communication (Nike), English homework help

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read the chapter 8 and write 2 double page. make sure the paper need contact the chapter 8.then you need to answer the question how Nike company manager communication with their employer inside. and Main point is talk about the Nike company inside communication. and be sure you can found some resources from out of chapter 8. but you need use the chapter 8 main point to contact Nike company inside communication.

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Chapter 8: communication interpersonal communication is central to health and well-being, both at home and on the job. Communication evokes a shared, or common, meaning in another person.Interpersonal communication occurs between two or more people in an organization. It is central to health and well-being, both at home and on the job. Reading, listening, managing and interpreting information, and serving clients are among the interpersonal communication skills identified by the Department of Labor as necessary for success in the workplace.* In Chapter 7, we noted that interpersonal communication is the key to unlocking social support for preventive stress management.* It is also important in building and sustaining human relationships at work. Recent advances in information technology and data management cannot replace interpersonal communication. Figure 8.1 illustrates the key elements of interpersonal communication: the communicator, the receiver, the perceptual screens, and the message. FIGURE 8.1. A Basic Interpersonal Communication Model COLLECT STUDYBIT Interpersonal communication is important in building and sustaining human relationships at work. This kind of communication cannot be replaced by the advances in information technology and data management that have taken place during the past several decades. One model provides a basis for understanding the four key elements of interpersonal communication: the communicator, the receiver, perceptual screens, and the message. Match each of the communication elements on the left side with their definitions on the right side. Communicator Data Feedback Information Language Message Perceptual screen Receiver Richness The ability of a medium or channel to elicit or evoke meaning in the receiver. The person receiving a message. Uninterpreted and unanalyzed facts. The person originating a message. The words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a group of people. A window through which we interact with people that affects the quality, accuracy, and clarity of the communication. The thoughts and feelings that the communicator is trying to elicit in the receiver. Information fed back that completes two-way communication. Data that have been interpreted, analyzed, and have meaning to a user. SUBMIT 8-1a An Interpersonal Communication Model The communicator is the person sending the message. The receiver is the person accepting the message. Perceptual screens are the windows through which we interact. The communicator’s and the receiver’s respective perceptual screens influence the quality, accuracy, and clarity of the message. They can allow the message to transmit smoothly, or they can cause static and distortion. Perceptual screens are built upon the sender’s and receiver’s individual attributes, such as age, gender, values, beliefs, past experiences, cultural influences, and individual needs. The degree to which these screens are open significantly influences both sent and received messages. The message contains the thoughts and feelings that the communicator intends to evoke in the receiver. The message has two primary components.The thought, or conceptual component, of the message (its content) is contained in the words, ideas, symbols, and concepts chosen to relay the message. The feeling, or emotional component, of the message (its affect) is contained in the intensity, demeanor, and gestures of the communicator. The emotional component of the message adds overtones of joy, anger, fear, or pain to the conceptual component. This addition often enriches and clarifies the message. Feedback may or may not be activated in communication. It occurs when the receiver provides the communicator with a response to the message. More broadly, feedback occurs when information is fed back to the sender that completes two-way communication. The language of the message is important. Language is a broad term denoting the words, their pronunciations, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a group of people. Culture and situation dictate the specific language utilized in a message. Data are the uninterpreted, unanalyzed elements of a message. Information is data with meaning to the person who interprets or analyzes them. Since messages are conveyed through a medium, such as a telephone or faceto-face discussion, they differ in richness according to the ability of that medium to transmit meaning to a receiver.* Despite the popularity of text messaging as a communication medium, e-mail remains the preferred method of workplace communication. A recent survey found that workers are almost three times as likely to send an e-mail to a colleague rather than a text message to communicate work-related as well as non-workrelated information.* Table 8.1 compares different media with regard to data capacity and richness. Such attributes of communication media affect how influence-seeking behavior is generated and perceived in organizations.* Table 8.1. Communication Media: Information Richness and Data Capacity INFORMATION MEDIUM DATA CAPACITY RICHNESS Face-to-face Highest Lowest Telephone High Low Electronic Moderate Moderate Blog Moderate Moderate Individualized Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Low High discussion mail letter Personalized note or memo Formal written report INFORMATION MEDIUM DATA CAPACITY RICHNESS Flyer or Low High Lowest Highest bulletin Formal numeric report SOURCE: Adapted from E. A. Gerloff, “Information Richness: A New Approach to Managerial Behavior and Organizational Design,” by R. L. Daft and R. H. Lengel in Research in Organizational Behavior 6 (1984): 191–233. Reprinted by permission of JAI Press Inc. COLLECT STUDYBIT 8-1b Reflective Listening Even though it isn’t explicitly noted in the communication model, good listening is paramount to effective communication. Reflective listening is the skill of carefully listening to a message and immediately repeating it back to the speaker. This technique helps the communicator clarify the intended message and correct inaccuracies or misunderstandings. Reflective listening emphasizes the role of the receiver, or audience, in interpersonal communication. Managers can use this technique to understand other people and help them solve problems at work.* Reflective listening better enables the listener to comprehend the communicator’s meaning, reduce perceptual distortions, and overcome interpersonal barriers that lead to communication failures. Especially useful in problem solving, reflective listening can be learned in a short time. Given its positive effects on behavior and emotion in the corporate environment, reflective listening is a valuable skill to possess.* FAST FACT THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON HUMAN CONTACT According to Harvard Medical School assistant clinical professor and NeuroBusiness Group CEO Dr. Srini Pillay, our brains respond differently when we interact with individuals face-to-face than virtually. The human brain contains “mirror neurons” that help the brain mirror other’s behavior, resulting in feelings of familiarity that the brain doesn’t register when communicating by telephone or e-mail. During face-to-face interactions, the brain tucks away information about who we are and what we feel so that it is easily accessible during future interactions. Even if future interactions are by telephone, it is best to first meet face-to-face. Vladgrin/Shutterstock.com COLLECT STUDYBIT SOURCE: S. Dembling, “This is Your Brain on Human Contact” Entrepreneur 42 (2014): 28 Reflective listening can be characterized as personal, feeling oriented, and responsive.