Transcript Groupware

Chapter Sixteen
Promoting Effective
Communication
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Communication and Management
 Communication
≈ The sharing of information between two or
more individuals or groups to reach a common
understanding.
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Communication and Management
 Importance of Good Communication
≈ Increased efficiency in new technologies and
skills
≈ Improved quality of products and services
≈ Increased responsiveness to customers
≈ More innovation through communication
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The Communication Process
Figure 16.1
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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
≈ Influenced by people’s personalities, values,
attitudes and moods as well as their
experience and knowledge
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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
 Stereotypes
≈ simplified and often inaccurate beliefs about
the characteristics of particular groups of
people
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Information Richness and
Communication Media
 Managers and their subordinates can
become effective communicators by:
≈ Selecting an appropriate medium for each
message—there is no one “best” medium.
≈ Considering information richness
 A medium with high richness can carry much more
information to aid understanding.
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Information Richness of Communication
Media
Figure 16.2
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Discussion Question 1
 Which medium to you think would be
appropriate for each of the following kinds of
messages that a subordinate could receive
from his/her boss?
≈ A raise
≈ Not receiving a promotion
≈ An error in a report prepared by the subordinate
≈ Additional job responsibilities
≈ The schedule for company holidays for the
upcoming year
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“its not u … :(“
 About 1 in 10 cellphone users 18-34 have texted someone out of their
romantic lives, according to 2007 survey
≈ Doesn’t include emailed kissoffs
 Interpersonal relationships today often less personal and more cowardly
than they used to be
 See also dontdatehimgirl.com and ihateher.com
 Motivational speaker who often appears before singles groups knows what
it’s like to be dumped – he once dated a woman and things didn’t feel right;
he asked her: “Is there someone else?” She replied: “There’s got to be.”
 After getting dumped, 72% of people go online to search for other potential
dating partners, according to 2007 survey of Yahoo!Personals users.
 One woman dumped via text says: “Every computer and cellular phone
needs a little instruction manual to let people know what can be sent in a
text, what can be sent in an email, what can be said on the phone, and what
must be said in person.”

Source: Wall Street Journal, 2/14/07
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Face-to-Face Communication
 Management by [walking] around is
face-to-face technique in which a manager
walks around a work area and talks
informally w/ ees about issues and
concerns.
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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 group’s tasks
≈ The extent to which group members need to
communicate with each other to achieve group
goals.
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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.
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Organization Communication Networks
 Organization Chart
≈ Horizontal communications flow between
employees of the same level.
≈ Informal communications can span levels and
departments
≈ Grapevine - an informal network carrying
unofficial information throughout the firm.
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Technological Advances in
Communication
 Intranets
≈ A company-wide system of computer
networks for information sharing by
employees inside the firm.
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Technological Advances in
Communication
 Groupware
≈ Computer software that enables members of
groups and teams to share information with
each other and improve communication
and performance
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Groupware
 Employees are likely to resist using
groupware when:
≈ people are working primarily on their own
≈ people are rewarded for their own individual
performances
≈ People are reluctant to share information
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Groupware
 Collaboration software
≈ groupware that aims to promote collaborative,
highly interdependent interactions among
members of a team and provide the team with
an electronic meeting site for communication
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Barriers to Effective Communication
 Messages that are unclear, incomplete,
difficult to understand
 Messages sent over an inappropriate
medium
 Messages with no provision for feedback
 Messages that are received but ignored
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