chapter 6 interacting with others. chapter 6, stephen p. robbins and nancy langton, fundamentals of...

Chapter 6

Interacting With Others

Chapter 6, Stephen P. Robbins and Nancy Langton, Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, Canadian EditionCopyright © 2002 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 2

Chapter Outline The Communication Process Barriers to Effective

Communication Creating Effective Mechanisms

for Communication Current Issues in Communication How Communication Breakdown

Leads to Conflict Conflict Management and Teams Resolving Conflict: Negotiation


Interacting With Others

How can we improve communication?

How do we manage conflict?

How do we negotiate?

Questions for Consideration


Exhibit 6-1The Communication

Process Model


Channelrichness

Type ofmessage

Informationmedium

Leanest

Richest Nonroutine,ambiguous

Routine,clear

Face to facetalk

Telephone

Computer

Memos,letters

Flyers, bulletinsgeneral reports

Exhibit 6-2Hierarchy of Channel

Richness


Barriers to Effective Communication

Filtering– Refers to a sender manipulating

information so that it will be seen more favorably by the receiver.

Selective Perception– Receivers in the communication

process selectively see and hear based on their needs, motivations, experience, background, and other personal characteristics.

Defensiveness– When individuals interpret another’s

message as threatening, they often respond in ways that retard effective communication.

Language– Words mean different things to

different people.


Effective Listening If you want to improve your

listening skills, look to these behaviours as guides:

Make eye contact Exhibit affirmative head nods and

appropriate facial expressions. Avoid distracting actions or

gestures. Ask questions. Paraphrase. Avoid interrupting the speaker. Don’t over talk. Make smooth transitions between

the roles of speaker and listener.


Creating Effective Mechanisms for Communication

Mechanisms: The practices that bring what you stand for to life and stimulate change

They are intended to demonstrate how the communication should be accomplished


Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication: messages conveyed through body movements, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the sender and the receiver

Kinesics: the study of body motions, such as gestures, facial configurations, and other movements of the body


Communication Barriers Between Men and Women

Men use talk to emphasize status, women use it to create connection

Women and men tend to approach points of conflict differently

Men and women view directness and indirectness differently– women interpret male directness as

an assertion of status and one-upmanship

– men interpret female indirectness as covert, sneaky, and weak

Men criticize women for apologizing, but women say “I’m sorry” to express empathy


Exhibit 6-3 Hand Gestures Mean

Different Things in Different Countries


Cross-Cultural Communication

Difficulties

There are barriers caused by semantics.

There are barriers caused by word connotations.

There are barriers caused by tonal differences.


Cross-Cultural Communications:

Helpful Rules

Assume differences until similarity is proven.

Emphasize description rather than interpretation or evaluation.

Practise empathy. Treat your interpretations as

a working hypothesis.


Tips For Writing and Sending E-mail

Don’t write anything that you don’t want anyone other than the intended receiver to see

Be careful in addressing your e-mail—a simple typo can send your e-mail to the wrong person

Think about the e-mail you’re sending, and perhaps wait an hour before you do send it off

Be careful when forwarding e-mail that you are not circulating something that is untrue


Conflict

A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect something that the first party cares about.– Functional: Supports the goals

of the group and improves its performance

– Dysfunctional: hinders group performance


How Structure Can Lead to Conflict

Size, specialization, and composition of the group act as forces to stimulate conflict.

The greater the ambiguity in precisely defining where responsibility for actions lies, the greater the potential for conflict to emerge.

The diversity of goals among groups is a major source of conflict.

Too much reliance on participation may also stimulate conflict.

Reward systems create conflict when one member’s gain is at another’s expense.


Point-CounterPoint

Conflict Is Good for the Organization

Conflict is a means by which to bring about radical change

Conflict facilitates group cohesiveness

Conflict improves group and organizational effectiveness

Conflict brings about a slightly higher, more constructive level of tension

All Conflicts Are Dysfunctional!

The negative consequences from conflict can be devastating

Effective managers build teamwork

Competition is good for an organization, but not conflict

Managers who accept and stimulate conflict don’t survive in organizations


Exhibit 6-4 How Conflict Builds


Ass

ert

iven

ess

Cooperativeness

Unass

ert

ive

Ass

ert

ive

Uncooperative Cooperative

Competing Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding Accommodating

Exhibit 6-5Dimensions of

Conflict-Handling Intentions


Conflict Handling Intentions

Two Dimensions– Cooperativeness: the degree to which one

party attempts to satisfy the other party’s concerns

– Assertiveness: the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns

Specific Intentions– Competing: A desire to satisfy one’s

interests, regardless of the impact on the other parties.

