INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

ALEXHANDRA NICOLE P. SERASPI

Communication
from Latin commnicre

"to share

Communication
Natural activity of human beings to convey / share Opinions, feelings, information & ideas to others through words (written or spoken), body language or signs

Communication
Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.

Some Definitions
Communication is essentially the ability of one person to make contact with another and to make himself or herself understood

John Adair

Some Definitions
Purposive interchange, resulting in workable understanding and agreement between the sender and the receiver of a message

George Vardman

Some Definitions
Communication is the interchange of thoughts, opinions or information by speech, writing or signs

Robert Anderson

Verbal & Nonverbal Communication

Verbal Communication
The encoding of messages into words, either written or spoken

Nonverbal
The encoding of messages by means of facial expressions, body language, and styles of dress.

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The Role of Perception in Communication

Perception
process through which people select, organize, and interpret sensory input to give meaning and order to the world around them

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The Role of Perception in Communication

Biases
systematic tendencies to use information about others in ways that can result in inaccurate perceptions

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The Role of Perception in Communication

Stereotypes
often inaccurate beliefs about the characteristics of particular groups of people can interfere with the encoding and decoding of messages

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The Dangers of Ineffective Communication

When managers and other members of an organization are ineffective communicators, organizational performance suffers and any competitive advantage the organization might have is likely to be lost

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Role of Effective Communication

Poor communication affects career, relationship Failure in achieving objectives in relationships, negotiations or decision making to a large extent owing to failure in communicating our purpose and ideas accurately to other Failure could be due to content OR form of message OR both

Common e.g.s of communication failure in personal and organizational communications -

o I would have changed the arrangement, but nobody told me o I did not know you wanted me to o I wasnt aware that someone else was also making arrangements. All remarks convey regret and disappointment felt by the receiver for having failed to provide the communicator with expected performance

Case-2
Vice President to Secretary Please call an Urgent meeting of all managers.

Secretary fixed meeting for the next morning

 Secretary thought Urgent meant Serious and not Immediate

 Receiver (Secretary) missed Purpose of communication VP did not clearly & precisely specify the time & date of the meeting

Case-3
Vinay Prasad Assistant Engineer Employer NTPC, Delhi Specialization High Voltage Power Generation

 Reads ad about international power conference in Chennai Keen to attend Writes immediately to Chief Power Engineer -

The Chief Power Engineer

An international conference on power generation which would be of great interest to us is being held in Chennai. The enclosed brochure shows that the technical information to be presented in the conference would be of great help in our upcoming projects. The registration fee is just Rs.5,000/- & the cost of travel & stay about Rs.8,000/-. Hence, only Rs.13,000/will be required. I am informing you about the conference now, so that you can take a decision in time for me to make necessary arrangements for train / flight bookings and stay.

CPE Replies
Vinay Prasad, Thanks for informing me about the conference in Chennai. I will certainly attend it. Please make all the necessary arrangements for me as suggested in your memo Ashok Jha

Need For Communication in Management

To increase employees job performance and effectiveness by updating their knowledge To promote employees sense of belonging and commitment To effect changes smoothly To motivate and create a sense of identification with the organizations goals To inform and convince employees about decisions and the reasons behind those decisions To develop employees clear understanding of their roles and future growth opportunities in the organization To empower employees with information on development and activities

Principles of Business Communication

Francis J Bergin advocates that there are 7 Cs of Communication

Candidness Courtesy 7 Cs of Communi cation Clarity

Correctness

Completeness

Concreteness

Conciseness

1. Candidness
Honest, sincere & guileless

Speak & listen without prejudice or bias Fairness to self & others involved guiding principle Candidness implies consideration of listeners interests and need to know things objectively & fairly Communication should be characterized by you attitude Also exhibits speakers self-confidence

2. Clarity
Most important in all communications especially face-toface Not easy to verbalize ideas accurately on the spot during conversation, presentation or other form of interaction To express clearly, use accurate and familiar words with proper intonation, stresses & pauses Spoken language to consist of simple words & short sentences Clear mind talk clear & effectively In one to one communication, listener can obtain immediate clarification in case of any doubt due to lack of clarity

3. Completeness
Clarity also ensured by completeness of message Possible to miss out some parts of communication while conversing or during oral presentation. Hence necessary to be pre-planned and structured The principle of completeness requires that we communicate whatever is necessary, provide answers to all possible questions, add extra information etc. Be careful to answer all questions put to us e.g. in an interview else raise doubts regarding the matter If no information or answer / unwilling to answer or discuss any particular question frankly express inability to answer

4. Conciseness
In business and professional communications, brevity with minimum words is important Avoid being repetitive While speaking tendency to be more wordy Less words doesnt mean making less sense Use single words for wordy phrases

Wordy
1. At this point of time 2. As regards the fact that.. 3. Because of the fact that 4. Are in need of . 5. In due course of time 6. Not very far from here

Concise
1. Now / at present 2. Considering.. 3. As / because 4. Need 5. Soon / shortly 6. Nearby / close by

5. Concreteness
Be specific / definite in describing Includes vivid description of event / state Avoid vague words In oral communication not possible to draw figures, tables graphs etc.

