MGTS2606 Lecture notes
Lecture one
The meaning of communication is interpreted by the receiver
Communication is perceived through an individual’s personal mental framework
Good listening skills are essential
Feedback is a critical part of organisational effectiveness
Communication needs to be efficient and balanced
The meaning of communication can change due to filtering and distortion
Organisational climate is key to communication
Communication challenges today;
o Increased speed and volume of information transfer
o Greater diversity and need for intercultural communication competence
o Rise of technology, esp. social media
Communicative competence
o Performance related competence o Process competence
Interpretive
Role
Goal
Message
Types of communication o Intrapersonal o Interpersonal o Intragroup o Intergroup o Organisational o Public
Why do we communicate
o Identity needs – gain a sense of who we are from the people we communicate with o Social needs – building relationships with other
people
o Practical goals – instrumental
needs/coordination of action/reduction of uncertainty
Models of human communication
o Transmission – source and receiver, message, medium/channel, feedback, noise (one way communication)
o Circular
o Transaction (the most advanced model)
Examples of noise (anything that disrupts communication)
o Mechanical noise
o Semantic noise (misinterpretation of language) o Psychological noise (emotional
barriers/biases/prejudices)
Types of unethical communication
o Coercive (intimidating, repressive, threatening) o Destructive (aggressive, abusive)
o Deceptive (Machiavellian people – intentional distortions of the truth)
o Intrusive (violation of the right to privacy) o Secretive (hoarding information
o Manipulative or exploitative behaviour
Communication code of ethics o Good communication is;
Clear
Honest
Democratic
Sincere
Respect its audience
Logical
Lecture two
Self-awareness – the ability to understand ourselves (strengths and weaknesses) – allow to communicate effectively
Effective interpersonal communication;
o Openness
o Empathy and supportiveness o Equality
o Confidence o Immediacy
o Interaction management o Self-monitoring
o Expressiveness o Assertiveness
Communication styles
o Assertive (overt + considers others)
o Aggressive (overt + does not consider others) o Passive (covert + considers others)
o Manipulative (covert + does not consider others)
Hearing vs. listening
o Hearing – auditory received by the ears (physiological)
o Listening – process of interpreting and
understanding – requires effort and willingness (psychological)
Effective managers
o Empathize with subordinates o Inform subordinates
o Solicit ideas from subordinates
o Create an atmosphere where employees are rewarded for speaking out
o Respond promptly and directly to employee concerns
Barriers to listening
o Physiological – hearing impairment, hunger, sleepiness
o Contextual – location, culture, gender o Psychological – difficult relationship,
preoccupation, intimidation, egocentrism, prejudice and biases, faulty assumptions, defensiveness, irresponsibility
HURIER Model (Brownell, 1985) – effective listening is made up of;
o Hearing o Understanding o Remembering o Interpreting o Evaluating o Responding
Active listening skills o Attending o Following o Reflective
Types of listening
o Listening for analysis (meeting)
o Listening for comprehension (understanding and empathy)
o Listening for relaxation (music)
Techniques of effective listening (robbins and hunsaker, 2006)
o Be motivated
o Show interest through your non-verbal behaviour
o Empathise with the speaker
Non-verbal communication – the sharing of meaning between two or more parties without recourse to words – the conveyance of meaning or expressed feelings, consciously or subconsciously – can reinforce and compliment, contradict, regulate or repeat, or substitute verbal means of communication
Factors affecting non-verbal communication
o Gender
o Culture (emotion display rules) o Personal characteristics
Categories of non-verbal communication o Kinesics (use of body language) o Proxemics (use of personal space)
HALL’s 4 disatnces; intimate (0-46cm), personal (46cm – 1.2m), social (1.2- 3.6m), public space (3.6m+) o Chronemics (use of time)
o Haptics (use of touch)
o Vocalics or paralanguage (voice tone, speed, etc.)
Impression management dimensions
o Credibility (high level of eye contact, avoiding insincere smile)
o Likeability (relaxed behaviour, pleasant voice) o Interpersonal attractiveness (high level of
responsiveness)
o Dominance (appear confident)
Lecture Three
Communication networks (alder & Elmhorst, 2005) – an established pattern of communication among
employees who work closely together
o Formal (eg. UQ) – dictated by organisational charts, conveys official approved information.
Information flow can be downward, upward, horizontal, or diagonal
Types include;
Chain network
Y network
Wheel network
Circle network
All channel network
o Informal – interaction based on friendship, common careers, proximity, common extracurricular activities
Types include;
Single strand network
Gossip chain
Probability chain
Cluster chain
Formal communication problems;
o Management is too centralised
o There are too many management levels o The organisational structure is too complex
Functions of informal networks o Confirming
o Expanding o Expediting o Contradicting o Circumventing
