Course Code

HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN
Description
ORGANIZATION
Pre-Requisites Week 5 Module

Department: College of Accountancy Week 6

Organizational Communication Module No. 5

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, the student will be able to:

1. Define communication.
2. Provide the objectives of communication.
3. Explain the communication process.
4. Differentiate vertical from horizontal communication.
5. Differentiate verbal and non-verbal communication.
6. Explain the Barriers to communication.
7. Understand the Key elements of effective communication.
8. Enumerate ways on how to be a better listener.
INTRODUCTION

Everyone uses communication skills – when we use them at home with our families, in the workplace
with our bosses and co-workers, on our computers when we answer emails, and on the telephone
when we speak to people.

Communication is one of the most basic functions in organization. It means interacting with others:

● To promote understanding;
● To achieve a result of some kind;
● To pass information to another person so that he/she can take action.
COURSE CONTENT

4.1 Meaning

Communication may be defined in many ways. According to Cummings (1987), “the word
communication describes the process of conveying messages from one person to another, so that
they are understood.”

Allen (1958) describes communication as “sum of all the things one person does when he wants to
create understanding in the mind of another. It involves a systematic and continuous process of
telling, listening and understanding.”
In simple terms, communication is:

● Information transmitted;
● A verbal or non-verbal message;
● A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system
of symbols, signals, or behavior.

The information does not necessarily need to be hard facts. Sometimes just a gesture, a show of
emotion, a raised eyebrow, or even a shrug of the shoulder can act as our means of communication.

4.2 Objectives of communication

An organization depends on communication to achieve organizational objectives. According to

Dobson (2000), “nowhere is effective communication more important than at work. Vital information
needs to be given, received, exchanged and understood hundreds of times in every working day.
Many business transactions go wrong simply because of poor communication between the people
concerned.”

Since managers and staff work together, all their actions, policies, rules, instructions and procedures
must pass through some sort of communication channel. The objectives of communication are:

Conveying the right message: to provide information and understanding which are necessary for
group efforts;

To change attitude: to foster an attitude which is necessary for motivation, cooperation and job
satisfaction;

Providing right information at the right time: to discourage the spread of misinformation, rumors,
gossip, and to release the emotional tension of workers;

Coordination of efforts: to prepare the workers for change by giving them the necessary information;

Optimum realization of resources: to encourage ideas, suggestions from subordinates for

improvement in the product and work conditions, for reduction in time or cost involved, and for
avoidance of wastage of material;

Good industrial relations: to improve labor-management relations by keeping in contact with each
other;

Free flow of information for the right decisions: to ensure free exchange of information and ideas as
well as assisting all the employees in understanding and accepting the reasonableness of the status
and authority of everyone in the organization;

Status development: to satisfy basic human needs such as recognition, self-improvement and sense of
belongingness.

4.3 The communication process

The communication process involves the sender who transmits a message through a selected channel
to the receiver.

4.3.1 The channel

The information is transmitted over a ‘channel’ that links the sender with the receiver. The channel
may be a computer, the telephone or a television. At times, two or more channels are used. The
proper selection of channel is vital for effective communication.

Not only must information or instructions or ideas be passed from one party to another, but the
‘receiving’ party must understand exactly what the ‘sending’ or ‘transmitting’ party had in mind. If
one party does not clearly understand the meaning of a message – or misunderstands or
misinterprets its meaning – errors and mistakes, disagreements and disputes, and even accidents, can
occur.

The following diagram shows the importance of this concept.

4.3.2 Vertical communication

Vertical – up and down – communication must operate in both directions: ‘upwards’ as well as
‘downwards’ for the following reasons:

✧ It is important for employees to be able to make known quickly to those of their superiors
concerned any complaints or grievances they might have, and of course, to have faith that
attention will be paid to them and that action will be quickly taken.
✧ There is usually personal contact at the lower end of the communication network – that is,
between junior managers, supervisors, foremen and their subordinates – and therefore with
goodwill and understanding from both sides many minor grievances should be quickly resolved.
However, if circumstances require, managers, foremen and superiors must not hesitate to
communicate problems ‘upwards’ to those of their seniors who have the authority to make
 decisions and to take the action necessary under the circumstances.
✧ To enable top management to coordinate the activities of the entire organization and to react
quickly to circumstances which arise, what are called ‘lines of communication’ must be
established, and operated efficiently. Such actions will ensure that not only regular and accurate
reports, statistics etc. are received, but the information on matters requiring immediate attention
is also received without delay. That, in turn, will enable decisions to be reached quickly and any
necessary changes to plans, work schedules etc. to be implemented as early as possible.
✧ Another very important reason for establishing good lines of communication ‘upwards’ is that
they encourage a flow of ideas and suggestions, on a wide range of matters, which might be
beneficial to the organization.
✧ The importance of ‘downwards’ communication lies in the fact that employees should be able to
receive advice or assistance quickly from their superiors, as that creates a more content and
secure workforce.
✧ If management’s approach is ‘authoritarian’ (that is, requiring obedience without question), then
there could be a reluctance on the part of subordinates to accept communications coming down
– and instructions might be only grudgingly complied with – while there will be little incentive to
communicate upwards outside the reports etc. called for.
✧ Whenever possible or feasible, a system of ‘feedback’ should be built into the communication
network so that the senders of communications can check that they are being received,
understood and acted upon.

4.3.3 Horizontal communication

In addition to vertical communication, there must also be ‘horizontal’ – sideways – communication.

By this we mean a flow of information between personnel of about equivalent status in different
departments of the organization, for example, between its sales manager and production manager.

We can further elaborate as follows:

This kind of information is used to speed information flow to improve understanding and to
coordinate efforts for the achievement of organizational objectives. A great idea of communication
does not necessarily follow the organizational hierarchy but moves across the chain of command.
Environment in an organization provides many occasions for oral cross communication. They range
from the informal meeting of the company bowling or soccer team and lunch spent together to the
more formal conferences, committees and board meetings.

This type of communication also occurs when individual members of different departments are
grouped into task teams

Horizontal communication can only be effective if there is cooperation between the various
departments and their senior executives (whose attitudes are likely to affect the attitudes of all their
subordinates). Top management must encourage the spirit of cooperation and coordination among
executives to avoid loss of efficiency in the organization as a whole.
It is important to note that horizontal communication is concerned with the flow of information, and
NOT with the flow of instructions or authority. For example, a salesperson could perhaps ‘request’ a
member of the accounts department to make a check on a customer’s creditworthiness, but he/she
should have NO authority to instruct the person to make the check, or to demand that it be made.

It would be most tactless of the manager of one department to communicate directly with a
subordinate in another department without the knowledge and consent of that subordinate’s
department head. And it could cause trouble if there was an attempt by a manager to give
instructions to an employee of another department.

4.4 Verbal communication

A great deal of information is communicated orally. Oral communication can be a face-to-face

meeting of two people or a manager addressing a large audience; it can be formal or informal and it
can be planned or accidental.

The advantages of oral communication are that it can provide for speedy interchange with immediate
feedback; people can ask questions and clarify points. In face-to-face interaction, the effect can be
noted. Formal or planned meetings can greatly contribute to the understanding of issues. However,
the meetings can be costly in terms of time and money.

4.5 Non-verbal communication

Non-verbal communication takes several forms – mostly expressed through behavior and attitudes,
and body language.

Behavior and attitudes: Behavior and attitudes operate together for most people. Our attitudes lead
us to certain behavior. If we have positive attitudes we tend to act positively, see options, and seek
solutions to problems. If we have negative attitudes we may often feel defeated, assume the worst
outcomes, and give up without exploring alternatives.

Body language: We communicate a lot without saying a word. It is estimated that 75 percent of the
messages we deliver are communicated non-verbally. We express ourselves using what is known as
body language. Body language can be as simple as a frown on your face, a smile, your gestures, facial
expressions, dress, and grooming style. Some convey hostility, others show open friendliness.

Researchers have documented some non-verbal expressions common to all cultures. However,
cultures show these common expressions in different ways. These common expressions are: joy, fear,
anger, surprise, and disgust. North Americans tend to make less eye contact than Arabs. Africans are
taught to avoid eye contact with people of higher stature. Physical contact is natural for Italians,
French, Latin Americans, and some Arabs. It is less common for Asians, Germans, and Scots.
Following are a few examples of nonverbal cues that can support or detract from a sender’s message.