5. Concreteness
Choose precise words, speak with proper modulation and force to make sound reflect the sense E.g. in oral communication avoid passive voice Active voice verbs reflect force & action Sound more natural and direct.

6. Correctness
Grammatical errors common in spoken communication Speaker tends to forget the number and person of the subject of the verb if sentence is too long. Even sequence of tense is wrong Pronoun is incorrect especially in reported speech

6. Correctness
He said to me that I will surely go there He told me that he would surely go there Being an experienced manager, we are sure you can resolve the conflict As you are an experienced manager, we are sure you can resolve the conflict

7. Courtesy
An effective speaker maintains proper decorum whether at meetings, conversing, GDs etc Courtesy demands not using words which are insulting to listener In business discussions, listen patiently without interrupting Wait for chance to speak when its your turn then speak with force and clarity

7. Courtesy
Tone should reflect respect for listener (s) Pitch should not sound as it talking at each other but to each other Tone should not be aggressive

What is the nature of communication in organizations?

Communication Process
A process of sending and receiving messages with attached meanings.

The Communication Process

Phases of the Communication Process:
Transmission phase in which information is shared by two or more people. Feedback phase in which a common understanding is assured.

The Communication Process

Question?
What part of the communication process has the sender translating the message into symbols or language? A. Message B. Encoding C. Decoding D. Feedback

The Communication Process

Sender person wishing to share information with some other person Message what information to communicate Encoding sender translates the message into symbols or language Noise refers to anything that hampers any stage of the communication process

The Communication Process

Receiver person or group for which the message is intended Medium pathway through which an encoded message is transmitted to a receiver Decoding - critical point where the receiver interprets and tries to make sense of the message

 Feedback and communication.

Feedback is the process through which the

receiver communicates with the sender by returning another message. Feedback eliminates misunderstandings, ensures that messages are correctly interpreted Giving feedback often is associated with one or more persons communicating an evaluation of what another person has said or done. 360-degree feedback.

Guidelines for effective constructive feedback.

Give feedback directly and in a spirit of mutual

trust. Be specific, not general; use clear examples. Give feedback when the receiver is most ready to accept it. Be accurate; check validity with others. Focus on things that the receiver can control. Limit how much feedback the receiver gets at one time.

Information Richness and Communication Media

Managers and their subordinates can become effective communicators by:
Selecting an appropriate medium for each messagethere is no one best medium. Considering information richness
A medium with high richness can carry much more information to aid understanding.

Question?
What is the amount of information that a communication medium can carry? A. Channel capacity B. Information richness C. Bandwidth D. Message capacity

Information or Channel Richness

The amount of information that a communication medium can carry The extent to which the medium enables the sender and receiver to reach a common understanding

Information Richness of Communication Media

Communication Media
Face-to-Face
Has highest information richness. Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.

Communication Media
Face-to-Face
Provides for instant feedback. Management by wandering around takes advantage of this with informal talks to workers. Video conferences provide much of this richness and reduce travel costs and meeting times.

Communication Media
Spoken Communication Electronically Transmitted
Has the second highest information richness. Telephone conversations are information rich with tone of voice, senders emphasis, and quick feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.

Communication Media
Personally Addressed Written Communication
Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of communication, but still is directed at a given person. Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually reads the messagepersonal letters and e-mail are common forms.

Communication Media
Personally Addressed Written Communication
Does not provide instant feedback to the sender although sender may get feedback later. Excellent media for complex messages requesting follow-up actions by receiver.

E-Mail Dos and Donts

E-mail allows telecommuting employees to work from home and keep in contact. The use of e-mail is growing rapidly and email etiquette is expected:

Typing messages in all CAPITALS is seen as screaming at the receiver. Punctuate your messages for easy reading and dont ramble on. Pay attention to spelling and treat the message like a written letter.

Communication Media
Impersonal Written Communication
Has the lowest information richness. Good for messages to many receivers where little or feedback is expected (e.g., newsletters, reports)

Communication Media
Many managers do not have time to read all the electronic work-related information available to them Problem with information overload is the potential for important information to be ignored or overlooked Can result in lost productivity

 Communication channels.
Formal channels. Follow the chain of command established

by an organizations hierarchy of authority.

