Perception and Communication Problems

Perception
The process by which individuals attend to, organize, interpret, and retain information from their environments.

Perception Filters
The personality-, psychology-, or experienced-based differences that influence people to ignore or pay attention to particular stimuli.

Perception Problems
Selective perception.
notice and accept stimuli which are consistent with our values and beliefs
ignore inconsistent stimuli.

Closure
tendency to fill in the gaps when information is missing.
we assume that what we don’t know is consistent with what we do know.

Self-Perception
Self-Serving Bias
The tendency to overestimate our value by attributing successes to ourselves (internal causes) and attributing failures to others or the environment (external causes).

The Communication Process
Noise occurs if:

1. The sender is unsure what message to communicate
2. The message is not clearly encoded
3. The wrong channel is chosen
4. The message is improperly decoded
5. The receiver lacks experience
6. or time.

Meanings of the Word Fine:

1. Penalty
2. Excellence
3. Tight
4. Small
5. Pure
6. Flimsy
7. Okay.

Formal Communication Channels

1. The system of official channels
2. Downward communication, top down
3. Upward communication, bottom up
4. Horizontal, within a level.

Improving Formal Communication

1. Decrease reliance on downward communication
2. Increase chances for upward communication
3. Encourage much greater use of horizontal communication
4. Be aware of communication problems.

Common Problems with Downward, Upward, and Horizontal Communication
Downward

• Sending too many messages
• Issuing contradictory messages
• Hurriedly communicating vague, unclear messages
• Issuing messages indicating management’s low regard for lower-level workers.

Upward

• Risk of telling upper management about problems
• Managers acting angrily and defensively to problems
• Few opportunities for workers to contact upper levels of management.

Horizontal

• Management discouraging or punishing horizontal communication
• Managers and workers not given time or opportunity for horizontal communication
• Not enough opportunities or channels for lower-level workers to engage in horizontal communication.

Informal Communication Channels

• Transmitting messages outside the formal communication channels
• The “Grapevine”
• Highly accurate; information is timely, senders seek feedback, accuracy can be verified.

Managing Organizational Grapevines

• Don’t withhold information from it
• Don’t punish those who use it
• Embrace the grapevine and keep employees informed
• Use it as a source of information.

Informal Communication Channels
Dealing with Internet Gripe Sites
1. Correct misinformation
2. Don’t take angry comments personally
3. Give your name and contact number
4. Hold a town meeting to discuss issues
5. Set up anonymous discussion forums.

Doing the Right Thing
Protect Personal, Confidential Information

• Managers are privy to personal and
• confidential information about employees
• There is a moral and legal obligation to
• protect employees’ privacy
• Information about discrimination, sexual harassment,
• potential workplace violence, or conflicts of interest
• may need to be shared.