Chapter 3

The Communicating Process

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
1 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Variables Affecting the Communication Process

1. Nature of the message

2. Background of sender
3. Background of receiver
4. Relationship between sender and receiver
5. Time of day
6. Unusual circumstances of those communicating

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
2 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Elements of the Communication Process

Noise Sender

Feedback Receiver

Channel Message

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
3 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Is a process that involves
translating the thoughts or
Encoding information into words,
signs, or symbols.

Occurs when the receiver

interprets the message
Decoding and gives it meaning
from his or her own
perspective.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
4 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Communication Flows

Horizontally
Upward (Laterally) Downward
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
5 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Downward Communication

Is used by administrative office managers to:

1. Keep their subordinates informed.

2. Give them job-related instructions.
3. Provide subordinates with feedback
regarding their job performance.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
6 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Factors to Consider in Selecting Appropriate
Downward Medium

Permanency of record
Formality

Immediacy

Need for evidence of understanding or feedback

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
7 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Immediacy / Urgency:

-Selection of the means of

communication is to be made keeping in view
the urgency of the communication. Time
available is the main factor here. Higher cost
may be justified for sending the message in
time.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
8 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Permanency of Record

- If the record of the communication

is important it should be written,
otherwise oral communication is
sufficient.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
9 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Formality
- An organization’s formal communication
network is comprised of all the communication that runs
along its official lines of authority. In other words, the
formal network follows reporting relationships.
- As you might expect, when a manager sends
an email to her sales team describing the new
commission structure for the next set of sales targets,
that email (an example of downward communication) is
being sent along the company’s formal network that
connects managers to their subordinates.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
10 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Need for evidence of understanding or
feedback

- Feedback is the final component and

one of the important factors in the process of
communication. It is defined as the response
given by the receiver to the sender. The
sender needs response of the receiver in
order to decide effectiveness of
communication. Feedback can be negative
or positive.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
11 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Factors That Affect the Success of
Downward Communication

1. Appropriateness of communication channel

2. Timing and clarity of the message
3. Attitudes of those involved in the communication
process

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
12 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Is used by employees to convey to their supervisors
their feelings, ideas, aspirations, and attitudes

Upward Communication

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
13 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Variables That Affect the Success of
Upward Communication
1. The nature of the relationship between the
subordinate and the manager.
2. The quality of the subordinate’s presentation
of the message.
3. The extent to which the content of the message
is positive or negative.
4. The timeliness of the message.
5. The extent to which the substance of the message
is useful.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
14 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Takes place
between
Horizontal Communication
individuals of
equal hierarchical
rank and is more
informal than
either downward
or up communi-
cation.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
15 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Functions of Horizontal Communication

1. It helps employees fulfill their socialization

needs.
2. It helps employees and departments coordinate
their activities with one another.
3. It helps others better understand individual and
departmental responsibilities.
4. It helps individuals solve their own problems
before others have to become involved.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
16 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 The Grapevine

Is a type of informal communication

It is often a fast and surprisingly accurate

communication process.

Management sometimes uses the grapevine to

assess employee reaction to a proposed change.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
17 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Reasons People Join Small Groups

Power or Strength
Security
in Numbers

Morale Ready Access

Support to Advice

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
18 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Nonverbal Cues Impact the Communication
Process By:
Nonverbal Cues are perceptual information communicated in
a social exchange by signs accompanying the words used in
speech. Such cues include body language, tone, inflexion,
and other elements of voice, dress, etc. See also non verbal
communication.

Confirming: These cues confirm a verbal message.

Replacing: These cues replace spoken words.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
19 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Contradicting: These cues contradict the verbal
message, adding an element of
confusion to the communication
process.

These cues support the

verbal
message.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
20 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Nonverbal Communication is Expressed By

Body Language

Time Paralanguage

Proxemics
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
21 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
22 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
23 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Meaning of Body Language

Crossed arms: A closed-off posture

implies resistance. "People might just be
cold, but the stereotype is that they aren't
listening,"

A brief touch to the hand: This captures

your attention and forms a quick connection.
But toward employees, make sure the action
doesn't appear condescending.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
24 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
•A nose rub: This motion is often linked with
deception. If you notice people doing this while
you talk, you could be coming across as
disingenuous.

•A barrier: Personal space is sacred in Western

business culture, so back off if clients put up a
barrier, like a purse,

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
25 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
•A hand placed under the chin: When you see this, a
decision is being made. Don't oversell if someone looks
interested afterward, but if you spot negative signals, bring up
your second-best idea--stat.

