PLK 567 THEORY AND

HUMAN RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT

TITLE:
COMMUNICATION

NAME: OOI SHEK LING

MATRIC NO: P-PM0185/22
LECTURER: DR. NOR HERNAMAWARNI
What is communication?
According to Webster's Dictionary,: communication is described as a process
wherein information is exchanged between individuals through a shared
system of symbols, signs, or behaviour.

Exchanging: Through:

Information Speech
Ideas Signals
Thoughts
Writing
Feelings
Emotions Behavior
Types of Communication nonverbal
communication
involving observing a
verbal written person and inferring
meaning
communication communication
what you don't say can
involving listening to a in which a message is read be even more important.
person to understand
the meaning of a involve printed messages, our body language, eye
message, such as memos, proposals, contact, posture, touch,
emails, letters, training facial expressions,space,
Verbal communication manuals, and operating appearance, and tone
in organisations policies. These messages should match the words
happens when people can be on paper or we use. When people lie,
talk on the phone or displayed on a screen. can they often exhibit signs
in person. The be created over a longer like frequent blinking,
message is spoken. period. weight shifting, and
shrugging.
Eg: job interviews
Communication Process
Communication serves three primary functions within an organization: coordination, the
transmission of information, and the sharing of emotions and feelings. Example in organisation:

Sender: initiated by someone

like a boss, coworker, or
2 customer, it typically begins
with a thought.
Example: Get me more A4
paper.
1
Sender Encodes: Sender
encodes the message,
translating the idea into
words.
The boss may communicate
this thought by saying, “Hey
you guys, let’s order more
A4 paper.”
Communication Process

Medium: The encoded

message can be conveyed
5 through spoken language,
written text, or various
symbols.
4
Receiver: An individual who
accepts the message.
Receiver Decode: Receiver
3 interprets the message by
ascribing meaning to the
words.

Example: In this situation, our guy John has a super long to-do list. He's thinking, "The boss should realize
how busy I am already." So, in John's head, his boss's message becomes, "Can you also get some A4
paper, on top of all the other stuff I've piled on you this week...if you can squeeze it in?"
Communication Process
The receiver might not understand the message the way the sender meant
because of things like noise.

Noise is anything that gets in the

way or messes up the message
being sent. This could be :
External: distractions in the
surroundings or inside the receiver
= not able to focus on the message.
Noise can also happen with the
sender –
• might not want to take the time to
give a clear message,
• words they use might be unclear
and easy to misunderstand.
 Barriers to Effective Communication
Filtering
• withholding of information or changing or
• not telling the whole truth to control how someone reacts.
• For instance, a manager might hide bad sales numbers from their boss to
avoid trouble.
Information overload
• gets too much information and doesn't have enough time to deal with it all.

Emotional disconnect
• If the person getting the message is upset, they might not pay
attention or might misunderstand.
• If the person sending the message is upset, they might have a
hard time expressing their thoughts or feelings effectively.
 Barriers to Effective Communication

Lack of Source Familiarity

• Not being familiar with sender
• especially when it comes to jokes, especially in messages like emails.
• For instance, if Ling sends an email that says, "Men should be boiled in
vats of oil," someone who doesn't know her well might think she's
serious, not realizing that she often exaggerates and jokes around.
• Sender isn't trustworthy or doesn't have a good reputation, people
might question their motives (Why are they telling me this?).
• If the sender has given wrong information before or has made up fake
emergencies, people might not believe the current message.
Barriers to Effective Communication
Workplace Gossip
Grapevine - informal chat network among employees,
and many rely on it for company information.
-a challenge for managers.
- Employees often believe the grapevine more, even
if the information is wrong.
A powerful tool for those who want to influence
communication and promote their own messages.
doesn't have a specific sender, making employees
wonder who's behind the gossip. àcreate distrust.
When news is sensitive, suspicions about who started
the gossip may arise.
Barriers to Effective Communication

