Republic of the Philippines

PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY

Goa, Camarines Sur

College of Engineering and Technology

Module 6
COMMUNICATING
Name of Student: ___________________ Week Number: Week 6
Course Code: E-9
Course Title: Engineering Management

I. Objectives
 Describe the function and definition of communication
 Describe the communication process and forms
 Identify the barriers and techniques in communications
 Describe the Management Information System
II. Lessons

To be able to achieve the objectives of the engineering organization, the management must
use the communication option effectively.

What is Communication
“A process of sharing information through symbols, including words and messages” as defined Wolf
and Kuiper

In management, communication must be made for a purpose and because it has a cost attached to
it, it must be used effectively.

Functions of Communication
- Communication may be used to serve any of the following functions. (Scott and Mitchell)
1. Information function - information provided through communication may be
used for decision-making at various work levels in the
organization.
Ex.: a construction worker, for instance, may be given instructions on the proper
use of certain equipment. This will later provide him with a guide in deciding which
equipment to use in particular circumstances.

2. Motivation function - communication is also oftentimes used as a means to

motivate employees to commit themselves to the organization’s
objectives.
3. Control Function - when properly communicated, reports, policies, and
Plans define roles, clarify duties, authorities and responsibilities.
Effective control is then facilitated.
4. Emotive function - when feelings are repressed in the organization,
employees are affected by anxiety, which in turn affects
performance

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

The Communication Process

Accept? Decodes
Develops Encodes
idea
Reject?

Transmit

Who receives
message

SENDER
RECEIVER

Provides Feedback

8 STEPS OF COMMUNICATION PROCESS

1. DEVELOP AN IDEA the most important step in effective communication is developing
an idea. It is important that the idea to be conveyed must be useful of some
value.
Example of a useful idea is how to prevent accidents in workplaces.

2. ENCODE the next step is to encode the idea into words, illustrations, figures
or other symbols suitable for transmission.
The method of transmission should be determined in advance so that the
idea may be encoded to conform with the specific requirements of the
identified method.
Example of an encoded message using telefax as a means of
transmission
3. TRANSMIT After encoding, the message is now ready for transmission through
the use of an appropriate communication channel.
Among the various channels used include the spoken word, body
movements, the written words, television, telephone, radio an artist’s paint,
electronic mail, etc.
Proper transmission is very important so the message sent will reach and
hold the attention of the receiver.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

To achieve this, the communication channel must be free of barriers, or

inference (sometimes referred to as noise)
4. RECEIVE The next step is the communication process is the actual receiving
of the message by the intended receiver.
The requirement is for the receiver to be ready to receive at the precise
moment the message relayed by the sender.
The message may be initially received by a machine or by a person. In
any case, communication stops when the machine is not turned or tuned
on to receive the message, or the person assigned to receive the message
does not listen or pay attention properly.

5. DECODE the next step, decoding, means translating the message from the
sender into a form that will have meaning to the recipient. If the receiver
knows the language and terminology used in the message, successful
decoding may be achieved.
Examples of various terms encoded and decoded as shown from figure
6.3
If the receiver understands the purpose and the background situation of
the sender, decoding will be greatly improved.
In legal practice, for instance, the declarations of a dying person have
more weight.

Fig. The Encode-Decode Model of Communication [Link]

encode-decode-model-of-communication/

6. ACCEPT The next step is for the receiver to accept or reject the message.
Sometimes, acceptance (or rejection) is partial. An example is provided as
follows:
A newly-hired employee was sent to supervisor with a note from his
superior directing the superior to accept the employee into his unit and
provide the necessary training and guidance.

Factors that affect the acceptance or rejection of a message are as

follows:

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

1. Accuracy of the message

2. Whether or not the sender has the authority to send the message and
or require action
3. The behavioral implications for a receiver.

7. USE the next step is for the receiver to use the information.
If the message provides information of importance to a reluctant activity,
the receiver could store it and retrieve it when required.
If the message requires a certain action to be made, then he may do so,
otherwise the discards it as soon as it is received.
8. PROVIDE FEEDBACK the last step in communication process is for the receiver to
provide feedback of the message. This may be attributed to the effects of
any of the communication barriers.

