CHAPTER 7

Communication

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Chapter Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
1. Describe the communication process, explain the difference between
one-way and two-way communication, and identify barriers to
effective communication.
2. Identify and discuss the major communications skills used by
managers.
3. Discuss communication media and describe the richness of each.
4. Describe different forms of organizational communication.

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 The Communication Process (1 of 4)

Communication—The transmission of information from one person to

another to create shared understanding and feeling

Encoding Converting a thought, idea, or fact into a message composed of symbols, pictures, or
words
Message The encoded information
Channel The medium used to send the message
Decoding Translating the message back into something that can be understood by the receiver

Feedback A check on the success of the communication

Noise Anything that blocks, distorts, or changes in any way the message the sender
intended to communicate

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 The Communication Process (2 of 4)
Figure 9.1
The communication process involves a number of steps. The process begins with
encoding a message, then transmitting that message through a channel, and it then
being decoded by the receiver. Feedback helps improve communication
effectiveness, but, on the other hand, noise can block or distort it.

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 The Communication Process (3 of 4)

• Nonverbal communication—communications that are not spoken or

written but that have meaning to others
– Body language: a body movement such as a gesture or expression that
conveys information to others
– Verbal intonation: the emphasis given to spoken words or phrases
• One- and two-way communication
– One-way: information flows from sender to receiver
– Two-way: information flows from sender to receiver and then feedback is
given and received

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 The Communication Process (4 of 4)

• Task interdependence—needed when one person or unit is

dependent on another person for resources or information to get work
done
– Pooled interdependence: used when employees work independently
and then their output is combined into group output
– Sequential interdependence: used when tasks must be done in a certain
order (i.e., an assembly line)
– Reciprocal interdependence: used when constant communication and
mutual adjustment are needed for task completion

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Types of Task Interdependence

Figure 9.2
Task interdependence leads to an
increase in communications
requirements. The three major forms
of interdependence, as shown here,
are pooled, sequential, and reciprocal.
The higher the level of
interdependence the greater the
requirement for effective
communication.

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Table 9.2 Barriers to Effective Communication

BARRIER DESCRIPTION
Selective perception We selectively see and hear based on our expectations and beliefs
Misperception Messages are not always decoded by the receiver in the way the sender intended
Filtering Information is intentionally withheld, ignored, or distorted to influence the message that is
ultimately received
Information overload It is possible to have so much information that it is impossible to process all of it
Organizational barriers A firm’s hierarchical structure and culture can influence who is allowed to communicate
what to whom, and may limit how messages can be sent
Cultural barriers Different national cultures have different ways of expressing things
Noise Anything that blocks, distorts, or changes the message the sender intended to
communicate

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Communication Skills

• Skills to improve to overcome barriers to communication

– Active listening: becoming actively involved in the process of listening to what others
are saying and clarifying messages’ meaning
– Giving and receiving feedback: feedback should be timely, frequent, consistent,
specific, and private
– Writing skills: communications should have correct spelling, grammar, punctuation,
style, and tone
– Presentation skills: be clear and enthusiastic, develop rapport, control body language,
be concise and organized, watch the audience, end with a bang
– Meeting skills: come prepared, use an agenda, be punctual, have a clear purpose,
encourage participation

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Tips for Effective Email (1 of 2)

Table 9.3
Using email effectively requires practice. These suggestions are useful ways to improve
the quality and professionalism of email.
1. Deliver personal information in person or by telephone.
2. Avoid unprofessional email addresses for business emails—have two email accounts if necessary. This will
avoid the embarrassment of having to tell a new boss that your email address is [email protected].
3. Ensure that you are responding to every part of the email that warrants a response.

4. Respond to emails quickly, preferably by the end of the same day. If you cannot do this, email the person to
let them know that you received their email and cannot address their question right now, but you will get back
to them soon with an answer.
5. Read your emails once or twice before sending them to check for clarity and readability.

6. Write concise and informative subject lines. For example, “We’re meeting Wednesday at 9” sends a message
without the recipient even opening the email.

7. Do not criticize others via email. This can make them feel belittled and disrespected, and if others forward
your email you could quickly regret ever sending it.