* First, it emphasizes the personal elements of the communication process. The reflective listener demonstrates empathy and concern for the communicator as a person, not an object. Second, reflective listening emphasizes the feelings communicated in the message—the receiver must pay special attention to the feeling component as she repeats the message. Third, reflective listening emphasizes a rational and considerate response. Receivers should distinguish their own feelings and thoughts from those of the speaker. In other words, the conversation’s focus must remain at all times on the ideas and emotions of the speaker in order for the receiver to effectively respond to them. Empathy and emotional self-control are key emotional competencies in good reflective listening. Reflective listening necessitates four levels of verbal response: affirming contact, paraphrasing expressed thoughts and feelings, clarifying implicit thoughts and feelings, and reflecting core feelings not fully expressed.Nonverbal behaviors, such as eye contact and silence, are also important in reflective listening. Each of these responses can be illustrated through an example: the interaction between a software engineer, who has just discovered a major problem in a large information system she is building for a difficult customer, and her supervisor. AFFIRMING CONTACT The receiver (in this case, the supervisor of the software engineer) affirms contact with the communicator (the software engineer) by making periodic statements such as “I see,” “Okay,” and “Yes, I understand.” The purpose of an affirmation response is to communicate attentiveness, not necessarily agreement. Affirming contact is especially reassuring to a speaker in the early stages of expression, and even more so when there may be some associated anxiety or discomfort. As the problem is more fully explored and expressed, it is increasingly important for the receiver to employ other reflective responses. PARAPHRASING THE EXPRESSED After an appropriate length of time, the receiver (the supervisor in our example) might paraphrase the expressed thoughts and feelings of the speaker (the engineer). Paraphrasing is useful because it tells the speaker what the receiver heard and what the receiver’s thoughts and feelings are about what he heard. This verbal response enables the speaker and receiver to build greater empathy, openness, and acceptance into their relationship while ensuring the accuracy of the communication process. In the case of the software engineer, the supervisor may find paraphrasing the engineer’s message particularly useful for both of them in developing a clearer understanding of the system problem. He might say, “I can tell that you’re very upset about this problem. Even though you’re not quite sure how it happened, it sounds like you have a few good leads.” It is difficult to solve a problem until it is clearly understood. CLARIFYING THE IMPLICIT People often communicate implicit thoughts and feelings—that is, thoughts and feelings that are not clearly or fully expressed—along with their explicitly expressed message. The receiver may or may not assume that this implicit component of the message is within the awareness of the speaker. For example, the software engineer may be anxious about how to approach a difficult customer with the system problem. This may be implicit in her discussion with her supervisor because of a previous discussion about this customer. If her feelings of anxiety are not expressed, the supervisor may want to clarify them. He might say, “You seem particularly stressed… were you worried about the client’s reaction?” This would help the engineer shift the focus of her attention from the main problem, which is in the software, to the important issue of discussing the matter with the customer. REFLECTING CORE FEELINGS Next, the receiver should look beyond the speaker’s explicit and implicit messages to understand the speaker’s core feelings, the speaker’s deepest and most important emotions, beliefs, and values. If the software engineer had not been aware of any anxiety in her relationship with the difficult customer, her supervisor’s ability to sense the tension and bring it to the engineer’s awareness would exemplify the reflection of core feelings.Emotional intelligence is especially important here. However, the receiver runs a risk of overreaching if a secure, empathetic relationship with the speaker has not already been established or if strongly repressed feelings are reflected back. Even if the receiver is correct, the speaker may not want those feelings brought to her awareness. Therefore, it is important to exercise caution and care in reflecting core feelings to a speaker. SILENCE Long periods of silence may cause discomfort or embarrassment, but a certain amount of silence can help both speaker and listener in reflective listening. From the speaker’s perspective, silence may be useful in moments of thought or confusion about how to express difficult ideas or feelings. The software engineer may need some patient silence from her supervisor as she thinks through what to say next. Listeners can use brief periods of silence to sort their own thoughts and feelings from those of the speaker. In the case of the software engineer’s supervisor, any personal feelings toward the difficult customer should not intrude on the engineer’s immediate problem. Silence provides time to identify and isolate the listener’s personal responses and exclude them from the dialogue. EYE CONTACT Eye contact is a nonverbal behavior that may promote openness in communication between two people. During a dialogue, the absence of appropriate eye contact tends to close communication. However, the presence of inappropriate eye contact can also hinder a relationship. Cultural and individual differences influence what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate eye contact. For example, direct eye contact initiated by women and children is discouraged in India. In fact, too much direct eye contact, regardless of the individual or culture, can have an intimidating effect. Moderate direct eye contact communicates openness and affirmation without causing either speaker or listener to feel intimidated. Periodic aversion of the eyes allows for a sense of privacy and control, even in intense interpersonal communication. The software engineer and the supervisor make eye contact throughout their discussion, though each looks away periodically to ease the tension of intimacy. ONE-WAY VERSUS TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION Reflective listening encourages two-way communication, an interactive form of communication in which there is an exchange of thoughts, feelings, or both, and through which shared meaning often occurs. Problem solving and decision making are often examples of two-way communication. One-way communication occurs when a person sends a message to another person and no feedback, questions, or interaction follows. Giving instructions and giving directions are examples of oneway communication. One-way communication tends to be efficient, although how efficient it is depends on the amount and complexity of information communicated and the medium chosen. Even though it is faster than two-way communication, one-way communication is often less accurate. This is especially true for complex tasks that require clarification for completion. When time and accuracy are both important to the successful completion of a task and two-way communication is not an option (such as in combat or emergency situations), extensive training prior to execution enhances accuracy and efficiency.* Firefighters and military combat personnel engage extensively in such training to minimize the need for communication during emergencies.These highly trained professionals rely on abbreviated one-way communication as shorthand for more complex information. However, this communication works only within the range of situations for which the professionals are specifically trained. It is difficult to draw generalizations about individual preference for one-way or two-way communication. Communicators with a stronger need for feedback or who are comfortable with conflict or confusing questions may find two-way communication more satisfying. By contrast, receivers who believe that a message is straightforward may be satisfied with one-way communication and be impatient with lengthy two-way communication. Interpersonal communication is a critical foundation for effective performance and individual well-being in organizations. Power is intertwined in the language of communication between managers and their employees.*This power dynamic is especially critical when leaders are articulating an organizational vision and attempting to achieve buy-in from employees.*One large study of managers in a variety of industries found that those with the most effective work units engaged in routine communication with their employees, whereas the managers with the highest promotion rates engaged in networking activities with superiors.* A study of banking managers found that higher performing managers were more effective, less apprehensive communicators than lower performing managers.* Oral communication and managerial cooperation are important contextual performance skills that have positive effects on the psychosocial quality of the work environment.* Research on manager–employee communication identifies five communication skills that distinguish good supervisors from bad ones.* A good supervisor is an expressive speaker, an empathetic listener, a persuasive leader, a sensitive person, and an informative manager. Some supervisors are effective without possessing all of these skills, however, and some organizations value one or two skills over the others. But because dyadic relationships are at the core of much organization-based communication, possessing all five skills makes a supervisor that much more effective in communicating to employees.* Plant Fantasies (Comm) Play Video Copyright © Cengage Learning. 