(See related pages)
|
|
|
Outline the main elements of a communication system. A communication message is exchanged between a sender and receiver through a channel (face-to-face meeting, text message, or letter) and is successfully transmitted (intended message understood) if not interrupted by noise barriers (physical noise, psychological, language, and physiological). The sender forms the message by encoding (word choices, complementing gestures and voice intonation) while the receiver interprets the message (decodes) into something meaningful. Feedback occurs with both sender and receiver as acknowledgement of understanding the message is exchanged. |
|
|
|
Explain why it is important to match media to a message. Messages that involve emotionally sensitive, complex, ambiguous, or novel situations requires a medium that allows for immediate visible cues, audible cues, and verbal exchanges. These messages are better explained and understood in a medium such as a face-to-face meeting, video-conference, telephone conversation, or web-cam meeting. A less media-rich environment that lacks the non-verbal cues such as, vocal tone or facial gestures, as in an e-mail message, instant-message, text-message, letter, or memo is appropriate for messages that’s purpose is to quickly transmit information to geographically dispersed locations in a timely manner or that don’t require immediate feedback. |
|
|
|
Discuss the formal and informal channels through which information flows in organizations. Communication means are officially sanctioned through formal structures in an organization’s infrastructure to disseminate messages up and down the hierarchy or horizontally across departments or units. Informal channels of communication also occur in organizations and are outside the formal channels and disseminate information through personal networks (gossip or grapevine networks). |
|
|
|
Identify the sources of noise that lead to miscommunication within organizations. Many barriers of communication (noise) can intentionally or unintentionally undermine a message and cause communication breakdown through perceptual or psychological distortions (stereotyping, biases, or prejudice), filtering (distortion, misunderstanding, or missing information), language barriers, information overload, or cultural and gender differences. |
|
|
|
Discuss the steps managers can take to counteract noise and improve communication within their organizations. Managers can minimize or eliminate miscommunication through encouraging active listening, reducing means that cause information overload, providing training for cultural, gender, and diversity differences, and carefully matching media to messages. |