Semantics
- how words can have different meanings
for different people, or sometimes, they
might not make sense to someone else.
- For instance, companies use their own
acronyms and business jargon that makes
perfect sense to them but can be
confusing for people who aren't familiar
with it.
Miscommunications
Imagine a different scenario:
a team is working on a project with a tight deadline. The project manager sends a message to one
team member,
Sarah, saying, "We need your input on the project ASAP." Sarah reads the message and
interprets it as a request for detailed analysis and spends hours preparing a comprehensive
report.
At the next team meeting, the project manager asks, "Where's your input, Sarah?"
She responds, "I worked hard on that detailed report you asked for!"
The project manager, surprised, clarifies, "I just needed a quick update on your progress, not a
detailed report."
In this case, the miscommunication occurred:
Manager meant a brief progress update,
Sarah understood it as a call for an extensive report.
Such misunderstandings highlight how the communication process can go off track, leading to
confusion and unintended consequences.
Tips for Reducing Miscommunication
Know Your Audience: If the people you're talking to weren't in
the same specialized classes as you (like law, medicine, finance, or
computer science), assume they might not understand your jargon.
Talk in a way that they'll get.

Explain Your Abbreviations: If you use short forms (like ROI for
"return on investment"), make sure to explain what they mean the
first time you say them. Otherwise, people might be thinking,
"What on earth does ROI stand for?"

Use Less Fancy Words: Using too much jargon doesn't always make
you sound smart. It can actually make it harder for people to
understand you and can get in the way of building good
relationships or making deals.
Gender Differences in Communication
• Women prefer to ask questions before starting a project, while men
often just dive in.
• For instance, a male manager who doesn't realize how most women
signal they're ready for work might mistake a prepared employee as
unprepared.
• Men often use sports metaphors when talking, while women often use
their home as a starting point for comparisons.
• Women who think men are only discussing sports might miss
opportunities for teamwork and success in the workplace.
• Men often focus more on competition, data, and giving orders, while
women tend to focus more on cooperation, intuition, and making
requests.
• Both styles can be effective in the right situations, but understanding
the differences helps avoid misunderstandings.
Cross-Cultural Communication
Culture is a shared set of beliefs and experiences among
people in a specific group, which can be based on
geography, religion, or profession.
Individuals may belong to multiple cultures, influencing
how they interpret words.
Communication challenges are heightened in cross-
cultural situations. For instance, English "isn't it?"
questions can be confusing for non-native speakers.
Nonverbal communication is crucial too. In the U.S., eye
contact signifies trustworthiness, but in China, it conveys
respect.
Different cultures have diverse norms, and actions
deemed acceptable in one culture might be offensive in
another.
Differences in Meaning Between the Sender
and Receiver
"Mean what you say, and say what you mean" sounds simple, but in
business, it's crucial to understand what these words truly mean.
influenced by factors like age, education, and cultural background.
Removing jargon helps ensure our words convey real-world ideas,
and speaking to our audience, not just about ourselves, is key.
For example, managers talking about "long-term goals and profits"
to a team with minimal raises might upset them instead of
inspiring them. Instead, managers acknowledging their team's
contributions and confirming that their work benefits both
employees and executives will ensure the intended message is
received positively.
Biased Language
Words and actions that stereotype others on the basis of personal or group
affiliation are examples of bias.
Example: Male nurse
Instead of "male nurse," you can use the more neutral and inclusive term "nurse."

