{"id":1075,"date":"2025-04-30T19:49:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T19:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1075"},"modified":"2025-07-16T22:30:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T22:30:15","slug":"common-channels-of-communication-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/common-channels-of-communication-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"raw":"Common Channels of Communication in the Workplace","rendered":"Common Channels of Communication in the Workplace"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nBy the end of this section, you should be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Explain the information richness of various channels.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Know when to use written versus verbal communication.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Understand the direction of communication in organizations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nNow that we've built a foundation for organizational communication, let's review our learning before moving on to other aspects of workplace communication. Remember that the channel, or medium, used to communicate a message affects how accurately the message will be received. Verbal, written, and nonverbal communications have different strengths and weaknesses. In the workplace, the decision to communicate verbally or in written form can be a powerful one. In addition, a competent manager is aware of the nonverbal messages conveyed by both types of communication, as noted earlier; only 7% of verbal communication comes from the words themselves.\r\n<h2>Information Richness<\/h2>\r\nChannels vary in their <strong>[pb_glossary id=\"2258\"]information richness[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>. Information-rich channels convey more nonverbal information. As you may be able to guess from our earlier discussion of verbal and written communications, verbal communications are richer than written ones. Research indicates that effective managers utilize more information-rich communication channels than their less effective counterparts (Allen &amp; Griffeth, 1997; Fulk &amp; Boyd, 1991; Yates &amp; Orlikowski, 1992). Table 4.1 illustrates the information richness of different information channels.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<p id=\"tablepress-9-name\" class=\"tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-9\"><em>Table 5.1.1 Guide for When to Use Written Versus Verbal Communication<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"tablepress-9_wrapper\" class=\"dataTables_wrapper no-footer\">\r\n<table id=\"tablepress-9\" class=\"shaded aligncenter\" style=\"height: 362px; width: 546px;\" role=\"grid\" width=\"547\" aria-labelledby=\"tablepress-9-name\"><caption>Guide for Written vs. Verbal Communication\u00a0<\/caption>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\" role=\"row\">\r\n<th class=\"column-1 sorting_disabled\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Information Channel<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<th class=\"column-2 sorting_disabled\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Information Riches<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\r\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Face-to-face conversation<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">High<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Videoconferencing<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">High<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Telephone conversation<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">High<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">E-mails<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Handheld devices<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Blogs<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Written letters and memos<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-9 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Formal written documents<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Low<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-10 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Spreadsheets<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Low<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nLike face-to-face and telephone conversations, videoconferencing has high information richness because communicators can see or hear beyond just the words\u2014they can see body language or hear the tone of their voice. Handheld devices, blogs, written letters, and memos offer medium-rich channels because they convey words and pictures\/photos. Formal written documents, such as legal documents, and spreadsheets, such as the division\u2019s budget, represent the least richness because the format is often rigid and standardized. As a result, nuance is lost. When communicating verbally or in writing, ask yourself: Do I want to convey facts or feelings? Verbal communication is a better way to express emotions, while written communication conveys facts more effectively.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">The Manager's Speech<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nPicture a manager making a speech to a team of 20 employees. The manager is speaking at a normal pace. The employees appear interested. But how much information is being transmitted? Not as much as the speaker believes! Humans listen much faster than they speak.\r\n\r\nReflect on the section on listening and the effort required for the five stages of listening. Now, consider that the average public speaker communicates at a speed of about 125 words a minute. And that pace sounds acceptable to the audience. (In fact, anything faster than that probably would sound weird. To put that figure in perspective, someone having an excited conversation speaks at about 150 words a minute.)\r\n\r\nBased on these numbers, we could assume the employees have enough time to take in each word the manager delivers. And that\u2019s the problem. The average person in the audience can hear 400\u2013500 words a minute (Lee &amp; Hatesohl, 2008). The audience has more than enough time to listen to. As a result, they will each be processing many thoughts on totally different subjects while the manager is speaking. This example demonstrates that oral communication is an inherently flawed medium for conveying specific facts. Listeners\u2019 minds wander! It\u2019s nothing personal\u2014in fact, it\u2019s physical. Once we understand this fact in business, we can make more intelligent communication choices based on the information we want to convey.