Unit –4
Result orientation
Directing is one of the most important functions of management. The plans may be the best feasible ones; the activities may be systematically organized, the staff may be highly efficient, but the organization will not succeed if there is no proper direction.
Direction involves not only instructing people what to do, but also ensuring that they know what is expected of them. The manager should help, motivate and guide his subordinates to improve their skills. Most of all, directing involves development of high morale in the subordinates.
NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF DIRECTING:
The main characteristics of a directing are as follows:
Pervasive Function: Directing is required at all level of an organization. Every manager provides guidance and information to his subordinates. It is a function related from top level of management to the lower level subordinate of the organization.
Executive Function: Directing function is carried out by all managers and executives at all levels throughout the working of an organization. A subordinate always gets instruction from his superior only.
Human Factor: Directing function is related with human beings unlike other four factors of production i.e. money, machines, material and methods. Since human factor is complex and behaviour is unpredictable, direction function becomes important.
Delegate Function: Direction function deals with human behaviour. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and conditioning the people’s behaviour towards the goals of an organization is what the manger does in the function.
Flows from Top level to Bottom level: Directing function includes providing instructions which flows from top to bottom. It starts with top level management and ends with subordinates at the lower level.
Continuous Activity: Direction is a continuous activity as it continues throughout the life of an organization. The manager has to give direction to his subordinates, but the process will not end with giving directions as he has to guide and motivate them continuously so that the desired goals can be achieved.
Psychological Factor: Directing function is directly related to an individual working in an organization. It deals with their feelings, emotions, etc. While giving direction to the subordinates, the manager has to take care that the feelings and emotions should not get hurt.
Creative Activity: Directing function helps in converting plans into performance. A managers needs to have a creative and innovative thinking so that he can guide and motivate his subordinates with new ideas and innovative techniques and making their performance a better one.
IMPORTANCE OF DIRECTING:
1) Facilitates innovation: Proper directions facilitate innovation in the Organization. Due to effective directions, employees may be motivated to come up with innovative ideas, plans and policies.
2) Corporate image: Proper directions help to improve corporate image. Due to effective directions, there can be better performance of the employees. The better performance of the employees can help to develop goodwill in the market.
3) Team work: Directing develops team sprit in the Organization. It is the team work that brings success to the Organization. Due to effective directions of the superior, the subordinates work as a team.
4) Optimum use of resources: Directing facilitates optimum use of resources. Through effective directions, the manager can make optimum use of resources such as:
- Physical resources
- Financial resources
- Human resources
5) Motivation: Directing facilitates motivation of employees in the Organization. The manager can motivate the subordinates to perform effectively through effective communication and leading. The manager may enhance the motivational level of the subordinates by providing them monetary and non-monetary incentives.
6) Reduce absenteeism: Proper directing helps to reduce absenteeism. For e.g. if a lecturer gives proper directions to the students, then the absenteeism on the part of the students may be reduced considerably.
7) Reduction in wastages: Effective directions help to reduce wastages of resources. The subordinates would make every possible effort to minimize or avoid wastages of resources, wherever possible.
8) Higher efficiency: Proper directing can facilitate higher efficiency in the Organization. Efficiency is the ratio of returns to cost. Due to effective directions, there can be higher returns at reduced costs.
9) Initiates Action: Directing function is a point from where the action starts, subordinates understand their jobs and do according to the instructions given. Whatever plans are made can be implanted only when the actual work starts, the direction becomes beneficial.
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE DIRECTION:
Effective direction results in greater contribution of subordinates to organization goals. The directing functions of management are often effective only certain well accepted principles are followed.
The following are the essential principles of effective direction:
1. Harmony of Objectives:
It is a vital function of management to make the people realize the objectives of the group and direct their efforts towards the achievement of their objectives. The interest of the group should prevail over individual interest. The principle implies harmony of personal interest and common interest. Effective direction fosters the sense of belongingness among all subordinates in such how that they always identify themselves with the enterprise and tune their goals with those of the enterprise.
2. Unity of Command:
This principle states that one person should receive orders from just one superior, in other words, one person should be accountable to just one boss. If one person is under quite one boss then there can be contradictory orders and the subordinate fails to understand whose order to be followed. in the absence of unity of command, the authority is undermined, discipline weakened, loyalty divided and confusion and delays are caused.
