Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-1Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Chapter 7

Communication

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-2Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Exhibit 7-1 The Communication Process Model

Encodes themessage

Chooses thechannel

Choosesa message

Providesfeedback

Decodes themessage

Sender Receiver

Considers the receiver

Considers the sender

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-3Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Communication Barriers Between Women and Men

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

• Women and men tend to approach points of conflict differently.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-4Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Communication Barriers Between Men and Women

• 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.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-5Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Cross-Cultural Communication Difficulties

• Sources of barriers:– Semantics

– Word connotations

– Tonal differences

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-6Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Culture Contexts

• Cultures differ in how much the context makes a difference in communication.– High-context cultures

• Cultures that rely heavily on nonverbal and subtle situational cues in communication.

–  Low-context cultures• Cultures that rely heavily on words to convey meaning in

communication.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-7Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Exhibit 7-7 High- vs. Low-Context Cultures

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-8Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

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.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-9Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

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.

– Proxemics• The study of physical space in interpersonal relationships.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-10Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Nonverbal Exercise• Rank order in terms of importance for leadership:

– Extroverted personality– Sensitivity to others– Technical expertise– Strong ethical values– Concern for getting the task done– Charisma– Internal locus of control– Power

• Directions: Sit on your hands. Use NO nonverbal communication (gestures, facial movements, body movements, etc.).

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-11Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Nonverbal Exercise Questions

• How effective was communication?

• What barriers to communication existed?

• What happens when nonverbal communication is absent?

• What purpose does nonverbal communication serve?

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-12Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Silence as Communication

• Defined as an absence of speech or noise.

• Not necessarily inaction—can convey:– Thinking or contemplating a response to a question. – Anxiety about speaking. – Agreement, dissent, frustration, or anger.

• Individuals should be aware of what silence might mean in any communication.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-13Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Effective Listening

• Active rather than passive• Active listening increases accuracy and

comprehension• Essential requirements:

1. Listen with intensity2. Listen with empathy3. Listen with acceptance4. Listen with a willingness to take responsibility

for completeness

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-14Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Effective Listening

If you want to improve your listening skills, look to these behaviours as guides

1. Make eye contact.2. Exhibit affirmative head nods and appropriate facial

expressions.3. Avoid distracting actions or gestures.4. Ask questions.5. Paraphrase.6. Avoid interrupting the speaker.7. Don’t overtalk.8. Make smooth transitions between the roles of speaker and

listener.

Chapter 7, Nancy Langton and Stephen P. Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, Fourth Canadian Edition 7-15Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada

Feedback

• Communication that gives someone information about some aspect of their behaviours and its effect on you.

• Valuable in the organization for its potential for increasing individual performance (short and long term)

• Can be positive or negative