Forms of Communication
- Communication consists of two major forms:
1. Verbal - those transmitted through hearing or sight.
- 2 classes of verbal communication:
1. Oral communication
- commonly involves hearing the words of the
sender, although sometimes opportunities
are provided for seeing the sender’s body
movements, facial expression, gestures and
eye contact.
Sometimes, feeling, smelling, tasting and
touching are involved.
2. Written communication
- Senders seeks to communicate through the written word.
- Sometimes preferred over oral communication because of time and cost constraints.
- When the sender for instance, cannot meet personally the receiver due to some reason, a
written letter or memo is prepared and sent to the receiver.
- However, it has limitations and to remedy these, some means are devised such:
For a perfume company for their advertisement they lace their written message with the smell
of their product.

2. Non- verbal Communication

- Means conveying message through body language, as well as
the use of time, space, touch, clothing, appearance and
aesthetic elements.
- Body language may consist of gesture, bodily movement,
posture, facial expression and mannerism of all kinds.
- Nonverbal expression may convey many shades of meaning
and it is to the advantage of the communicator to understand
what message are relayed.

The Barriers to Communication

- Various factors may impede the efficient flow of communication. Even if the message is transmitted by the
channel, the timing and meaning of the message may be affected by the factors.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

Classification of barriers to communication:

1. Personal barriers - hindrances to effective communication arising from an
communicator’s characteristics as a person, such as emotions, values,
poor listening habits, sex, age, race, socioeconomic status, religion,
education, etc.

2. Physical barriers - interferences to effective communication occurring in the

environment where the communication is undertaken.
- The very loud sound of a passing jet temporarily drowns out the voice of
a guest delivering a speech. Such distraction does not allow full
understanding of the meaning of the entire message and is an example of
a physical barrier.
- it also includes distances between people, walls, a noisy jukebox near a
telephone, etc.

3. Semantics barriers - “interference with the reception of a message that occurs when the
message is misunderstood even though it is received exactly as
transmitted” Agee, [Link]
- when the wrong meaning has been chosen by the receiver,
misunderstanding occurs.
semantics is the study of meaning as expressed in symbols.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

To eliminate problems due to noise, selective perception and distraction, the following are recommended:

1. Use feedback to facilitate understanding and increase the potential for appropriate action.
2. Repeat messages in order to provide assurance that they are properly received.
3. Use multiple channels so that the accuracy of the information may be enhanced.
4. Use simplified language that is easily understandable and which eliminates the possibility of people getting
mixed up with the meaning.

TECHNIQUES FOR COMMUNICATING IN ORGANIZATIONS

DOWNARD COMMUNICATION
-Downward communication refers to message flows from higher levels of authority to lower levels. Among the
purposes of downward communication are:
1. to give instruction
2. to provide information about policies and procedures
3. to give feedback about performance
4. to indoctrinate or motivate.
Technique used in downward communication:
 Letters - used when directives are complex and precise
 Meetings -simple order but depends on employee morale which needs personal
interchange
 Telephones -simple order but depends on employee morale which needs personal
interchange
 Manuals - useful sources of information regarding company policy, procedures and

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

organization
 Handbooks - provide more specific information about duties and privileges of individual
worker
 Newsletters - provide a mixture of personal, social and work-related information

Figure 6.4 Message Flow and Areas of Concern

UPWARD COMMUNICATION DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

Concerns: Concerns:
- Problems and exceptions - Implementation of goals,
- Suggestions for improvement strategies and objectives
- Performance reports - Job instructions and rationale
- Grievances and disputes - Procedures and practices
- Financial and accounting - Performance feedback
information - indoctrination

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
Concerns:
- interdepartmental coordination
- intradepartmental problem solving
- staff advice to the departments