3. Unity of Direction:
To have effective direction, there should be one head and one plan for a group of activities having similar objectives. In other words, each group of activities having the same objectives must have one plan of action and must be under the control of 1 supervisor.
4. Direct Supervision:
The directing function of management becomes more effective if the superior maintains direct personal contact with his subordinates. Direct supervision infuses a way of participation among subordinates that encourages them to place in their best to realize the organizational goals and develop an efficient system of feed-back of information.
5. Participative or Democratic Management:
The function of directing becomes more effective if participative or democratic type of management is followed. according to this principle, the superior must act consistent with the mutual consent and the decisions reached after consulting the subordinates. It provides necessary motivation to the workers by ensuring their participation and acceptance of work methods.
6. Effective Communication:
To have effective direction, it's very essential to have an effective communication system which provides for free flow of ideas, information, suggestions, complaints and grievances.
7. Follow-up:
In order to make direction effective, a manager has got to continuously direct, guide, motivate and lead his subordinates. A manager has not only to issue orders and directions but also to follow-up the performance so on ensure that work is being performed as desired. He should intelligently oversee his subordinates at work and proper them whenever they go wrong.
ELEMENTS OF DIRECTION:
Directing is a vital function of management. it's rightly called the heart of management process as it is concerned with initiating action. It consists of all those activities which are concerned with influencing, guiding or supervising the subordinates in their job.
The main aspects or elements of direction are as follows:
1. Issuing Orders and Instructions;
2. Leadership;
3. Communication;
4. Motivation;
5. Supervision; and
6. Co-ordination.
1. Issuing Orders and Instructions:
A manager is required to issue variety of orders to his subordinates to initiate, modify or halt any action. he's also required to guide and instruct workers in performance of their task towards the achievement of desired goals. Instructions are important in directing subordinates. Orders and instructions reflect the decisions of managers.
A good order or instruction should have the subsequent characteristics:
(a) It should be simple, unambiguous and clear.
(b) It should be brief but complete.
(c) It should be reasonable and enforceable.
(d) It should be convincing and acceptable.
(e) It should invoke co-operation.
(f) It should be compatible with the objectives of the organization.
(g) It should “be in written form as far as possible.
(h) It should be protected by follow-up action.
2. Leadership:
Leadership is “the process by which an executive or manager imaginatively directs/guides and influences the work of others in choosing and attaining specified goals by mediating between the individual and organization in such a manner that both will get maximum satisfaction.” it's the ability to build up confidence and zeal among people and to create an urge in them to be led. To be a successful leader a manager must process the qualities of foresight, drive, initiative, self-confidence and private integrity. Different situations may demand differing types of leadership viz., autocratic leadership, democratic leadership and free-rein leadership.
Elements of Direction —the Management in Action:
3. Communication:
Communication constitutes a really important element of directing. it's said to be the amount one problem of management today. Communication is that the means by which the behaviour of the subordinates is modified and alter is effected in their action.
The word communication has been derived from the Latin word ‘Communis’ which suggests ‘common’. Thus, communication means sharing of ideas in common. The essence of communication is getting the receiver and therefore the sender tuned together for a specific message. Communication refers to the exchange of ideas, feelings, emotions, knowledge and information between two or more persons.
In management ideas, objectives, orders, appeals, observations, instructions, suggestions etc. need to be exchanged among the managerial personnel and their subordinates operating at different levels of the organization for the purpose of planning and executing the business policies. Directing will mainly depend on the effectiveness of communication. in case the orders and instructions aren't properly conveyed then these might not be properly implemented.
4. Motivation:
It is a vital element of directing function. Motivation encourages persons to offer their best performance and help in reaching enterprise goals. it's the degree of readiness for undertaking assigned task and doing it in the best possible way. Directing function tries to make best use of varied factors of production available within the organization. this will be achieved only employees co¬operate during this task. Efforts should be made to form employees contribute their maximum.
5. Supervision:
It consists of the process and technique involved in issuing instructions and confirming that operations are carried as originally planned. Supervision may be a continuing activity and performed at every level of activity. it's inevitable at every level of management for putting the managerial plans and policies into action. during a way supervision is a kind of control as the supervisor is meant to take corrective measures if the work isn't in line with the plan.
