Organizational Communication for Survival

by Richmond, Virginia Peck; McCroskey, James C.; Powell, Larry

• ISBN13: 9780205060344
• ISBN10: 020506034X
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-26
• Publisher: PEARSON

Summary

A "handbook" for communicating in the work environment Assuming a unique perspective for an organizational communication text, this book focuses students on how to communicate with managers and peers to survive, thrive and prosper in organizational environments. This "survival guide for employees" centers on understanding how and why managers communicate the way they do and how employees can adapt their own communication skills to be more effective in the organizational environment. Students who master the study guide objectives in this book will be better prepared to function in real organizational situations. This text provides clear and concise guidelines, along with a foundation of theory and scholarship, to help students become more effective communicators in today's workforce. Learning Goals Upon completingthis book, readers will be able to: Communicate effectively with managers and peers Understand how and why managers communicate the way they do Differentiate between good and poor communication skills Note:MySearchLab with eText does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySearchLab, please visit: www.mysearchlab.comor you can purchase a valuepack of the text + MySearchLab (at no additional cost): ValuePack ISBN-10: 0205861989 / ValuePack ISBN-13: 9780205861989

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
The Nature of Organizations	p. 1
Types of Organizations	p. 2
Common Characteristics of All Organizations	p. 3
Organizational Environments	p. 9
Preliminary Principles for Peons	p. 9
Viewing Organizations	p. 13
The Nature of Communication in Organizations	p. 15
Myths and Misconceptions about Communication in Organizations	p. 15
Organizational Communication Defined	p. 18
Components of Communication	p. 19
Functions of Communication in Organizations	p. 24
Organizational Communication Networks	p. 25
Formal Communication Flow and Impact	p. 26
Nonverbal Behavior and Communication	p. 30
Significance of Nonverbal Communication in Organizations	p. 31
Functions of Nonverbal Messages	p. 32
Categories of Nonverbal Messages	p. 34
Immediacy and Organizational Communication	p. 39
Administration, Supervision, and Communication	p. 45
Supervisors' Duties: SubordinatesÆ Views	p. 45
Why Aren't Managers Doing Their Jobs?	p. 48
To Supervise or to Administer? That Is the Question	p. 52
What Kind of Manager Do You Have?	p. 54
Barriers to Effective Communication	p. 56
Climate Control	p. 56
Status	p. 58
Communication Overload	p. 59
Defensiveness	p. 63
Personality, Temperament, and Communication Traits	p. 66
Personality and Temperament	p. 66
Temperament/Personality and Communication	p. 67
Communication Traits	p. 68
Sociocommunicative Orientations and Styles	p. 73
Organizational Orientations and Communication Traits	p. 82
Organizational Orientations	p. 82
Personality Types	p. 85
Organizational Orientations and Temperament	p. 90
Organizational Orientations, Temperament, and Communication Traits	p. 90
Organizational Orientations, Temperament, and Organizational Outcomes	p. 90
Perceptions of People in Organizations	p. 94
Source Credibility	p. 96
Interpersonal Attractiveness	p. 97
Homophily	p. 100
Approaches to Management	p. 104
Early Orientations	p. 105
Leadership Approaches	p. 108
The Ideal Leader?	p. 112
Management Communication Styles and Decision Making	p. 113
Decision Making and Communication	p. 115
Why Managers Select One MCS over Another	p. 117
Identifying the MCS	p. 120
Power and Status	p. 123
Nature of Status	p. 123
Status Symbols	p. 124
Communication and Status	p. 125
Power	p. 127
From the Peon's Perspective	p. 132
Organizational Culture	p. 135
Defining Culture	p. 135
Culture and Communication	p. 136
Cultural Terminology	p. 136
Organizations and Cultures	p. 138
Ethnocentrism	p. 141
Communication and Change	p. 149
Why People Resist Change in Organizations	p. 149
Informal Communication Network Roles	p. 151
Innovativeness: The Willingness to Adopt	p. 157
Introducing Change	p. 159
Six Conditions Necessary for Successful Change	p. 165
Disagreement, Conflict, and Groupthink	p. 168
Disagreement and Conflict	p. 169
Tolerance for Disagreement	p. 171
Conflict Prevention	p. 175
Conflict Management	p. 176
Groupthink: Too Much Agreement for the Good of the Organization	p. 178
Effective Supervisory and Subordinate Relationships	p. 185
Why Some Do Not Survive: 10 Common Communication Mistakes	p. 188
How to Survive: Common Communication Strategies for Survival	p. 191
Discrimination and Pseudodiscrimination	p. 198
The Need for Discrimination	p. 198
The Evils of Discrimination	p. 199
Making Evaluations Work (For You)	p. 200
Staying Out of Trouble: The Peon Perspective	p. 202
Dealing with Pseudodiscrimination and Diversity	p. 203
When All Else Fails … Get Out	p. 205
Reasons for Leaving	p. 205
On-the-job Legal Issues	p. 207
Filing a Complaint	p. 208
Job Hunting	p. 209
The Process of Separation	p. 211
The Exit Interview	p. 211
The Transition to a New Job	p. 212
Index	p. 215
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