Overcoming Obstacles to Communication in the Electronic Age

Overcoming Obstacles to Communication in the

Electronic Age

Chapter 6

Communicating for Results, 10th edition

• Identify specific ways technology has changed the way we communicate

• Define the terms situational anxiety and trait anxiety

• Describe obstacles to communication• Define the term sexual harassment

Chapter 6 Objectives


• Technology is changing so rapidly it is easy to feel overwhelmed– Internet is catalyst for most of these changes

•It is how and when people now use the Internet

– Blogs– Email– Social media– Twitter.com– Instant messaging– Smart phone

Communication Technology


• There are some advantages to using e-mail in an organization– Fast retrieval of information– Social uses such as hobbies and

recreational activities

E-mail


• Social use of e-mail had following advantages:– Employees learned to use system more

rapidly– Social contacts often became valuable

in later work tasks– Quality of work life improved for some

employees– Creativity was enhanced

E-mail


• Number of disadvantages to using e-mail:– Messages not private and may live as long

as “five years in someone’s backup file or memory bank”•According to Electronic Communications

Privacy Act, legal to view of disclose personal electronic communication if “ready accessible” to public

– Because e-mail usually brief and informal, senders often do not give them same care they would give to letter or memo

– “Tone” of an e-mail may cause anger

E-mail


• Use of personal blogs growing rapidly• The number of company blogs will

continue to grow– Allow company to develop relationships

with blogosphere• E-commerce growing• Blogs are better than one-way

communication

Blogs


• Be aware of power of technology– Blog swarm– Don’t think blog goes no further than

family and friends•Many reported cases of employee

firings because of blog content

Blogs


• There are advantages to using instant messages in an organization– Increased access to and faster retrieval

of information– Avoiding playing phone tag– Communicating with several people at

same time

Instant Messages (IM)


• There are disadvantages of using IM– Expectation of instantaneous reply– Errors due to casual and short messages– Vulnerability to viruses– Loss of confidentiality– Lack of records kept for later use

Instant Messages (IM)


• Being used as communication tools by organizations for marketing and relationship-building

• Changed the way people search for jobs and send resumes

• Changed way companies search for potential job applicants

Facebook and Twitter


• Electronic meetings are important communication avenues– Study of telecommuters found many “felt

sense of loss akin to grief at job loss”•Not only do telecommuters need

information, they also need involvement to feel more a part of company

–Encourage face-to-face or electronic meetings

Electronic Meetings


• Videoconferencing used by multiple-location companies to communicate with employees– Characteristics of videoconferencing when

compared with face-to-face meetings:•Discussants show less emotion and

experience less conflicts•Participation is more organized and orderly•Decision-making quality is generally equal to

face-to-face groups•Participation is more equal•Discussants find videoconferencing less

satisfying

Electronic Meetings


• Can be an obstacle to effective communication in work environment– Technology age playing conflicting role

in communication anxiety•When online people feel less anxiety

about sharing personal information•So much online communicating is

giving people less practice communicating face-to-face

Communicator Anxiety


• The higher a supervisor’s anxiety, the less potentially important information employees receive

• People who experience high level of communication anxiety are at a disadvantage when compared with more talkative, outgoing employees

• Hearing-impaired people experience communication anxiety

• Not all cultures express same levels of communicator anxiety



• There are two types of communication anxiety– Situational anxiety/state anxiety

•Caused by factors in specific situation– Trait anxiety

•Internal anxiety individual brings to speaking situation



• Feeling nervous prior to new communication situation is normal– Our body’s nervous system prepares us for

action with shot of adrenaline•We should be grateful for this boost from

our nervous system– People who view increase as normal

excitement necessary for dynamic job of communicating find their anxiety becomes manageable

– Poor communicators who view physical reactions with fear often find anxiety becomes worse

Situational Anxiety


• The following advice will help you stay in control during situational anxiety:– Prepare and practice– Warm up– Use deep breathing– Use an introduction that will relax you– Concentrate on communicating your

meaning– Use visual aids

Situational Anxiety


• Fewer people experience trait anxiety, known as communication apprehension– Trait anxiety is both learned and inborn

