Chapter 14 Information, communication and technology
Information, communication, and technology: contemporary computer
technologies which facilitate communication and the sharing of information
Effective communication: the wishes, desires, and orders of those at the top have
been successfully transmitted to, and understood by, all people within the
organisation who will then act upon them
Four features which make up the nature of communication:
1. Is it formal or informal
Formal communication: the official communication from management
downwards memos, commands channels represented by the
organisation chart
Informal communications: water cooler conversations and quick chats at
the photocopier not part of the organisation’s authorised, formal
communication, but information about the workplace is shared
organisational issues might be discussed in ways tha would not be mapped
out by the formal organisation channels suppleness of communication
that bypasses official bureaucratic structures and communication channels
gossip
Post-bureaucratic organisations: minimise structure and formal roles and
emphasize dialogue between people as the main feature of an organisation
Organisational learning: emphasize the importance of sharing work-related
knowledge through conversation
The organisation is a conversation
2. What channel does it take
Channels: means by which a communication is transferred or mediated
from a sender to a recipient
Verbal communication: meetings, conversations, briefings, phone calls
Bodily, non-verbal communication: gestures, facial expressions, body
language
Written communication: words on paper, letters, memos, emails, text
messages
Symbolic communication: signs, signals
3. How long does it take to reach its intended recipient and for a reply to be
received
Feedback: receiving a response to communication
Synchronicity: amount of delay between sending a message and that
message being received and gives a further facet of communication
Synchronous communication: transmission of the message and
receipt of the message happen simultaneously, and there is thus the
possibility for feedback to be instant face-to-face communication,
phone calls
Asynchronous communication: there is a delay between the sending
and receiving of the message feedback is not instantaneous
long delay before getting a response letters, emails
4. Is it between individuals or between many people
Types of focus of communication:
One-to-one: personal communication between two individuals
One-to-many: one person sends a communication to many people
Many-to-many: a communication to many people that doesn’t come
from one personal, identifiable source newsletter
Information, communication, and technology: contemporary computer
technologies which facilitate communication and the sharing of information
Effective communication: the wishes, desires, and orders of those at the top have
been successfully transmitted to, and understood by, all people within the
organisation who will then act upon them
Four features which make up the nature of communication:
1. Is it formal or informal
Formal communication: the official communication from management
downwards memos, commands channels represented by the
organisation chart
Informal communications: water cooler conversations and quick chats at
the photocopier not part of the organisation’s authorised, formal
communication, but information about the workplace is shared
organisational issues might be discussed in ways tha would not be mapped
out by the formal organisation channels suppleness of communication
that bypasses official bureaucratic structures and communication channels
gossip
Post-bureaucratic organisations: minimise structure and formal roles and
emphasize dialogue between people as the main feature of an organisation
Organisational learning: emphasize the importance of sharing work-related
knowledge through conversation
The organisation is a conversation
2. What channel does it take
Channels: means by which a communication is transferred or mediated
from a sender to a recipient
Verbal communication: meetings, conversations, briefings, phone calls
Bodily, non-verbal communication: gestures, facial expressions, body
language
Written communication: words on paper, letters, memos, emails, text
messages
Symbolic communication: signs, signals
3. How long does it take to reach its intended recipient and for a reply to be
received
Feedback: receiving a response to communication
Synchronicity: amount of delay between sending a message and that
message being received and gives a further facet of communication
Synchronous communication: transmission of the message and
receipt of the message happen simultaneously, and there is thus the
possibility for feedback to be instant face-to-face communication,
phone calls
Asynchronous communication: there is a delay between the sending
and receiving of the message feedback is not instantaneous
long delay before getting a response letters, emails
4. Is it between individuals or between many people
Types of focus of communication:
One-to-one: personal communication between two individuals
One-to-many: one person sends a communication to many people
Many-to-many: a communication to many people that doesn’t come
from one personal, identifiable source newsletter
