Page 419 - Fundamentals of Management Myths Debunked (2017)_Flat

418 Part 4 • Leading
Exhibit 13–1 The Communication Process

Noise
Noise
Purpose Message Message Message
Sender Encoding Channel Decoding Receiver

Message transferred successfully?
Feedback

Noise Noise

in the social cultural system in which we exist. Your beliefs and values, all part of your culture,
message
A purpose for communicating that’s to be conveyed act to influence you as a communication source.
3. The message is the actual physical product from the source that conveys some pur-
channel pose. When we speak, the words spoken are the message. When we write, the writing is the
The medium by which a message travels
message. When we paint, the picture is the message. When we gesture, the movements of our
3
decoding arms and the expressions on our faces are the message. Our message is affected by the code
Translating a received message
or group of symbols we use to transfer meaning, the content of the message itself, and the
feedback decisions that we make in selecting and arranging both codes and content. 4
Checking to see how successfully a message has 4. The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It’s selected by the
been transferred
source, who must determine whether to use a formal or an informal channel. Formal channels
are established by the organization and transmit messages that pertain to the job-related activi-
ties of members. They traditionally follow the authority network within the organization. Other
forms of messages, such as personal or social, follow the informal channels in the organization.
5 and 6. The receiver is the person to whom the message is directed. However, before the
message can be received, the symbols in it must be translated into a form that can be under-
stood by the receiver—the decoding of the message. Just as the encoder was limited by his or
her skills, attitudes, knowledge, and social cultural system, the receiver is equally restricted.
Participating in a meeting at company Accordingly, the source must be skillful in writing or speaking; the receiver must be skillful
headquarters, these employees of Alibaba, in reading or listening; and both must be able to reason. A person’s knowledge, attitudes, and
China’s largest e-commerce firm, illustrate
the channel part of the communication cultural background influence his or her ability to receive, just as they do the ability to send.
process. The meeting is a formal channel 7. The final link in the communication process is a feedback loop. “If a communication
established by Alibaba during which
employees transmit messages that pertain source decodes the message that he encodes, if the message is put back into his system, we have
5
to their job-related activities. feedback.” Feedback is the check on how successful
we’ve been in transferring our messages as originally
intended. It determines whether understanding has
been achieved. Given the cultural diversity that exists
in our workforce today, the importance of effective
feedback to ensure proper communications cannot be
overstated. 6

Are Written Communications
More Effective Than Verbal Ones?

Written communications include memos, letters,
e-mail and other forms of digital communication,
organizational periodicals, bulletin boards, or any
other device that transmits written words or sym-
bols. Why would a sender choose to use written
communications?
Steven Shi/Reuters