MODULE 5: Human Behavior in Organization

TOPICS

COMMUNICATION
*Definition And Importance of Communication
*The Communication Process
*Basic Methods of Interpersonal Communication
*Functions of Communication
*Basic Goals of Communication
*Barriers to Communication
*Kinds of Communication Flow
*Improving Communication in Organizations

Communication
- is defined as the transfer of information including feelings, and ideas, from one person to another.
- Its goal is to have the receiver understand the message as it was intended.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

Through communication, individual members of the organization will know the important concerns such
as:

1. What their organization is

2. What objectives their organization wants to achieve
3. What their roles are in achieving those objectives
4. How they will achieve those objectives
5. Who the individual members of the organization are

IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANIZATION

 Communication keeps the foundation of motivation.

 Communication acts as a source of information and helps in the decision making process and
helps in identifying the alternative course of action.
 Communication also helps in building people’s attitude.
 In the current business scenario, no business can survive in isolation. Socializing is very
important and communication is the tool that helps in socializing.
 Communication helps in the controlling process of management.
 It is instrumental in raising the morale of the employees.
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

- Communication is a two-way process between the sender and the receiver.

There are six components of an effective communication.:

1. Sender
2. Message
3. Channel
4. Receiver
5. Feedback
6. Environment

1. THE SENDER
- The sender is also called as, communication source
- He/she is the person who makes the attempt to send a message which should be spoken, written, in
sign language, or non-verbal to another or a group of persons.

2. THE MESSAGE
- Message is a purpose or an idea to be conveyed in a communication event
- It is the actual physical product as a result of encoding.
- e.g., speech, written document, gestures, etc.

How the message received is influenced by the following factors:

1. Clarity of the message

 2. Alertness of the receiver
3. Complexity and length of the message
4. How the information is organized

TWO COMPONENTS OF MESSAGE:

1. Thought or conceptual component of message

– this is contained in the words, ideas, symbols, and concepts chosen to relay the message; and

2. Feeling or emotional component of the message

– this is contained in the intensity, force, demeanor, and sometimes the gesture of the
communicator or sender.
- this enriches and clarifies the message and its effect is to give the message its full
meaning.

3. THE CHANNEL
- The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It consists of various types which are as
follows:

1. Face-to-face
2. Telephone and mobile phones
3. E-mail
4. Written memos and letters
5. Posted notices
6. bulletins

TWO CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

1. Formal
– communication of policies, procedures, and other official announcements
2. Informal
– do not follow the chain of command

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

FORMAL INFORMAL
- Used in professional setting (e.g. forms) - Usually used with friends and family
- No slang - Contains shortened version of words
- Pronounce words correctly - Contains slangs words

What is GRAPEVINE?

*Grapevine is a type of informal channel that transfer information through networks of friendships and
acquaintances.
* Its advantage is transmitting information quickly and efficiently.
* Its disadvantage is that it can transmit incorrect or untimely information.

4. THE RECEIVER
- The receiver is the person receiving a message
- One who interprets and understands the message
- Interpretation can be influenced by various factors such as age, gender, beliefs, past experiences,
cultural influences, and his individual needs

5. THE FEEDBACK
- Feedback refers to the process of communicating how one feels about something another person has
done or said.
- It is difficult to know whether the message was received and understood without feedback. Feedback
provides a clue to the sender of information whether the message he sent was received as intended.

6. THE ENVIRONMENT
- The environment refers to the circumstances in which messages are transmitted and received.
- In an environment of trust and confidence, messages are more easily transmitted even if these
messages are controversial.

THE NOISE

- Noise refers to anything that disrupts communication, including the attitude and emotions of
the receiver.
- It includes loud music, the feeling of sorrow, children playing in the background, and may
others.
BASIC METHODS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

1. Verbal
2. Written
3. Non-verbal Communication

FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
1. Information Function
2. Motivation Function
3. Control Function
4. Emotive Function

BASIC GOALS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. To gain goodwill
2. To inquire
3. To inform
4.To persuade

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

1. Filtering
- refers to the manipulation of information so that it will be seen more favorably by the receiver.

2. Selective perception
- receivers selectively see and hear messages based on their needs, motivations, experience,
background, and other personal characteristics.
- people have different perception of reality.
- what they see is what they call reality.

3. Information overload
– this refers to the condition in which information inflow exceeds an individual’s processing
capacity.
- when this happens, the person can no longer understand clearly whatever information is sent
to him.

4. Emotions
– The receiver’s feelings affect his ability to understand any message sent to him.
- One cannot receive a message as clearly as when he is not angry, excited, or afraid.

5. Language
- Words do not always mean the same thing to different people. This poses a barrier to
communication.
 - The best thing to do when delivering a message is that the sender must use words that are
commonly used by the audience.

6. Communication apprehension
- It refers to the undue tension and anxiety about oral communication, written
communication, or both.

7. Absence of feedback
– It does not provide the sender the opportunity to correct misimpressions about the message
sent. Also, without feedback, the sender will not know if the message was received at all.

8. Physical separation
– It refers to interferences to effective communication occurring in the environment where the
communication is undertaken.
- e.g. walls, wrong timing, distances between people, intimidating people.

9. Lack of credibility of the sender

- Depending on the credibility of the sender, messages can get through the channel to the
receiver. If the sender has low credibility, the message is likely to be ignored.

KINDS OF COMMUNICATION FLOW

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION IN ORGANIZATIONS

1. Create A Communication-Friendly Space

2. Keep Communication Constant
3. Uncover Communication Issues
4. Hold Weekly Town Hall Meetings
5. Ask For Your Employee’s Feedback
6. Communicate Face To Face
7. Master Your Body Language
8. Don’t Over-Communicate
9. Take Time To Listen
10. Personalize Your Communications
11. Be authentic
12. Incorporate Team Building Games
13. Try The One Up, One Down Exercise