6. Co-ordination:
Co-ordination is an orderly arrangement of group effort to provide unity of action in pursuit of common purpose. the aim of directing is to get various activities coordinated for achieving common goals. Co-ordination involves the integration of varied parts of the organization. so as to attain goals of an enterprise, both physical also as mental co-ordination should be secured. Co-ordination is a a part of directing exercise and helps in synchronization of varied efforts.
TECHNIQUES OF DIRECTING:
Directing is a vital function carried out by top management. it's the order or instruction to subordinate staff to perform a work or to not perform in a specific way. The techniques of directing are: delegation, supervision, orders and instructions.
(i) Delegation:
Delegation is a vital mean of directing. The subordinates are assigned tasks and given powers to recruit them. In delegation, a superior assigns a number of his work to the subordinates and gives them rights or powers. The subordinates are authorized to undertake the assigned work. Delegation is a means of sharing authority with the subordinates and providing them with an opportunity to learn. Delegation as a way of directing may bring out some problems.
(a) it may be difficult to spell out exact tasks and assignments of the subordinates. There may be some overlapping and uncertainties in job descript ions. The subordinates should learn to adjust them in such situations.
(b) There may be some contradiction in assignment of task and delegation of authority.
(c) The subordinates may sometimes act beyond the assigned authority taking it as implied from the superiors. The superiors will need to bear with such situations.
(d) An indiscriminate delegation may create an imbalance in the organization since every subordinate might not have a similar capacity and maturity.
(e) If the delegation of authority is just too rigid then it kills initiative and creativity.
(ii) Supervision:
Supervision is a means to oversee the work performed by subordinates. It should be ensured that work is performed as per the plans and guidelines. Every superior has got to supervise the work of his subordinates. At operative level supervision is that the job of a manager. A supervisor at the lower level remains in-tuned with the workers. He guides them for doing the work, maintains discipline and work standards and solves the grievances of workers. Supervision at different levels acts as a directing activity.
(iii) Issuing Orders and Instructions:
The issuing of orders and instructions is important to undertake the work for achieving the organizational goals. No manager can get a work done without issuing orders and instructions to subordinates. An order, instruction, directing or command may be a means of initiating, modifying or stopping an activity. within the words of Koontz and O’Donnel has a directional technique, an instruction is known to be a charge (command) by a superior requiring a subordinate to act or refrain from acting during a given circumstance.
According to this definition an instruction is usually given by a superior to a subordinate directing to undertake a work during a specified manner or prohibit him from some activity. The orders and instructions are the primary tools of directing by means of which the activities are started, altered, guided and terminated. While issuing an order a manager should be clear in his mind what he wants the subordinates to do or to not do. The clarity of orders will determine the extent of performance of subordinates.
A good order has the subsequent characteristics:
(a) The order should be clear and simply understood.
(b) The order should be complete in all respects. It shouldn't create doubts within the minds of subordinates.
(c) It should be compatible with the objectives of the organisation.
(d) There should be specific instructions on the time by which the order should be executed or completed.
(e) The order should be so conveyed that it stimulates ready acceptance.
(f) The order should preferably be in writing.
(g) The order should be conveyed through proper chain of command and it should also contain the explanations for issuing it.
Concept of team work
Definition of Team:
1. According to Katzenbach and Smith "A team is a small group of people with complementary skils, who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold collectively accountable"
2. According to Stephen Robbins a work team is "a group whose individual efforts results in a performance that is greater than the sum of those individual inputs."
Advantages of Teams:
According to Robbins, teams have following advantages -
(1) Teams generally outperform individuals.
(2) Teams are an effective way to increase motivation.
(3) Teams facilitate employee involvement
(4) Teams are more flexible and responsive to changes in the environment.
(5) Teams use employee talents better.
Nature of Team:
(1) A team is a relatively permanent work group whose members coordinate their activities to achieve one or more common objectives.
(2) For achievement of objectives, team, members require coordination therefore, they depend on one another and interact regularly.
(3) Sometimes, the terms "group' and "team" are used interchangeably but they are not the same.
(4) The basic purpose of a group is to interact for the purpose of sharing information while the basic purpose of the team is to perform collectively.
(5) The group should have a strong and focused leader, teams generally do not have clear leaders and the leadership roles are also shared.