•Feet pointed toward the door: The feet are the most honest
part of the body, so no matter how mesmerized people seem
to be, this proves they're actually over it.

•A back-of-the-neck scratch: it could mean he/she still

has questions and concerns.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
26 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Paralanguage includes accent, pitch,
volume, speech rate, modulation, and
fluency. Some researchers also include
certain non-vocal phenomena under the
heading of paralanguage: facial
expressions, eye movements, hand
gestures, and the like.
"We speak with our vocal
organs, but we converse
with our entire bodies. ...
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
27 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 In Saudi Arabian cultures, in discussions among equals, the
men attain a decibel level that would be considered
aggressive, objectionable and obnoxious in the United States.
Loudness connotes strength and sincerity among Arabs; a
soft tone implies weakness and deviousness. Personal status
also modulates voice tone. Lower classes lower their voices.
Thus, if a Saudi Arab shows respect to an American he
lowers his voice. Americans 'ask' people to talk more loudly
by raising their own voices. The Arab then has his status
confirmed and thus talks even more quietly. Both are
misreading the cues!"

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
28 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
Proxemics describes an individual's
perception of and use of space, both personal
(how much space do they take up) and social
(distance from another). Kinesics describes an
individual's use of body language including the
study of postures, gestures, facial expression,
and eye contact.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
29 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 For example, it might be considered rude to stand too close to someone in
one place but not another. It might be very common to touch someone's
arm or shoulder while talking in one place, but this could be considered
rude in other places. In one country, you might greet someone with a kiss
on the cheek, and in other places this might be considered too intimate.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
30 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
The use of time in nonverbal communication is
formally defined as chronemics - the study of the
way we both use and perceive the use of time. In
direct communication, the use of time can convey
a powerful nonverbal message.

For example in most countries it would a norm for

a boss to be late for a meeting but not for the
subordinates.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
31 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Body Language Involves

Eye contact

Gestures
Kinesics
(posture)
Occulesics
(facial expressions) Tactilics
(touch)
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
32 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Paralanguage Involves

Speaking range Intrusions

Pitch
Speaking rate

Pauses
Volume
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
33 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Proxemics Involves

Structure of territory
and space Seating arrangement

Ambience of
Artifacts and
the room
objects in the room
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
34 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Time of Day Involves

Time of day in which

communication takes place
Promptness with which
an appointment gets underway

Meeting deadlines

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
35 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Barriers to Effective Communication

1. Taking things or people for granted.

2. Incorrect assumptions regarding subordinate
interest.
3. Characteristics of upward, downward, and
horizontal communication.
4. Semantics (word meanings).
5. Perception of something.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
36 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Elements of the Listening Process
(1 of 3)

Internal The listener has to be able to

Elements hear the message.
The listener has to be able to attach
proper meaning to the words in the
message.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
37 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Elements of the Listening Process
(2 of 3)

Contextual Are concerned with the

Elements environment in which
communication occurs.

Are affected by noise, time

constraints, accessibility of
sender and receiver to each other
and to the communication channel
being used.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
38 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Elements of the Listening Process
(3 of 3)

Relationship A cordial relationship

Elements enhances the listening
process.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
39 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Steps in the Decision-Making Process

1. Defining and limiting the problem (or situation).

2. Analyzing the problem (or situation).
3. Defining criteria to be used in evaluating various
solutions.
4. Gathering the data/information.
5. Identifying and evaluating possible solutions.
6. Selecting the best solution.
7. Implementing the solution.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
40 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Steps in the Nominal Group Technique

Listing

Final Voting Recording

Discussing Voting

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
41 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Sources of Conflict

1. Limited resources that must be shared.

2. Incompatibility of goals.
3. Organizational reward systems thought to
treat some unfairly.
4. Changes in the organizational environment.

Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.

by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
42 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Types of Change Confronting
Administrative Office Managers

Planned Change Is proactive

Is a result of careful planning,
developing, and implementing

Is forced change
Reactive Change
Is a result of events that
make change necessary
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
43 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458
 Steps Involved in Implementing Change

1. Recognize the need for change.

2. Plan the change.
3. Recommend a plan.
4. Decide about the plan.
5. Implement the plan.
Administrative Office Management, 8/e ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
by Zane Quible Pearson Prentice Hall
44 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458