✧ Body Language
✧ Eye Contact
✧ Facial Expressions
✧ Posture

4.6 Barriers to communication

There are many barriers to effective communication.

4.6.1 Barriers to effective listening

Here are some barriers to effective listening:

✧ We can think faster than a speaker can talk, and jump to conclusions.
✧ We are distracted and allow our minds to wander.
✧ We lose patience, and decide we are not interested.
✧ We overreact to what is said, and respond emotionally.
✧ We interrupt.

4.6.2 Other barriers

In communicating upwards, downwards, laterally and diagonally in the day-to-day work situation
there are many barriers that have to be overcome, or at least recognized, in order to effectively
transmit or receive messages. The first two shown below are organization barriers while the others
relate to human characteristics:

✧ Physical distance between sender and receiver;

✧ Complexity of the organization, the number of levels and channels through which information
must pass;
✧ The indifference of the individual to the difficulties associated with communication;
✧ The tendency of the sender to disregard any feedback which reflects unfavorably
✧ on him/her;
✧ Failure to listen;
✧ Human intolerance which is shown in unwillingness to consider any view which does not match
and support our own;
✧ Status barriers;
✧ Emotional barriers.

4.7 Overcoming barriers

In order to overcome barriers to effective communication and understand the true meaning of the
message that comes through a particular communication, we need to filter the message.

4.7.1 Identifying communication filters

There are three types of filters which only allow a portion of the message to get through. As a result,
we only receive part of the message and, often, only the part that we want to hear.

✧ Attention filters: Physical distractions such as:

✧ Noise: other people talking, telephone ringing, traffic, music;
✧ Environment: too hot, too cold, poor lighting;
✧ Interruptions: people, telephones;

Timing: trying to talk to someone when they are about to go somewhere or are in the middle of a job.

Emotional filters: These are inherent in the speaker and probably unknown to the other person:

✧ Prejudice: dislike of the other person, the way they are dressed, the message itself;
✧ Status: the other person is higher or lower in the organization hierarchy, which can affect the
way in which you speak and listen to them;
✧ Experience: if previous communication with a person has resulted in an unpleasant experience,
you will be wary when approaching the next time, not wishing to repeat the experience;
✧ Assumptions: assuming what the message will be and thus not listening properly;

Values and beliefs: we all have our own codes regarding morals, religion, and politics and so on. If the
message transgresses these standards, we are likely to switch off.

Word filters: Certain words and phrases can cause us to stop listening to the person who utters them:

✧ Criticism: few of us like to be criticized – “This is not the way to approach the problem!”
✧ Moralizing: “You shouldn’t have planned this way!”
✧ Ordering: “Complete the work today without fail.”
✧ Threatening: “If you don’t abide by my instructions, you will have to face serious consequences.”
✧ Advising: “I suggest that you…”
✧ Reassuring: “Never mind, try another approach and it will be OK.”

Jargon: unless the listener understands the jargon, they will wonder what it means and will not be
listening to the rest of the message.

4.7.2 Reducing the filters

Even one filter can reduce the effect of or distort communication but in most instances, two or more
are operating at the same time. Being aware that they exist is half the battle won in reducing the
effect of filters:

✧ It is not always possible to eliminate attention filters, but they can be reduced. If the proposed
conversation will take more than a few minutes, find somewhere quiet to hold it and let it be
known that you want no interruptions. It is simple enough to get your timing right. If someone
approaches you at an inconvenient time, politely tell them so and arrange to meet later.
✧ You can do little about other people’s emotions, but try to put your own on hold when talking
and listening to others. If you sense emotional filters becoming barriers, keep your conversation
brief and to the point.

Take care over the words and phrases that you use. How would you respond as the listener? If you
are at the receiving end, question the speaker, and ask him/her to justify their comments.