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Tips for Effective Email (2 of 2)
8. Do not use your inbox as a catchall folder. After reading an incoming item, answer immediately, delete it, or
move it to a project-specific folder.
9. Agree on company acronyms for subject lines, such as “AR” for action required or “MFR” for monthly financial
report. This both saves time and prevents confusion.

10.Send group mail only when useful to all recipients. Use “reply all” and “cc” sparingly.
11.Use the “out of office” feature and voice mail messages to let people know when you may not be able to
respond quickly.
12.Before sending an attachment in a particular format, make sure the recipient can open it.
13.Because they are slow to download, avoid sending large attachments and graphics (especially to people who
are traveling) unless it is necessary. Post large attachments on a wiki or portal instead.

14.Consolidate your messages in one organized email rather than sending one message per thought.

Sources: Hyatt, M. (2007). Email Etiquette 101, MichaelHyatt.com. Available online:

http://michaelhyatt.com/e-mailetiquette-101.html. Stanley, B. (2008). 5 Rules of Email Etiquette,
February 10. Smartphonemag.com.
http://www.smartphonemag.com/cms/blogs/27/5_rules_of_email_etiquette Andrea C. Poe, “Don’t
Touch that ‘Send’ Button! – e-mail messaging skills,” HR Magazine, July, 2001, 46 (7) pp. 74–80.
Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Communication Media (1 of 4)

• Internet and communication

– Information pull: occurs when someone receives requested information
– Information push: occurs when information is received that was not requested
– Internet media include websites, video chats, podcasts, email, instant messaging
– Telework: home-based telecommuting, satellite offices, neighborhood work centers,
mobile work
• Collaboration software
– Workflow automation systems
– Decision support systems

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Communication Media (2 of 4)

• Intranets
– Intranets give employees controlled access to shared information
– Portals are similar to intranets but are more project-focused. Used for sharing:
 Scheduling
 Collaboration
 Databases, calendars, other documents
– Webcasts: live or prerecorded video segments
– Wikis: searchable, archivable websites that let people edit and comment on each
other’s work in real time
– Blogs: chronicles of people’s personal thoughts and interests

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Communication Media (3 of 4)

• Oral communication
– Lowest possibility for miscommunication
– Important for building credibility and trust
• Media richness
– Ability of media to carry nonverbal cues, provide rapid feedback, convey
personality, and support natural language use

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Communication Media (4 of 4)

– Depends on four things

 Interactivity, or the availability of feedback
 The ability to transmit multiple cues, such as physical presence, voice
inflection, nonverbal cues, and pictures
 Language variety for conveying a broad set of concepts and ideas
 Personal focus, or the degree to which it allows the expression of emotions
and other social cues

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Table 9.4 Media Richness of Various Managerial
Communications

Feedback Number of Personal

Media Richness Availability Cues Language Variety Focus
Face-to-face High High High High High

Videoconference High High High High High

s
Telephone Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate High

Instant Moderate High Low Low Moderate

messaging
Email Moderate Moderate Low Low Moderate

Personal written Low Low Low Low Low

correspondence
Formal written Low Low Low Low Low
correspondence

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Organizational Communication (1 of 2)

• Organizational communication
– The exchange of information among two or more individuals or groups in
an organization that creates a common basis of understanding and
feeling
– Can be formal or informal
– Can be downward, upward, horizontal, or diagonal

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Organizational Communication (2 of 2)

Downward A higher-level employee communicates to a lower-level employee

Upward A lower-level employee communicates to a higher-level employee
Horizontal An employee communicates with others at the same organizational
level
Diagonal Employees communicate across departments and levels
Formal Official, organization-sanctioned communications
Informal Any communication that is not official
Social networks A set of relationships among people connected through friendship,
family, work, or other ties

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Communication Paths in Organizations

Figure 9.3
Organizational
communication can follow a
variety of paths.
As illustrated here, these
paths can be downward,
upward, horizontal, or
diagonal.

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Organizational Behavior in Action

• After reading the chapter:

– What are your preferred methods of receiving information? Does your
answer differ depending on the type of information being sent?
– What are some of the most common sources of noise when others try to
talk to you? What can you do to reduce their effects?
– If you were about to be fired, how would you want to hear the news?
How would you least want to hear the news? Why?

Ricky W. Griffin/Jean M. Phillips/Stanley M. Gully, Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Thirteenth Edition. © 2020 Cengage. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.