Page 267 - DCOM102_DMGT101_PRINCIPLES_AND_PRACTICES_OF_MANAGEMENT

Unit 14: Communication

Notes
Example: When you are angry, it is harder to consider the other person’s viewpoint and
to choose words carefully. The angrier you are, the harder this task becomes.
4. Extreme emotions: Such as jubilation or depression – are most likely to hinder effective
communication. In such instances, we are most prone to disregard our rational and objective
thinking processes and substitute emotional judgments.
5. Language: Communicated message must be understandable to the receiver. Often,
communication gap arises because the language the sender is using may be
incomprehensible, vague and indigestible. Language is a central element in
communication. It may pose a barrier to correct and timely action if its use obscures
meaning and distorts intent.
6. Stereotyping: It is the application of selective perception. When we have preconceived
ideas about other people and refuse to discriminate between individual behaviours, we
are applying selective perception to our relationship with other people.

7. Status Difference: The organisational hierarchy poses another barrier to communication
within the organisation, especially when the communication is between employee and
manager.
8. Use of conflicting signals: A sender is using conflicting signals when he or she sends
inconsistent messages. A vertical message might conflict with a non-verbal one.

9. Reluctance to Communicate: For a variety of reasons, managers are sometimes reluctant
to transmit messages. The reasons could be:
(a) They may doubt their ability to do so.

(b) They may dislike – or be weary of – writing or talking to others.
(c) They may hesitate to deliver bad news because they do not want to face a negative
reaction.

When someone gives in to these feelings, they become a barrier to effective communications.
10. Projection: Projection has two meanings:
(a) Projecting one’s own motives into others’ behaviour:

Example: Managers, who are motivated by money, may assume their subordinates also
motivated by it. If the subordinate’s prime motive is something other than money, serious
problems may arise.
(b) The use of defense mechanism to avoid placing blame on oneself: As a defense mechanism,
the projection phenomenon operates to protect the ego from unpleasant
communications. Frequently, individuals who have a particular fault will see the
same fault in others, making their own fault seem not so serious.
11. The “Halo Effect”: The term “halo effect” refers to the process of forming opinions based
on one element from a group of elements and generalizing that perception to all other
elements.

Example: In an organisation, a good attendance record may cause positive judgments
about productivity, attitude, or quality of work.

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