MGT202 ORGANIZATIONAL

BEHAVIOR
Session 8: Communication in Organizations
Devotion

• TEXT: Romans 3:23.

• THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF
GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD
• DEVOTION FOCUS: A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LIFE.
Objectives
• Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations.
• Distinguish between formal and informal communications
in organizations.
• Examine informal communication networks and
communication media in organizations
• Identify communication channels and forms of
communication
Objectives
• Discuss communication barriers and how technology can
be employed to enhance communication effectiveness
• Explain how to improve the effectiveness of their
communication in organizations
Introduction
• Experts consider communication to be a key process
underlying all aspects of organizational operations.
• It is believed that employees’ overall performance is
strongly related to their competence as communicators
(Scudder and Guinan, 2009).
• This session will define communication, examine the
communication process, characterize the role of
communication in organizations. It will go on to look at the
differences between formal and informal communication
and lastly technology in media will be discussed
OBJECTIVE 1
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations
Describe the process of communication and its
role in organizations
• Communication
• Communication is the process by which a person, group,
or organization (i.e., the sender) transmits some type of
information (i.e., the message) to another person, group,
or organization (i.e., the receiver).
• The giving, receiving or exchanging of information,
opinions or ideas by writing, speech or visual means – or
any combination of the three
Describe the process of communication and its
role in organizations
Further definitions of ‘Communication’
• Communication is "a two-way process of reaching mutual
understanding, in which participants not only exchange
(encode-decode) information but also create and share
meaning." (Business Dictionary)

• According to Newman and Summer, "Communication is

an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two
or more persons."
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations – The communication Model
• The communication process model
• Communication models are systematic representations of
the communication process which helps in understanding
how communication works can be done

• The communication process refers to a series of actions

or steps taken in order to successfully communicate
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations – The communication Model
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations – The communication Model
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations – The communication Model
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations – The communication Model
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations - Elements of communication
• The sender
• Encoding – process by which idea is transformed so that it can be
transmitted to and recognized by the receiver
• The message
• The channel
• Decoding – process of converting the message back into the sender’s
original ideas
• The receiver
• Noise – factors that distort clarity of messages at any point during
communication
• Feedback
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations

• The role of communication in an Organization

• To direct action, to get others to behave as desired
• To achieve coordinated action
• Communication is the key to directing the function of
management
Describe the process of communication and its role in
organizations

• Effective communication requires effective listening

• Listening is a deliberate process
• To understand what is said
• Listening is an active process
OBJECTIVE 2
Distinguish between formal and informal
communications in organizations
Distinguish between Formal and Informal
Communication
• Formal Communication is sharing of messages regarding
the official work of the organization.
• It is governed by organizational structure, which is the
formally prescribed pattern of interrelationships between
people in organizations
• Informal communication is sharing unofficial messages
that go beyond the organization’s formal activities.
Formal Communication (Up, Down & Across the
Organizational Chart)
• Downward communication flows from one level to the next-
lowest one, slowly trickling down to the bottom (usually from
supervisor to subordinates)

• Upward communication is information flowing from lower

levels to higher levels within an organization (e.g. from
subordinate to supervisor)
Distinguish between formal and informal
communications in organizations
• Upward communication often suffers from serious
inaccuracies (downplay their mistakes and highlight
their accomplishments). Communication upwards also
tends to be shorter than discussions with peers.

• The MUM effect: the reluctance to transmit bad news,

which is shown either by not transmitting the message
at all or by delegating the task to someone else.
Distinguish between formal and informal
communications in organizations
• Horizontal Communication: these are messages that
flow laterally (i.e. at the same organizational level) and
are characterized by efforts at coordination (i.e.
attempts to work together).

• Because horizontal communication involves people at

the same level, it tends to be easier and friendlier.
 Distinguish between formal and informal
communications in organizations
• The Communication network
• These are pre-established patterns dictating who may
communicate with whom
• Centralized networks
• Decentralized networks
OBJECTIVE 3
Examine informal communication networks and
communication media in organizations
 Examine informal communication networks and
communication media in organizations
• The grapevine
• The grapevine is the organization’s informal channels
of communication which are based mainly on friendship
or acquaintance

• Informal information traveling along the organizational

grapevine tends to reach its audience rapidly, often
within hours.
Examine informal communication networks and
communication media in organizations

• CLASS EXERCISE
• Discuss how rumours in an organization can be
successfully combated
OBJECTIVE 4
Identify communication channels and forms of
communication
Identify communication channels and forms of
communication

• Oral/Verbal Communication

• Non-Verbal Communication

• Written Communication
Identify communication channels and forms of
communication
• Non-verbal communication can work both
independently of and in conjunction with verbal
messages
• Message reinforcement or complementation

• Non-verbal and verbal communication

complement each other
Identify communication channels and forms of
communication
The language of Silence:
• Silence is a powerful tool of communication, but it must be
used skilfully
• How can it be used positively/negatively?
• Silence can build walls
• Silence can be an indication of being ready to listen
Identify communication channels and forms of
communication
• Forms of Non-verbal communication
• Body language (Kinesics)
• Head-nods
• Facial expressions
• Eyes
• Gestures
Identify communication channels and forms of
communication
• Communication channels
• Face to face to communication or personal
communication
• Memos, letters, emails
• Newsletters, employee handbooks
• Telephones
• Skype, Zoom, Google meet
OBJECTIVE 5
Discuss communication barriers and how technology
can be employed to enhance communication
effectiveness
Barriers to communication
• Language barriers
• Wrong choice of medium
• Inadequate knowledge about the audience
• Emotional barriers
• Selective perception
• Information overload
Technology to enhance communication
efficiency
• Business communication today is more likely than ever
before to rely on advanced technology.

• Computer-mediated communication has been responsible

for making communication faster and by making the
distances between people irrelevant as a barrier to
sending and receiving information.
Use of technology
• Video-mediated communication (VMC): conferences in which
people can hear and see each other using computers.
• E-mails and instant messaging have also revolutionized
people’s access to information.
• The media are not without problems, however. E.G. people
receiving too many e-mails that they suffer information
overload or potential invasion of privacy.
• Voice messaging: System that uses a computer to convert
human speech into digital information saved on a hard disk for
playback later by the receiver at any time from any touch-tone
telephone.
OBJECTIVE 6
Explain how to improve the effectiveness of
communication in organizations
Explain how to improve the effectiveness of
communication in organizations
• Use simple clear language

• K.I.S.S principle: (Keep It Short and Simple)

• Demonstrate consistency between what you say and do

• Learn to listen actively and attentively

Explain how to improve the effectiveness of
communication in organizations
• Minimize the problem of overload by using gatekeepers
(individuals who control the flow of information to others) or
by queuing ( the orderly lining-up of incoming information.
• Minimize distortions and omission of messages by making
them redundant and encouraging verification.
• Opening upward channels of communication to employee
feedback (e.g. suggestion systems, corporate holiness, and
employee surveys).
Explain how to improve the effectiveness of
communication in organizations
• Be a supportive communicator:
• Focus on the problem, not the person
• Honestly say what you mean
• Own your decisions
• Use validating language (makes them feel recognized
and accepted for who they are)
• Keep the conversation going
Explain how to improve the effectiveness of
communication in organizations
• Developing listening skills
• Requires you to identify the individual elements of
listening-the separate skills that contribute to listening
effectiveness. These can be clustered into six
groups: HURIER Model
Explain how to improve the effectiveness of
communication in organizations

• H: Hearing
• U: Understanding
• R: Remembering
• I: Interpreting
• E: Evaluating
• R: Responding
Summary

• WHAT ONE THING DID YOU LEARN TODAY?