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe key to effective communication is to match the communication channel with the goal of the communication (Barry &amp; Fulmer, 2004). For example, written media may be a better choice when the communicator wants a record of the content, has less urgency for a response, is physically separated from the receiver, doesn\u2019t require a lot of feedback, or the message is complicated and may take some time to understand. Oral communication is more effective when conveying a sensitive or emotional message, requires immediate feedback, and does not necessitate a permanent conversation record. Table 5.2.2 provides a guide for deciding when to use written versus verbal communication.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<p id=\"tablepress-10-name\" class=\"tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-10\"><em>Table 5.2.2 Guide for When to Use Written Versus Verbal Communication<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"tablepress-10_wrapper\" class=\"dataTables_wrapper no-footer\">\r\n<table id=\"tablepress-10\" class=\"shaded\" role=\"grid\" aria-labelledby=\"tablepress-10-name\"><caption>Written vs. Verbal<\/caption>\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\" role=\"row\">\r\n<th class=\"column-1 sorting_disabled\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Use Written Communication When:<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<th class=\"column-2 sorting_disabled\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Use Verbal Communication When:<\/strong><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\r\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\">conveying facts<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\">conveying emotion and feelings<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\">The messages need to become part of a permanent file<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\">The message does not need to be permanent<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\">There is little time urgency<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\">There is time urgency<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\">You do not need immediate feedback<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\">You need immediate feedback<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\r\n<td class=\"column-1\">The ideas are complicated<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"column-2\">The ideas are simple or can be made simple with explanations<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Business Use of E-Mail<\/h2>\r\nThe growth of e-mail has been spectacular, but it has also created challenges in managing information and an ever-increasing speed of doing business. Learning to be more effective in your email communications is an important skill. To learn more, check out the business e-mail dos and don\u2019ts.\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<h3><strong>Business E-Mail Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>DON\u2019T send or forward chain e-mails.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DON\u2019T put anything in an e-mail you don\u2019t want the world to see.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DON\u2019T write a message in capital letters\u2014this is the equivalent of SHOUTING.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DON\u2019T routinely \u201ccc\u201d everyone all the time. Reducing inbox clutter is a great way to increase communication.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DON\u2019T hit Send until you spell-check your e-mail.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DO use a subject line that summarizes your message, adjusting it as the message changes over time.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DO make your request in the first line of your e-mail. (If that\u2019s all you need to say, stop there!)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DO end your e-mail with a brief sign-off, \"Thank you,\u201d followed by your name and contact information.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DO think of a work email as a binding communication.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>DO let others know if you\u2019ve received an e-mail in error.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Source:<\/strong>\u00a0Adapted from information in Leland, K., &amp; Bailey, K. (2000).\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Customer service for dummies<\/em>. Wiley; Information Technology Services. (1997).<em> Top 10 email dos and top 10 email don\u2019ts.<\/em>\u00a0University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center<em>.\u00a0<\/em><a class=\"link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.uic.edu\/hsc\/uicmc\/its\/customers\/email-tips.htm\">http:\/\/www.uic.edu\/hsc\/uicmc\/its\/customers\/email-tips.htm<\/a>; Kawasaki, G. (2006, February 3).\u00a0<em>The effective emailer.<\/em>\u00a0How to Change the World.\u00a0<a class=\"link\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.guykawasaki.com\/2006\/02\/the_effective_e.html\">http:\/\/blog.guykawasaki.com\/2006\/02\/the_effective_e.html<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAn important, although often ignored, rule when communicating emotional information is that e-mail\u2019s lack of richness can be your loss. As we saw in the chart above, e-mail is a medium-rich channel. It can convey facts quickly. However, regarding emotion, e-mail\u2019s flaws make it far less desirable than oral communication; 55% of nonverbal cues that make a conversation comprehensible to a listener are missing. In a recent study, researchers note that email readers don\u2019t pick up on sarcasm and other tonal aspects of writing as much as the writer believes they will (Kruger, 2005). The sender may think they have included these emotional signifiers in their message. But with words alone, those signifiers are not there. This gap between the form and content of e-mail inspired the rise of emoticons, symbols that offer clues to the emotional side of the words in each Message. Generally speaking, however, emoticons are not considered professional in business communication.