Organizational Communication

1. Organizational Communication Chapter 9

2. Introduction Organization structure determines who works together It is the way managers design their firms to achieve their organization’s mission and goals Organizational communication flows through its structure, which affects: behavior human relations performance

3. The transition from an economy based on materials to an economy based on flows of information has created considerable challenges for organizational structure, and communication.

4. Principles of Organization (1 of 3) Division of Labor and Departmentalization Division of labor, or work specialization – refers to the degree to which tasks are subdivided into separate jobs Departmentalization – grouping of related activities into units Chain of Command line of authority from the top to the bottom of the organization, which is shown in an organization chart

5. Principles of Organization (2 of 3) Span of Management refers to number of employees reporting to a manager Centralized and Decentralized Authority With centralized authority, top managers make important decisions With decentralized authority, middle and first-line managers make important decisions where the action is

6. Principles of Organization (3 of 3) Coordination With the division of labor and departmentalization comes the need to coordinate the work of all departments

7. Questions and Answers for Designing Organizational Structure:

8. Common Types of Departmentalization (1 of 4) Functional Customer Product Matrix Territory Divisional

9. Common Types of Departmentalization (2 of 4) Functional Departmentalization involves organizing departments around essential input activities, such as: production and operations finance and accounting marketing and sales human resources Product (Service) Departmentalization involves organizing departments around goods and services provided

10. Common Types of Departmentalization (3 of 4) Customer Departmentalization involves organizing departments around the needs of different types of customers with unique needs calling for different sales staffs and products Divisional Departmentalization (M-Form) the firm develops independent lines of business that operate as separate companies, all contributing to the corporation profitability Territory (Geographic) Departmentalization involves organizing departments in each area in which the enterprise does business

11. Common Types of Departmentalization (4 of 4) Matrix Departmentalization combines the functional and product departmental structures Combination many large companies have more than one form of departmentalization

12. Contemporary Organization Design Team Organizations and Reengineering Learning Organizations E-Organizations Boundaryless Organizations Virtual Organizations

13. American and Japanese Organization Structures Division of labor tends to be a bit less specialized in Japan Both countries use the same types of departmentalization American organizations tend to be quicker to hire, lay off, and to change jobs than the Japanese

14. Organizational Communication Organizational communication – the compounded interpersonal communication process across an organization Communication flows in an organization are: Vertical Horizontal Grapevine (multidirectional)

15. Vertical and Horizontal Communication Vertical Communication The flow of information both up and down the chain of command Formal communication Recognized as official Status and power are not equal among participants in vertical communication • Horizontal Communication • The flow of information between colleagues and peers • Informal communication • Does not follow the chain of command • Not recognized as official

16. Grapevine Communication Grapevine – the informal vehicle through which messages flow throughout the organization “When the grapevine allows employees to know about a management decision almost before it is made, management must be doing something right.”

17. Communication Networks Communication networks – sets of employees who have stable contact through which information is generated and transmitted Two major types of communication networks: 1. within organizations 2. within departments and small groups

18. Message Transmission Channels Oral Communication Written Communication Nonverbal Communication

19. Oral Communication Media Telephone Face-to-Face Presentations Meetings

20. Written Communication (1 of 2) With increased use of e-mail, managers substitute face-to-face communication with e-mail Communication Objective Guidelines Memos Letters Reports Bulletin board notices Posters Computers/e-mail Fax

21. Written Communication (2 of 2) Writing skills Grammar – rules for use of the eight parts of speech To simplify grammar, we use subjects, predicates, modifiers, and connectives

22. Nonverbal Communication Vocal Qualities Facial Expressions Posture Gestures

23. Emotions (1 of 2) Emotional labor – requires the expression of desired emotions during interpersonal relations • Universal emotions: • happiness • surprise • fear • sadness • anger • disgust

24. Emotions (2 of 2) Understanding Feelings Feelings are subjective – they tell you people’s attitudes and needs Feelings are usually disguised as factual statements Feelings are neither right nor wrong but behavior is Gender Differences Global Differences

25. Dealing with Emotional Employees Calming the emotional person Use reflecting responses

26. Criticism Getting Criticism Giving Criticism

27. Guidelines for Giving Effective Criticism Give more praise than criticism Criticize immediately Criticism should be performance oriented Give specific and accurate criticism Open on a positive note and close by repeating what action is needed