy of words in carrying the precise ideas of the sender.
If an accountant submits a report on “costs” to an economist, distortion may
result because of differences in meanings of the word “cost”. This can only
be overcome an accountant to project himself into the viewpoint of the
economist i.e. by using terminologies which will be understood by the other. ii.
Differing departmental objectives – this can result into
misunderstandings and conflict. Management should infuse the vision of the organisation into every member so that effort is directed
towards a common goal. iii.
Environment – a noisy environment can affect
communication. iv.
Information overload - is the receipt of more information than
can be effectively observed. Latest methods of processing and transmitting
data have increased the amount of communication, which flow to executives.
When managers allow themselves to be flooded with information, given the time
and limits under which they operate the effectiveness of communication is
likely to suffer. Managers are forced to ignore or review many messages;
consequently, they overlook or misinterpret some messages. v.
Timing of communications – this can result in problems for
management. Some types of messages need to be released so that everyone will
receive them simultaneously. vi.
Routing – If official information is first received by persons outside
the organisation, the employee may be placed in an
insecure position. 2. Individual Barriers i.
Failure to listen – the receiver of a message should be
attentive when a message is being transmitted. ii.
Emotions – Ones mood can be a barrier to effective communication. iii.
Communication skills – lack of communication skills hinders effective communication. iv.
Complexity of message – if the message is too complex, there is
a danger of
misinterpreting it. v.
Attitude to tasks/people
– a poor attitude to tasks and people can affect one’s
ability to listen and communicate. vi.
Conflicting interests –
communication is affected if personal interests are
conflicting with the interest of the organisation. vii.
Clarity of instructions
– instructions that are not clear will not be understood. viii.
Lack of trust – can affect communication ix.
Attention Span – people have different levels of
concentration. People with a short attention span will lose attention if
subjected to listening for too long. 3. National Culture Differences - Misunderstandings have occurred because of
differences in behaviours, gestures and ways of
saying things, which are directly due to the cultural background of the
parties concerned. Overcoming Barriers Barriers to communication can be overcome
in the following ways:- i.
Regulate the flow of information – managers who receive too
much information suffer from information overload. ii.
Simplify the language of the message – because language can be a
barrier, managers and others should choose words that subordinates will
understand. iii.
Listen actively – employees need to become good listeners
as well as good message senders. iv.
Restrain negative emotions – like everyone else, managers convey
emotions when communicating, but negative emotions can distort the content of
the message. When a manager is emotionally upset, he or she is more likely to
phrase the message poorly. Guideline for Effective Communication i.
Clarify your ideas before
communicating – analyze
the problem to clarify it in your mind before sending a message. ii.
Examine the true purpose of the
communication – before
you send a message, ask yourself what you really want to accomplish with it. iii.
Consider the setting in which
the communication will take place – you convey meaning and intent by more
than words alone. Trying to communicate with a person in another location is
more difficult than doing so face-to-face. iv.
Consult with others, when
appropriate, in planning communications – encourage the participation of those who
will be affected by the message. v.
Be mindful of the nonverbal
messages you send – tone of
voice, facial expression, eye contact, personal appearance, and physical
surroundings all influence the communication process. vi.
Take the opportunity to convey
something helpful to the receiver – considering the other persons interests
and needs often presents opportunities to the sender. You can make your
message clear by imagining yourself in the others position. vii.
Following up the communication – your best efforts at
communication can be wasted unless you succeed in getting your message from
the listener’s point of view. viii.
Be sure your actions support
your communication – the
most effective communication is not in what you say but in what you do.
Actions speak louder than words. Topic
5:3:4 Types of Communications in Organizations In our communication model in topic 9, three types
of communication can be used by either the sender to transmit the message or
the receiver in the feedback phase. Oral Communication This consists of all messages or exchanges of
information that are spoken, and it’s the most common type of communication. Written
Communication This includes e-mail, texts, letters, reports,
manuals, and annotations on sticky notes. For important communication managers
prefer written communication, such as a change in a company policy, where
precision of language and documentation of the message are important. Nonverbal Communication This is the conveying of information without
speaking or writing. For example traffic lights and sirens as well as things
such as office size and placement, which suggest something or someone of importance. As well, things such as body language and
facial expression can convey either conscious or unconscious messages to
others. Topic 5:3:5 Types of Communication channels in organisations Downward Communication – is communication from management to the shop floor.
This may involve giving indented planned instructions, writing memos and so
on. Sideways
(lateral/horizontal communication) –
this is the type of channel that takes place between departments in a company
or between managers of equal status. This is can be used also to communicate
with the other firms externally. Upward
Communication – this is the type of
channel where subordinates and general workers communicate with superiors or
managers above them. (see diagram below). They can take the form of progress
reports or reports of grievance procedures. Some organisations
encourage this for the good of the organization. Diagonally
Communication – this is
the type of channel to different
departments within the organisation |