\r\n\r\nYou may feel uncomfortable conveying an emotionally charged message verbally, especially when it contains unwelcome news. Sending an e-mail to your staff that there will be no bonuses this year may seem easier than breaking the evil news face-to-face, but that doesn\u2019t mean that e-mail is an effective or appropriate way to deliver this kind of news. When the message is emotional, the sender should use verbal communication to convey it effectively. Indeed, a good rule of thumb is that the more emotionally laden messages require more thought in the channel choice and how they are communicated.\r\n<h2>Direction of Communication Within Organizations<\/h2>\r\nAs we learned in our previous chapters, information can move horizontally, from a Sender to a Receiver, as we\u2019ve seen. It can also move vertically, down from top management or up from the front line. Information can also move diagonally between and among levels of an organization, such as a message from a customer service representative up to a manager in the manufacturing department, or a message from the chief financial officer sent down to all department heads.\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_255\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-255\">\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_255\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"435\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2278\/2022\/01\/Figure-2.4-Communication.png\" data-lity=\"true\"><img class=\"wp-image-255\" src=\"https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2278\/2022\/01\/Figure-2.4-Communication-1024x848.png\" alt=\"Upwards and downwards from supervisor to subordinate and diagonally and laterally from different departments to coworkers.\" width=\"435\" height=\"360\" \/><\/a> Figure 5.1.3\u00a0 Communication flows in many different directions within an organization.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\nThere is a chance for these arrows to go awry, of course. As Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2004), author of best-selling books such as Flow, has noted, \u201cIn large organizations, the dilution of information as it passes up and down the hierarchy, and horizontally across departments, can undermine the effort to focus on common goals\u201d (p. 75). Managers need to remember this when they make organizational design decisions as part of the organizing function. The sender's organizational status can affect the receiver\u2019s attentiveness to the message. For example, consider a senior manager sending a memo to a production supervisor. The supervisor, who has a lower status within the organization, will likely pay close attention to the message. However, the same information conveyed in the opposite direction might not get the attention it deserves. The senior manager\u2019s perception of priorities and urgencies would filter the message.\r\n<h2>External Communications<\/h2>\r\n<strong>[pb_glossary id=\"2255\"]External communications[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong> deliver specific business messages to individuals outside an organization. They may announce changes in staff or strategy, earnings, and more. The goal of external communication is to create shared understanding. Examples of external communications include press releases, advertisements, web pages, and customer communications, such as catalogs.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Takeaway<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Understanding the channel richness and the appropriate way to communicate is crucial to succeeding in workplace communication.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">References<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nThis section is adapted from:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uark.pressbooks.pub\/commleadership\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\">Principles of Management for Leadership Communication<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0University of Minnesota\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.\r\n\r\nAllen, D. G., &amp; Griffeth, R. W. (1997). Vertical and lateral information processing.\u00a0<em>Human Relations, 50<\/em>(10), 1239-1260.\r\n\r\nBarry, B., &amp; Fulmer, I. S. (2004). The medium and the message: The adaptive use of communication media in dyadic influence<em class=\"emphasis\">. Academy of Management Review<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">29<\/em>, 272\u2013292.\r\n\r\nCsikszentmihalyi, M. (2004).\u00a0<em>Good business: Leadership, flow, and the making of meaning.<\/em>\u00a0Penguin.\r\n\r\nFulk, J., &amp; Boyd, B. (1991). Emerging theories of communication in organizations.\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>, 407\u2013446.\r\n\r\nKruger, J. (2005). Egocentrism over email: Can we communicate as well as we think?\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">89<\/em>, 925\u2013936.\r\n\r\nLee, D., &amp; Hatesohl, D. (2008).\u00a0<em>Listening: Our most used communication skill.<\/em>\u00a0University of Missouri. Retrieved July 2, 2008, from\u00a0http:\/\/extension.missouri.edu\/explore\/comm\/cm0150.htm.\r\n\r\nYates, J., &amp; Orlikowski, W. J. (1992). Genres of organizational communication: A structurational approach to studying communication and media.\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Academy of Management Review<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>, 299\u2013326.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Attribution<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/communicationpsychology\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\">Psychology, Communication, and the Canadian Workplace<\/a>\u00a0Copyright \u00a9 2022 by\u00a0Laura Westmaas, BA, MSc\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.\r\n\r\nFigure 1 <em>Adapted from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uark.pressbooks.pub\/commleadership\">Principles of Management for Leadership Communication<\/a>\u00a0by University of Minnesota information .\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/a>. Color altered from original.<\/em>\r\n\r\nTable 1 &amp; 2 <em>Adapted from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uark.pressbooks.pub\/commleadership\">Principles of Management for Leadership Communication: Leadership Communication Edition, University of Arkansas<\/a>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/a>. Converted from original to a table.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>By the end of this section, you should be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explain the information richness of various channels.