Poor Listening
A sender may work to communicate a message clearly. However, the receiver's
capacity to listen effectively is equally crucial for successful communication. The
typical worker devotes 55% of their workdays to listening, while managers spend
up to 70% of their days listening. Regrettably, not every instance of listening
results in understanding.
Effective listening is essential. It requires practice, skill, and concentration.
How can we improve listening skills to
enchance communication?
Improve listening skills by practicing active listening—
• fully focusing on what others say,
• understanding their points,
• asking questions when needed, and
• avoiding interruptions.
Active listening, unlike "rehearsing," shows genuine intent to consider the sender's
message. This approach builds real-time connections between people, where confirming
and repeating messages fosters a strong bond among colleagues, enhancing the flow and
accuracy of communication.
In counselling:
Here are five tips from Carl Rogers for better listening to improve communication:
1.Listen to understand what's being said.
- reducing background noise, taking in what the other person is saying without talking.
2.Pay attention to the speaker's emotions.
- nodding your head or saying things like "Yes" or "That's interesting."
- Watch body language to understand their feelings.
3.Respond to how the speaker feels.
4.Notice all the cues or hints.
5.Repeat and say things in your own words.
- If something isn't clear, ask questions. Confirm that you understood the message by repeating
back an important part, like, "Okay, I'll see you at 2:00 p.m. in my office."
- At the end of the talk, saying thank you is a good way to show you appreciate each other's
teamwork.
Direction of Communication Within
Organizations
Communication in organizations can go in different
directions.
- move horizontally, going from one person to another.
- move vertically, either from top management down
or from the front line up.
- information can move diagonally, going between
different levels of the organization.
For example, a message might go from a customer
service representative to a manager in the
manufacturing department.
Or a message could come from the chief financial
officer and be sent down to all department heads.
Potential Challenges in Communication
Flow
There's a chance for communication to go off track.
- In large organizations, the dilution of information as it moves up and down the hierarchy, and
across departments horizontally, can undermine the effort to focus on common goals.
- status of the person sending the message can affect how much attention the receiver gives to
it.
- If a senior manager sends a memo to a production supervisor, the supervisor, with lower
status, is likely to pay close attention.
- However, if the same information is sent in the opposite direction, it might not get the
attention it deserves. The senior manager's view of priorities and urgencies could filter the
message.
External Communications in Organisation
- involve sending specific business messages to people outside an organization. T
- hese messages might announce changes in staff, reveal new strategies, share
financial updates, and more.
- Aim: craft a message that the recipient understands and is inclined to share
with others. Here are some examples:
1) Press Releases:
Public relations professionals develop external communications regarding a client's
products, services, or practices for specific recipients.
The hope is that these recipients will pass the message along to others.
Over time, as the message circulates, it should seem independent of the sender,
creating the impression of a naturally occurring trend or public opinion.
 External Communications in Organisation
2. Ads
- involves presenting external business messages to specific target audiences through media
purchases.
- A media buy is a payment made by an advertiser to a platform, such as a TV network,
website, magazine, etc., to feature an advertisement.

3. Webpages
- can blend elements of public relations, advertising, and editorial content, engaging
receivers on various levels and through different approaches.
- Components such as banner ads, blogs, and advertiser-driven "click-through" areas enable
businesses to convey messages to online audiences.
- The perceived flexibility of online communication adds a less formal and therefore more
authentic quality to external communication.
External Communications in Organisation
4. Customer Communications
Customer communications encompass various forms like letters, catalogs, direct mail, emails, text
messages, and telemarketing messages.
Some receivers automatically filter out these bulk messages, while others remain receptive.
Ethics and Communication
"People aren't happy when the unexpected happens, but they are even unhappier if
they find out you tried to hide it," emphasizes Bruce Patton, a partner at Boston-
based Vantage Partners LLC (Michelman, 2004).
- most complex aspects of effective organisation communication, especially in crisis
management moments.
- Choosing not to provide a clear message is perceived not only as a communication
barrier but also as complicity in the misdeed, disaster, or infraction at hand.
- Ethical and candid communication is crucial not only externally with the public but
also within the company.
- Leadership experts Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans assert, "When the
truth is missing, people feel demoralized, less confident, and ultimately are less
loyal." Research consistently supports the idea that engaged employees want to be
informed about the business, including its challenges and downturns (Kaye &
Jordan-Evans, 2008).
Conclusion
• good communication is crucial for organizations.
• Communication can go wrong because of various barriers from either the
person sending the message or the one receiving it.
• Picking the right way to communicate is also vital.
• Different cultures have different rules for nonverbal communication, and
the same words can mean different things in different places.
• Miscommunication can be a problem, leading to issues in getting work
done smoothly and causing conflicts between people.
• But in really important places like operating rooms and airplane cockpits,
clear communication is super important because it can literally be the
difference between life and death.