8-2a Expressiveness Effective supervisors express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings openly and aren’t afraid to voice opinions in meetings. They tend toward extroversion.Supervisors who are not talkative or who tend toward introversion may at times leave their employees wondering what they’re thinking about certain issues. Supervisors who speak out let the people they work with know where they stand, what they believe, and how they feel. 8-2b Empathy and Sensitivity In addition to being expressive speakers, good supervisors are willing, empathetic, reflective listeners. Empathetic listeners are able to hear the emotional dimensions of the messages people send them, as well as the content of the ideas and issues. Good supervisors are approachable and willing to listen to suggestions and complaints. In a recent study of physicians, those with higher perceptions of control were more open in their communication, and patients found them more empathetic.* Good supervisors are emotionally intelligent. Good supervisors are also sensitive to the feelings, selfimages, and psychological defenses of their employees. They know how and when to communicate with employees to maximize psychological health. For example, employees’ accomplishments, honors, and achievements should be announced in public, while criticism should be delivered in private. The best supervisors are sensitive to the self-esteem of others. 8-2c Persuasiveness All supervisors must exercise power and influence in organizations if they want to ensure high performance and achieve positive results. Effective supervisors tend to be persuasive leaders, distinguished by their use of persuasive language to influence others. They are not deceitful or autocratic; they encourage results earnestly instead of manipulating others. Of course, sometimes emergencies and high-risk situations necessitate the abandonment of sensitive and subtle persuasion. In cases such as a fire at an oil rig or a life-threatening trauma in an emergency room, a supervisor must be direct and assertive. 8-2d Informative Managing Style Good supervisors keep their employees well informed by appropriately and selectively disseminating information. Finally, good supervisors keep their employees well informed by appropriately and selectively disseminating information. Failing to effectively filter information may lead to either information overload or a lack of sufficient information for task accomplishment. Good supervisors give advance notice of organizational changes and explain the rationale for organizational policies. Good supervisors are also transparent, communicating openly and honestly with employees. Such transparency leads to increased trust among employees, which, in turn, results in increased employee engagement.* A person may become a good supervisor even in the absence of one of these communication skills. For example, a manager with special talents in planning, organizing, or decision making may compensate for a shortcoming in expressiveness or sensitivity. No matter their perceived skill level or effectiveness, when supervisors and employees engage in open communication and forward planning, they have a greater number of agreements about the employee’s performance and behavior.* 8-3 BARRIERS AND GATEWAYS TO COMMUNICATION Topic 8-4 Barriers to communication are factors that distort, disrupt, or even halt successful communication. They may be temporary and easily resolved or long-lasting and deeply rooted. Roughly 20% of all such barriers to communication can be prevented or solved by communication policy guidelines.* Gateways to communication are the openings that break down communication barriers. Awareness and recognition of communication barriers are the first steps in opening the gateways. Obvious barriers are physical separation (employees in different geographic locations or buildings) and status differences (related to the organizational hierarchy). One apparent gateway for the separation of geographically dispersed teams is to improve the frequency of face-to-face interaction. Geographically dispersed teams can also increase their performance by targeting their use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to address specific coordination needs. For example, if teams are responsible for performing nonroutine tasks, their performance can be enhanced by using ICTs to provide task knowledge.* Not so obvious are the barriers caused by gender differences, cultural diversity, and language. 8-3a Gender Differences Communication barriers can be attributed in part to differences in conversational styles.* When individuals of different economic backgrounds converse, the receiver’s understanding may not be the same as the speaker’s meaning. In a similar vein, men and women tend to have different conversational styles. For example, women often prefer to converse face to face, whereas men are comfortable conversing while sitting side by side, concentrating on a focal point in front of them. Hence, conversational differences may result in a barrier of communication between men and women. Male–female conversation is really cross-cultural communication. In a work context, one study found that female employees sent less information to their supervisors and experienced less information overload than did male employees.* An important gateway through the gender barrier is the development of an awareness and appreciation of genderspecific differences in conversational style. These differences can enrich organizational communication and empower professional relationships.* A second gateway is to actively seek clarification of the person’s meaning rather than freely interpreting meaning from one’s own frame of reference. 8-3b Cultural Diversity Culturally influenced values and patterns of behavior can be very confusing barriers to communication. Significant differences in work-related values exist among people in the United States versus those in Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other nations.* These differences in value impact motivation, leadership, and teamwork in work organizations.* Habitual patterns of interaction can obstruct communication in any given culture. For example, the German culture places greater value on authority and hierarchical differences than does the United States. It is therefore more difficult for German workers to engage in open communication with their supervisors than it is for U.S. workers.* When a person from one culture views people from another culture through the lens of a stereotype, she discounts the individual differences that exist within that foreign culture. For example, a stereotype of Americans common throughout Asia is that they are aggressive and arrogant, and thus insensitive and unapproachable. Stereotypes of Asians common throughout America are that they are studious, subservient, and assimilative. Individuals who depend on the accuracy of cultural stereotypes may unknowingly create barriers in communicating with people from other cultures. One gateway through the barrier of diversity is increasing cultural awareness and sensitivity. Part of that knowledge is paying attention to message context when communicating cross-culturally. Whereas Westerners are categorized as being low-context communicators who emphasize message content, Easterners, such as Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, are categorized as high-context communicators who focus more on the context of the message rather than the explicit content.* Further, companies can provide seminars for expatriate managers as part of their training for overseas assignments.Bernard Isautier, president and CEO of Petro Kazakstan, believes that understanding and communication are two keys to harmonious workplace diversity, an essential ingredient for success in international markets.* A second gateway is developing or acquiring a guide for understanding and interacting with members of other cultures. One approach to initiating diversity training is to describe a nation by way of a suitable metaphor.* For example, Irish pubs, the Spanish bullfight, and American football are consensually derived metaphors for culturally specific conversational styles that can enable those outside the culture to understand members within. BREAKING GENDER COMMUNICATION BARRIERS IN MEETINGS Men and women communicate differently. In no other workplace context is this difference more pronounced than in meetings. Many women find it difficult to present their ideas in business meetings, often feeling that their ideas are drowned out or ignored. Many women are unable to find their way into conversations in the first place. Even women who are subject-matter experts are not immune to this phenomenon. The result is the inability of women to contribute to their full potential. Researchers interviewed 65 top executives, males and females, to get an idea of how gender plays out in high-level business meetings. They found that women and men use different communication strategies before, during, and after meetings. For example, women will typically arrive at meetings on time, sit through the agenda items, then leave promptly after the meeting ends. Men will come to meetings early to test out ideas and gather support. Once the meeting has ended, men will likely hang around to finalize the discussion and move on to other issues. During meetings, men will repackage ideas, using different words to express yet amplify the same idea. Though this tactic may be effective, many women strongly opposed “simply repeating others’ ideas in different words.” Women are also encouraged to prepare for “off-the-cuff” remarks by doing their homework about the issues and arming themselves with cogent comments and questions to help them be part of the conversation. Companies have a responsibility to ensure that everyone has a voice during meetings. Sixtyeight percent of women interviewed reported that no one had provided them with feedback about their performance in meetings. Managers should be proactive about pulling women into the conversation, asking them questions, or encouraging them directly to contribute their ideas. Andresr/Shutterstock.com It’s becoming the norm for successful businesswomen to have the lead when it comes to running a meeting. COLLECT STUDYBIT SOURCE: K. Heath, J. Flynn, and M. D. Holt, “Women, Find Your Voice,” Harvard Business Review 92 (2014): 118-121. 