Communication in the Digital World
OLS 252: Organizational Behavior
The Perceptual Model of Communication1. Sender - The sender is the person attempting to communicate some sort of information

2. Message - This information the sender is communication would considered the Message. Traditionally, we think of "important" messages as those being communicated verbally, and textual messages as having less effect or importance.

3. Receiver - Whoever the target audience is for a message, is also called the receiver. The more people that are receiving a message, the more power this message usually holds.Selecting a MediumThis process involves deciding how you want to share your message. There are 2 general classes we can divide the mediums for communication in most situations:a. Physical media
b. Mechanical mediaThe unemployment situation, explained through .GIFs...1. What companies blame unemployment on
2. How this makes potential employees feel
3. What are the companies doing to help?
4. Then economists come in, all like..
5. They tell companies to be more like..
6. The government steps in with stimulus packages
7. Some people feel..
8. Others say..
9. But then the government says it's working
10. Well, kind of
11. So where does this put us?

It could be argued that the most effective means of communication would be face-to-face.

Unfortunately, we would greatly diminish our ability to exchange ideas, collaborate, and nurture relationships if we depended on this form alone.FeedbackAlthough not all messages will elicit the reaction you might hope for, they all will effect someone, somewhere, somehow.
Feedback from the receiver is an integral part of how humans learn to communicate.

Without it, it's difficult for the sender to work on their chosen medium -- or message in general -- and learn how to communicate effectively.Barriers to CommunicationPersonal Barriers1. Variable skills (some people are natural communicators)
2. Variations in how information is processed and interpreted
3. Variations in interpersonal trust
4. Stereotypes and prejudices
5. Big Egos
6. Poor listening
7. Evaluating another’s message
8. Inability to listen with understanding
9.Nonverbal CommunicationPhysical BarriersWith globalization, more people are communicating with eachother all over the world.

This also causes timing problems when we consider the different timezones across continents.Semantic BarriersSemantics refers to the different interpretations the same word or phrase can have for different people. Many times this has to do with general language barriers or cultural differences.Communication StylesAggressivea. taking advantage of others
b. self-enhancing at others’ expense
c. Glaring eye contact, moving/leaning too close, threatening gestures, loud voice, frequent interruptions.d. Swear words, evaluations of others behaviors, sexist/racist terms, explicit threats or put downsAssertivea. Characterized by pushing hard without attacking,
b. Permits others to influence outcome
c. Expressive and self-enhancing without intruding on others.
d. Good eye contact, comfortable but firm posture, strong/steady/audible voice, selective interruptions to ensure understanding
e. Direct and unambiguous language, use of “I” and “we” statements.Nonassertivea. Encouraging others to take advantage, inhibited, self-denying
b. Little eye contact, downward glances, slumped posture, wringing hands, weak or whiny voice
c. “Maybe”,”kind of”, “uh”, “you know”, “well”, “It’s not really that important”, “I’m not sure”Nonverbal CommunicationNonverbal communication is any message, sent or received independant of the written or spoken word...a. time and space
b. distance between persons when conversing
c. environment or setting of interactionIt is used in daily life at work or at home. The type of relationship between people is also a factor as to how it is used in daily life.Body Movements and Gesturesa. Open body positions
b. Immediacy
c. Defensive posturesBody-language analysis is subjective and can be easily misinterpreted.TouchTouching conveys an impression of warmth and caring and can be used to create a personal bond between people.
Be careful about touching people from diverse cultures, however, as norms for touching may vary significantly around the world.Facial ExpressionsConvey a wealth of information.Example: Smiling typically represents warmth, happiness, or friendship, whereasFrowning conveys dissatisfaction or anger.

In other cultures facial expressions can have different meanings.Eye ContactEye Contact is a strong nonverbal cue that varies across cultures.

Westerners are taught at an early age to look at their parents when spoken to.

Asians are taught to avoid eye contact with a parent or superior in order to show obedience and subservience.Active ListeningListening is the process of actively decoding and interpreting verbal messages.

What kind of listening styles can be used to by people and how can people use these styles to make themselves better listeners?Appreciative listeners
Empathetic listeners
Comprehensive listeners
Discerning listeners
Evaluative listenersDecoding Communication in a Digital WorldA few important points to be aware of regarding communication:1. Communication is simply an attempt to make sense of all the entirely confusing, thoroughly exhausting misperceptions we experience day in and day out.

2. We are at a time when as many as four different generations are working together in organizations, all of whom have different values.

3. Communication is dependent on feedback.

4. Digital communication gives us more choice in how we communicate and, more importantly, how we interact with the messages of others.

5. Communication is a choiceWhat do you think?BKDCSWhy do you think fortune 500 companies have been slow to adapt to social media communication?5 GuysIf digital technology allows more people to communicate their ideas and beliefs, does this serve as a distraction or is diversity always a net positive trait?Dr. M^3How can organizations better serve their customers and employees through better management of digital communication?MIAHow do you think a crowd-sourcing tool, like RapGenius, can change the way we interact, especially within institutes like Education, Health, and Politics?Team IndecisionDo you think "human interaction" suffers due to digital communication, or is it enhanced by it?
Write the lyrics for a misc song made in 2013, titled "Communication in the Digital World", by artist "OLS 252: Organizational Behavior".