4.8 Key elements of effective communication

Effective communication in the work place happens with effort. The effort must include participation
and agreement between managers/supervisors and employees. Each must work with the other to
achieve the objectives. The following elements are designed to help in improving skills of
communication while dealing with superiors, subordinates and associates:

✧ Seeking to clarify ideas before communicating: The more systematically we analyze the problem
or idea to be communicated, the clearer it becomes.
✧ Examining the true purpose of each communication: Before communicating it is better to identify
our most important goal and then adapt our language, tone and total approach in order to
 achieve that specific objective.
✧ Considering the total physical and human setting: We must be constantly aware of the total
setting in which we communicate. Like all living things, communication must be able to fit in the
environment.
✧ Consulting with others, where appropriate, in planning communications: Such communication
often helps to lend additional insight and objectivity to the message.
✧ Being mindful, while we communicate, or the overtone as well as the basic content of the
message: Our choice of language – particularly our awareness of the fine shades of meaning and
emotion in the words we use – predetermines the reactions of our listeners.
✧ Taking the responsibility, when it arises, to convey something of help or value to the receiver:
Consideration of the other person’s interest on the part of the manager/supervisor will endear
him/her to others.
✧ Following up communication: We must make certain that every important communication has a
‘feedback’ so that there is complete understanding followed by appropriate action.
✧ Communicating for tomorrow as well as today: While communications may be aimed primarily at
meeting the demands of an immediate situation, they must be consistent with long range
interests and goals.
✧ Being sure that our actions support our communication: In the final analysis, the most persuasive
kind of communication is not what we say but what we do.
✧ Seeking not only to be understood but to understand – being a good listener: Listening is one of
the most neglected skills in communication. It demands that we concentrate not only on the
explicit meaning another person is expressing but also on the implicit meaning, unspoken words,
and undertones that may be far more significant.

4.9 Listening – the essence of communication

The construction of oral and written messages is only one part of the communication process. The
best message is of little avail unless the person at the receiving end listens or reads and makes an
effort to understand. We often speak without listening and speak when we ought to be listening. And
we frequently fail to find readers for the avalanche of words that make up the memoranda, letters
and reports of the organization world. A partial solution is to speak less and say more and to write
shorter, fewer and better messages.

Listening is really where all good communication begins. Misunderstanding what another person is
saying is one of the biggest obstacles to communication. Each of us sees the world in a unique way,
and we usually assume that everyone sees it the same way we do. Most people are born with good
hearing, but not good listening skills. Listening must be learned. Listening is a mental process
requiring effort, and we can learn how to be good listeners. First, we need to understand what the
barriers are to good listening skills. Then we can identify ways to improve these skills.

4.9.1 How to be a better listener

We listen more than any other human activity except breathing! There are some simple steps to
becoming a better listener, but they take practice to achieve results. Here are some ways to listen
 better whether in a large group or one-to-one:

● Be patient for the entire message.

● Be aware of speech cues (who, what, where, when, why, how).
● Listen for ideas, not just facts (stories, reasons, goals help us remember facts).
● Try to understand the feeling the person is expressing as well as the intellectual content.
● Restate the person’s feeling briefly but accurately. At this stage you simply serve as a mirror
and encourage the other person to continue speaking.
● Occasionally observe silence. This allows you to give your undivided attention to the other
person. You may give some non-verbal cues that you are listening, such as nodding your head,
smiling, opening or closing your eyes.
● Allow time for the discussion to continue without interruption and try to separate
conversation from mere official communication of company plans.
● Avoid direct questions and arguments about fact.
● Listen for what is left unspoken, evasions of pertinent points or perhaps too ready agreement
with common clichés.
● Don’t get emotionally involved. Try simply to understand first and defer
evaluation until later.
FOCUS QUESTIONS

1. What is communication?
2. What are the objectives of communication?
3. Discuss the communication process?
4. Differentiate vertical from horizontal communication.
5. Differentiate verbal and non-verbal communication.
6. What are the Barriers to communication?
7. What are the Key elements of effective communication?
8. How do we become a better listener?
LEARNING ACTIVITIES

