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Running head: GROUP DISCUSSION BOARD 3
Group Discussion Board Forum 3 – Part 1
Communication and Organizational Behavior – Chapters 5 & 6
Odalys Perez
BMAL 501 – B05 – LUO
Liberty University - Fall 2020
Professor Roxanne Stevens
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Communication and Organizational Behavior
In order for an organization to succeed, it is crucial for leaders to be able to communicate
the company’s mission to employees. While communicating this mission, a high level of
professionalism needs to be present to serve as an example for the employees. Etiquette should
be evident in all aspects of the business because it provides the standards by which employees
should act and how the organization is viewed by those in the outside of the business. When
there is conflict, and there always will be somehow, a strong communication structure and
business etiquette are key. Without this, conflicts can turn into negative situations very quickly,
instead of being constructive like they should be [ CITATION Pop09 \l 1033 ].
Three Concepts
Therefore, I have selected the following, as three of the most important concepts I round
in chapters five and six of our text: the communication process, business protocol (ethics), and
managing conflict (Satterlee, Anita, 2009). Said concepts, I have detailed throughout this
document.
The Communication Process
As read in chapters 1-4 of the course text, leaders must have strong communication skills
in order to relay the goals of the organization. Communication helps to transmit ideas and
provides set expectations for each employee. “Employees need to know what is expected of them
so that they understand why they do what they do” ~ Keith Morris, The Disney Institute. Also,
communication helps the employees understand the organization’s direction. In an article written
in biblereasons.com the author explains “Good communication is a skill that must be taught.
Being able to communicate well is vital for all relationships, whether it be work relationships,
friendships, or in marriage. It is one of the most important skills in life” (Evans, Ashley, 2020).
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The Bible talks often on communicating with others. We are commanded to do everything for the
glory of God, even in the way that we communicate with each other. “Know this, my beloved
brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”, (James 1:19).
Communications starts with the sender who needs to be aware of the desired message
they are trying to get across to the ones who are receiving the message. The sender’s
communication is verbal and non-verbal so they should be aware of the tone and gesture they are
using in order to get their point across [CITATION Sat18 \p 120 \l 1033 ]. On the other end of
the communication process, the receivers are to interpret the message and provide feedback to
the sender. Issues can arise due to the interpretation of the receiver who may decode the
communication differently than what the sender was trying to intend. For this reason, all form of
communication, oral, written, and non-verbal, should be well thought out, while providing a
clear and logical reasoning [CITATION Sat18 \p 120 \l 1033 ]. Effective communication within a
workplace builds trust within organizations and fosters a healthy business climate.
“Communication can also be seen as a process that occurs between two or more people,
where the aim is to share and exchange information in order to solve problems and sometimes to
explore new ways of working” [CITATION Ber16 \p 534 \l 1033 ]. Every employee should feel
as though their voice is heard and has an opportunity to give an opinion (Bergman, et al., 2016).
Business Protocol
Business protocol is a key component in today’s organizational composition. “Business
leaders are expected to fully understand office etiquette, email etiquette, etiquette utilized in
dining, and etiquette utilized in meeting business contacts outside of an office setting”
[CITATION Sat18 \p 128 \l 1033 ]. This includes getting to work on time, composing an email
or even speaking in a meeting. Business protocol and etiquette skills are important to possess by
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employees and leaders; however, leaders should serve as examples on proper business etiquette.
Business etiquette different to social etiquette in the sense of it being composed of hierarchy,
power, and status; in turn social etiquette is emphasized by gender (Lazorchak, Shirley, A.,
2000). “Examples of business protocol and etiquette skills include knowledge of proper business
dining and entertaining; business communications including introductions, correspondence,
conversation, telephone and electronic etiquette; appropriate professional dress; business gift-
giving; networking; meeting and conference etiquette; and nonverbal communication such as
posture, handshaking, and eye contact” [CITATION Laz00 \p 100 \l 1033 ].
As stated by Satterlee in chapter 5 of our text, using electronic communication is a great
way to communicate with others in today’s world; one of them via email, however using it
wisely is important. “People who are not familiar with email etiquette risk alienating potential
clients and customers” [CITATION Sat18 \p 128 \l 1033 ], and in my opinion current and future
employees as well. Proper email etiquette includes including a subject line, ensuring the correct
recipient email is being used, NEVER WRITING IN ALL CAPS, not expecting immediate
replies, do not send an email when you are angry, use sarcasm and humor with caution, and make
sure proper grammar and punctuation is used.
