Chapter 13 communication

Question 1

what is effective communication?

Answer 1

Effective communication is the exchange of information between people or groups, with feedback

Question 2

What are the key features of effective communication?

Answer 2

1 There is a sender (or transmitter) of the message
2 The message is clear
3 An appropriate medium (the way in which the message is sent) is used
4 There is a receiver
5 There is feedback to confirm receipt and understanding

Question 3

Why is effective communication important? p1

Answer 3

1 Staff motivation – and thus labour productivity. If staff are encouraged to participate through group discussion, for example, then effective communication will aid motivation. Workers feel out of touch and isolated if there is poor communication.
2 The number and quality of ideas generated by the staff – if staff are asked for their ideas, then this can assist with problem solving

Question 4

Why is effective communication important? p2

Answer 4

1 Speed of decision making – the more people who have to receive and react to a message, then the slower will be the decision-making system
2 Speed of response to market changes – if changes in consumers’ decisions take a long time to be communicated to the decision makers at the head of an organisation, then the business will be slow to respond with appropriate products
3 Reduces the risk of errors – incorrect understanding of a poorly expressed message will lead to incorrect responses
4 Effective coordination between departments

Question 5

what is communication media?

Answer 5

Communication media are the methods used to communicate a message

Question 6

what are the available media of communication?

Answer 6

1 Oral communication
2 Written communication
3 Electronic media
4 Visual communication

Question 7

Oral method of communication advantages?

Answer 7

1 Direct
2 Can be varied to suit needs of receiver
3 Easy to understand
4 Can be questioned quickly

Question 8

Oral method of communication disadvantages?

Answer 8

1. No written record; message can’t be referred to again
2. Not appropriate for complicated and technical matters
3. Time-consuming

Question 9

Written method of communication advantages?

Answer 9

1. Can include detailed information, figures and diagrams
2. Messages can be referred to again
3. Permanent record which may be used legally

Question 10

Written method of communication disadvantages?

Answer 10

1. No immediate feedback and clarification
2. No evidence that the message has been received and/or understood by the receiver
3. Message may be misinterpreted

Question 11

Electronic method of communication advantages?

Answer 11

1. Messages transmitted rapidly
2. Global coverage - can communicate effectively with receivers all over the world
3. Low cost (after purchases of hardware and training), saves time and money
4. Instant feedback

Question 12

Electronic method of communication disadvantages?

Answer 12

1. Reduced social contact; creates a sense of isolation
2. Requires employee training
3. Information overload causing stress and a feeling of overwork
4. Interpretations by receivers can vary

Question 13

Visual method of communication advantages?

Answer 13

1. Effective for receivers with poor language skills
2. Supports spoken communication (e.g. graphs, pictures, diagrams)
3. Simple way of presenting complex information e.g. organizational chart
4. Receivers can understand messages presented in this form faster than if they were transmitted in pages or text

Question 14

Visual method of communication disadvantages?

Answer 14

1. Costly and time-consuming to produce (e.g. training videos)
2. May deflect the receivers’ attention way from the key message if visual images are too dramatic

Question 15

what are the factors to consider before choosing the communication method?

Answer 15

1 The importance of a written record that the message has been sent and received, for example an important new legal contract
2 The advantages to be gained from staff input or two-way communication, for example a new staff shift system proposal could be discussed with workers before implementation
3 Cost – electronic media often require expensive capital resources. The cost of management time in meetings should not overlooked – it would be quicker and cheaper, but much less effective, to email all those at the meeting instead

Question 16

what are communication barriers?

Answer 16

Communication barriers are reasons why communication fails

Any factor that prevents a message being received or correctly understood is termed a ‘barrier to communication’.

Question 17

what are the three broad reasons why barriers to communication occur?

Answer 17

1 Failure in one of the stages of the communication process
2 Poor attitudes of either the sender or receiver
3 Physical reasons

Question 18

How can failure in one of the stages of the communication process cause communication barriers?

Answer 18

1 The medium chosen might be inappropriate
2 If a receiver forgot part of a long message given to him orally, then a written version would have been more appropriate
3 A misleading or an incomplete message would result in poor understanding
4 If there is too much information
5 If the channel of communication is too long – this problem is particularly significant in large organisations

Question 19

2 Poor attitudes of either the sender or the receiver

Answer 19

1 If the sender is not trusted – perhaps because of previous misleading messages or unpopular decisions – then the receiver may be unwilling to listen to or read the message carefully
2 Unmotivated or alienated workers make poor receivers
3 Intermediaries – those on the communication channel – may decide not to pass on a message, or to change it, if they are poorly motivated
4 The sender may have such a poor opinion or perception of the receiver that no effort is made to ensure clarity of message or to check on understanding

Question 20

3. Physical reasons

Answer 20

1 Noisy factories are not the best environment for communication. This indicates that the poor quality of the external environment can limit effective communication.
2 Geographical distance can inhibit effective communication – certainly interpersonal communication will be very difficult. Modern electronic methods, such as video conferencing are designed to overcome some of these problems.

Question 21

what are the steps managers should take to minimize communication barriers?

Answer 21

1 Ensure the message is clear and precise, but adequately detailed
2 Keep the communication channel as short as possible
3 Make sure that channels of communication are clear to all involved
4 Build in feedback to the communication process so that problems with receipt or understanding of the message can be checked quickly
5 Establish trust between senders and receivers – this could be most easily achieved in a business where the culture is to accept all staff as being important and as having useful contributions to make
6 Ensure that physical conditions are appropriate for messages to be heard or received in other ways

Question 22

What are Formal Communication Channels?

Answer 22

Formal communication channels are the official communication networks and routes used within an organisation

The internal communication structure of a business can be organised in a number of different ways

Question 23

Formal communication networks methods?

Answer 23

1. One-way communication
2. Two-way communication

Question 24

what is The chain network method?

Answer 24

The chain network is typically used in a hierarchical structure, such as the police, army and civil service. One person, at the top, starts off the communication message and this is passed on to the next person on the lowest level. This is designed for authoritarian leaders

Question 25

advantages of The chain network method?

Answer 25

this method does give the leader control and allows an overview, from the top of the organisation, of the communication system

Question 26

What are the disadvantages of the chain network method (vertical network)?

Answer 26

• Messages may become distorted
• Messages take time to be received by the final person in the chain
• No two-way communication; decreased motivation

Question 27

what is Informal communication?

Answer 27

Informal communication is unofficial channels of communication that exist between informal groups within an organisation

Question 28

down side to informal communication?

Answer 28

1 It wastes valuable working time
2 It spreads gossip and rumours and these can be unsettling and lead to feelings of insecurity
3 It may result in informal groups banding together to resist management decisions – even though they may not have been officially communicated yet

Question 29

advantages of informal communication?

Answer 29

1 All informal communication can help create important feelings of belonging and social cohesion
2 Management can use the grapevine to ‘test out’ new ideas and see what the unofficial reaction might be – if it is too negative, they might never make an official announcement