<\/li>\n<li>Know when to use written versus verbal communication.<\/li>\n<li>Understand the direction of communication in organizations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now that we&#8217;ve built a foundation for organizational communication, let&#8217;s review our learning before moving on to other aspects of workplace communication. Remember that the channel, or medium, used to communicate a message affects how accurately the message will be received. Verbal, written, and nonverbal communications have different strengths and weaknesses. In the workplace, the decision to communicate verbally or in written form can be a powerful one. In addition, a competent manager is aware of the nonverbal messages conveyed by both types of communication, as noted earlier; only 7% of verbal communication comes from the words themselves.<\/p>\n<h2>Information Richness<\/h2>\n<p>Channels vary in their <strong><a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_1075_2258\">information richness<\/a><\/strong>. Information-rich channels convey more nonverbal information. As you may be able to guess from our earlier discussion of verbal and written communications, verbal communications are richer than written ones. Research indicates that effective managers utilize more information-rich communication channels than their less effective counterparts (Allen &amp; Griffeth, 1997; Fulk &amp; Boyd, 1991; Yates &amp; Orlikowski, 1992). Table 4.1 illustrates the information richness of different information channels.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p id=\"tablepress-9-name\" class=\"tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-9\"><em>Table 5.1.1 Guide for When to Use Written Versus Verbal Communication<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"tablepress-9_wrapper\" class=\"dataTables_wrapper no-footer\">\n<table id=\"tablepress-9\" class=\"shaded aligncenter\" style=\"height: 362px; width: 546px; width: 547px;\" role=\"grid\" aria-labelledby=\"tablepress-9-name\">\n<caption>Guide for Written vs. Verbal Communication\u00a0<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\" role=\"row\">\n<th class=\"column-1 sorting_disabled\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Information Channel<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2 sorting_disabled\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Information Riches<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Face-to-face conversation<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">High<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Videoconferencing<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">High<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Telephone conversation<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">High<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">E-mails<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Handheld devices<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Blogs<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Written letters and memos<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Medium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-9 odd\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Formal written documents<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Low<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-10 even\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td class=\"column-1\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 183.488px;\">Spreadsheets<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\" style=\"height: 24px; width: 348.913px;\">Low<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Like face-to-face and telephone conversations, videoconferencing has high information richness because communicators can see or hear beyond just the words\u2014they can see body language or hear the tone of their voice. Handheld devices, blogs, written letters, and memos offer medium-rich channels because they convey words and pictures\/photos. Formal written documents, such as legal documents, and spreadsheets, such as the division\u2019s budget, represent the least richness because the format is often rigid and standardized. As a result, nuance is lost. When communicating verbally or in writing, ask yourself: Do I want to convey facts or feelings? Verbal communication is a better way to express emotions, while written communication conveys facts more effectively.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">The Manager&#8217;s Speech<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Picture a manager making a speech to a team of 20 employees. The manager is speaking at a normal pace. The employees appear interested. But how much information is being transmitted? Not as much as the speaker believes! Humans listen much faster than they speak.<\/p>\n<p>Reflect on the section on listening and the effort required for the five stages of listening. Now, consider that the average public speaker communicates at a speed of about 125 words a minute. And that pace sounds acceptable to the audience. (In fact, anything faster than that probably would sound weird. To put that figure in perspective, someone having an excited conversation speaks at about 150 words a minute.)<\/p>\n<p>Based on these numbers, we could assume the employees have enough time to take in each word the manager delivers. And that\u2019s the problem. The average person in the audience can hear 400\u2013500 words a minute (Lee &amp; Hatesohl, 2008). The audience has more than enough time to listen to. As a result, they will each be processing many thoughts on totally different subjects while the manager is speaking. This example demonstrates that oral communication is an inherently flawed medium for conveying specific facts. Listeners\u2019 minds wander! It\u2019s nothing personal\u2014in fact, it\u2019s physical. Once we understand this fact in business, we can make more intelligent communication choices based on the information we want to convey.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The key to effective communication is to match the communication channel with the goal of the communication (Barry &amp; Fulmer, 2004). For example, written media may be a better choice when the communicator wants a record of the content, has less urgency for a response, is physically separated from the receiver, doesn\u2019t require a lot of feedback, or the message is complicated and may take some time to understand. Oral communication is more effective when conveying a sensitive or emotional message, requires immediate feedback, and does not necessitate a permanent conversation record. Table 5.2.2 provides a guide for deciding when to use written versus verbal communication.