(6) The group meets through the formal and efficient meetings; the teams are encouraged to have open ended active problem solving meetings.
(7) All teams are groups, but all groups are not teams because:
(i) Work groups focus on individual goals. While teams focus on individual goals as well as team goals.
(ii) In groups individual's do not take responsibility for other people's results while in team individual share responsibility for other's results also.
TYPES OF TEAMS
On the basis of objectives of the teams, they may be classified into three types, they are as follows:
(1) Problem-solving Team-
(a) Problem-solving teams are temporary teams; their main objective is to find solutions to specific problems at workplace.
(b) After solving the problem, the team ends. The members return to their normal work.
(c) Such teams normally give suggestions for others to implement. They offer suggestions and ideas on how work processes and methods can be improved.
(2) Work teams-
(a) They are mainly focused on the routine work done by the organisation like developing and manufacturing new products, providing quality services, etc.
(b) Their aim is to use the organisation's resources in the best possible manner.
(3) Management Teams-
(a) Management teams consists of manager’s departments who coordinate together.
(b) They focus on the teams that have great impact on overall performance.
(c) They are permanent as their job does not end with the completion of a particular task or the resolution of problem.
(d) They coach and counsel other teams so that they can manage themselves.
(e) They also coordinate with work teams that are related to each other.
(4) Cross functional Teams-
(a) Cross - functional teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different areas, who join together for achieving a task.
(b) Such teams help people from different areas within organisation to exchange information, develop ideas, solve problems and coordinate difficult projects.
(c) It takes time to build trust and teamwork in these teams as the members are from different backgrounds, have experiences and viewpoints.
(5) Virtual teams-
(a) Virtual teams never meet in person
(b) They conduct meetings through computer, teleconferencing and other modern electronic devices of communication.
(c)Information is shared through mails, internet, etc.
(d) In such teams, decisions are made faster.
(e) Team members can easily join and leave the team.
Ways of Forming Effective Team
(1) Objectives and team goals should be clear and easy to implement.
(2) Openness and confrontation
(3) Support and trust among members.
(4) Co-operation among members
(5) Sound Procedures
(6) Appropriate leadership
(7) Regular review of team's performance.
(8) Individual development.
(9) Sound inter group relations.
(10) Small teams should be made as they are better they need less time to co-ordinate and resolve differences they need less time to develop member involvement this leads to higher commitment however, if the task needs a large team then a large team should be made.
(11) Team members should be willing to learn they should be competent to achieve the task.
Setting Team Goals
Every team should focus on individual as well as team goals. Before every individual team member finalises their goals managers should bring everyone together to agree to team goals. By agreeing and committing to team's goals first, individuals should write objectives that state the contribution that they have to make for success of the team.
The goals of the team and objectives of each individual member should be
(1) Aligned-
(a) The goals of the team should be aligned with the goals of the organisation.
(b) The goals of each individual should be aligned with the goals of the team.
(2) Understood-
(a) Goals should be properly and clearly understood.
(b) Everyone should understand how their delivery of goals as an individual will contribute to the team and the organisation as a whole.
(3) Smart-
(a) Goals should be SMART
S-Specific,
M-Measurable
A-Attainable
R-Realistic
T-Timely
(4) Accountabilities and responsibilities should be clearly allocated among team members.
(5) Performance indicators should be created. Key performance indicators should be created that provide warning about whether progress towards objectives and targets is on track. If not then, timely corrective action should be taken.
6) Identifying dependencies for achievement of goals-
(a) Dependencies among various tasks should be identified.
(b) The inputs that are to be delivered by other individual or teams for achievement of the objectives should be identified.
(c) There should be regular flow of communication among all the individual's involved in the process.
(d) Team members should use "Handshakes" to acknowledge their commitment and to create a sense of bonding between them.
(7) Identifying risks-
(a) Risk involved in the process of achievement of goals should be identified.
(b) Steps should be taken to avoid these risks and process should be put in place to monitor the risks.
(c) If the responsibilities of goals are shared unequally, a team is given larger share of goals then it should be considered as a risk and a way should be found out to manage it as a team.
(8) Commitment by all members-
(a) Everyone in the team, and the team as a whole should be committed to achieve the team's goals. (b) All members should agree to be jointly responsible for achieving goals of the team.