A. Online Discussion
B. Recitation
C. Case Analysis

ASSESSMENT

Short Quiz

Direction: Answer the focus questions 1 to 8

ASSIGNMENT

Employee Satisfaction Translates to Success: The Case of Edward Jones

Because of the economic turmoil that most financial institutions find themselves in today, it might
come as a surprise that an individual investment company came in at number 2 on Fortune
magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list in 2010, behind software giant SAS Institute Inc.
Edward Jones Investments (a limited partnership company) was originally founded in St. Louis,
Missouri, where its headquarters remain today. With more than 10,000 offices across the United
States and Canada, they are able to serve nearly 7 million investors. This is the 10th year Edward
Jones has made the Best Companies list. In addition, Edward Jones ranked highest with client
satisfaction among full-service investment firms, according to an annual survey released by J. D.
Power and Associates in 2009. How has Edward Jones maintained this favorable reputation in the
eyes of both its employees and its customers? It begins with the perks offered, including profit sharing
and telecommuting. But if you ask the company’s CEO, Tim Kirley, he will likely tell you that it goes
beyond the financial incentives, and at the heart of it is the culture of honest communication that he
adamantly promotes. Kirley works with senior managers and team members in what makes up an
open floor plan and always tries to maintain his approachability. Examples of this include direct
communication, letters to staff and video, and Internet-posted talks. In addition, regular meetings are
held to celebrate achievements and reinforce the firm’s ethos. Staff surveys are frequently
administered and feedback is widely taken into consideration so that the 10,000 employees feel
heard and respected. According to Fortune’s managing editor, Hank Gilman, “The most important
considerations for this year’s list were hiring and the ways in which companies are helping their
employees weather the recession.” Edward Jones was able to persevere through the trauma of the
recent financial crisis with no layoffs and an 8% one-year job growth. While a salary freeze was
enacted, profit sharing continued. Kirley insists that the best approach to the recent economic
downturn is to remain honest with his employees even when the news he is delivering is not what
they want to hear. Edward Jones was established in 1922 by Edward D. Jones Sr., and long ago, the
company recognized the importance of a satisfied workforce and how that has the ability to translate
into customer satisfaction and long-term growth. The company’s internal policy of open
communication seems to carry over to how advisors value their relationship with individual
customers. Investors are most likely to contact their advisor by directly visiting them at a local branch
or by picking up the phone and calling them. Edward Jones’s managing partner, Jim Weddle, explains
it best himself: “We are able to stay focused on the long-term because we are a partnership and we
know who we are and what we do. When you respect the people who work here, you take care of
them—not just in the good times, but in the difficult times as well.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. As an organization, what qualities do you think Edward Jones looks for when hiring new
financial advisors?
2. With its success in North America, why do you think Edward Jones has not expanded across
the Pacific or Atlantic oceans?
3. How has technology enabled Edward Jones to become more effective at communicating with
its employees and customers? Do you think technology can ever hamper effective
communication?
4. What types of customer service policies do think Edward Jones has in place?

Case written by [citation redacted per publisher request]. Based on information from 100 best
companies to work for. (2010, February 8). Fortune. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from
 http://money.cnn.com/magazines/ fortune/best companies/2010/full list; St. Louis firms make
Fortune’s best workplaces. (2009, January 22). St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved February 3, 2010,
from http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/01/19/ daily40.html; Rodrigues, N., & Clayton,
C. (2009). A positive difference in the office and the world. Sunday Times, pp. 10, 11. Retrieved from
LexisNexis Academic database; Lawlor, A. (2008, March 13). Edward Jones is one to work for. Sunday
Times, Financial Adviser. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from LexisNexis Academic database; Keeping
clients happy. (2009, August 1). Registered Rep. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from
http://registeredrep.com/planner-ria-practice/finance-keeping-clients-happy-0801
RELATED READINGS / REFERENCES

Organizational Behavior
1st edition
© 2016 Manmohan Joshi & bookboon.com

An Introduction to Organizational Behavior v.1.1

Talya Bauer, Berrin Erdogan 2012

Introduction to Organizational Behavior

Michael A. Hitt, C. Chet Miller, Adrienne Colella, Maria Triana
5th edition 2018

Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations

Ricky W. Griffin, Gregory Moorhead
11th Edition 2013

https://bookboon.com/premium/reader/organisational-behaviour

Prepared by: Approved by: Noted by:

_________________ ___________________ ________________________

Faculty Program Chair VP for Academic & Student Affairs