Communications and Decision Making

1. Introduction to Hospitality, 6e and Introduction to Hospitality Management, 4e Communications and Decision Making John R. Walker Chapter 17

2. Managerial Communication • Personal face-to-face. • Telephone. • Mail/fax. • Memos, reports, log books, & other internal/external written communication. • Email, Internet web sites.

3. Communication • The definition of communication is the exchange of information & meaning. • The essence of communication is the exchange of information. • Another important aspect of communication is understanding the meaning.

4. Types of Communication • Interpersonal: • Between two or more people. • Organizational: • All the different forms, networks, & systems of communication that occur among individuals, groups, or departments within an organization.

5. 7 Elements: Interpersonal Communication Process • The communication source • The message • Encoding • The channel • Decoding • Receiver • Feedback

6. Noise • Part of the interpersonal communication process. • Noise can consist of various activities going on in the background, sounds of machinery or coworkers, or as simple as static in the telephone line or illegible print. • Noise is considered a constant disturbance in the communications process & the cause of distortions of the message.

7. Communicating Interpersonally • When people are engaged in a conversation, only a small fraction of the total message they share is contained in the words they use. • A large part of the message is contained in gestures, postures, facial expressions, vocal elements, etc. (this may = 2/3 of the conversation). • Nonverbal • Body language • Verbal intonation

8. Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication • Perception • Semantics • Nonverbal communication: • Misinterpretations • Multicultural issues • Ambiguity • Defensiveness

9. Overcoming Barriers • Use feedback: • Restate message for clarity. • Active listening: • Listening for the total meaning. • Avoid triggering defensiveness. • Interpersonal Dynamics: • See next slide.

10. Overcoming Barriers • Interpersonal Dynamics: • Have a great attitude toward your associates. • Treat them fairly, with respect, & establish a climate of trust. • Include them in decision making. • Be sensitive to cultural differences. • Learn the best ways to communicate with your associates. • Make sure that your associates know what is expected. • Actively listen to associates. • Involve your associates. • Train & develop associates so they can reach their full potential!

11. Formal vs. Informal Communication • Formal: • Used by managers to communicate job requirements. • Follows chain of command. • Informal: • Discussion may be job related but may not be essential to performing job duties. • Does not follow chain of command.

12. Flow of Communication • Upward: takes place when superiors rely on their subordinates for receiving information. • It flows upward from employees to managers. • Downward: flows down from supervisor to employee. • Lateral: takes place between the employees of a company who are on the same hierarchical level in the organization. • Diagonal: takes place between employees who are on different hierarchical levels & in different departments of the organization.

13. Communication Networks • Chain: flows according to the existing chain of command of an organization. • This includes downward as well as upward communication flow. • Wheel: communication flows between a strong leader & each individual in a group or team. • In this network coworkers communicate solely with their leader. • All-channel: freely flowing communication between all members of a group or team. • The grapevine: one survey reported that 75% of employees hear about matters first through rumors on the grapevine!

14. Decision-Making Process • Identify & define problem. • Identify decision criteria. • Allocation of weights to criteria. • Development of alternatives. • Analysis of alternatives. • Selection of alternative. • Installation of alternative. • Evaluation of decision effectiveness.

15. Making Decisions • Rationality: fully objective & logical. • Bounded rationality: managers make decisions based on the decision-making process that is bounded, or limited, by an individual’s ability to gain information & make decisions. • Intuitive decision making is a subconscious process of making decisions on the basis of experience & accumulated judgment. • Values- & ethics-based • Experience-based • Affect initiated-based • Cognitive-based • Subconscious-based

16. Types of Problems & Decisions • Programmed: situations that recur on a regular basis. • Non-programmed: nonrecurring & made necessary by unusual circumstances. • Conditions under which decisions are made: • Certainty • Risk • Uncertainty

17. Decision-Making Styles • Way of thinking: decision makers differ in their way of thinking; some are rational & logical, while others are intuitive & creative. • Tolerance for ambiguity: managers with a high tolerance for ambiguity save a lot of time while making a decision. • These individuals are able to process many thoughts at the same time.

18. Decision-Making Styles • 4 major decision-making styles: • Directive: low tolerance for ambiguity, rational thinker, usually logical, & efficient. • Analytical: largetolerance for ambiguity, require more information before making their decisions, & consider more alternatives. • Conceptual: look at numerous alternatives, are typically very broad in their outlook, & focus is on the long run. • Behavioral: work well with others, receptive to suggestions, concerned about the achievements of employees, commonly communicate through meetings, & try to avoid conflict.

19. Trends • Trends such as improving technology to aid with communication are likely to continue. • An integral part of management’s decision-making process is the management support system (MSS). • The MSS has two distinctive elements: the management information system (MIS) & the decision support system (DSS).

20. The End