Along with email etiquette one was be aware of the “rumor mill, an informal channel of
communication, which is inventible in an office environment” [CITATION Sat18 \p 129 \l
1033 ]. There is no way around rumors, but they can be observed; leaders need to be ready to
present the facts. Norms are unwritten rules which detail the behaviors that are and are not
appropriate in an organization. Satterlee describes four reasons why groups enforce norms: to
facilitate group survival, clarify member behaviors, to avoid embarrassing situations and to show
the uniqueness and strength of a group [CITATION Sat18 \p 129 \l 1033 ].
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Groupthink is the last part of work etiquette mentioned in our text. Groupthink happens
when a group’s “strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise
alternative courses of action” [CITATION Sat18 \p 130 \l 1033 ]. Identified in our text are eight
ways Groupthink can take place: the idea that something will work because it has, believing a
cause is right without thinking of the consequences, members not providing input fearing
rejection, thinking individuals outside the group are “not intelligent” because of different
opinions, self-censorship, silence may mean one agrees with the majority, direct pressure if
strong disagrees with group decisions, and members who ensure others are not aware of
something that could affect the groups decision process [CITATION Sat18 \p 130 \l 1033 ]. What
else could be said about work etiquette? I think Colossians 4:5-6 would be a could statement;
“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be
gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”.
Managing Conflict
Within any organization, conflict will arise. Leadership must ensure that they have plans
in place to deal with conflict that will come about. Companies must be sure to have strong
Human Resources department in place in order to deal with such conflicts. Conflicts arise when
an employee or a group of employees negatively perceive another employee’s words or actions.
Not all conflict can be bad however, and in some cases, conflict will be constructive and help the
organization grow as a whole [ CITATION Pop09 \l 1033 ].
The three main causes of conflict consist of task, relationship, and process [CITATION
Sat18 \p 153 \l 1033 ]. Task conflicts come about due to the differing opinions within a group of
people. Usually, they disagree on what the outcome of the task at hand should be. This type of
conflict is common because within any group of employees, each has their own expectations or
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vision of how the task should be executed. Resolving this conflict should be worked out through
communication and the art of compromise. Relationship conflict centers around the breakdown
of communication within a group. This type of conflict will direct the group away from the goals
of the organization and centers the energy of the group towards the conflict. To alleviate the
tension within the group, every member must have a platform to be heard and should feel as
though they are a valued member within the group. Finally, process conflict occurs when there
are different character traits of employees within a group. Some group members may want to
plan out the entire process before starting on their task, while others only want to plan one step
of the task at a time. This conflict may not always be negative as long as the group can
constructively criticize each other and see ideas from a different vantage point. This form of
compromise will lead to a better result because the task in being looked at from multiple
directions [CITATION Sat18 \p 153 \l 1033 ].
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can see how important these concepts are to the work environment of
a company. It all starts with clear and logical communication that the employees can interpret
and work to the completion of the tasks at hand. This communication needs to maintain a level
of professionalism that will be taken seriously and that set an example for the rest of the
organization. Work etiquette helps with the environment of the company and keep all employees
working towards a common goal in a professional way. When conflict does arise, strong
organizations must ensure to embrace that situation and use it constructively. Conflict is not
always a bad thing in the workplace as long as all parties remain professional and try to see the
viewpoint of the others they oppose. In the end, all employees should be working towards a
common goal to help better the organization. “Bearing with one another and, if one has a
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complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
forgive” (Colossians 3:13, English Standard Version).
Works Cited
Bergman, Dellve, & Skagert. (2016). Exploring Communication Processes in Workplace
Meetings: A Mixed Methods Study in a Swedish Healthcare Organization. A Journal of
Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 54(3), 533-541.
Evans, Ashley. (2020). Bible Versus about Communication. Retrieved 2020 September 7 from
Bible Reasons: https://biblereasons.com/communication/
Lazorchak, Shirley, A. (2000). Business protocol and etiquette: Preparing students for the global
business environment. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 92(1), 100-103.
Retrieved 2020 September 7 from https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/218179817?pq-origsite=summon
Popovic & Hocenski. (2009). Conflict Management. Proceedings of the 2009 ICSE Workshop on
Leadership and Management in Software Architecture. LMSA '09, pp. 15-19. Washington,
DC: IEEE Computer Society.
Satterlee, Anita. (2009). Organizational Managment and Leadership: A Christian Perspective
(3rd ed.). Raeleigh, N.C.: Synergistics International Inc.
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