•If anxiety is learned, may:–Feel that you are different from and

less effective than most other speakers

–Have history of negative speaking experiences

–Consider yourself inferior to others

Trait Anxiety


• Trait anxiety may be inborn trait for some people– Communibiology

•Some feel biology is only one of several factors causing anxiety and anxious individuals can learn to control their anxiety

Trait Anxiety


• There are many techniques used to manage trait anxiety– Most of them require professional

assistance•Positive imagery

–Visualization»To become confident speakers, we

must think of ourselves as confident•Courses or workshops•Relaxation with deep breathing•Cognitive restructuring self-talk•Skills training

Trait Anxiety


• The widest possible combination of methods is often most effective in reducing communication apprehension– When using positive imagery also add at

least one of other methods for reducing anxiety

Trait Anxiety


• Giving and receiving instructions is weakness in many organizations– With so many different technologies to

use, communicating skill in giving instructions even more important

– Many of us give vague instructions, easily misunderstood due to lack of preparation

– In some cases, we give confusing instructions even when we prepare instructions ahead of time

Vague Instructions


• Principles for giving instructions:– Rule 1: Begin with an overall picture– Rule 2: Use a minimum number of words– Rule 3: Use simple, easily understood words– Rule 4: Be specific– Rule 5: Use simple comparisons– Rule 6: Use repetition– Rule 7: Number or “signpost” objects or

steps– Rule 8: Use good delivery techniques– Rule 9: End with a summary

Vague Instructions


• When we fail to distinguish between what we observed firsthand and what we only inferred or assumed, inference-observation confusion has occurred– With short messages sent by text

messaging and social media, jumping to conclusions happens fairly often

Jumping to Conclusions


• We all make assumptions– It is possible your job requires you to make

a certain number of inferences or assumptions•In such cases, you are aware that you

are making an inference– Problems more likely to arise when people

are unaware they have made any inferences•Communication breakdown is likely to

occur

Jumping to Conclusions


• Bypassing happens when we assume a word has same meaning for other people that it does for us– Managers and employees often have different

meanings for same words– Cultural differences also cause bypassing

problems– Another way bypassing happens is when

people have different words for same meaning

• To prevent bypassing, managers and employees should ask for feedback from one another to determine what each really means

Bypassing


• In technology age, sexual harassment has moved online as well

• Definition of sexual harassment includes two basic concepts:– Quid pro quo

•Something for something– Hostile work environment

Sexual Harassment


• Since Civil Rights Act of 1964, has been unlawful in United States to discriminate in hiring on basis of sex

• In 1980, sexual harassment became violation of Title VII of Civil Rights Act

• In 1991, an amendment to Title VII entitled employees to monetary damages

• In 1998, U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex harassment also governed by Title VII

• In 2000, educational institutions became liable for sexual harassment of students

Sexual Harassment


• Sexual harassment can occur in many circumstances:– Victim, as well as harasser may be a man or a

woman– The harasser can be victim’s supervisor, an

agent of employer, a supervisor in another area, a coworker, or a nonemployee

– Victim does not have to be the person harassed– Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without

economic injury to or discharge of victim

Sexual Harassment


• Harassment judged by its effects on recipient, not by intentions of harasser– Courts use reasonable person rule

•There has been a gender problem in applying this rule to sexual harassment

Sexual Harassment


• E-mail harassment – Organizations need to prepare themselves

for potential problems by developing strong policies and procedures regarding use of e-mail and the Internet, as well as dealing with sexual harassment•It is responsibility of employer to provide

safe workplace, free of sexual harassment–Having procedures in place isn’t always

enough

Sexual Harassment and E-mail


• If you become aware of sexual harassment or you believe you are a victim:– Review organization’s policies on harassment– Project a friendly but professional image of a

person who won’t put up with harassment– Confront your harasser in an assertive manner– Document incidents of harassment– Report the incident to an immediate supervisor

or human resources department– Weigh consequences of further action

Sexual Harassment – E-mail and Online


Documents

Overcoming Obstacles to Communication in the Electronic Age