COMM2600 Instructor: Sanae Chapter 1 Study Guide Section number: 3 Key Terms: - Communication competency: Awareness of one s appropriate behavior in a specific situation and knowledge of how one should interact in the situation; Also includes the ability to communicate clearly and apply the knowledge of how one should act in the situation and being able to attain one s interpersonal goals. - Human communication process: process in which one attempts to create an understanding of his/her s beliefs/feelings, etc. for the other partner in order for the partner to understand the other partner s perspective - Shared realities: Results from the human communication process when the partner understands the other s point of view and is able to identify with the other partner s ideas - Organization: Compilation of various individuals all working together toward a shared goal - <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> : process in which an organization is constantly changing and shaping its organization through various factors including the different ideas from members and the environment. Guiding Questions: - How does the textbook define <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> ? How would you explain <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> to your mother/father? o The textbook defines <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> as a process through which organizations are created and in turn create and shape events. The process can be understood as a combination of process, people, messages, meanings, and purpose [Shockley, Zalabak, pg. 16]. I would describe <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> to my mother/father as an ongoing process. Organizations are constantly changing according to various factors that influence their organization. Since the environment surrounding an organization is constantly changing, they are forced to change and keep up with it. Members of the group also keep the organization up to date with new ideas, which are influenced by their surrounding environment. Lastly, <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> has a lot to do with how members interact with each other and how they interpret one another s messages. - What does it mean to you that <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> includes process, people, messages, meaning, and purpose? Give an example from your own experience with each component. o An organization is an ongoing process due to the constant changing and reshaping of the organization. Members must work together and communicate clearly in order for this ongoing process to be successful. Messages are a main component in communicating and getting one s idea - - - across. However, when messages are transferred from person A to person B, the meaning needs to be clearly sent through in order for the message to fulfill its purpose and intent. When working on a paper in a previous group communication class, our <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> was barely even present. Meanings of messages were unclear when members attempted to voice their opinion on the project. In the end, only half of the group did the work while the other half did not help at all. The process was unorganized and members did not work together towards the shared goal. List as many organizations of which you are a member that you can think of. Would Etzioni, Miller, or Pepper agree with you that these are organizations (see p. 15)? Why or why not? o I think being a member of my sorority applies as an organization. I think they would all agree that my sorority is an organization because not only are we all working toward a specific goal (philanthropies) but also we have structure within the sorority (executive board, president, panhel, etc.) We also have strong communicative relationships with one another. Describe a frustrating or rewarding experience you have had in an organization. How would the communication competencies improve or explain your experience? o As explained in a previous question regarding my group project, I would say the communication competencies would have highly improved the experience. According to the book, the following factors contribute to competence, our ability to understand appropriate behaviors, our specific intentions, our willingness to engage in communication, and our ability to interact with others to generate shared realities [Shockley Zalabak, pg.12]. However, members of the group did not seem to understand one another and what their ideas or intentions were while working together. Members were not willing to communicate with each other since some members did not even want to work on the project. Which of the communication competencies (knowledge, sensitivity, skills, or value) do you feel you most need to improve upon? Give a specific example to support why that competency is important to you. (Use the Tables starting on p. 20 to give you some ideas.) o I feel as though I need to improve the most upon my knowledge. Being able to describe, define, and understand communication is the first step in order to grasp the other three communication competencies. Once I improve on my knowledge, the other three competencies will come more easily to me. DEVELOPING COMEPETENCIES THROUGH - Competencies are developed through: o Knowledge The ability to understand and describe/define communication and its purpose/affect on society o Sensitivity How communication affects organizations and its impact o Skills Skills needed in order to use/apply communication in society/organizations o Values Understanding the importance of communication for a healthy relationship and organization THE CHANGING NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND WORK - Today, many of us have set ideas and ways of handling things when we approach a problem or situation - This leads to a set mindset when one enters an opportunity or problem which leads to confusion and disagreement - Thus, we need new ways of thinking, criticizing, approaches, etc. - Factors which contribute to new organization types, new relationships between organizations and employees, and a growing acknowledgement of the complexity of all organizational life: o Increased economic pressures o Globalization o Rapidly diversifying employee and customer bases o Changing technology o An increasing awareness of organizational relationships to society in general - Changes that have impacted interpersonal relationships, group interactions, management and leadership, personal and professional ethics, time management, and nonwork life: o The virtual organization o E-commerce o High-performing teams o Contract employment o Increased contact with a culturally diverse world o Home based work - Relationships in the work force today have drastically changed from loyalty and support to: o Increased global competition o Frequent shifting of employees o Downsizing o Part time employment o Flatter organizations - Critics: - o Call for increased workplace democracy Advocates: o Defend the changes as necessary for survival THE COMMUNICATIONS ERA - Communication is become more complex nowadays due to the many advancements in technology - Information society: environment in which more jobs create, process, or distribute information than directly produce goods o The environment is characterized by mass production of information, which requires the constant learning of new activities and processes o Most important characteristic of this era: The rapid change associated with mass production of information, change requiring us all to be constantly involved in the learning of new activities and processes EX: instead of going to the movies we can watch movies on payperview or rent DVDs - With so much information, many individuals and organizations find it hard to choose through so many different options - That problem brings upon a change in: o Activities o Processes o Products - Now, workers in the same organization are able to communicate to one another through technology and work on the same project even if they haven t met one another - Higher demands are placed on individual communication abilities due to the rapid increase in technology - Can meet these demands with the perspective that: o Becoming and staying competent is an ongoing process requiring lifelong learning COMMUNICATION: THE KEY TO ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE - Organizational excellence: ability of people to work together and utilize technology for the creative solving of increasingly complex problems o Key to organizational excellence: Effective communication o Stems from: The dedicated commitment of people People who are motivated to work together People who share similar values and visions about the results of their efforts - <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> is linked to: o Managerial effectiveness o The integration of work units across organizational levels - o Characteristics of effective supervision o Job and communication satisfaction o Innovation o Adaptability o Creativity o Overall organizational effectives <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> plays a significant part in contributing to or detracting from organizational excellence Thus, organizations need members of all levels who are able to communicate well EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION: COMMUNICATION COMPETENCY - Organizations look for the following traits that make up a good communicator The ability to: o Speak well o Listen, and write well o Persuade others o Demonstrate interpersonal skills o Gather information o Exhibit small group problem solving expertise o Be flexible and creative o Have diverse and well developed communication abilities - Communication competency: composed of knowledge, sensitivity, skills, and values o Competence arises from interaction of theory, practice, and analysis o EX: a student realizes that class participation is required for a high grade may choose not to participate, yet the student can be considered competent because of the knowledge or awareness of the appropriate behavior; the student must not only recognize appropriate participation behaviors but also participate so as to demonstrate communication competency - Ecological perspective (derived form communication competency) - Emphasizes: o System embeddedness The actions of one element of the system affect the other elements - Revolves around four systems: o The micro system Contains the developing organizational member and other persons in the immediate work environment EX: supervisors, coworkers, and clients o The mesosystem Represents the interrelations among various Microsystems EX: what individuals learn in their project teams may affect their competence in the functional work groups in which they are members o The macrosystem Doesn t represent the immediate context in which an individual - - works but does not impose on him or her EX: major divisions of the organization and the organization itself as a whole o The exosystem Represents the overarching cultural belief system, forms of knowledge, social, technological, and political ideologies Littlejohn and Jabusch s approach to communication competency: o Communication competency arises out of four basic components: Process understanding Refers to the cognitive ability to understand the dynamics of the communication event Interpersonal sensitivity The ability to perceive feelings and meaning Communication skills The ability