GROUP DYNAMICS
Definition of Group
1. According to Stephen Robbins a group can be defined as "Two or more individuals interacting and inter-dependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives."
2. According to K. Aswathappa "Group refers to a collection of two or more interacting individuals with a stable pattern of relationships between them, who share common goals, and who perceive themselves as being a group"
3. According to Marvin Shaw " a group is two or more persons who interact with one another such that each person influences and is influenced by the other person".
Types of Groups
(1) Formal Groups: A formal group is a group that is intentional. created by organizations to perform a specific task. Organizatione create these groups to serve a specific purpose. Members of formal group are usually appointed by the organisations, but they may not always be appointed by the organisation.
A management team is an example of a formal group.
Other examples:
(a) The crew of an airline flight.
(b) A research and development laboratory.
(c) Work units.
(d) A small assembly line.
(e) A committee.
(f) A small department, etc.
A special feature of formal groups is that there is hierarchy (a system in which people are ranked one above the other according to status or authority) of authority, with specified rules and regulations.
There are two types of formal groups namely, Command group and Task group.
(a) Command Group: It is most frequent type of formal group. It is determined by the organization chart. It is made up of individuals who report directly to a given manager.
For e.g:
(i) The foreman (a worker who supervises other workers) and his team of workers constitute a command group.
(ii) An elementary school Principal and his 10 teachers form a command group.
Command groups are generally permanent in nature and continue to exist until a decision is made to change them or restructure the organization.
(b) Task Groups: Task groups are also determined by the organization, represent those working together to complete a job task.
For.eg. When a problem involving many departments arises, a task force (group) made-up of representatives from each of the affected departments, might be formed to study the problem and find out solutions.
This group is made up of employees who work together to complete a particular task or project, but who do not necessarily report to the same supervisor. "All command groups are task groups, but all task groups are not command groups."
(2) Informal Groups: An informal group is an association of persons that is neither formally structured nor created by the organization. It exists in response to the need for social contact. These groups form naturally in the work environment due to social contact between persons.
They generally develop within groups out of certain values or concerns which some members find they share. They may also develop across or outside of formal groups. Informal groups do not possess formal structure of formation. Roles of members are loosely defined, based on member’s expectations and the needs of a group at any particular moment. A member's behaviour is guided by his own point of view of what is appropriate and allowed by the group. There are very few rules in informal groups.
For eg. Four employees from different departments who regularly eat lunch together are an example of an informal group.
(a) Friendship Groups: Friendship groups are groups which develop because the individual members have common characteristics.
For eg. - Social associations, which occur outside the work situations, can be based on similar age or ethnic groups, etc.
(b) Interest Groups: At work, people who may or may not be arranged into command or task groups may join together to achieve a specific objective with which each is concerned. This is an interest group.
Hence, interest groups are made up of persons who share common interests. They may be job related interests or non-work interests, like national politics, religion etc.
For. eg. Employees who join together to have their vacation schedules changed, to support pay increase, to support exploitation at work, to seek improved working conditions, show the formation of a united body to further their common interest.
Because of interactions that develop from the closeness at work, we find workers often do things together - like taking lunch, chat during tea breaks, play games, commute (travel) to work together, etc. These kinds of Interactions, even though informal, deeply affect their behaviour and performance.
Informal groups provide a very important service by satisfying their members social needs.
There is no single reason why individuals join groups. Many people belong to a number of groups; different groups give different benefits toits members.
Group Behaviour Model
Work groups are not unorganized group of people. They have a structure that shapes the behaviour of members and makes it possible to explain and predict a large portion of individual behaviour within the groups as well as the performance of the group itself. Group structure variables, include formal leadership, roles, norms, status, size, composition and group cohesiveness.
Group Structure refers to the pattem of inter-relationships between the individuals constituting a group. Group structure shapes the behaviour of members and helps in smooth working of the group.
(1) Roles: "Roles are sets of behaviours that individuals occupying specific positions within a group are expected to perform."
Group members have to play different roles as the group works towards achieving its purpose. Different persons perform different tasks and are expected to achieve different roles.
For e.g. : Roles are assigned, a group may select different individuals to serve as it its leader, treasurer or secretary.
(a) Role conflict: Role conflict is a situation in which an individual is faced with role expectations that clash. This happens when fulfilling requirement of one role makes it difficult to comply with another.
