Unit2. Chapter 13. Communication

Question 1

Effective communication

Answer 1

the exchange of information between people or groups, with feedback

Question 2

Key features of effective communication

Answer 2

1. Sender (or transmitter) of the message
2. Clear message
3. Appropriate medium
4. Receiver
5. Feedback to confirm receipt and understanding

Question 3

Situations in which communication is essential

Answer 3

1. Staff motivation, thus labour productivity. Workers feel out of touch and isolated if there is poor communication.
2. The number and quality of ideas generated by the staff - if staff are asked for their ideas, then this can assist with problem solving
3. Speed of decision making - slower as more ppl have to receive and react to a message
4. Speed of response to market changes - if changes in consumers’ decisions take a long time to be communicated to the decision makers at the head of an organisation, then the business will be slow to respond with appropriate products.
5. Reduces the risk of errors, internal conflict
6. Effective coordination between departments

Question 4

Communication media

Answer 4

the methods used to communicate a message

Question 5

Information overload

Answer 5

so much information and so many messages are received that the most important ones cannot be easily identified and quickly acted on

Question 6

Methods of communication

Answer 6

1. oral
2. written
3. electronic media
4. visual communication

Question 7

Oral communication

Answer 7

• one-to-one conversations, interviews, appraisal sessions, group meetings or team briefings.
• allow 2-way communication and feedback -> good motivation
• body language have a negative impact: sender appears bored, uninterested or agressive.
  1. Strengths:
• Direct
• Can be varied to suit needs of receiver
• Easy to understand
• Can be questioned quickly
  2. Weaknesses
• need to listen carefully
• affected by noise
• passive
• no permanent accurate record
• can be quickly forgotten

Question 8

Written communication

Answer 8

• use letters, memos, notices on boards, reports, minutes of meetings and diagrams.
• accurate record
• allow for transmission of detailed data
• do not allow immediate feedback: no evidence that the message has been received or understood
  1. Strengths
• recorded - permanent
• more structured
• easy to distribute
• cannot be varied
• can be referred to again
  2. Weaknesses
• often difficult to read
• message identical to each receiver
• no body language
• feedback slower
• no immediate response
• may be misinterpreted
• costly and time consuming

Question 9

Visual communication

Answer 9

• accompany and support oral, written or electronic communication
• diagrams, pictures, charts and pages of computer images
• impact increase if movement and colour are used
• useful for training or in marketing
  1. Strengths
• more interactive
• demands attention
• often easier to remember
• creates greater interest
  2. Weaknesses
• needs close attention
• sometimes too fast
• not always clear
• interpretations by receivers can vary

Question 10

Electronic media

Answer 10

• internet, email, intranets, fax messages, video conferencing and mobile telephones
• require staff to be trained
• reduce social contact and can create a sense of isolation
• security issues - virus
• information overload as a result of speed and low usage cost of methods
  1. Strengths
• great speed
• interactive
• creates interest
• encourages response
• ignores boundaries
• good image for external communication
  2. Weaknesses
• cannot always be received
• relies on receiver
• expensive in hardware
• risk of communication overload
• can be intercepted
• diminishes personal contact

Question 11

Factors influencing choice of appropriate media

Answer 11

1. Importance of a written record that the message has been sent and received
2. Advantages to be gained from staff input or two-way communication
3. Cost
4. Speed
5. Quantity of data to be communicated
6. More than one method should be used for clarity
   e. g. quick telephone call followed up by an official letter
7. Size and geographical spread of the business

Question 12

Communication barriers

Answer 12

• reasons why communication fails
• factor that prevents a message being received or correctly understood.
  1. Failure in one of the stages of the communication process
  2. Poor attitudes (sender/ receiver)
  3. Physical reasons

Question 13

1. Failure in one of the stages of the communication process

Answer 13

• Medium chosen might be inappropriate
• Receiver forgot
• Misleading or an incomplete message
• The excessive use of technical language or jargon
• Too much information
• The channel of communication is too long