8-3c Language Language can be another barrier to communication. Growing numbers of businesspeople are bilingual or multilingual, but even subtle distinctions in dialects within the same language can be barriers. For example, the word chemist means a molecular scientist in the United States and a drugstore worker in Great Britain. Language barriers are created across disciplines and professional boundaries by technical terminology. Although acronyms and professional jargon may be very useful tools of communication within a discipline, they may serve only to confuse and derail any attempt at clear understanding by those unfamiliar with the profession. When doing business, it’s best to use simple, direct, declarative language. One should speak in brief sentences and employ terms or words already used by one’s audience. As much as possible, one should speak in the language of the listener. Above all else, one should not use jargon or technical language except with those who are already familiar with it. Barriers to communication are factors that block or significantly distort successful communication. Gateways to communication are pathways through the barriers and serve as antidotes to the problems caused by communication barriers. These barriers may be temporary and can be overcome. Awareness and recognition are the first steps in formulating ways to overcome them. Match each of the below scenarios with the barrier to communication being demonstrated. Angie found herself with a headache after meetings with her Australian counterparts. She had to strain to understand their accents and had her "Australian Slang" online dictionary constantly open to look up words and phrases that made no sense to her. Which barrier to communication is being demonstrated here? David was continually asking Amina to engage in troubleshooting and to offer her expert opinion. In Amina's culture, employees did not offer their own ideas in case they were better than those of their supervisor – which would shame the supervisor. Which barrier to communication is being demonstrated here? Cultural diversity Language SUBMIT 8-4 CIVILITY AND INCIVILITY Topic 8-5 While incivility can create a barrier between people and jar people’s emotions, civility may be a gateway to communication that smoothes troubled waters at work. Those who practice incivility are often called bullies, creeps, jerks, tyrants, tormentors, despots, backstabbers, egomaniacs, and even worse. There are, however, some instances in which incivility can have positive effects when it is strategically used. In this section, we examine the full range of consequences of incivility and the blessings of civility. In addition, we examine defensive and nondefensive communication that may spring from civil and uncivil communication behavior. 8-4a Consequences of Incivility Workplace incivility can jar the emotions and cause a range of adverse outcomes both in the workplace and at home. Discourteousness, rudeness, impatience, and lack of respect are very common forms of incivility. The consequences of incivility depend on its source. Research suggests that vulnerability to the negative effects of workplace civility may also depend on ethnicity and cultural values.* Much incivility originates with superiors and those in powerful positions within the organization. This type of incivility is often tolerated even though it leads to a decline in satisfaction with the supervisor. Coworkers may display incivility too. As we would expect, someone subject to coworker incivility experiences less satisfaction with the coworker and that may generalize to all coworkers. In fact, observing incivility at work may destroy perceptions of professional conduct and cause the observer concern about whether he or other coworkers will receive similar treatment.* In addition, coworker incivility can trigger the perception of being treated unfairly at work and may even lead to depression. So the emotional and psychological adverse effects of coworker incivility are quite real along with additional costs from unfair treatment and depression. Before rushing to judgment that all incivility is destructive, we need to point out that there is a place in the workplace for what may appear uncivil. Take, for example, swearing. Annoyance swearing is a problem because of the emotional jarring and stressful impact on others, often disrupting social support within a team as well as the team’s well-being. Social swearing, on the other hand, can be a stress release for an individual provided the language is not aimed at someone else. It may even be something in which others can empathize and vicariously share while building relationships and camaraderie. 8-4b Blessings of Civility The blessings of civility are found in its gracious and positive nature. Civil communication and behavior carry the potential to avoid hurt feelings, prevent harm and damage to working relationships, and contribute to wellbeing in the workplace. Civility should not be confused with the avoidance of difficult or complicated workplace issues, which must be confronted and addressed. There are several ways to create a more civil workplace: bring difficult issues out in the open, write things down before speaking, set enforcement guidelines for incivility, and be consistent in enforcing those guidelines. Civility ensures respect for the integrity and dignity of every member of the workplace. 8-4c Defensive and Nondefensive Communication In the workplace, defensive language creates barriers between people, whereas nondefensive communication helps to open and deepen relationships.* Defensive communication includes aggressive, malevolent messages as well as passive, withdrawn messages. Nondefensive communication is assertive, direct, and powerful. Though it can be misinterpreted as aggressiveness, assertiveness is indeed nondefensive.Corporations today are increasingly engaged in situations such as courtroom battles and media exchanges that are fertile ground for defensive communication yet benefit greatly from nondefensive language and emotionally intelligent communication. Defensive communication leads to a wide range of problems, including injured feelings, communication barriers, alienation in working relationships, destructive and retaliatory behaviors, nonproductive efforts, and problem-solving failures. When such problems arise in organizations, people are prone to blame everyone else for what is not working.* Defensive reactions such as counterattack and sheepish withdrawal derail communication. These responses tend to lend heat, not light, to the process of communication.Defensive communication often evokes still more defensive communication. Nondefensive communication, in contrast, provides a positive and productive basis for asserting and defending oneself against aggression without further damaging the communication process. An assertive, nondefensive style restores order, balance, and effectiveness in working relationships. Further discussion of nondefensive communication and defensive communication in the workplace follows. 8-4d Defensive Communication at Work The two basic patterns of defensiveness are dominant defensiveness and subordinate defensiveness. Subordinate defensiveness is characterized by passive or submissive behavior. The psychological attitude of the subordinately defensive person is “You are right, and I am wrong.” People with low self-esteem may be prone to this form of defensive behavior, as may people at lower organizational levels. Individuals who are subordinately defensive do not adequately assert their thoughts and feelings. Their input is likely to be lost, even if it is critical to organizational performance.* Passive-aggressive behavior is a form of defensiveness that begins as subordinate defensiveness and ends up as dominant defensiveness. It is behavior that appears very passive, though it actually masks underlying aggression and hostility. In contrast, dominant defensiveness is characterized by overtly aggressive and domineering behavior. It is offensive in nature, sometimes culminating in verbal or physical harassment. The psychological attitude of the dominantly defensive person is “I am right, and you are wrong.” People who are egotistical or overcompensating for low self-esteem may exhibit this pattern of behavior, as may people in higher-level positions within the organizational hierarchy. 