to develop and interpret message strategies in specific situations Ethical responsibility The attitudinal set that governs concern for the well being of all participants in taking responsibility for communication outcomes o Competence comes from the interaction of three primary elements: Theory Practice Analysis In general, communication competency relates to: o Message encoding o Decoding abilities o The process of communication initiation and consumption <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> : A COMPETNCY BASED APPROACH - Knowledge competency: ability to understand the <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> environment o What we come to know about a particular field o Developed through: The exploration of the interactive, process nature of human communication o Fundamental to: Support our sensitivity to organizational life Guide our skill development Assist us in understanding the application of ethical standards and our personal values in a variety of organizational settings - Sensitivity competency: ability to sense organizational meanings and feelings accurately - - o Related to our ability and willingness to understand what others are feeling and doing o Developed through The examination of our personal theories in use about communication and organizations o Emphasis placed on: How we come to understand our complex organizational environments Skills competency: ability to analyze organizational situations accurately and to initiate and consume organizational messages effectively o Developed through: Analysis and practice opportunities o Focuses on: Developing important analytical capabilities The ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings Values competency: importance of taking responsibility for effective communication, thereby contributing to organizational excellence o Developed through: Discussion of personal responsibility for participation in <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> o Examines: Ethical dilemmas relating to <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> The importance of values to organizational culture DEFINING COMMUNICATION - Human communication includes: o Transferring information o Eliciting responses from each other o Engaging in social interaction o Use of symbols (words) to attempt to create shared meaning (mutual understanding) THE HUMAN COMMUNICATION PROCESS - Process of communication = constructing shared realities - Sources/receivers of message = the two communicators - Both communicators engage in: o Message encoding and decoding o Selecting verbal and nonverbal channels for message transmission o Influenced by their individual competence and their perception of the competence of the other o An exchange of a different set of experiences o Different sets of views on the context of their interactions o Effect: the result of the complex interaction of all these elements SOURCE/RECEIVER - Source/receiver: individuals send messages as sources and receive messages as receivers. The process is often so rapid as to appear instantaneous o Talk while monitoring nonverbal reactions of others o Listen and determine how to respond ENCODING/DECODING - Encoding/decoding: message encoding is the process of formulating messages, choosing content and symbols to convey meaning. o The process of assigning meaning in the role of receiver to message symbols generated by the message source o Influenced by: Our communicative competence Knowledge Sensitivity Skills Values Our specific intentions Desire for clarity Openness Manipulation Deceit Control Our past experiences Our perception of the competence of others The communication context - Encoding: the process of formulating messages and choosing content and symbols to convey meaning o Determining what we want to be understood (content) o How we believe that it can best be presented (choosing symbols) - Decoding: the process of assigning meaning in the role of receiver to message symbols generated by the message source o Interpreting and understanding what we see and hear from others MESSAGE - Message: symbolic attempt to transfer meaning o Signal that serves as a stimulus for a receiver - Sources send messages consisting of the following stimuli in any combination: o Auditory o Visual o Olfactory o Gustatory o Tactile - Messages themselves don t carry meaning the source carries the intended meaning - Receiver interprets/decodes the meaning of the message CHANNEL - Channel: medium through which the message is transmitted o The link(s) between the source and receiver o Include: The five senses Any technological means used for message transmission o Can be used in combination Verbal, nonverbal Oral, written Face to face Telemediated o Harder to lie nonverbally than verbally o Channels can distort messages through: Technology Sensory reception NOISE - Noise: distortion or interference that contributes to discrepancies between the meaning intended by the source of a message and the meaning assigned by the receiver o Includes: Physical distractions Channel interference Communicative competence Communication context Psychological predispositions COMPETENCE - Competence: our ability to: o Understand appropriate behaviors o Interact with others to generate shared realities - Contributes to: o Communication effects o How we evaluate the effectiveness of our interactions - Factors contributing to the encoding and decoding of messages: o Our impression of our own competence o The impression we have of the competence of others FIELDS OF EXPERIENCE - Fields of experience: set of specific experiences or background that all parties in communication bring to bear on the interaction o Past experiences influence how we act in similar situations o The more