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Management, Eleventh Edition by Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
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Define the nature and function of communication
Compare and contrast methods of interpersonal
communication
Identify barriers to effective interpersonal communication
and how to overcome them
Explain how communication can flow most effectively in
organizations
Describe how technology affects managerial communication
and organizations
Discuss contemporary issues in communication

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Management, Eleventh Edition by Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter
Publishing as Prentice Hall 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 15-2
What Is Communication?
Communication - the transfer and understanding of
meaning.
Transfer means the message was received in a form that can be
interpreted by the receiver.
Understanding the message is not the same as the receiver
agreeing with the message.
Interpersonal Communication - communication
between two or more people.
Organizational Communication - all the patterns,
networks, and systems of communications within an
organization.
Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
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Functions of Communication
Control
Formal and informal communications act to
control individuals behaviors in organizations.
Motivation
Communications clarify for employees what is to
be done, how well they have done it, and what
can be done to improve performance.

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Functions of Communication (cont.)

Emotional Expression
Social interaction in the form of work group
communications provides a way for employees to
express themselves.
Information
Individuals and work groups need information to
make decisions or to do their work.

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Interpersonal Communication
Communication process - the seven elements
involved in transferring meaning from one
person to another.
Noise - any disturbances that interfere with
the transmission, receipt, or feedback of a
message.

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Interpersonal Communication (cont.)

Message - a purpose to be conveyed.

Encoding - converting a message into symbols.
Channel - the medium a message travels along.
Decoding - retranslating a senders message.

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 Exhibit 15-1: The Interpersonal
Communication Process

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Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication - communication
transmitted without words.
Body language - gestures, facial
configurations, and other body movements
that convey meaning.
Verbal intonation - an emphasis given to
words or phrases that conveys meaning.

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 Exhibit 15-2: Comparison of
Communication Methods

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 Exhibit 15-2: Comparison of
Communication Methods (cont.)

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 Exhibit 15-2: Comparison of
Communication Methods (cont.)

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 Exhibit 15-2 Comparison of
Communication Methods (cont.)

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Barriers to Communication
Filtering - the deliberate manipulation of
information to make it appear more favorable
to the receiver.
Information overload - occurs when
information exceeds our processing capacity.
Jargon - specialized terminology or technical
language that members of a group use to
communicate among themselves.

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Active Listening

Active listening -
listening for full
meaning without
making premature
judgments or
interpretations.

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Exhibit 15-3: Active Listening Behaviors

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Formal Versus Informal Communication

Formal communication - communication that

takes place within prescribed organizational
work arrangements.
Informal communication - communication
that is not defined by the organizations
structural hierarchy.

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Direction of Communication
Downward communication - communication
that flows downward from a manager to
employees.
Upward communication - communication
that flows upward from employees to
managers.
Lateral communication - communication that
takes place among any employees on the
same organizational level.
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Direction of Communication (cont.)

Diagonal
communication -
communication that
cuts across work areas
and organizational
levels.

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Organizational Communication Networks

Communication Networks - the variety of

patterns of vertical and horizontal flows of
organizational communication.
Grapevine - the informal organizational
communication network.

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 Exhibit 15-4: Organizational
Communication Networks

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Exhibit 15-5: How to Let Employees Know
Their Input Matters

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Workplace Design and Communication

Open workplaces -
workplaces with few
physical barriers and
enclosures.

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Ethical Communication

Ethical communication
- communication that
includes all relevant
information, is true in
every sense, and is not
deceptive in any way.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

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Current Communication Issues
Managing Communication in an Internet World
Legal and security issues
Inappropriate use of company e-mail and instant messaging
Loss of confidential and proprietary information due to
inadvertent or deliberate dissemination or to hackers
Lack of personal interaction
Being connected is not the same as face-to-face contact
Difficulties occur in achieving understanding and collaboration in
virtual environments

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Communication and Customer Service

Communicating Effectively with Customers

Recognize the three components of the customer
service delivery process:
The customer
The service organization
The service provider
Develop a strong service culture focused on the
personalization of service to each customer.
Listen and respond to the customer.
Provide access to needed service information.
Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
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 Terms to Know
communication body language
interpersonal verbal intonation
communication filtering
organizational selective perception
communication
information overload
message
jargon
encoding
active listening
channel
formal communication
decoding
informal communication
communication process
downward communication
noise
upward communication
nonverbal communication
Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Management, Eleventh Edition by Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter
Publishing as Prentice Hall 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 15-27
 Terms to Know (cont.)
lateral communication
diagonal communication
communication networks
grapevine

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Management, Eleventh Edition by Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter
Publishing as Prentice Hall 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 15-28
 Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.
Management, Eleventh Edition by Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter
Publishing as Prentice Hall 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 15-29