Chapter 10: COMMUNICATION Flashcards
Toronto Hospital
Research staff moves into 21-story apartment, divided into neighborhoods of departments (genetics, neurosciences, cell biology). Instead of self-contained labs, where there is less communication outside of narrow discipline.
Communication (RECEIVER VS. SENDER)
SENDER: Encodes thoughts to be transmitted by receiver
RECEIVER: Perceives and decodes message to understand it.
Voice
“Speaking up”: A constructive expression of disagreement about work unit/organizational practices. Done mostly by satisfied employees (organizational citizenship behavior).
Grapevine
What is a pro and con?
An organization’s informal communication network. Not just word of mouth.
Pro: Keeps employees informed about organization.
Con: Can be a constant pipeline for rumours
Body Language: What is it and what two messages does it send out?
A form of non-verbal communication.
SENDS OUT TWO MESSAGES:
1. How much the sender likes and is interested in receiver.
2. Sender’s views on relative status between sender and receiver.
When does sender like you? What does it mean when sender is relaxed?
Sender likes you when:
1. Maintains eye contact
2. Torso toward receiver
3. Leans towards receiver
4. Is physically close to receiver
Relaxation:
When sender feels they are of higher status than receiver.
1. Casual placement of arms and legs.
2. No fidgeting
3. Reclined Seating
Office Set-Up
A form of non-verbal communication. How office is set up conveys non-verbal information about occupant.
Example of Office Set-Up
Professor placing desk against the wall makes students more comfortable and welcome in professor’s office.
Office Décor
A form of non-verbal communication. How office is set up conveys non-verbal information about occupant.
Office Décor: Family Photos
Distinctive Category: family oriented, balanced
Status Category: not a “player”
Office Décor: Hobby Photos, Calendar
Distinctive Category: well-rounded, outgoing
Status Category: uprofessional
Office Décor: Conversation Pieces
Distinctive Category: Fun person, Joker, Needs attention
Status Category: unprofessional
Office Décor: Formal Décor
Distinctive Category: Professional, successful, vain
Status Category: High status, authority
Office Décor: Informal, Messy
Distinctive Category: easy going, busy, true engineer, unskilled
Status Category: unprofessional
Office Décor: Awards, Diplomas
Distinctive Category: show-off, hardworking, vain
Status Category: Accomplished and intimidating
Office Décor: Professional Products
Distinctive Category: “company person”, geek
Status Category: accomplished
Office Décor: Ideological Artifacts
Distinctive Category: extreme, radical, patriotic
Status Category: insecure and unprofessional
Office Décor: Salient, Flashy Artifacts
Distinctive Category: needs attention, flashy
Status Category: insecure
Office Décor: High conformity Artifacts
Distinctive Category: predictable, reliable, conservative
Status Category: insecure
Women vs. Men Communication
Research on key differences in male and female communication styles done by Deborah Tannen. Puts women in one-down positions
- Who is more likely to boast about accomplishments?
- Who tends to minimize their doubts? Who downplays their uncertainty?
- Who is less likely to ask questions because they think it reflects negatively on them?
5 Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Communication:
1. Language Difference
- Language Differences:
- lack of common languages fosters misunderstanding and conflict
5 Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Communication:
2. Non-Verbal Communication
- Non-verbal Communication:
- facial expressions: some cultures do not like negative facial expressions (not appropriate)
- gestures: does not translate well across different cultures because there is symbolism that is not shared.
- gaze: holding long eye contact is not considered respectful in all cultures
- touch: some cultures deem it good to touch and some deem it as not ok.
5 Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Communication:
3. Etiquette and Politeness
- Etiquette and Politeness: careful decoding is necessary, culture differs in how politeness is expressed
5 Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Communication:
4. Social Convention
- Social Conventions:
-North America: favors directness and being specific about issues
-loudness: what people think of degrees of loudness tends to vary
-punctuality: what people consider proper punctuality varies in different cultures
-how personal to get in professional setting: in North America, there is a social norm that people do not reveal too much in a professional setting
5 Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Communication:
5. Cultural Context
- Cultural Context: high context vs. low context culture
- How important is the information that surrounds the communication?
High Context Cultures
Message contained in communication is STRONGLY INFLUENCED by context.
- Literal interpretation often incorrect!
- info flows freely
environment, mood, situation, gestures are all taken into account
Low Context Cultures
Messages can be interpreted more literally.
- less aware of non-verbal cues
- needs detailed background info
Which is the highest context culture?
Which is the lowest?
Highest: Asia
Lowest: Swiss
When in Rome…
People’s basic skills deteriorate when they get nervous about cross-culture encounter
What are the three principles for cross-cultural communication?
- Assume differences until known otherwise
- Recognize differences within a culture
- Watch your language (and theirs)
What are the 5 dimensions of Cross-Cultural Communication?
- Language Differences
- Non-Verbal Communication
- Etiquette and Politeness
- Social Conventions
- Cultural Context
