BU288 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Organizational Communication
BU288 Lesson 19: Communication
Organizational Communication: A Definition
-The process by which a person, group, or organization (SENDER) transmits some type of
information (MESSAGE) to another person, group, or organization (RECEIVER)
Communication Process Model
Barriers to Effective Communication
-Filtering: Refers to a sender manipulating information so that it will be seen more favourably
by the receiver
• Telling people what you think they want to hear – do it to get what we want
• Filtering is natural in organizations – lower level managers engage in filtering, and rely
on middle managers to decide what information is important for the managers at the top
-Selective Perception: Receivers in the communication process selectively see and hear based
on their needs, motivations, experience, background, and other personal characteristics
• Hear what they want to hear
• Tendency to project interests and expectations when you hear a message
-Defensiveness/Emotions: When individuals interpret another’s message as threatening, they
often respond in ways that retard effective communication
• How you feel can affect how you interpret message
-Language: Words mean different things to different people
• Age, education, culture – 3 biggest factors that influence what words people use
• Employees can be dispersed geographically – individuals in different locals can have
different phrases/words particular to their areas
• Dialect can be different in even the same country
• E.g. the word “sick” – different meanings nowadays
Cross-Cultural Communication
-Effective communication is difficult under the best of conditions
-4 specific problems related to language difficulties in cross-cultural communication:
• Barriers caused by semantics
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Document Summary
The process by which a person, group, or organization (sender) transmits some type of information (message) to another person, group, or organization (receiver) Defensiveness/emotions: when individuals interpret another"s message as threatening, they often respond in ways that retard effective communication: how you feel can affect how you interpret message. Effective communication is difficult under the best of conditions. 4 specific problems related to language difficulties in cross-cultural communication: barriers caused by semantics, barriers caused by word connotations, barriers caused by tonal differences, barriers caused by differences among perceptions. Following four rules can be helpful when communicating with people from a different culture: assume differences until similarity is proven, emphasize description rather than interpretation or evaluation, practice empathy, treat your interpretations as a working hypothesis. Men use talk to emphasize status, women use it to create connection. Women and men tend to approach points of conflict differently.
