Human Relations in Organizations: Applications and Skill Building 8th Edition by Robert Lussier

Exercise 45

Begin this exercise by determining your preferred communication style in Self-Assessment Exercise 6-2.
Following is the process used with each of the four situational supervisory styles. Notice that behavior can be characterized as a combination of two dimensions-task and relationship.
In task behavior, the sender tells the receiver what to do and how to do it; performance is closely supervised. In relationship behavior, the sender listens to the other person in an effort to develop support, trust, and respect; performance is not closely supervised. Both task and relationship can be described as high or low depending on the amount of emphasis placed on each of the two dimensions during communication.
One style, autocratic communication style (S-A), demonstrates high task-low relationship behavior (HT-LR), initiating a closed presentation. The other party has little, if any, information and is low in capability.
• Initiation / Response. You initiate and control the communication with minimal, if any, response.
• Presentation / Elicitation. You make a presentation letting the other parties know they are expected to comply with your message; there is little, if any, elicitation.
• Closed / Open. You use a closed presentation; you will not consider the receiver's input.
The consultative communication style (S-C) demonstrates high task-high relationship behavior (HT-HR), using a closed presentation for the task with an open elicitation for the relationship. The other party has moderate information and capability.
• Initiation / Response. You initiate the communication by letting the other party know that you want him or her to buy into your influence. You desire some response.
• Presentation / Elicitation. Both are used. You use elicitation to determine the goal of the communication. For example, you may ask questions to determine the situation and follow up with a presentation. When the communication goal is known, little task elicitation is needed. Relationship communication is elicited to determine the interest of the other party and acceptance of the message. The open elicitation should show your concern for the other party's point of view and motivate him or her to follow your influence.
• Closed / Open. You are closed to having the message accepted (task), but open to the person's feelings (relationship). Be empathetic.
The participative communication style (S-P) demonstrates low task-high relationship behavior (LT-HR), responding with open elicitation, some initiation, and little presentation.
The other party is high in information and capability.
• Initiation / Response. You respond with some initiation. You want to help the other party solve a problem or get him or her to help you solve one. You are helpful and convey personal support.
• Presentation / Elicitation. Elicitation can occur with little presentation. Your role is to elicit the other party's ideas on how to reach objectives.
• Closed / Open. Open communication is used. If you participate well, the other party will come to a solution you can accept. If not, you may have to reject the other party's message.
Another style, laissez-faire communication style (S-L), demonstrates low task-low relationship behavior (LT-LR), responding with the necessary open presentation. The other party is outstanding in information and capability.
• Initiation / Response. You respond to the other party with little, if any, initiation.
• Presentation / Elicitation. You present the other party with the information, structure, and so forth, that the sender wants.
• Closed / Open. Open communication is used. You convey that the other party is in charge; you will accept the message.
When selecting the appropriate communication style, you should consider four variables: time, information, acceptance, and capability. Answering the questions related to each variable below can help you select the appropriate style for the situation.
Time Do I have enough time to use two-way communication? When there is no time, the other three variables are not considered; the autocratic style is appropriate. When time is available, any of the other styles may be appropriate, depending on the other variables. Time is a relative term; in one situation a few minutes may be considered a short time period, while in another a month may be a short period of time.
Information Do I have the necessary information to communicate my message, make a decision, or take action? When you have all the information you need, the autocratic style may be appropriate. When you have some of the information, the consultative style may be appropriate. When you have little information, the participative or laissez-faire style may be appropriate.
Acceptance Will the other party accept my message without any input? If the receiver will accept the message, the autocratic style may be appropriate. If the receiver will be reluctant to accept it, the consultative style may be appropriate. If the receiver will reject the message, the participative or laissez-faire style may be appropriate to gain acceptance. There are situations where acceptance is critical to success, such as in the area of implementing changes.
Capability Capability has two parts:
Ability Does the other party have the experience or knowledge to participate in twoway communication? Will the receiver put the organization's goals ahead of personal needs or goals?
Motivation Does the other party want to participate?
When the other party is low in capability, the autocratic style may be appropriate; moderate in capability, the consultative style may be appropriate; high in capability, the participative style may be appropriate; outstanding in capability, the laissez-faire style may be appropriate.
Capability levels can change from one task to another. For example, a professor may have outstanding capability in classroom teaching, but be low in capability for advising students.
Successful managers understand different styles of communication and select communication styles based on the situation. There are three steps to follow when selecting the appropriate communication style in a given situation.
Step 1: Diagnose the situation. Answer the questions for each of the four situation variables. In Self-Assessment Exercise 6-2 you were asked to select one alternative situation. You were told to ignore the _______ time _________ information ________ acceptance ________ capability/________ style and S ________ lines. Now you will complete this part in the In-Class Skill-Building Exercise 6-5 by placing the style letters (S-A, S-C, S-P, S-L) on the lines provided for each of the 12 situations.