UPWARD Communication
- it is primary for management to know the specific needs of employees
- refers to messages from persons in lower-level positions to persons in higher positions.
-messages sent usually provide information on work progress, problems encountered, suggestions
for improving output, and personal feelings about work and non-work activities.
Techniques used in upward communication are:
 Formal Grievance Procedures - grievances are part of a normally operating
organization.
- effectively deal with them, organizations provide a
system for employees to air their grievances.
Grievance “an employee concern over a perceived
violation of the labor agreement that is submitted to the
grievance procedure for eventual resolution.” Holley
and Jennings
 Employee Attitude and Opinion Surveys - finding out what the employees think about the
company is very important.
- requires expertise and the company may not be
prepared to do it.
 Suggestion Systems - suggestions from employees are important
sources of cost-saving and production enhancing ideas.
Even if majority of suggestions are not feasible, simple
means acknowledging them contributes to employee
morale
 Open-Door Policy provides management with an opportunity to act
on difficulties before they become full-blown problems

 Task Forces when specific problem or issues arises, a task force

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

maybe created and assigned to deal with the problem

or issue
 Exit Interviews When employees leave an organization for any
reason, it is to the advantage of management to know
the real reason.

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
- Refers to messages sent to individuals or groups rom another of the same organizational level or position.
Purpose of horizontal communication:
1. To coordinate activities between departments
2. To persuade others at the same level of organization
3. To pass on information about activities or feelings.
Techniques appropriate for horizontal communications:
 Memos
 Meetings
 Telephones
 Picnics
 Dinner
 Social affairs

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS)

- “an organized method of providing past, present and projected information on internal operations
- Currently used by corporate firms consists of “written and electronically based systems for sending reports,
memos, bulletins, and the like.
- Allows manager of the different departments within the firm to communicate with each other

The MIS and its relation with the different Departments of the Organization

manufacturing marketing

Management
personnel
finance Information
System
Research and
Engineering
Development

PURPOSE of MIS
1. To provide a basis for analysis of early warning signals that can originate to both externally and internally.
2. To automate routine clerical operations like payroll and inventory reports.
3. To assist managers in making routine decisions like scheduling orders, assigning orders to machines, and
reordering supplies
4. To provide the information necessary for management to make strategic or non-programmed decisions.

Communicating is a vital function of the engineer manager. Organization cannot function

properly without effective communication. If the required outputs must be realized,
communication must be managed.

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

III. ACTIVITY

Engineer Bill Lee, a site engineer for a construction of waste treatment plant was is in his cubicle on phone with a
supplier. While he’s talking, he hears the chime of e-mail alerting him to an important message from his boss
needing an immediate response. He’s scanning through it quickly, while still on the phone, when a coworker pokes
his head around the cubicle corner to remind Bill that he’s late for a staff meeting. The supplier on the other end of
the phone line has just given Bill a choice among the products and delivery dates he requested. Bill realizes he
missed hearing the first two options, but he doesn’t have time to ask the supplier to repeat them all or to try
reconnecting to place the order at a later time. He chooses the third option—at least he heard that one, he reasons,
and it seemed fair.

1. Identify the barrier to communication experience by bill.

2. What is/ are the challenges or problems Bill may encounter due to the barrier of communication he experience.
3. What solutions might Bill consider in addressing each of these challenges and barriers?

IV. REFERENCES
Schermerhorn, John Jr. R., Management for Productivity, 2nd Edition, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1986
Morse Lucy C., Babcock, Daniel L., Managing Engineering and Technology, 6th Edition, Pearson Education Limited
2014
Medina, R.G., 1999, Engineering Management, 1st edition
Higgins, James M., The Management Challenge, New York: MacMillan Publishing Co.,1991, p. G-10
Parker, Sybil P., Encyclopedia of Engineering 2nd Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1993, p. 164
Parker, Sybil P., Encyclopedia of Engineering 2nd Edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1993, p. 164
Weston, Fred J and Brigham, Eugene F., Essentials of managerial Finance, 9th Edition, Chicago: The Dryden Press,
1990, p. 362
Aldag and Stearns, p. G-17
Dilworth, James, B., Production and Operations management, Third Edition, New York: random House, 1986, p. 142
Brigham, Eugen F, Gapenski, Louis, C., Financial management, Theory and Practice, 6th Edition, New York: The Dryden
Press, 1991, p. 921

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 Republic of the Philippines
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY
Goa, Camarines Sur

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