Page 261 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 3

in turn, hurt morale and decrease produc-
tivity. Managers often work closely with
informal group leaders to obtain support
and test new ideas.
An extensive amount of organizational
communications occurs in an unofficial way
through interpersonal relationships. Employ-
ees working side by side, for example, gener-
ally talk about their jobs and about personal
matters. These conversations are normal and
usually do not interfere with work. Employ-
ees also talk together on breaks, in the hall,
PHOTO: © GETTY IMAGES/PHOTODISC. tion among workers is called the grapevine.
or around the drinking fountain.
The informal transmission of informa-

In a grapevine, one person informally talks
to another, and that second person talks
to another, and so on. Informal messages
travel quickly through the grapevine and
can be distorted, because they are often
based on unofficial, partial, or incorrect in-
formation. That is why grapevine messages
are often labeled rumors. Very often, how-
Office grapevines are the most ever, grapevines convey accurate messages. For example, when a formal memo
common way employees com- announces that a manager has just retired for “health reasons,” the grapevine
municate informally. What may provide the actual reason. The manager may have been asked to quit but
types of communication was given the opportunity to resign voluntarily. When Erica Komuro calls Sab-
grapevines do you use? rina in Accounting, she may also learn that the rumor about the vice president’s
resignation is true.
Generally, managers should not interfere with grapevines. Grapevines often
fill the social needs of workers to communicate about their work lives. Only
when a grapevine message is inaccurate and negatively affects company business
should managers attempt to correct the situation.

CHECKPOINT
Describe the two types of communication networks.

Conducting Effective Meetings

Meetings are a common way for employees to share information, discuss problems,
and make decisions. Managers often prefer meetings when open communication is
needed to encourage discussion and feedback. Employees doing the hands-on work
often have good ideas about how to improve their work quality and efficiency.
However, meetings also have disadvantages. The chief disadvantage is the excessive
time meetings take. Good managers overcome this weakness by careful planning
and by following suggestions such as those shown in Figure 10-5.
A second major problem with meetings occurs because of differences among
those who attend the meetings. For example, an outspoken person may tend

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