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p id=\"tablepress-10-name\" class=\"tablepress-table-name tablepress-table-name-id-10\"><em>Table 5.2.2 Guide for When to Use Written Versus Verbal Communication<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"tablepress-10_wrapper\" class=\"dataTables_wrapper no-footer\">\n<table id=\"tablepress-10\" class=\"shaded\" role=\"grid\" aria-labelledby=\"tablepress-10-name\">\n<caption>Written vs. Verbal<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\" role=\"row\">\n<th class=\"column-1 sorting_disabled\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Use Written Communication When:<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2 sorting_disabled\" colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Use Verbal Communication When:<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">conveying facts<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">conveying emotion and feelings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">The messages need to become part of a permanent file<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">The message does not need to be permanent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">There is little time urgency<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">There is time urgency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">You do not need immediate feedback<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">You need immediate feedback<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">The ideas are complicated<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">The ideas are simple or can be made simple with explanations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Business Use of E-Mail<\/h2>\n<p>The growth of e-mail has been spectacular, but it has also created challenges in managing information and an ever-increasing speed of doing business. Learning to be more effective in your email communications is an important skill. To learn more, check out the business e-mail dos and don\u2019ts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<h3><strong>Business E-Mail Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>DON\u2019T send or forward chain e-mails.<\/li>\n<li>DON\u2019T put anything in an e-mail you don\u2019t want the world to see.<\/li>\n<li>DON\u2019T write a message in capital letters\u2014this is the equivalent of SHOUTING.<\/li>\n<li>DON\u2019T routinely \u201ccc\u201d everyone all the time. Reducing inbox clutter is a great way to increase communication.<\/li>\n<li>DON\u2019T hit Send until you spell-check your e-mail.<\/li>\n<li>DO use a subject line that summarizes your message, adjusting it as the message changes over time.<\/li>\n<li>DO make your request in the first line of your e-mail. (If that\u2019s all you need to say, stop there!)<\/li>\n<li>DO end your e-mail with a brief sign-off, &#8220;Thank you,\u201d followed by your name and contact information.<\/li>\n<li>DO think of a work email as a binding communication.<\/li>\n<li>DO let others know if you\u2019ve received an e-mail in error.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong>\u00a0Adapted from information in Leland, K., &amp; Bailey, K. (2000).\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Customer service for dummies<\/em>. Wiley; Information Technology Services. (1997).<em> Top 10 email dos and top 10 email don\u2019ts.<\/em>\u00a0University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center<em>.\u00a0<\/em><a class=\"link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.uic.edu\/hsc\/uicmc\/its\/customers\/email-tips.htm\">http:\/\/www.uic.edu\/hsc\/uicmc\/its\/customers\/email-tips.htm<\/a>; Kawasaki, G. (2006, February 3).\u00a0<em>The effective emailer.<\/em>\u00a0How to Change the World.\u00a0<a class=\"link\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.guykawasaki.com\/2006\/02\/the_effective_e.html\">http:\/\/blog.guykawasaki.com\/2006\/02\/the_effective_e.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>An important, although often ignored, rule when communicating emotional information is that e-mail\u2019s lack of richness can be your loss. As we saw in the chart above, e-mail is a medium-rich channel. It can convey facts quickly. However, regarding emotion, e-mail\u2019s flaws make it far less desirable than oral communication; 55% of nonverbal cues that make a conversation comprehensible to a listener are missing. In a recent study, researchers note that email readers don\u2019t pick up on sarcasm and other tonal aspects of writing as much as the writer believes they will (Kruger, 2005). The sender may think they have included these emotional signifiers in their message. But with words alone, those signifiers are not there. This gap between the form and content of e-mail inspired the rise of emoticons, symbols that offer clues to the emotional side of the words in each Message. Generally speaking, however, emoticons are not considered professional in business communication.<\/p>\n<p>You may feel uncomfortable conveying an emotionally charged message verbally, especially when it contains unwelcome news. Sending an e-mail to your staff that there will be no bonuses this year may seem easier than breaking the evil news face-to-face, but that doesn\u2019t mean that e-mail is an effective or appropriate way to deliver this kind of news. When the message is emotional, the sender should use verbal communication to convey it effectively. Indeed, a good rule of thumb is that the more emotionally laden messages require more thought in the channel choice and how they are communicated.<\/p>\n<h2>Direction of Communication Within Organizations<\/h2>\n<p>As we learned in our previous chapters, information can move horizontally, from a Sender to a Receiver, as we\u2019ve seen. It can also move vertically, down from top management or up from the front line. Information can also move diagonally between and among levels of an organization, such as a message from a customer service representative up to a manager in the manufacturing department, or a message from the chief financial officer sent down to all department heads.