Step 2: Select the appropriate style for the situation. After analyzing the four variables, select the appropriate style for the situation. In some situations, where variables support conflicting styles, select the style of the most important variable for the situation. For example, capability may be outstanding (C-4), but you have all the information needed (S-A). If the information is more important, use the autocratic style even though the capability is outstanding. When doing In-Class Skill-Building Exercise 6-5, place the letters (S-A, S-C, S-P, S-L) for the appropriate styles on the ________ style lines.
Step 3: Implement the appropriate communication style. During In-Class Skill- Building Exercise 6-5, you will identify one of the four communication styles for each alternative action; place the S-A, S-C, S-P, or S-L on the S ________ lines. Select the alternative a, b, c, or d that represents the appropriate communication for each of the 12 situations.
The table below summarizes the material in this section. Use it to determine the appropriate communication style in situation 1 below and during In-Class Skill-Building Exercise 6-5.
Determining the Appropriate Communication Style for Situation 1
Step 1: Diagnose the situation. Answer the four variable questions from the model, and place the letters on the four variable lines below.
1. Wendy, a knowledgeable person from another department, comes to you, the engineering supervisor, and requests that you design a special product to her specifications. You would:
a. Control the conversation and tell Wendy what you will do for her. S ______
b. Ask Wendy to describe the product. Once you understand it, you would present your ideas. Let her realize that you are concerned and want to help with your ideas. S ________
c. Respond to Wendy's request by conveying understanding and support. Help clarify what is to be done by you. Offer ideas, but do it her way. S _______
d. Find out what you need to know. Let Wendy know you will do it her way. S_______
Step 2: Select the appropriate style for the situation. Review the four variables. If they are all consistent, select one style. If they are conflicting, select the most important variable as the style to use. Place its letters (S-A, S-C, S-P, or S-L) on the style line.
Step 3: Select the appropriate action. Review the four alternative actions. Identify the communication style for each, placing its letters on the S _________ line then check the appropriate match alternative.
Let's see how you did.
1. Time is available; it can be either S-C, S-P, or S-L. Information: You have little information, so you need to use a participative or laissez-faire style to find out what Wendy wants done: S-P or S-L. Acceptance: If you try to do it your way rather than Wendy's way, she will most likely reject it. You need to use a participative or laissez-faire style: S-P or S-L. Capability: Wendy is knowledgeable and is highly capable: S-P.
2. Reviewing the four variables, you see that there is a mixture of S-P and S-L. Since you are an engineer, it is appropriate to participate with Wendy to give her what she needs. Therefore, the choice is S-P.
3. Alternative a is S-A; this is the autocratic style, high task-low relationship. Alternative b is S-C; this is the consultative style, high task-high relationship. Alternative c is S-P; this is the participative style, low task-high relationship. Alternative d is S-L; this is laissez-faire, low task-low relationship behavior.
If you selected c as your action, you chose the most appropriate action for the situation. This was a three-point answer. If you selected d as your answer, this is also a good alternative; it scores two points. If you selected b, you get one point for overdirecting. If you selected a, you get zero points; this is too much directing and will most likely hurt communication.
The better you match your communication style to the situation, the more effective you will be at communicating.
Objectives: To develop your ability to communicate using the appropriate style for the situation.
AACSB: The primary AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are analytic skills and communication abilities.
Preparation: You should have completed the 12 situations in Self-Assessment Exercise 6-2. In the self-assessment, you were selecting the alternative that you would choose in the situation. In this part of the skill-building exercise, you are trying to select the most appropriate alternative that will result in the most effective communication. Thus, you may be selecting different answers.
Experience: You will work at selecting the appropriate style for the 12 situations in Self- Assessment Exercise 6-2. On the time, information, acceptance, and capability lines, place the letters S-A, S-C, S-P, or S-L, whichever is appropriate for the situation. Based on your diagnoses, select the one style you would use. Place the letters S-A, S-C, S-P, or S-L on the style line. On the four S lines write the letters S-A, S-C, S-P, or S-L to identify each style being used.
The instructor reviews the Situational Communications Model and explains how to apply it to determine the appropriate style for situation 1.
Turn to situation 2. Using the model, select the appropriate style. If you have time, identify each alternative style (3-4 minutes). The instructor goes over the recommended answers (3-4 minutes).
A. Break into groups of two or three. As a team, apply the model to situations 3 through 7 (15-20 minutes). The instructor will go over the appropriate answers when all teams are done or the time is up (4-6 minutes).
B. (Optional) Break into new groups of two or three and do situations 8 through 12 (15-20 minutes). The instructor will go over the appropriate answers (4-6 minutes).
Conclusion: The instructor leads a class discussion and/or makes concluding remarks.
Application (2-4 minutes): What did I learn from this experience? How will I use this knowledge in the future?
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.