8-4e Defensive Tactics Defensive tactics are subversive actions that employ defensive communication. Unfortunately, these tactics are common in many work organizations. Until defensiveness and defensive tactics are recognized for what they are at an organizational level, it is difficult to address them or respond to them in nondefensive ways. In many cases, defensive tactics raise ethical dilemmas for victims and their supervisors. At what point does simple defensiveness become unethical behavior? Consider the following defensive tactics. Power plays are tactics used to control and manipulate others. Restricting the choices of employees, enforcing either/or conditions, intentionally ignoring or insulting others, bullying, and displaying overt aggression are all power plays. The underlying dynamic in power plays is that of domination and control. The aggressor attempts to gain the upper hand in the relationship by making the victim feel inferior and thus vulnerable to control. Labeling is often used to portray another person as abnormal or deficient.Medical and legal labels are often used out of context for this purpose. The words paranoid, retarded, and insane have specific, clinical meanings that are discarded in defensive labeling. Similar to labeling is publicly raising doubts about a person’s abilities, values, sexual orientation, or other personal aspects. This tactic breeds confusion and uncertainty, though it tends to lack the specificity and clarity of labeling. Disseminating misleading information, a form of deception, is the selective presentation of information intentionally designed to produce an inaccurate impression in the listener’s mind. This obfuscated information can be used to scapegoat, or pass the buck, which shifts responsibility for an error or problem to the wrong person. If information cannot be altered, defensive individuals may simply blame others for their own wrongdoing. Finally, hostile jokes are a passive-aggressive defensive tactic. Because a jocular framing is used to mask aggressive and even overtly mean sentiments, hostile jokes often go uncited. They should not be confused with good humor, which is both therapeutic and nondefensive. Jokes made at the expense of others are destructive to self-esteem and workplace communication. 8-4f Nondefensive Communication An individual who consistently communicates nondefensively may be characterized as centered, assertive, controlled, informative, realistic, and honest. Nondefensive communication is a healthy alternative to defensive communication in working relationships. An individual who consistently communicates nondefensively may be characterized as centered, assertive, controlled, informative, realistic, and honest. Nondefensive communication is powerful because the speaker exhibits self-control and selfpossession without rejecting the listener. It should be self-affirming without being self-aggrandizing—a sometimes difficult balance to maintain. Converting defensive patterns of communication to nondefensive ones builds relationships at work. Behaviors that build relationships simultaneously reduce adverse responses, such as blame and anger, when negative events occur at work.* To strengthen nondefensive patterns, the subordinately defensive person must learn to be more assertive. One way to do this is to report what one intends to do and invite confirmation instead of asking for permission to do something. Another way is to stop using self-deprecating phrases such as “I’m just following orders.” One should drop the just and thereby convert the message into a selfassertive, declarative statement. To strengthen nondefensive patterns, the dominantly defensive person must learn to be less aggressive. This may be especially difficult because it requires overcoming the sense of certitude. Those who are working to overcome dominant defensiveness should be particularly sensitive to feedback from others about their behavior. To change this behavior, one should stop giving and denying permission. Instead, one should give others free rein (except in situations where permission is essential to clearance or the security of the task). Alternatively, instead of becoming inappropriately angry, one should provide information about the adverse consequences of a particular course of action. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS DEFENSIVE LINE USE NONDEFENSIVE COMMUNICATION TO ADDRESS MISTAKES The NFL Seattle Seahawks arguably have the best defense in professional football. The Seahawks finished the 2014 regular season leading the NFL in fewest points and fewest yards allowed per game. It is not only the size and agility of the players that help explain why the Seahawks have performed so well defensively. When the players don’t perform so well as a unit, they don’t shy away from confronting each other about the mistakes. When the defensive unit wasn’t performing at the level they had when they won the Super Bowl a year ago, one veteran member of the defense suggested that linemen and linebackers combine their meetings so that they could confront each other directly and candidly about mistakes they made rather than talk behind each other’s backs. No room for passive-aggressive behavior there. Defensive players admit that at times, the brutal honesty is a bit awkward, but others outside the league say that the defense’s honesty policy has made the Seahawks locker room one of the healthiest and one of the best in the NFL. John Biever/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images COLLECT STUDYBIT SOURCE: K. Clark. “Why the Seahawks Like Confrontation,” Wall Street Journal (January 8, 2015): D6.; B. Condatta. “Statistics Bear Out that Seahawks’ Defense Among Best, and Most Consistent Ever,” The Seattle Times (December 30, 2014), http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/statistics-bear-out-thatseahawksrsquo-defense-among-best-and-most-consistent-ever/. 8-5 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Topic 8-6 Whereas defensive and nondefensive communication focus on the language used in delivering a message, most of a message’s meaning (an estimated 65 to 90%) is conveyed through nonverbal communication.* Nonverbal communication includes all elements of communication that do not involve words or language such as gestures and the use of space.* The four basic types of nonverbal communication that managers need to understand are proxemics, kinesics, facial and eye behavior, and paralanguage. Managers also need to understand that nonverbal communication is influenced by both psychological and physiological processes.* The interpretation of nonverbal communication is specific to the context of the interaction and the actors. That is, the particular meaning of any nonverbal cue relies on its sender, receiver, and the environment in which the cue occurs. For example, some federal and state judges attempt to curb nonverbal communication in the courtroom. Though it may mean nothing outside the courtroom, some nonverbal behavior may unfairly influence jurors’ decisions if displayed during a trial. Beyond the contextual element, nonverbal behavior is also culturally bound. (Recall from Chapter 2 the difference in meaning the “thumbs-up” sign has in Australia versus the United States.) 8-5a Proxemics The study of an individual’s perception and use of space, including territorial space, is called proxemics.* Territorial space refers to bands of concentric space radiating outward from the body. These bands are commonly known as comfort zones. Figure 8.2 illustrates the four zones of territorial space common to U.S. culture. FIGURE 8.2. Zones of Territorial Space in U.S. Culture • Zone a, intimate space: spouses, significant others, family members, and others with whom one has an intimate relationship • Zone b, personal distance: friends • Zone c, social distance: business associates and acquaintances • Zone d, public distance: strangers image: iStockphoto.com/Andresr COLLECT STUDYBIT Territorial space varies greatly around the world. Both the sizes of comfort zones and their acceptable modes of interaction are culturally defined. And people often become uncomfortable when operating in territorial spaces different from those with which they are familiar. According to leading proxemics researcher Edward Hall, Americans working in the Middle East tend to back away to a comfortable distance when conversing with Arabs because Arabs’ comfortable conversation distance is closer than that of Americans. As a result, Arabs sometimes perceive Americans as cold and aloof. One Arab wondered, “What’s the matter? Does he find me somehow offensive?”* The circumference of personal space tends to be larger in cultures with cool climates, such as the United States, Great Britain, and northern Europe, and smaller in cultures with warm climates, such as southern Europe, the Caribbean, India, and South America.