Chap 9: Internal and Employee Communications Flashcards
Alvie Smith, former director of corporate communications at General Motors - two factors are changing internal communication with employees and enhancing management’s respect for this part of the public relations function. What are they?
1) The value of understanding, teamwork, and commitment by employees in achieving bottom-line results.
2) The need to build a strong manager communication network, one that makes every supervisor at every level accountable for communicating effectively with his or her employees.
Ideally, working relationships are characterized by at least seven conditions. What are they?
- Free flowing honesty
- Optimism about the future
- Satisfying status and participation for each person
- Continuity of work without strife
- Employer-employees trust
- Healthy/safe surroundings
- Success for the enterprise
downward communication describes what?
communication from management to employees
upward communications describes what?
communication from employees to management
What is the primary medium for encouraging upward, two- way communication and for building good working relationships with employees?
Face- to- face communication with an “ open- door policy”
What is however, the goal of internal relations?
to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the employees on whom its success or failure depends
What is organizational culture?
the sum total of shared values, symbols, meanings, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations that organize and integrate a group of people who work together.
T/F organizations are independent of the national cultures they operate in.
False. Organizations often reflect the national cultures in which they operate.
power- distance
the extent to which people see inequities as natural and unchangeable,* where managers and employees see themselves as inherently different from each other*
individualism
the extent to which people put their own individual needs ahead of the needs of the group
As another example, in one study of an international public relations firm, employees from cultures high in individualism preferred less _______ of their work activities. In other words, they wanted to do their jobs their own way.
standardization
Which is right? United States, a traditionally (high/low) power-distance country.
low
What is uncertainty avoidance?
the extent to which people prefer organizational communication and structures that reduce their social anxiety.
What is the goal of an organization that has an asymmetrical worldview?
to get what it wants without having to change the way it does business internally
What incorporates the ideas of negotiation, conflict resolution, and compromise in an organization’s operating procedures?
symmetrical worldview
(A/An) _______ organizational culture arises from an asymmetrical worldview.
authoritarian
communication processes are structured and formalized in this type of organizational culture
authoritarian
T/F authoritarian organizational culture usually stresses group accountability
False authoritarian organizational culture usually stresses individual accountability
Which is more valuable in an authoritarian organizational culture: efficiency or innovation?
Efficiency is valued over innovation in many authoritarian cultures due to the emphasis on uniform output of a product or standardized provision of a service.
In what type of organizational culture do organizations engage in morphogenesis to maintain homeostasis?
Participative
In participative organizational cultures, decisions are made in a _______ manner— across varying levels of the organization— and implemented by those who hold responsibility over a specific area.
decentralized
The U. S. Department of Labor requires organizations to hang posters in the workplace that list what? (3 things)
federal, state, and OSHA standards.
In the United States, one primary responsibility of the internal relations function is what?
to communicate Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA) worker safety standards required by the government.
Is human resources in charge of relationships with unionized workers within their company?
No, this responsibility usually goes to an internal relations specialist. HR is usually limited to hiring/firing, training and benefits.
T/F? In tough decisions made by management, sometimes its better to say nothing to employees until final decisions have been made.
False. better to say “we are still working that out” than “no comment”
When do efforts to acculturate employees start?
from the moment a new person is hired.
T/F Usually, no distinction is made between information about organizational culture that is provided to internal and external publics.
True
Explain the two benefits of congruence of internal and external messaging.
1) it ensures that employees get the same information about organizational culture as everyone else.
2) it helps to attract new employees who already believe in the organization’s culture and values.
_______ ________ is often articulated in vision statements, mission statements, policy documents, ethics statements, and training manuals.
Organizational culture
What part of the organization creates the vision statement?
A vision statement is usually created at the highest level of the organization by the CEO or other members of the dominant coalition.
The mission statement answers what question?
“How are we different from our competitors?”
Alternate name for mission statement
“competitive advantage statement”
What is the most common way for organizational policy and procedures to be communicated?
employee handbooks explaining how to implement policies and procedures in common situations.
A well- written _____ ____ _____ provides more concrete guidance and priorities than does a vision or mission statement, but it is much briefer than a policy manual.
code of ethics
The ______ ______ is a means of learn-ing the values, standards, and norms of the organization, as well as what is expected in relation to job responsibilities.
socialization process
The grapevine is neither a _____ nor a ______ medium, but word of mouth is often the quickest means for communicating information.
formal, controlled
What should PR staff keep in mind about “the grapevine”?
The lesson for the public relations practitioner is that the grapevine will fill the information gaps left by an inadequate internal communication program.
What is the primary source of internal communication in most organizations?
printed publications
T/F printed publications fail to create an opportunity for two-way communication to generate employee feedback, questions, and concerns.
False. This is one of the things they do aim to do.
Organizational publications give an organization a means of ________ communication.
controlled
T/F Organizational publications are only to be used in employee communication because they contain language unique to the employee situation.
False. Organizational publications are directed to many publics, but the most common use is in employee communication.
T/F Many organizations construct their publications as two- way communication— inviting questions, seeking input and comments, and conducting surveys, then reporting the results.
True
Two- way communication also demands a climate of _____. Employees are often reluctant to submit questions or write for publication, so sometimes comments are solicited anonymously.
trust
T/F A “payroll stuffer” is a monetary incentive used to boost employee loyalty to the company. It is essentially a reward system.
False. A common form of insert is the “ payroll stuffer” that goes into paycheck envelopes or gets direct deposit receipts. The insert is a valuable medium for appealing to natural constituencies for support and for important notices and news.
What is a ombudsman or ombuds officer?
This person is charged with giving employees the opportunity to share their concerns and resolve them through informal mediation.
