Assignements on how Message distortion
Matching the Columns
1. Employees distort messages A. Is influenced by hierarchy in organizations .
2. Rumors B. To make themselves look good
3. Mum effect C. Means shorter, simpler, less detailed and more abbreviated messages
4. Message distortion D. Reluctance people have to communicate bad news.
5. Receiver orientation E. Knowing the message recipients perceptual filters, vocabulary level, and knowledge of jargon.
6. Leveling F. Are minimized with accurate, reliable information.
Answers:
1.) B
2.) F
3.) D
4.) A
5.) E
6.) C
Multiple Choice
1. Being receptive to rumblings from below _______.
a. Encourages tattle telling
b. Requires evasive answers
c. Helps
minimize rumors
d. Is not good management
2. Hierarchy and stimuli perception _______.
a. Are important for message clarity
b. Are two main
reasons for message distortion
c. Help create identical meanings for the same message
d. None of the above
3. People tend to distort information _______.
a. To please the boss
b. To make themselves look good
c. The more upwardly mobile they are
d. All of the above
4. Pleasing the receiver_______.
a. Effect is modified when employees trust their managers
b. Creates greater accuracy in messages
c. Is essential to getting ahead in the organization
d. Includes sending bad news
True/False
1. _____ Similar items within a message are lumped together and stereotyping can take place.
2. _____ Details may be added to embellish, fill in the gaps, and make the message more sensible and plausible.
3. _____ The Mum effect refers to our reluctance to hear bad news.
4. _____ Negative feedback can seriously damage a organization.
5. _____ Being open to bad news means you are better able to correct problems as they arise.
6. _____ At its worst message distortion is rarely that serious a problem.
Answers:
1.) T
2.) T
3.) F
4.) F
5.) T
6.) F
Summary
Message distortion occurs whenever a message sent by one
communicator is interpreted differently by the person receiving the message. Complex
and costly examples of message distortion often occur on the job when someone
misinterprets instructions about completing a task.
The distortion of messages occurs for several reasons, but one
of the main reasons is that the human mind by its very nature cannot perceive all of the
stimuli that it receives from the world around us.
Although we cannot eliminate distortion completely when we
send messages in an organizational (or any other) setting, this module provided a number
of suggestions about how we can reduce message distortion.
1. ______ The “mum” effect means shorter simpler, less detailed and more abbreviated messages.
2. _______ Receiver orientation refers to knowing the message recipients’ vocabulary level, perceptual filters and knowledge of jargon.
3. _______ Employees can distort messages to make themselves look good.
4. _______ The hierarchy of a organization helps eliminate message distortion.
5. _______ Being receptive to rumblings from below helps to minimize rumors.
6. _______ The more upwardly mobile a person is the more likely he is to distort information.
7. _______ When employees trust their managers the “pleasing the receiver” effect is modified.
8. _______ Negative feedback can seriously damage a organization.
9. _______ Being open to bad news means you are better able to correct problems as they arise.
10. ______ Sharpening occurs when some details of a message become highlighted and take on disproportionate weight to their importance in the original message.
Answers:
1.) F – means reluctance people have to communicating bad news.
2.) T
3.) T
4.) F – hierarchy contributes to message distortion.
5.) T
6.) T
7.) T
8.) F – without negative feedback we cannot change our behavior.
9.) T
10.) T
Bibliography
Argenti, Paul (1997) organizational Communication, Irwin/McGraw-Hill
Larkin, Sandar (1994) Communicating Change, McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
McWhorter, John H. (2002). The Power of
Tannen, Deborah (2001). You Just Don’t Understand: Men and Women in
Conversation, Quill Publishing
Sharpening: some of the details of a message that are retained become highlighted and focused upon. These retained details may take on disproportionate weight to their importance in the original message.
Assimilation: details are distorted to fit with the receiver’s past experiences, expectancy sets, attitudes, perceptions, and previous messages that have been sent and received.
Loss of Qualifiers: statements that were previously qualified tend to become more and more definitive statements.
The Mum effect: refers to the reluctance people have in communicating bad news to others. Not only do people not like to hear bad news, most of us do not like to tell bad news to others either.
1. If the managers state concisely what is needed in their message why is
there so much message distortion?
No two people have the same physical and psychological makeup and do not have the same background and experiences. They cannot create identical meanings for the same message. In addition our memories are not perfect, leading us often to fill in information that is missing because we do not remember exactly what was said. Distortion is an inherent part of the communication process itself.
2. Why is trust such an important factor in message distortion in the
hierarchy?
The greater the trust an employee has in a manager, the greater the accuracy of the messages. If an employee trusts the manager or supervisor to keep his best interests in mind, listen and provide feedback, he is more likely to trust the manager with all the aspects of a message, both positive and negative.
3. Why is negative feedback such an important part of information networks?
Doesn’t it just create a negative work atmosphere?
Without negative feedback, we cannot change our behavior. As a manager it is
important to establish a positive communication climate where your employees feel
comfortable coming to you with bad news. If they do not feel comfortable to do so, the
problem will not go away. Being open to bad news means that you are better able to correct
problems as they arise and before those problems spin out of control.
End of Module