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_255\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-255\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-255\" style=\"width: 435px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2278\/2022\/01\/Figure-2.4-Communication.png\" data-lity=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-255\" src=\"https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2278\/2022\/01\/Figure-2.4-Communication-1024x848.png\" alt=\"Upwards and downwards from supervisor to subordinate and diagonally and laterally from different departments to coworkers.\" width=\"435\" height=\"360\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 5.1.3\u00a0 Communication flows in many different directions within an organization.<\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There is a chance for these arrows to go awry, of course. As Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2004), author of best-selling books such as Flow, has noted, \u201cIn large organizations, the dilution of information as it passes up and down the hierarchy, and horizontally across departments, can undermine the effort to focus on common goals\u201d (p. 75). Managers need to remember this when they make organizational design decisions as part of the organizing function. The sender&#8217;s organizational status can affect the receiver\u2019s attentiveness to the message. For example, consider a senior manager sending a memo to a production supervisor. The supervisor, who has a lower status within the organization, will likely pay close attention to the message. However, the same information conveyed in the opposite direction might not get the attention it deserves. The senior manager\u2019s perception of priorities and urgencies would filter the message.<\/p>\n<h2>External Communications<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_1075_2255\">External communications<\/a><\/strong> deliver specific business messages to individuals outside an organization. They may announce changes in staff or strategy, earnings, and more. The goal of external communication is to create shared understanding. Examples of external communications include press releases, advertisements, web pages, and customer communications, such as catalogs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Takeaway<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Understanding the channel richness and the appropriate way to communicate is crucial to succeeding in workplace communication.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">References<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>This section is adapted from:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uark.pressbooks.pub\/commleadership\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\">Principles of Management for Leadership Communication<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0University of Minnesota\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.<\/p>\n<p>Allen, D. G., &amp; Griffeth, R. W. (1997). Vertical and lateral information processing.\u00a0<em>Human Relations, 50<\/em>(10), 1239-1260.<\/p>\n<p>Barry, B., &amp; Fulmer, I. S. (2004). The medium and the message: The adaptive use of communication media in dyadic influence<em class=\"emphasis\">. Academy of Management Review<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">29<\/em>, 272\u2013292.<\/p>\n<p>Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2004).\u00a0<em>Good business: Leadership, flow, and the making of meaning.<\/em>\u00a0Penguin.<\/p>\n<p>Fulk, J., &amp; Boyd, B. (1991). Emerging theories of communication in organizations.\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Management<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>, 407\u2013446.<\/p>\n<p>Kruger, J. (2005). Egocentrism over email: Can we communicate as well as we think?\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">89<\/em>, 925\u2013936.<\/p>\n<p>Lee, D., &amp; Hatesohl, D. (2008).\u00a0<em>Listening: Our most used communication skill.<\/em>\u00a0University of Missouri. Retrieved July 2, 2008, from\u00a0http:\/\/extension.missouri.edu\/explore\/comm\/cm0150.htm.<\/p>\n<p>Yates, J., &amp; Orlikowski, W. J. (1992). Genres of organizational communication: A structurational approach to studying communication and media.\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">Academy of Management Review<\/em>,\u00a0<em class=\"emphasis\">17<\/em>, 299\u2013326.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Attribution<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/communicationpsychology\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\">Psychology, Communication, and the Canadian Workplace<\/a>\u00a0Copyright \u00a9 2022 by\u00a0Laura Westmaas, BA, MSc\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License<\/a>, except where otherwise noted.<\/p>\n<p>Figure 1 <em>Adapted from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uark.pressbooks.pub\/commleadership\">Principles of Management for Leadership Communication<\/a>\u00a0by University of Minnesota information .\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/a>. Color altered from original.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Table 1 &amp; 2 <em>Adapted from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uark.pressbooks.pub\/commleadership\">Principles of Management for Leadership Communication: Leadership Communication Edition, University of Arkansas<\/a>.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\" rel=\"noopener\">CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/a>. Converted from original to a table.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_1075_2258\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_1075_2258\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>the capacity of a communication method to convey detailed information and context.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_1075_2255\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_1075_2255\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>specific business messages delivered to individuals outside an organization.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":133,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1075","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1069,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2613,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1075\/revisions\/2613"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1069"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1075\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1075"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1075"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}