Question 14

Channel of communication

Answer 14

The route through which a message is communicated from sender to receiver.
- Tall hierarchical organisations: messages will be slow to reach their intended receiver, may become distorted or change their meaning

Question 15

2. Poor attitudes of either the sender or the receiver

Answer 15

• Sender is not trusted (because of previous misleading messages or unpopular decisions)
• Unmotivated or alienated workers make poor receivers.
• Intermediaries - those on the communication channel may decide not to pass on a message, or to change it, if they are poorly motivated.
• The sender may have such a poor opinion or perception of the receiver -> no effort is made to ensure clarity

Question 16

3. Physical reasons

Answer 16

• Poor quality of the external environment (e.g. noisy factories)
• Geographical distance

Question 17

Reducing communication barriers

Answer 17

1. Ensure message is clear and precise, but adequately detailed.
2. Keep the communication channel as short as possible
3. make sure that channels of communication are clear to all involved.
4. Build in feedback to the communication process so that problems with receipt or understanding of the mess can be checked quickly
5. Establish trust between senders and receivers
6. Ensure that physical conditions are appropriate for messages to be heard or received in other ways.

Question 18

Formal communication networks

Answer 18

the official communication channels and routes used within an organisation

Question 19

1. The chain network

Answer 19

• used in hierarchical structure (e.g. police, army, civil service)
• person at the top starts off the communication message, passed on to the next person on the lower level
• designed for authoritarian leaders.
• doesn’t encourage two-way communication or horizontal communication.
• individuals at the end of the chain can feel isolated and demotivated.
• give leader control and allows an overview.

Question 20

2. The vertical network

Answer 20

• The boss communicates with subordinates directly but individually.
• no group network
• used in a small department, narrow span of control

Question 21

3. The wheel network

Answer 21

• Leader is at the centre
• 2-way communication between the leader and each of the other parts of the wheel, but horizontal communication is poor.
• Leader in control, can limit formal contact between the others.
  E.g. Regional manager communicating to branch/ site managers

Question 22

4. The circle

Answer 22

• Each person/ department can communicate with only two others
• No obvious leader, decentralised network -> difficult to agree a new strategy between ppl
• Slow rate of communication
• Don’t allow the receiver to question the message.

Question 23

5. The integrated or connected network

Answer 23

• Allows full 2-way communication between any one group member - or with all of them.
• Team meeting/ brainstorming sessions.
• Allows a participative style of decision making.
• Assist in solving complex probs.

Question 24

One-way communication

Answer 24

• Don’t allow for or encourage feedback from the receiver of the message.
• Two-way communication: vice versa

Question 25

Link between staff motivation and effective communication

Answer 25

1. Motivation -> effective communication Well-motivated staff -> listen and respond positively to messages -> better and more accurate communication 2. Effective communication -> motivation Effective communication -> staff are more likely to feel involved, receive constant feedback -> short communication channels -> better motivated staff.

Question 26

Horizontal communication

Answer 26

- Main direction of communication in formal hierarchies. - Occurs between ppl who have same status but different areas of responsibility. - meeting about coordinating policy, when most line managers are concerned with their day-to-day responsibilities.

Question 27

Common problems of horizontal communication:

Answer 27

- Different departments may not understand the culture, ways of working, objectives, problems or technical language of the others. - The outlook and objectives of different departments could conflict.

Question 28

Informal communication

Answer 28

unofficial channels of communication that exist between informal groups within an organisation.

Question 29

Reasons to reduce informal communication:

Answer 29

- wastes valuable working time - spreads gossip and rumours and these can be unsettling and lead to feelings of insecurity - result in informal groups banding together to resist management decisions - even though they may not have been officially communicated yet.

Question 30

Reasons that informal communication serves useful purpose

Answer 30

- help create important feelings of belonging and social cohesion - management can use the grapevine to 'test out'new ideas and see what the unofficial reaction might be. - help to clarify official messages by talking them over with friends