Informal channels. Do not follow an organizations hierarchy

of authority.

The grapevine is an informal channel

through which rumors and unofficial information pass.

 Organizational communication is the

specific process through which information moves and is exchanged throughout an organization.

Information flows:
Through formal and informal structures.
Downward, upward, and laterally.

Communication Networks
Communication Networks
The pathways along which information flows in groups and teams and throughout the organization.

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Communication Networks
Type of communication network depends on:
The nature of the groups tasks The extent to which group members need to communicate with each other to achieve group goals.

Types of communication networks.

Decentralized communication network (all-channel or star network) Centralized communication network (wheel or chain network.) Restricted communication network.

Communication Networks in Groups and Teams

Type of Network
Wheel Network Chain Network Information flows to and from one central member. Members communicate only with the people next to them in the sequence.

Wheel and chain networks provide little interaction. Circle Network All-Channel Network Members communicate with others close to them in terms of expertise, experience, and location. Networks found in teams with high levels of communications between each member and all others.

Communication Networks in Groups and Teams

Organization Communication Networks

Organization Chart
Summarizes the formal reporting channels in an organization. Communication in an organization flows through formal and informal pathways Vertical communications flow up and down the corporate hierarchy.

Organization Communication Networks

Organization Chart
Horizontal communications flow between employees of the same level. Informal communications can span levels and departmentsthe grapevine is an informal network carrying unofficial information throughout the firm.

Formal and Informal Communication Networks in an Organization

Interpersonal communication
Exchange of information between two or more people. During interpersonal communication there is message sending and message receiving. This can be conducted using both direct and indirect methods. Successful interpersonal communication is when the message senders and the message receivers understand the message.

 Effective and efficient communication. Effective communication. The accuracy of communication.

Efficient communication. The cost of communication. Effectiveness does not guarantee efficiency or vice versa.

 Nonverbal communication. Occurs through facial expressions, body

position, eye contact, and other physical gestures. Gives clues to what a person is really thinking. Two important aspects of nonverbal communication. Kinesics the study of gestures and body postures. Proxemics the study of how space is utilized.

 Paralanguage is another category of nonverbal communication. It consists of the ways in which you says words. This includes: Volume indicates how loudly or softly you are speaking. Pitch is how high or low the sounds of your voice are. Speaking rate is how fast or slow you are speaking. Voice quality is what makes people able to recognize your voice alone.

 Active listening.
Ability to listen well is a distinct asset.

Everyone needs to develop good skills in

active listening.
Active listening is the ability to help the

source of a message say what he or she really means.

 Guidelines for active listening. Listen for content.

Listen for feelings.

Respond to feelings.

Note all cues.

Reflect back.

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Common sources of noise in interpersonal communication.

Physical distractions. Semantic problems. Mixed messages. Cultural differences. Absence of feedback. Status effects.

 Physical distractions.
Any aspect of the physical setting in

which communication takes place.

Can interfere with communication

effectiveness.

Background noise

 Semantic problems. Involves a poor choice or use of

words.
Use the KISS principle of

communication.
Keep it short and simple.

 Mixed messages. Occur when a persons words

communicate one thing while actions

or body language communicates

another.
Nonverbals add important insights in

face-to-face meetings.

 Absence of feedback.
One-way communication flows from sender

to receiver only, with no direct and immediate feedback. to receiver and back again.

Two-way communication goes from sender

Two-way communication is more effective

than one-way communication.

 Cross-cultural communication. Ethnocentrism. The tendency to believe that ones culture and its values are superior to those of others. Cross-cultural communication challenges. Language differences. Use of gestures. One of the best ways to understand cultural differences is to learn some of the language.

 Status effects.
Status differences create potential

communication barriers between persons of higher and lower ranks .

Occurs when people are reluctant to

Mum effect.

transmit bad news.

Management by wandering around (MBWA). Getting out of the office to directly

communicate with others as they do their jobs.

Mum effect

 Advances in information technologies enable

organizations to: Distribute information much faster. Make more information available. Allow broader and more immediate access to information. Encourage participation in the sharing and use of information. Integrate systems and functions, and use information to link with the environment.

 Potential disadvantages of electronic

communications. Technologies are impersonal. Nonverbal communication is removed from situation. Can unduly influence the emotional aspects of communication. Information overload.

 Communication and social context. Mean and women are socialized into

different communication styles.

Women are socialized to be more sensitive

to interpersonal relationships in communication.

Men are socialized to be competitive,

aggressive, and individualistic, which may cause communication problems.

 Privacy of employee communications and electronic eavesdropping Progressive organizations are developing internal privacy policies. Is gaining the attention of some legislators. Political correctness of communications in the workplace. Eliminates communication overtones of intolerance and insensitivity.