common the field of experience among those communicating, the easier it is to share similar meanings or to construct shared realities COMMUNICATION CONTEXT - Communication context: environment for the communication interaction - Includes: o Specific time and place of the interaction o Roles of the participants o Relationships of the participants o Status of the participants - Contributes to: o Our very specific intentions in a given circumstance - Intentions range from: o Full disclosure o Openness o Seeking clarity to deception o Ambiguity o Manipulation o Control - Express ourselves according to ours and our recipients competence - Context is influenced both: o Culturally o Physically - Perception of context differs from one communication participant to another EFFECT - Effect: result, consequence, or outcome of communication exchanges - Directly related to communication interactions - Effects can be immediately observably or delayed in time and context - Effect of interactions are evaluated by communication participants for: o Effectiveness o Ethics THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHARED REALITIES - Shared realities: meanings resulting from the communication process o Attempts to have others understand our world as we do or as we intend for it to be understood and our efforts to comprehend the world of those around us - Culturally and contextually influenced with success or failure in individual communication competencies such as: o Knowledge o Sensitivity o Skills o Values - Interpersonal communication: process occurs between two individuals with - some type of ongoing relationship Group communication: process occurs among several individuals Public/mass media communication: process occurs between numbers of people (either personally or through technological channels) <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> : the human communication process in organizations Human communication process involves: o Attempts to construct shared realities among people to generate shared meaning Construction of meaning is: o An intentional process between us related to our knowledge, skills, sensitivity, and values CONCEPTS OF ORGANIZATIONS - Organization: result of the process of organizing o Dynamic system in which individuals engage in collective efforts for goal accomplishment - Accomplished through: o Purposeful activities generated as a result of communication behavior o Human communication as individuals seek to bring order out of chaos and establish entities for purposeful activities - Characterized by: o Divisions of labor for goal achievement - Five features possessed by all organizations: o Two or more people (a social collectivity) o Goals o Coordinating activity o Structure o Environmental embeddedness DEFINTIONS OF <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> - <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> : process through which organizations are created and in turn create and shape events. The process can be understood as combination of process, people, messages, meaning, and purpose o Process through which organizations create and shape events o Complex interaction of: Process People Messages Meaning Purpose o Includes sources and receivers who are engaged in the encoding and decoding of messages o Related to: The competencies of individuals - - - - Individuals fields of experience The communicative context The effects or results of interactions o Process through which organizations <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> as a process o Ongoing process without distinct beginnings and ends o Process includes: Patterns of interactions that develop among organizational members and those external to the organization How these interactions shape organizations o Process is ever changing Evolutionary and culturally dependent o Process reflects: The shared realities resulting from previous message exchanges o Process evolves to: Generate new realities that create and shape events o Process occurs in: Developing strategy Planning Decision making Executing the work of the organization During unexpected crises Changes in the external environment Encounters with competitors Other less visible ways o Process occurs between: Individuals performing daily work <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> as people o Each individual brings their own set of characteristics which influences how information is processed o Sharing of work and interpersonal relationships o Occurs across multiple networks of people seeking to obtain a shared goal <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> as messages o Creation and exchange of messages o Communicators are linked together by channels and messages are described by the following terms: Frequency Amount Type <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> as meaning o Creating and shaping organizational events o Role taking occurs o Symbolic behavior of individuals and organizations that affect all organizational activates when interpreted - o No set meanings for members and activities o Interactions of ever changing behaviors lead to multiple perceptions of events and realities that create organizational meanings <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> as a purpose o Organizing, decision making, planning, controlling, and coordinating o Seeks to reduce environmental uncertainty o Process through which individuals and organizations attempt goal oriented behavior in dealing with their environments o Competencies for <a href="/keyword/organizational-communication/" >organizational communication</a> include: Interpersonal abilities Effectiveness in complex and changing environments where diverse groups of people join in a purposeful activity