* Our relationships shape our use of territorial space. For example, we hold hands with or put an arm around significant others to pull them into intimate space. Conversely, we can use territorial space to shape our interactions. A four-foot-wide desk pushes business interactions into the social distance zone. Not comfortable with that definition of space, one SBC manager met with her seven first-line supervisors crowded around her four-foot desk, putting them elbow to elbow with each other. As a result of being placed in one another’s intimate space, they appeared to act more like friends and frequently talked about their children, favorite television shows, and other personal concerns. When the manager moved the staff meetings to a larger room and thus relocated the supervisors into each others’ social distance zones, the personal exchanges ceased, and they acted more like business associates again. Seating dynamics, another aspect of proxemics, is the art of seating people in certain positions according to their purpose in communication. Figure 8.3 depicts some common seating dynamics. To encourage cooperation, one should seat the adjoining party beside oneself, facing the same direction. To facilitate direct and open communication, one should seat the other party across a corner of one’s desk or in another place where he will be at right angles. This allows for more honest disclosure. To take a competitive stand with someone, one must position the person directly across from oneself.Suppose a manager holds a meeting around a conference table, and two of the attendees are disrupting the meeting by chatting loudly. Where should they be seated? If the manager places the two disruptive attendees on either side of herself, the talking should be stifled (unless one is so bold as to lean in front of the manager to keep chatting). FIGURE 8.3. Seating Dynamics COLLECT STUDYBIT 8-5b Kinesics Kinesics is the study of body movement and posture.* Like proxemics, kinesics is bound to culture. With this in mind, we can interpret some common U.S. gestures. Rubbing one’s hands together while inhaling sharply indicates anticipation. Stress is indicated by balled fists, clenched teeth, hand wringing, and rubbing the temples. Nervousness may be indicated by drumming fingers, pacing, or jingling coins in one’s pocket. Kinesics also includes insulting gestures like giving someone “the finger.” 8-5c Facial and Eye Behavior The face is a rich source of nonverbal communication. Facial expression and eye behavior are used to communicate an emotional state, reveal behavioral intentions, and cue the receiver. It may even give unintended clues to emotions the sender is trying to hide.* Unintended facial movements can undermine the illusion of truthfulness, especially in stressful situations.* Culture, environment, and specific actors must be taken into consideration when interpreting smiles, frowns, raised eyebrows, and other expressions.One study of Japanese and U.S. students illustrated the point. The students were shown a stress-inducing film, and their facial expressions were videotaped. When alone, the students had almost identical expressions.When in the presence of others, however, the Japanese students masked their facial expressions of unpleasant feelings much better than the American students did.* As mentioned earlier, eye contact can enhance reflective listening. Along with smiling, eye contact is an easy way to express honesty and positive emotion.*However, eye contact must be understood in a cultural context. A direct gaze indicates dedication, truthfulness, and forthrightness in the United States.This may not be true in other cultures. For example, Barbara Walters was uncomfortable interviewing Libyan head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi because he refused to look directly at her. However, in Libya it is a serious offense for a man to look directly at a woman.* In many Asian cultures, it is considered polite to bow in deference to a superior rather than to look into the supervisor’s eyes. 8-5d Paralanguage Paralanguage consists of variations in speech, such as pitch, loudness, tempo, tone, duration, laughing, and crying.* People make assumptions about the communicator by deciphering paralanguage cues. A female’s high-pitched, breathy voice may lead coworkers to stereotype her as a “dumb blonde.”Rapid, loud speech may be taken as a sign of nervousness or anger.Interruptions such as “mmm” and “okay” may be used to speed up the speaker so that the receiver can get in a few words. Clucking of the tongue and the tsk-tsk sound are used to shame someone. All these cues relate to how something is said. 8-6 POSITIVE, HEALTHY COMMUNICATION Topic 8-7 The absence of heartfelt communication in relationships leads to loneliness and social isolation. This condition has been labeled communicative disease by James Lynch.* Communicative disease has adverse effects on the heart and cardiovascular system and can ultimately lead to premature death.According to Lynch, the only cure for communicative disease is to reengage in thoughtful, heartwarming conversation with friends and loved ones. Yet, even though feelings may be more important to the communication process than cognition, a stable balance between the two is integral. This balance between head and heart is achieved when a person displays positive emotional competence and can maintain a healthy internal conversation between his thoughts and emotions. Positive, healthy communication is an important aspect of working together—that is, cooperating to reach a shared goal—in both the interpersonal and intrapersonal settings.* Such communication requires trust and truthfulness.However, it does not exclude honest competition within the workplace, which in fact is consistent with the concept of working together. Sincere, well-managed competition can bring out the best in all those involved. Healthy communication is at the core of personal integrity and managerial success, as is evident in the lives of most successful executives, including those in the executive branch of the U.S. government.* President Ronald Reagan was nicknamed “the great communicator” for his ability to connect with the American people. He conveyed strong ethical character, personal integrity, and simplicity in his communication. Reagan exemplified Lynch’s concept of heartfelt communication because his language in speeches and interviews seemed to stem from core values and sincere aspirations.Communication from the heart is communication anchored in personal integrity and ethical character. Personal integrity is a product of emotional competence and a stable balance of head and heart, as mentioned earlier. Psychologist Karol Wasylyshyn has shown that one method of developing personal integrity is to coach an executive in developing her capacity to talk through challenging issues, both personally and professionally.* James Campbell Quick and Marilyn Macik-Frey developed a similar coaching program that works to cultivate executives’ inner selves through deep, interpersonal communication.* This executive coaching model relies on what Lynch might call a “healing dialogue” between executive and coach. In addition to improving interpersonal communication between executives and employees, this model can enhance positive, healthy communication in a wider range of human relationships. ETHICAL DILEMMA COMMUNICATION Dan Neville is the manager for a team of engineers at RFC, Inc. He is responsible for coordinating his team’s efforts on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, as well as assuring that they are keeping on schedule with teams in other offices around the country. Dan regularly communicates with his own team via e–mail, attaching memos and instructions prior to their regular face–to–face meetings. Clear, consistent, and timely communication is an essential element of Dan’s job. Dan usually has no trouble with any member of the team understanding his instructions, except for Kyle Trenton. Kyle always seems to misunderstand or misinterpret Dan’s messages, even during face–to–face meetings. Kyle doesn’t seem to be deliberately being obstinate; he honestly derives other meanings from Dan’s communications, reading into the words Dan chooses and coming up with implied ideas that Dan never intended. Inevitably, Dan has to meet with Kyle separately to be certain that Kyle understands the tasks at hand. If left to his own devices, Kyle wouldn’t come to Dan to question his interpretation of the message, because he sincerely believes he "gets it." However, Kyle is rarely clear about Dan’s meanings, and Dan must devote extra time and energy to reorient Kyle. Dan tries to be sympathetic, because Kyle is a nice person and a good worker, but Kyle requires twice as much time from Dan as everyone else and it is frustrating. Dan does worry that if Kyle would happen to misunderstand critical directions on a building project which are not corrected, someone could legitimately get hurt. Dan has an opportunity to move Kyle onto a new position, where he would no longer have to work with Dan’s current team and Dan would no longer have to communicate with Kyle.However, Dan knows that Ken Rothberg is the head of that team, and Ken is known for being a very poor communicator. Dan suspects that Ken wouldn’t take any additional time to make certain that Kyle understood his instructions, and that could cause even more critical problems. 8-7 COMMUNICATING THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND SOCIAL MEDIA Topic 8-CR Nonverbal behaviors can be important in establishing trust in working relationships, but modern technologies may challenge our ability to maintain that trust. Too much emphasis on technology tools in communication may have an adverse impact on rich interpersonal communication and relationships. On the positive side, lawyers and legal consultants use Facebook and Twitter to do background checks on potential jurors.