Communication Climate
Instructions:-
Module 2 – SLP
Managing Groups and Teams
Communication Climate
Communication is the grease which makes relationships in organizations run smoothly, and by extension, directly affects the effectiveness of the organization itself. Communication climate refers to the mood or tone of interpersonal communications and determines in great part how people feel about each other and how they carry out their work activities. Thus, communication climate has a great deal of influence over the organizational climate or general atmosphere of the work environment. Read the following blog about what it is like to work in a defensive climate:
Dukes, A.J. (2012). Defensive v Supportive Climates in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://scom320class.blogspot.com/2012/07/defensive-v-supportive-climates-in.html
As you can see from this blog entry, defensive climates create a situation where employees do not raise work concerns, or communicate their needs. They are careful about what they say and guard their opinions. Frequently they exhibit low motivation.
Supportive climates, on the other hand, encourage employee participation and engagement, an open exchange of information, and constructive conflict. Employees who work in supportive environments often exhibit greater organizational commitment, an attitude cited as highly desirable in Module 1.
The Communication Climate Inventory was developed as a means of measuring the degree of supportiveness and defensiveness in an organization. For this SLP, take the inventory and score your organization’s communication climate using the scale below. Take the Communication Climate Inventory.
Defensive Score
Supportive Score
SLP Assignment
Compose a 2- to 3-page blog like the one you read for this SLP, describing the climate in your organization, department, or team. Do not use the actual name of the organization – you can make up a pseudonym. Include the following in your description:
Is the climate supportive or defensive? Does this align with the results of your Communication Climate Inventory? Attach your Inventory results as an appendix. (Note: This appendix requirement will likely increase your paper’s Turnitin similarity score; your professor is aware of this.)
How does the communication climate affect motivation and organizational/team commitment?
How could you improve the communication climate in your organization, department, or team?
What communication skills would you like to learn or improve on in order to create a supportive communication climate?
Be sure to support your analysis with concepts and principles introduced in the background readings on communication as well as conflict and teams (if appropriate). You may also incorporate outside research to supplement the background material. Cite all sources properly.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated using the criteria as stated in the SLP rubric. The following is a review of the rubric criteria:
Assignment-Driven: Does the paper fully address all aspects of the assignment? Is the assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
Critical Thinking: Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
Business Writing: Is the essay logical, well organized and well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
Effective Use of Information: Does the submission demonstrate that the student has read, understood and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality (library?) sources? Do additional sources used provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all sources cited in the paper been included on the References page?
Timeliness: Has the assignment been submitted to TLC (Trident’s learning management system) on or before the module’s due date?
Solution
Communication Climate
“Concentrate on finishing up the other work, you can also ask for assistance when needed. I will find someone else to help in performing inventory control.” These are the words uttered by our section manager. “So this company has people who are considerate and value other employees despite their rank?” I thought to myself as I smiled out of his office. When I joined Shah & Sons Branding Company, I was made to work under James, as my immediate supervisor. For the first two months at the company, at least before I interacted with other people in higher ranks, I had believed that employees in higher ranks were inconsiderate and unsupportive. Little did I know that the problem was only with my immediate supervisor. James would make me work the whole day without rest that sometimes my fellow employees would assist me accomplishing some tasks. His actions made me hate my job and at some point contemplated quitting my job.
On this particular day, he had ordered me to perform an inventory control despite having a lot of work with strict deadlines to accomplish. Since I could not meet the stated deadlines, I was forced to go and explain my case to the section manager who was really understanding. The manager was very supportive, that he even offered support when needed. That is how my attitude towards my job changed and I started liking what I was doing. I even devoted more of my time on my Job. My initial experience as a new employee in the company portrayed a defensive communication climate. A defensive communication is characterized by control, superiority and dogmatism among others (Aher, 2017). For instance, James wanted to always be in control and superior, not caring about other employees’ welfare. He also wanted things to be done his own way with less concern of how they are done. However, the other employees portrayed a supportive environment. A supportive environment is characterized by problem orientation, equality and provisionalism (Aher, 2017). The other employees assist each other in completing tasks. The other managers also exercise equality. They are also problem oriented – their desire is in solving the problem and not in the person who solves it or how it is solved.
A
defensive communication climate makes employees to hate their jobs and perform
sub-standardly. Nordin et al (2014) states that a bad communication climate
makes it difficult for people to share ideas and take action because they find
it hard to communicate. This may in turn lead to company goals taking long to
be achieved or not being properly achieved. However, a supportive environment has
made employees be able to ask questions and assistance from fellow employees in
order to achieve the objectives of the company. There are good interpersonal
relationships that make work more interesting and achieving of goals more easy.
Mack (2017) states that the most important characteristic of a good
communication climate is good interpersonal communication. He further states
that good interpersonal communication enhances cooperation among employees.
Though Shah & Sons exhibites some form of defensive communication climate,
it is more of supportive environment because most of the employees encourage
good interpersonal communication. I believe improvement in attitude, social
habits and personal qualities would make it more supportive and completely
eliminate defensive communication climate.
Enuma (2014) states that embracing diversity in working environment
yields positive attitude thus improving communication and interpersonal
relationships.
References
Mack, S. (2017). What Is a Communication Climate in Business? Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chro.com/communication-climate-business-57145.html
Enuma, B. (2014). Communications Climate and Culture.
Nordin, S., M., Sivapalan, S., & Hashim, H. (2014). Organizational Communication Climate and Conflict Management: Communications Management in an Oil and Gas Company. Elsevier, 109, 1046 – 1058.
Aher, R., (2017). 6 Guidelines to Supporting a Healthy Communication Climate. Retrieved from http://blogmag.in/6-guidelines-to-supporting-a-healthy-communication-climate
