Read the text: Communicating

Observational research indicates that managers at all levels spend the majority of their workday communicating. Communication is a social process involving the transfer of information and understanding. Links in the communication process include sender, encode, medium, decode, receiver, and feedback. Noise is not an integral part of the chainlike communication process, but it may influence the process at any or all points. As the term is used here, noise is any interference with the normal flow of understanding from one person to another.

Perception is important to communication because it helps senders and receivers give meanings to environmental stimuli, including messages. Three perceptual subprocesses are selectivity (a sensory screening process that allows one to sort out and mentally process only certain details in one’s surroundings), organization (arranging otherwise meaningless or disorganized stimuli into meaningful patterns), and inter­pretation. Perceptual defense enables one to screen out irrelevant stimuli, and perceptual set does the opposite. Grouping (sorting out unusual stimuli, such as defective products when testing for quality), figure-ground perception (a person’s ability to separate an object from its surrounding visual field), and closure (mental filling in the blanks of an incomplete whole) help people perceptually organize otherwise meaningless stimuli. Spe­cialists often interpret situations differently because of their restricted perspectives.

Four dynamics of organizational communication are structural consid­erations, the grapevine, nonverbal communication, and upward communication. Research suggests a trend toward greater centralization of the overall communication function. The unofficial and informal communication system that sometimes complements and sometimes disrupts the formal communication system has been labeled the grapevine. A sample of managers surveyed had predominantly negative feelings toward it. Recognizing that the grapevine cannot be extinguished, managers are advised to monitor it constructively. Nonverbal communication, including facial, gestural, and postural body language, accounts for most of the impact of face-to-face communication. Managers can become more effective communicators by doing a better job of receiving and giving nonverbal communication. Upward communication refers to a process of systematically encouraging subordinates to share with management their feelings and ideas. It can be stimulated by using formal grievance procedures, employee attitude and opinion surveys, suggestion boxes, an open-door policy, informal gripe session (informal “coffee talks” stimulating upward communication), task forces (teams of management and nonmanagement personnel assigned to a specific problem or issue), and exit interviews.

Process, physical, semantic, and psychosocial barriers and sexist communication are common organizational communication problems. Awareness of the various barriers can improve communication effectiveness. Constructive steps also can be taken to become a better listener, writer, and meeting chairperson.

I. Reading Exercises:

Exercise 1. Read and memorize using a dictionary:

Exercise 2. Answer the questions:

1) What is communication?

2) Why is perception important?

3) How can managers become more effective communicators?

4) What enables one to screen out irrelevant stimuli?

Exercise 3. Match the left part with the right:

Exercise 4. Open brackets choosing the right words:

(Recognizing/disagreeing) that the grapevine cannot be extinguished, managers are (dissuaded/advised) to monitor it constructively.

THE SPEAKING MODULE

II. Speaking Exercises:

Exercise 1. Describe communication, noise, grapevine, nonverbal communication, upward communication using the suggested words and expressions as in example:

Exercise 2. Ask questions to the given answers:

1) Question: ___________________________________________ ?

Answer: Spe­cialists often interpret situations differently because of their restricted perspectives.

2) Question: ___________________________________________ ?

Answer: Perceptual defense enables one to screen out irrelevant stimuli, and perceptual set does the opposite.

3) Question: ___________________________________________ ?

Answer: Managers can become more effective communicators by doing a better job of receiving and giving nonverbal communication

THE WRITING MODULE

III. Writing exercises:

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the suggested words: meaningless, does, screen, perceptual, closure

.

Three ______subprocesses are selectivity, organization, and inter­pretation. Perceptual defense enables one to ______ out irrelevant stimuli, and perceptual set _____the opposite. Grouping, figure-ground, and ______help people perceptually organize otherwise ______stimuli.

Exercise 3. Compose a story on one of the topics (up to 100 words):

“Communication is a social process”

“Perception is essential to communication”

“Four dynamics of organizational communication”

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 1210