* Brian J. Dunn, the CEO of Best Buy, uses social media to spot trends and communicate with customers and employees.* Finally, information technology can encourage or discourage moral dialogue, and these types of conversations are central to addressing ethical issues at work.* WHAT WOULD YOU DO? SMART PHONES: PROMOTING COMMUNICATION CONNECTEDNESS OR DISCONNECTEDNESS? CASE STUDY In early 2007, Anjali Athavaley, writing in The Wall Street Journal, observed that “[w]ireless email devices used to be largely the domain of harried executives and professionals. Now, the so-called CrackBerry effect is beginning to afflict the masses. The BlackBerry has become ingrained in daily life, much like the cellphone and computer.”* Indeed, since this observation was penned, Smart Phones, like the BlackBerry, have become ubiquitous in the general population. Increasingly, people from all walks of life, young and old, all socioeconomic strata, etc. have embraced the potential of Smart Phones for communicating with others, searching for information, doing work, playing games, and a myriad other applications. “[E]veryone from stay-at- home parents to college students is depending on BlackBerrys or similar … devices for basic daily tasks, such as checking sports scores, finding directions, emailing the children’s baseball coach and keeping in up-to-the-minute touch with friends.”* “They are talking on mobile phones, checking email on handheld computers or integrated communicators, or getting an instant or a text message on either device. Some are listening to music and playing games on personal game consoles, while others are checking sports scores, watching replays, or even making dinner reservations. No matter age, gender, national identity, or socioeconomic status, broad mobile device adoption seems to know no bounds.”* There are numerous potential applications for Smart Phones like the BlackBerry. Nick Wingfield, writing in The Wall Street Journal, notes that “mobile workers have been ditching their desktop computers for laptops that they can take wherever they go. Now road warriors are starting to realize that they can get even more portability—and lots of computing punch—from [S]mart [P]hones.”* Many business “travelers are now using [S]mart [P]hones the way they once used laptops—and laptops the way they once used desktop computers,” and some traveling business people are even “ditching their laptops entirely and doing all their mobile work from [S]mart [P]hones.”* Interestingly, with the increased popularity of Smart Phones and all they can do to facilitate communications, they have also undermined verbal communication and promoted incivility in the communications process. “[F]riends hardly call each other. People resist protocols that call for verbal communication…. People don’t like using their phones to make calls or listen to voice mails.”* Texting seems to be the preferred mode, especially for younger people, when communicating with others. Among college students, texting is a dominant form of communication—and as most any college student knows, texting goes on at inappropriate times. For instance, texting during class—even when it’s not allowed—is an all-too-common occurrence. “In a survey of 1,043 college students at the University of New Hampshire, almost half said they feel guilty about texting during class when it’s not allowed. Even so, texting is quite common: 65 percent said they send at least one text message during a typical class.”* “People calling, texting and responding to e-mails at inappropriate times and places have become an issue in both a professional and business context.”* Joseph De Avila, reporting for The Wall Street Journal, notes there is a pervasive expectation that people have instant access to email, and rapid replies to one’s messages are also expected.* Incivility in interpersonal communication also is manifested in the level of empathy that people display toward each other. “Recent research has shown a marked decline in empathy…. A new University of Michigan study finds that empathy among college students has declined 40% in the past two decades. Researchers say one factor may be our reliance on social media. We’re more apt to be empathetic when we communicate face to face.”* Yet there is some backlash to the pull of technological connectivity. “In an increasingly connected world, some CEOs prefer to kick it old school, avoiding the short attention span that comes with being plugged in. They have assistants that handle all their communication, prefer reading printed out e-mails, and don’t dip their toes in any social media. That level of isolation is unrealistic for most executives, but learning when to connect and when to disconnect is essential in today’s business culture.”* As people in all walks of life are becoming more connected technologically, are they becoming increasingly disconnected interpersonally? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Can the basic interpersonal communication model be used as an aid in understanding the impact of Smart Phone usage? If so, how? 2. How have Smart Phones transformed the way in which business people communicate with regard to fulfilling their job responsibilities? 3. How have Smart Phones transformed the way in which college students communicate? 4. Do you think that as people become more connected technologically they become less connected interpersonally? Why or why not? SOURCE: This case was written by Michael K. McCuddy, The Louis S. and Mary L. Morgal Chair of Christian Business Ethics and Professor of Management, College of Business Administration, Valparaiso University. 8-7a Written Communication Even though many organizations are working toward paperless offices and paperless interfaces with their customers, written communication is far from dead— many types of written communication are still necessary to business.Manuals and reports are generally the longest forms of written communication found in the office. Policy manuals are important in organizations because they establish guidelines for decision making and codes of conduct. Operations and procedures manuals explain how to perform various tasks and resolve problems that may occur at work. Reports, such as annual company finance reports, may summarize the results of a committee’s or department’s work or provide information on progress toward certain objectives. Letters and memorandums (memos) are briefer than manuals and reports and are more frequently used in larger organizations. Letters are used to communicate formally with individuals and businesses outside the organization. They vary substantially in length and topic. Memos are also used for formal, internal communication within an organization. They are sometimes used as historical records of specific events or occurrences that individuals within the organization can refer back to later. The shortest kind of written communication is the form, which may be used to collect information inside or outside the organization. 8-7b Communication Technologies Computer-mediated communication influences virtually all behavior in the work environment. E-mail, voice mail, instant messaging, and facsimile (fax) machines have been common in the business world for more than a decade.Recently, large information databases have become relatively commonplace.These databases provide a tremendous amount of information at the push of a button. An example of an information database is the electronic card catalog system used in university libraries throughout the world. These systems, sometimes linked with each other to form massive networks of data, store information about books’ and journals’ contents, distributions, and availability. The newest technology to impact the work environment is the smartphone, which is nearly as ubiquitous at work as standard cell phones are in our personal lives. Smartphones combine the capabilities of advanced cell phones with computer-like applications and connectivity. Examples include the Apple iPhone, the HTC Thunder-Bolt, and the Nokia N9. The smartphone’s introduction was particularly transformative for sales jobs involving travel. While they are widely used, not all reactions to smartphones are positive. For example, one oil producer did not want his daily commute disturbed by outside interference; he used driving as a time for thought and relaxation. Some estimates suggest that using a phone while driving is as risky as driving while under the influence of alcohol. For this reason, some states have outlawed cell phone talking or texting while driving a motor vehicle. 