CHAPTER 13:COMMUNICATING AND

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CH13© 2015 SAGE Publications

Communication Flows

• The flow of information both downward and upward through the organizational chain of command. Also called formal communication.

VERTICAL COMMUNICATION

• The flow of information between colleagues and peers. It is formal communication, but it does not follow the chain of command; instead, it is multidirectional.

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

• The informal flow of information in any direction throughout an organization. It is informal because it is not official or sanctioned by management.

GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION

The Interpersonal Communication Process

Communication Styles• When encoding a message, the sender should

give careful consideration to selecting the channel. • Oral Communication • Nonverbal Communication• Written Communication

Choosing Communication Style• Selecting The Message Transmission Channel:

• It’s important to select the most appropriate channel of transmission for any message: • Use oral channels for sending difficult and unusual messages;• Written channels for transmitting simple and routine messages to

several people or messages that contain facts and figures or detailed instructions;

• Combined channels for important messages that recipients need to attend to and understand.

1. DEVELOP RAPPORT:

Put the receiver at ease. It is

usually appropriate to

begin communication with small talk related to the message to

make a connection.

2. STATE YOUR

COMMUNICATION

OBJECTIVE: It is helpful for

the receiver to know the

objective of the communication

before you explain the

details

3. TRANSMIT YOUR

MESSAGE: Tell the receiver(s) whatever you want them to know calmly

and with respect.

4. CHECK THE RECEIVER’S

UNDERSTANDING: When

giving information,

you should ask direct question

and or paraphrase.

5. GET A COMMITMENT AND FOLLOW

UP: Make sure that the message recipient

can do the task and have it done by a certain time or date. Follow up to ensure that the necessary action has been taken.

Face to Face Communication

Paraphrasing• The process of restating a message in one’s own words. • If the receiver of the message can answer the question

or paraphrase the message, communication has taken place.

• The most accurate indicator of understanding is paraphrasing.

The Process of Receiving Messages • Listening is crucial, and it is the process of giving a speaker

your• undivided attention. • Analyzing is the process of thinking about, decoding, and

evaluating the message. As the speaker sends the message, you should be doing two things: thinking and waiting to evaluate until after listening.

• Checking understanding is the process of giving feedback. After you have listened to the message:• Give feedback • Watch the other person’s nonverbal communication

The Message-Receiving Process

Reflecting Responses• Reflecting responses paraphrases the message and

communicates understanding and acceptance to the sender.

• Reflecting responses should be used when coaching and counseling.

• Sometimes just reflective listening is all that is needed.

Calming an Emotional Person • Calming an Employee

• When an employee comes to you in an emotional state, show some compassion, as compassion is recognized as vital. Never make condescending statements such as “You shouldn’t be angry,” these types of statements only make the feelings stronger.

• Reflective Empathetic Responding• Empathic listening is understanding and relating to another’s

feelings. The empathic responder deals with feelings, content, and the underlying meaning being expressed in the message.

• After you deal with emotions, you can proceed to work on solving problems.

Information Systems• Transaction processing systems (TPS)

• Used to handle routine and recurring business matters. • Management information systems (MIS)

• Transform data into the information employees need to do their work.

• Decision Support Systems (DSS)• Information processing is needed when making decisions, and

decision making has been professionalized with tools and procedures.

Information Network• Information networks

• Apply information technology to connect all employees of an organization to each other, to suppliers, to customers, and to databases. Information networks are used to integrate information systems.

• The components of an information network include connection between employees at headquarters and remote locations, suppliers and customers, and databases.