BUS3041 Week 1 Disc

Adaptive Leadership Communication

There are both external and internal reasons that require leaders to adapt and to change the way they

communicate.

The external issues are those that develop outside the control and boundaries of the organization;

these include issues such as advancements in technology, changing laws and politics, demographic changes, and the development of new social and consumer demands. These basic changes have

impacted mass media as well and its in�uence on society and the workplace.

Internal changes include issues such as less formality within companies, �attened organizational

structures, more employees who also own stock in the company, greater numbers of small business,

and increased partnerships and alliances among different companies including the use of outsourcing

and using foreign labor.

Let's learn about some speci�c issues in�uencing how leaders communicate.

Twenty-�ve years ago, some �rms utilized computers, video conferencing, e-mail, wireless

technology, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Today, these technologies allow leaders to

communicate with far-�ung audiences more quickly and ef�ciently. However, changing

technology is not without drawbacks. These technologies often replace personal, face-to-face

communication. The lack of visual cues can create miscommunication and negatively impact

human relationships. Employees who see a supervisor only once a month could lose touch and the respect for that person may be lost.

Leadership communication is impacted by demographic changes and the resulting evolution of

social and consumer demands. Demographics are the characteristics and traits of a population

that alter over time. These may include:

Education levels: These are rapidly increasing in the United States and elsewhere.

Marital status: Being single, married, or divorced affects communication.

Geographic residence: Populations in the US tend to be moving towards cities.

Gender, children, and aging: Are there more women or men born? Who lives longer? Are

women having more or fewer children?

Ethnicity: Immigration trends, growth of particular ethnic groups, and education levels of

minorities and where they live are demographic concerns.

Today, leaders must develop communication techniques that will work effectively for a very diverse workforce and stakeholder groups.

Traditional corporate organizations, especially in the United States, have evolved as a result of the

many demographic and cultural changes that have occurred in the past �fty years. Initially, leadership

communication that was simple and direct could be successful because of a less diverse workforce and

a simpler work environment. Managers told workers what to do and workers complied. This type of

communication is not ef�cient in today's knowledge-intensive environments and �attened

organizational structures.

The workplace has evolved from being a vertical and bureaucratic structure to a �at yet diverse place. Teams today consist of employees who may be highly diverse in personality, culture, age, gender,

ethnicity, and physical, mental, and emotional ability. Many of these workers may be located thousands

of miles away.

Additional Materials

View a Pdf Transcript of Situational Communication (media/week1/SUO_BUS3041_W1_L2.pdf?

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