8-7c How Do Communication Technologies Affect Behavior? Information communication technology (ICT) is an extensive category of new developments in interpersonal communication that allow fast, even immediate, access to information. E-mail, teleconferencing, and Wi-Fi are all classified as ICT. It can facilitate the instant exchange of information in minutes or seconds across geographic boundaries and time zones. With adequate ICT implementation, schedules and office hours become irrelevant in that considerations of time and distance that once beleaguered international and intranational business become far less important in the exchange. Given its impact on the way business is done, ICT has a significant influence on people’s behavior. Computer-mediated communication is impersonal in nature. Instant messaging, e-mail, and other forms of online communication can therefore depreciate the richness of personal interaction. Studies show that using these technologies may increase one’s likelihood to flame—that is, to make rude, needlessly argumentative or obscene comments by means of computer-mediated communication.* Employees’ interpersonal skills such as tact and graciousness subside online, and managers tend to be more blunt when using electronic media. People who normally participate in discussions quietly and politely may become more intimate, impolite, or uninhibited when they communicate using computer conferencing or electronic mail.* Another effect of computer-mediated communication is that the nonverbal cues we rely on to decipher a message are absent. Gesturing, touching, facial expressions, and eye contact are not possible, so the emotional aspect of the message is difficult to discern. Even in teleconferencing, where users can see each others’ faces, it is often difficult to perceive nonverbal cues.* Clues to power such as organizational position and departmental membership may not be available, so the social context of the exchange is often altered. HOT TREND AVOID E-MAIL OVERLOAD The ever-present nature of e-mail has the potential to lead to e-mail overload. Here are five ways to prevent that from happening. First, don’t try to solve problems using e-mail. Huddling the right people into a brief 7–15 minute meeting at the same time each week is more productive than spending 90 minutes e-mailing back and forth. Keep your e-mail subject lines specific to prevent others from wasting precious time searching inboxes for messages. Next, insist that emails are “Twitter-tight,” not exceeding specified maximum number of words or characters. Fourth, avoid e-mails with multiple parts. Opt instead to one topic per e-mail.Finally, close e-mails quickly. Try putting a simple yes-or-no response in the subject line followed by “EOM” meaning “end of message.” That way, recipients will not have to open the e-mail. SOURCE: V. Harnish. “Five Ways to Liberate Your Team From Email Overload,” Fortune 169 (2014): 52. StockLite/Shutterstock.com New technologies encourage multitasking. COLLECT STUDYBIT Communication via technology also changes group dynamics by equalizing participation. As a result, charismatic or higher-status members may lose some power.* Studies of group decision making have shown that computer-mediated groups took longer to reach consensus than face-to-face groups. In addition, they were less cooperative, more uninhibited, and there was less influence from any one dominant person. Another study found that ICTs, especially e-mail and e-meetings, reduce tension caused by intercultural communication.* Groups that communicate via computer seem to experience a breakdown of social and organizational barriers. The potential for information overload is particularly great when individuals are first introduced to new communication technologies. Both the sheer volume of information available and its speed of delivery are staggering. An individual can easily become overwhelmed by information and must learn to be selective about its access. While modern ICT may make work easier and increase employees’ productivity, it can also prove precarious for managers. In the wake of mobile e-mail, instant messaging, and texting, managers are more accessible to coworkers, subordinates, and the boss today than they’ve ever been.Researchers coined the term workplace telepressure to describe the pressure employees feel when they perceive asynchronous communication methods as having the same requirements for response time as synchronous communication methods have. Typically, sending an e-mail will give individuals flexibility and additional time to respond, unlike communicating faceto-face. Face-to-face communications require an immediate response.Viewing ICTs as having the same properties as face-to-face communication may cause employees to prioritize these communication methods similarly, making it more difficult for employees to disengage.* Further, many new technologies encourage polyphasic activity, or multitasking (i.e., doing more than one thing at a time). Managers can simultaneously make phone calls, send instant messages, and work on memos. Polyphasic activity has its advantages in terms of getting more done—but only up to a point. Paying attention to more than one thing at a time splits a person’s attention and may reduce effectiveness at individual tasks. At its extreme, focusing on multiple tasks can become a destructive habit, making it psychologically difficult for a person to let go of work. Finally, new technologies may make people less patient with face-to-face communication. The speed of electronic media may lead to expectations of acceleration in all forms of communication. However, if they spend too much time communicating online, individuals may come to miss social interaction with others, and may find their social needs unmet. Communicating via computer often means the end of small talk. In the name of speed, amenity is sacrificed for efficiency. Managers can use new technologies more efficiently and effectively by keeping in mind the suggestions presented in Table 8.2. Table 8.2. Channel Etiquette FACEBOOK TWITTER YOUTUBE LINKEDIN • • • • • > > > > Take sensitive Begin with an Develop a Join groups queries into a introduction if thick and private sphere used for outreach skin.Many contribute online or or active comments information offline. engagement. are not about constructive, relevant so do not experience. > • > Remember all Develop a tone of wall posts are voice and public; don’t personality. take such comments to heart or • > FACEBOOK write TWITTER • YOUTUBE > anything Keep requests for there that is re-tweets to a not for wider minimum. consumption. • > • > • LINKEDIN argue; Answer defensive questions, reactions and only fan the contribute to flames. share pages and > communities Keep tweets as Ensure that short and sweet as all updates • • > because these 140 characters). and relevant . replies possible (less than are frequent but not too Use video > frequent. can be Avoid asking powerful and for a good way references to spread a unless the message. person is Avoid pure self• > Use language relevant to the channel and to the target promotion.Twitte r is a knowledgesharing and • > someone already conversation channel. Acknowledg e comments, and thank those who known or if the company has FACEBOOK • TWITTER YOUTUBE LINKEDIN demographics are being genuinely . positive delivered about a great service. > brand. • > Show • appreciation, Support and unsolicited acknowledge contacts positive with a full comments. explanation > of who is contacting Follow up and respond to any feedback. and why; don’t assume that contacts will view the underlying profile. COLLECT STUDYBIT • TOPIC 8-6 • TOPIC 8-CR
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Running head: COMMUNICATION

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Communication
Name:
Institution Affiliation:

Communication

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Nike Company
Nike Company was founded by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1964. It produces
apparel, athletic footwear, sports equipment, and other athletic equipment. Its current worth is
over $90 million, and its headquarters is found in Beaverton, Oregon. It works with multiple
professional athletes, NFL, NBA, athletic teams, and also owns Converse and some brands like
Lebron, Jordan.
Nike uses the inside communication to effectively communicate with its employees with
the aim of sustaining and building the interpersonal relationship at work. Nike uses the
interpersonal communication model for it inside communication, and it has the following
elements. The first element is the communicator who is sending the message. Then a perceptual
screen through which employees interact, the receiver is the third part referring to the person
accepting the message.
The message is another factor which contains the thoughts of the communicator having
the feelings of what he wants to evoke in receiver thoughts. Data refers to the unanalyzed and
interpreted message which undergoes the process of analyzing to be information (Guffey, &
Loewy, 2013). Feedback is the response to the communicator message which completes a twoway communication. The main aim of interpersonal relationship is to promote the healthy and
positive inside communication between different levels of management in the Nike Company.
The idea behind inside communication is to make sure there is inclusive of every employee and
at the same time increasing their efficiency. The communication helps in building a strong
workers community in the company encouraging them to be creative while doing their tasks.

Communication

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Healthy...


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