Chapter Four

Managing Information

Chapter Objectives

• Define task, maintenance, and human messages.

• Identify five characteristics of effectively communicated information.

• Define media richness• Describe the distinction between first- and

second-level effects of technology.• Explain the perspective of those who support

the need for human moments.• Discuss the advantages of print, face-to-face,

and electronic methods of communication.• Evaluate the way information is managed in an

organization with which you are familiar

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Identifying Message Needs

• Organizations process information to manage uncertainty and equivocality.

• Information decreases frustration.– An organization may be able to

survive without information sharing, but the performance of the organization will likely be reduced.

– The withholding of information counters any credible management theory.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Task, Maintenance, and Human Messages

• Task messages explain employee jobs or responsibilities.

• Maintenance messages explain guidelines, rules, policies, regulations, objectives, and any related procedural information.– They help an organization “maintain”

operations.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Task, Maintenance, and Human Messages

• Human Messages are concerned with the human needs of employees.– Messages pertaining to employee

morale, attitudes, gripes, and relationships all fall into this category.

– Messages that evaluate performance also fall into this category

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(continued)

Five Criteria for Effectively

Communicated MessagesMessages should be:• Timely• Clear• Accurate• Pertinent• Credible

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Selecting Message Media

Choosing the proper message medium depends on many factors related to media richness. A medium’s richness depends on the following three criteria:

• The opportunity for immediate feedback.• The presence of multiple communication

cues.• The capacity to tailor a message to

personal circumstances.Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Additional Criteria when Evaluating Media

Additional concerns to consider when selecting an information medium include:

• The potential for information overload.

• The need for permanence.• The need for speed.• The cost to send a message

through a specific medium.Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

New Technology: Examining First- and Second-level

Effects• First level effects refer to what the

technology was designed to accomplish.• Second-level effects of technology refer

to the derivative effects of that technology’s use.

• Second-level consequences include:– Flaming and inappropriate self-

disclosure.– The inappropriate utilization of

technology.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management refers to the finding, organizing, and dissemination of organizational knowledge and is needed to create what has been coined, a “learning organization.”

• Concern for knowledge management has increased with the availability of sophisticated electronic communication technologies.

• Identifying, cataloguing, and disseminating knowledge effectively provides organizational members the ability to work independently towards interdependent goals.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Knowledge Management

The steps involved with knowledge management are complex.

• Identifying relevant information and sources of information.

• Acquiring the information.• Disseminating and utilizing the information

correctly.• Preserving the information for future use.• Measuring the information’s usefulness.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

(continued)

The Human Moment

The importance of human contact cannot be over emphasized.

• Human moments require the physical presence of the communicating parties and the intellectual and emotional attention from each party to the other.

• The lack of such attention can have negative consequences on employee well-being.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Summary: Ten Principles of Information Management and

Media Choice1. The objective of any communication is to get

information to a receiver.2. There are three types of messages; Task,

Maintenance, and Human.3. Information must be timely, credible,

pertinent, clear, and accurate.4. There are strengths and weaknesses for each

media choice.5. The “richest” media are those that contain

multiple cues.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©

Summary: Ten Principles of Information Management and

Media Choice6. When selecting media, communicators need

to be aware of the possibility of information overload, the speed of transmission, and the need for message permanence.

7. New technology is not a panacea and must be viewed in terms of both first- and second-level effects.

8. Using complementary media is okay.9. Humans have needs for human moments.10. Understanding and respecting your audience

is an essential factor for choosing communication methods.

Organizational Communication: Foundations for Business and Management, 2e Thomson, 2006 ©