Communication and Behaviour in Organisations
Chapter 7................................................................................................................................................2
Chapter 19..............................................................................................................................................9
Chapter 5..............................................................................................................................................15
Chapter 6..............................................................................................................................................21
Chapter 9..............................................................................................................................................29
Chapter 8..............................................................................................................................................37
Chapter 12............................................................................................................................................41
Chapter 10............................................................................................................................................47
Chapter 11............................................................................................................................................54
Chapter 21............................................................................................................................................61
Chapter 13............................................................................................................................................72
, Chapter 7
Social intelligence: the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others and to manage our
relationships accordingly.
For Daniel Goleman, social intelligence involves social awareness (what we sense about others) and
social facility (how we act on that awareness). Each of these dimensions has four components.
Instead of making communication easier, Moser argues that, ‘Virtual work requires much more
frequent and elaborate communication and thus much more effort compared to traditional work
settings. Things that literally work “without saying” in a face-to-face context need to be made explicit,
discussed and agreed on in a virtual work context.
2
,Coding: the stage in the interpersonal communication process in which the transmitter chooses how
to express a message for transmission to someone else.
Decoding: the stage in the interpersonal communication process in which the recipient interprets a
message transmitted to them by someone else.
Perceptual filters: individual characteristics, predispositions and preoccupations that interfere with
the effective transmission and receipt of messages.
Noise: factors outside the communication process which interfere with or distract attention from the
transmission and reception of the intended meaning.
Feedback: processes through which the transmitter of a message detects whether and how that
message has been received and decoded.
We assume that organizations function better where:
- communications are open
- relationships are based on mutual understanding and trust
- interactions are based on cooperation rather than competition
- people work together in teams
- decisions are reached in a participative way
The main barriers to effective organizational communication are:
Power differences: research shows that employees distort upward communication, and that
superiors often have a limited understanding of subordinates’ roles, experiences and problems.
Gender differences: men and women use different conversational styles which can lead to
misunderstanding; men tend to talk more and give information while women tend to listen and
reflect more.
Physical surroundings: room size and layout affect our ability to see others and our readiness to join
in conversations and discussions.
Language: even in one country, variations in accent and dialect can make communication difficult.
3
, Cultural diversity: different cultures have different norms and expectations concerning formal and
informal conversations; lack of awareness of those norms creates misunderstanding.
Non-verbal behaviour: the process of coding meaning through behaviours such as facial expressions,
limb gestures and body postures.
4
Chapter 7................................................................................................................................................2
Chapter 19..............................................................................................................................................9
Chapter 5..............................................................................................................................................15
Chapter 6..............................................................................................................................................21
Chapter 9..............................................................................................................................................29
Chapter 8..............................................................................................................................................37
Chapter 12............................................................................................................................................41
Chapter 10............................................................................................................................................47
Chapter 11............................................................................................................................................54
Chapter 21............................................................................................................................................61
Chapter 13............................................................................................................................................72
, Chapter 7
Social intelligence: the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others and to manage our
relationships accordingly.
For Daniel Goleman, social intelligence involves social awareness (what we sense about others) and
social facility (how we act on that awareness). Each of these dimensions has four components.
Instead of making communication easier, Moser argues that, ‘Virtual work requires much more
frequent and elaborate communication and thus much more effort compared to traditional work
settings. Things that literally work “without saying” in a face-to-face context need to be made explicit,
discussed and agreed on in a virtual work context.
2
,Coding: the stage in the interpersonal communication process in which the transmitter chooses how
to express a message for transmission to someone else.
Decoding: the stage in the interpersonal communication process in which the recipient interprets a
message transmitted to them by someone else.
Perceptual filters: individual characteristics, predispositions and preoccupations that interfere with
the effective transmission and receipt of messages.
Noise: factors outside the communication process which interfere with or distract attention from the
transmission and reception of the intended meaning.
Feedback: processes through which the transmitter of a message detects whether and how that
message has been received and decoded.
We assume that organizations function better where:
- communications are open
- relationships are based on mutual understanding and trust
- interactions are based on cooperation rather than competition
- people work together in teams
- decisions are reached in a participative way
The main barriers to effective organizational communication are:
Power differences: research shows that employees distort upward communication, and that
superiors often have a limited understanding of subordinates’ roles, experiences and problems.
Gender differences: men and women use different conversational styles which can lead to
misunderstanding; men tend to talk more and give information while women tend to listen and
reflect more.
Physical surroundings: room size and layout affect our ability to see others and our readiness to join
in conversations and discussions.
Language: even in one country, variations in accent and dialect can make communication difficult.
3
, Cultural diversity: different cultures have different norms and expectations concerning formal and
informal conversations; lack of awareness of those norms creates misunderstanding.
Non-verbal behaviour: the process of coding meaning through behaviours such as facial expressions,
limb gestures and body postures.
4