For e.g.: An organization may expect manager to stay late at work, his wife and children want him to devote free hours with his family. This creates role conflicts.
If an employee perceives role-conflicts to be severe, he may experience stress.
(b) Role identity: Role identity refers to attitudes and behaviours consistent with a role. These create role identity. An individual adopts attitudes and behaviours that he identifies himself with.
For e.g.: An individual holds different attitudes and behaves differently when he has to perform role of a manager and differently when he has to perform role of a leader.
(c) Role Perception: Role Perception is an individuals' view of how he is supposed to act in a given situation.
For e.g.: The way in which a group member behaves and acts depends on how he views his role in the group.
(d) Role Expectations: Role expectations are others' beliefs about how a person should behave and act in a particular situation.
For e.g.: A teacher is expected to be understanding, a leader is expected to have the ability to control the situations.
At work, management is expected to treat employees fairly, give them good working conditions, good salaries, recreation facilities, etc.
Employees are expected to maintain goodwill of the company, follow instructions of their superiors, be loyal to the organisation, etc.
(e) Role Ambiguity: People experience role ambiguity when they do not know what is expected of them. New employees in an organization experience it and it may lead to job dissatisfaction.
For e.g.: Role ambiguity may also lead to lowering of sel confidence and job-performance.
(2) Norms: Norms are rules within a group indicating how its members should or should not behave. Norms are distinguished from an organization's rule; norms are not formally laid down. Still, they are powerful means for regulating the behaviour of people. Each and every group has its own norms. Some norms are common among most groups.
Most common Norms are:
(a) Performance Norms: They are the most common and the most important class of norms. These norms refer to how hard group members should work, how to get the work done, their level of output etc. These norms are extremely powerful in guiding an individual employee s performance.
(b) Appearance Norms: They include the appropriate dress code, loyalty to the group and when to look busy.
(c) Social Arrangement Norms: These norms regulate social interactions within the group. Things such as the persons with whom group members should have lunch and with whom they form friendship are influenced by the norms.
(d) Allocation of Resources Norms: These norms regulate things like pay, assignment of difficult jobs and allocation of new tools and equipment’s.
(3) Status: A status is defined as a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others. Status differences exist within a group.
For e.g.: Leaders are most important members of their respective groups. Status in a group depends on many factors like seniority, education, performance, prestige, rank given age, or position in other groups.
Organizations use various status symbols like large offices, expensive cars, and membership of exclusive clubs, etc. to reflect the status of an individual in an organization's hierarchy.
Studies suggest that, higher status people are more influential than lower status people. They are also given more freedom to move away from group norms.
(4) Size: The size of the group affects the working of the group. Smaller groups are faster in completing tasks than larger groups. However, if the group is engaged in problem solving, then larger groups perform better. So, the size of the group has to be determined by considering the group goals if the goal is generating a wide variety of ideas, encouraging participation, or socializing new members, large groups would be better. On the other hand, if a high quality decision is the main goal, small group of 5 to 6 members is sufficient. Increase in the size of the group is not always helpful. Sometimes it also leads to social loafing.
Social loafing is a tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. The social loafing effect was noticed by a German scientist named Max Ringleman. Research has shown that social loafing occurs because:
(a) An individual may believe that others in the group are not doing their share.
(b) The responsibility for doing the job is diffused (spread). Each member feels less responsible for behaving correctly.
(c) The presence of others makes people believe that their contributions are less needed.
What Is Interpersonal Communication?
We communicate for plenty of different reasons, including satisfying personal and emotional needs, to communicate that we're in danger, to make friends, to remain in contact with family. Interpersonal communication isn't simply a conversation between two people: it's a system of meaning we use to share messages with each other. We communicate all the time with the people around us.
The stranger who held the door for you this morning and who you smiled at afterwards: this was interpersonal communication, though it wasn't personal in the sense we normally consider. in this lesson, we'll talk specifically about interpersonal communication, including a number of the major principles that shape how we communicate.
Communication Principles
So, we all know that interpersonal communication is vital in our day-to-day lives. But people like psychologists and communication experts study communication in a more in-depth way. They've come up with some specific ideas about how we communicate.