– Collaborating: A situation where the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties

– Avoiding: The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.

– Accommodating: the willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s interests above his or her own

– Compromising: A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something


Exhibit 6-6 Understanding



Annihilatoryconflict

Noconflict

Overt efforts to destroythe other party

Aggressive physical attacks

Threats and ultimatums

Assertive verbal attacks

Overt questioning orchallenging of others

Minor disagreements ormisunderstandings

Exhibit 6-7Conflict Intensity

Continuum


Exhibit 6-8 Conflict Resolution Techniques

Problem solving Face-to-face meeting of the conflicting parties forthe purpose of identifying the problem andresolving it through open discussion.

Superordinate goals Creating a shared goal that cannot be attainedwithout the cooperation of each of the conflicting

parties.

Expansion of resourcesWhen a conflict is caused by the scarcity of aresource—say, money, promotion opportunities,office space—expansion of the resource cancreate a win-win solution.

Avoidance Withdrawal from, or suppression of, the conflict.

Smoothing Playing down differences while emphasizingcommon interests between the conflicting parties.

Compromise Each party to the conflict gives up something ofvalue.

Authoritative commandManagement uses its formal authority to resolvethe conflict and then communicates its desires to

the parties involved.

Altering the humanvariable

Using behavioural change techniques such ashuman relations training to alter attitudes andbehaviours that cause conflict.

Altering the structuralvariables

Changing the formal organization structure and theinteraction patterns of conflicting parties throughjob redesign, transfers, creation of coordinating

positions, and the like.


Exhibit 6-8 Conflict Stimulation Techniques

Communication Using ambiguous or threatening messages toincrease conflict levels..

Bringing in outsiders Adding employees to a group whosebackgrounds, values, attitudes, or managerialstyles differ from those of present members.

Restructuring theorganization

Realigning work groups, altering rules andregulations, increasing interdependence, andmaking similar structural changes to disrupt the

status quo.

Appointing a devil’sadvocate

Designating a critic to purposely argue against themajority positions held by the group., the conflict.


Exhibit 6-9 Conflict and Unit

Performance


Types of Conflict

Cognitive: Conflict related to differences in perspectives and judgments– task-oriented– results in identifying

differences– usually functional conflict

Affective: Emotional conflict aimed at a person rather than an issue– dysfunctional conflict


Reducing Group Conflict

Team members worked with more, rather than less information and debated on the basis of facts

Team members developed multiple alternatives to enrich the level of debate

Team members shared commonly agreed-upon goals

Team members injected humour into the decision process

Team members maintained a balanced power structure

Team members resolved issues without forcing consensus


Negotiation

A process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree upon the exchange rate for them


Bargaining Distributive IntegrativeCharacteristic Bargaining Bargaining

Available resources

Primary motivations

Primary interests

Focus of relationships

Fixed amount of resources to be divided

I win, you lose

Opposed to each other

Short term

Variable amount of resources to be divided

I win, you win

Convergent or congruent with each other

Long term

Exhibit 6-10Distributive versus

Integrative Bargaining


Party A’s Aspiration Range

Party B’s Aspiration Range

Party A’s target point

Party B’s target point

Party A’s resist-ance point

Party B’s resist-ance point

Settlement Range

Exhibit 6-11Staking Out the

Bargaining Zone


Improving Your Bargaining Position

Begin with a positive overture

Address problems, not personalities

Pay little attention to initial offers

Emphasize win-win solutions Create an open and trusting

climate


Summary and Implications

A common theme regarding the relationship between communication and employee satisfaction– the less uncertainty, the greater the

satisfaction– Distortions, ambiguities, and incongruities

all increase uncertainty Less distortion in communication equals:

– more goal attainment, and better feedback

– reduction in ambiguity and distortion Conflict can be either constructive or

destructive to the functioning of a group. An optimal level of conflict:

– prevents stagnation– stimulates creativity– releases tension– and initiates the seeds for change

Inadequate or excessive levels of conflict can hinder group effectiveness.

Negotiation is an ongoing activity in groups

chapter 6 interacting with others. chapter 6, stephen p. robbins and nancy langton, fundamentals of...

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