Com 620 Module 3

1. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
5
C H A P T E R
Context and
Channel Selection
COM 620 MODULE
with
Walter Ratliff
3

2. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 2
What is Organizational Context?
The situation or
setting in which
communication
occurs
The
corporation
The not-for-
profit
The
accounting
firm

3. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 3
What is Organizational Context?
Dimensions of
Context
Physical
SocialChronological
Cultural

4. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 4
What is Organizational Context?
Dimensions of
Context
Physical
SocialChronological
Cultural

5. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 5
Dimensions of Context
Physical
• The actual setting
in which
interactions take
place
Social
• The nature of the
relationship
between
communicators
Chronological
• The ways time
influences
interactions
Example: the
boss’s office vs.
the break room
Example: a long
personal friendship
between co-workers
Example: time of
day in the office
or time of year
for the company

6. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 6
What is Organizational Context?
Dimensions of
Context
Physical
SocialChronological
Cultural

7. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 7
Dimensions of Context
Culture
• A system of
shared meanings
and practices
• Patterns of shared
basic assumptions
1. Innovation and risk taking
2. Attention to detail
3. Outcome orientation
4. People orientation
5. Team orientation
6. Aggressiveness
7. Stability

8. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 8
Communication Climate Description
Problem orientation
Spontaneity
Empathy
Equality
Provisionalism
Defensive
Communication
Climate
Supportive
Communication
Climate
Evaluation
Control
Strategy
Neutrality
Superiority
Certainty

9. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 9
Manager
Supervisor
1
Worker 1 Worker 2
Supervisor
2
Worker 3
Formal and Informal Networks
Manager
Supervisor
1
Worker 1 Worker 2
Supervisor
2
Worker 3
Informa
l
Formal
Downward flow
Upward flow
Horizontal flow
The “grapevine”

10. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 10
Choosing a Communication Channel
• Richness versus leanness
• Need for interpretation
• Speed of establishing contact
• Time required for feedback
• Cost
• Amount of information conveyed
• Permanent record
• Control over the message

11. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 11
Choosing a Communication Channel
Richness versus leanness
• Some channels of communication provide more information than
others
Need for interpretation
• Some channels of communication leave more ambiguity or room
for interpretation of the message than others
Speed of establishing contact
• Channels vary in the amount of time required to deliver a message
Time required for feedback
• Channels vary in conventions around response time

12. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 12
Choosing a Communication Channel
Cost
• Some channels of communication are more cost effective than
others
Amount of information conveyed
• Written channels are more appropriate for conveying large
amounts of information with great detail
Permanent record
• Many situations in business require records of what occurs during
work activities, and this may impact channel choice
Control over the message
• Written channels of communication are often the best choice for
maintaining control of the message

13. Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 13
Are new media channels good for
business?
Risks Benefits
Minimal cost
Increased speed
Improved dialogue
Exposure of
internal problems
Leakage of
proprietary info
More difficult to
control messages