First, and this goes back to the point we made at the very beginning, interpersonal communication is inevitable. This implies that we won't avoid communicating. Whether it's through talking, facial expressions, or body language, we're always communicating. Imagine what our social world would be like without communication. Difficult to do, right?
Interpersonal communication is also irreversible. In other words, once you say it, it's said! you cannot take back something you tell another person. If you say something hurtful or rude to someone, you'll apologize for it later, but you cannot undo the fact that you said it. In today's world the same is true for social media - if you put something out there and other people see it, you cannot undo that.
Next, interpersonal communication is unrepeatable. This one might sound a bit odd. Certainly you'll always repeat something you said, right? In this case, unrepeatable is getting more at the context where communication happens. You’ll never recreate the exact situation where you delivered a message. This is often quite like the old saying: 'You never get a second chance to create a first impression.'
Now that we all know some basic points about interpersonal communication, let's talk a little bit more in-depth about how it works
The Principles of Interpersonal Communication
1) We Cannot NOT Communicate
It is impossible to not communicate. We communicate a day in our lives. Even silence or not speaking or striking a pose remains considered communication. So there's no way to not communicate.
2) Interpersonal Communication is Irreversible
When you communicate to someone you can't turn back time and reverse what you said. Once you said something to person you can't take it back. So just remember of what you say because you can't return in a time machine and alter it.
3) Interpersonal Communication involves Ethical Choices
What we are saying could have both a positive and negative reaction. With reference to ethics we've to be cautious not to tip the balance between right or wrong. If you say something that you know is wrong...well don't say it because are words can have consequences.
4) People Construct Meanings in Interpersonal Communication
When we speak or communication there are connotations and symbols within our words. when we communicate we've the intent to convey an emotion or information. More so, people really pay to attention to what people are saying and the way the message is packaged and delivered.
5) Metacommunication Effects Meanings
Metacommunication is just defined as "about communication. In a nutshell metacommunication describes how people communicate about someone else's communication. An example, can be talking to an individual who is extremely sad and distraught and you ask them did some go wrong in their live?
6) Interpersonal Communication Develops and Sustains Relationships
As in my first paragraph interpersonal communication is critical in building networks of relationships in our lives. Without interpersonal communication we might not have friendships, partnerships, relationships etc.
7) Interpersonal Communication isn't a Panacea
Though interpersonal communication is crucial in establishing and sustaining relationships it's always not to cure solve every problem or situation in our lives. Interpersonal communication isn't getting to end the war or bring the Democrats and Republicans in congress.
8) Interpersonal Communication Effectiveness are often learned
Many people can learn the potential and power interpersonal communication has on society, a private or a relationship. Though people aren't great interpersonal communicators initially they will learn to be a master of interpersonal communication.
What is Group Behaviour?
Therefore, group behaviour in organizations tends to follow the organizational norms and rules wherein the workers are expected to be disciplined, follow orders, and work to the requirements of the organization instead of their own whims and fancies. Indeed, the extreme kind of groups conforming to the common codes of behaviour is that the soldiers wherein all members at whatever level they're in are expected to follow the orders of their superiors. On the opposite hand, organizations like Google and Facebook are less hierarchical and less structured with employees being allowed to work on their pet projects for a particular period every week. The difference here is that within the soldiers and lots of organizations, the boss is usually right whereas within the start-ups and therefore the new economy or the knowledge sector, the rules tend to be less rigid. Most organizations fall between these two extremes wherein the workers are encouraged, persuaded, and even ordered to adapt to the norms of the group with some latitude and freedom being allowed for them to exercise their independence.
Advantages of Group Behaviour
There are many advantages to organizations by ensuring that employees stick with the group rules and norms. As an example, organizations are formed for a particular purpose and if the workers are allowed free run and the free rein, more often than not, the result's chaos and anarchy. Moreover, employees got to conform to group norms since organizations aren't charity shows and instead, the workers are being paid to follow the group norms and in turn, contribute to the success of the organizational principles and procedures.
Further, the very basis of the organizational survival is threatened if the workers don't conform to group norms since the organization exists to create profit and not to let employees be paid to have fun. this is often not to say that organizations are like prisons or slave camps. Rather, there are obvious and less obvious benefits when employees conform to group norms. this is often the reason why the evolution of the modern and the post-modern corporations has been such they impose and enjoin the workers to follow formal and informal norms of behaviour.