BACHELOR OF MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT WITH HONORS (BMMG)

2/MAY 2020

BBPP1103
PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT

MATRICULATION NO : 890107136117001
IDENTITY CARD NO. : 890107136117
TELEPHONE NO. : 012-8989612
E-MAIL : effendymohd@oum.edu.my
LEARNING CENTRE : Bintulu Learning Centre
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT........................................................................................

TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................II

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................1

CHAPTER 2 BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION............................................................2

2.1 SELECTIVE PERCEPTION.................................................................................................2

2.2 DISRUPTION....................................................................................................................2

2.3 EMOTIONS.......................................................................................................................2

2.4 COMMUNICATION SKILLS...............................................................................................3

2.5 SUSPICION.......................................................................................................................3

CHAPTER 3 METHODS OF CONTROL............................................................................5

3.1 OVERCOMING COMMUNICATION BARRIER.....................................................................5

3.2 BASIC METHODS OF CONTROL.......................................................................................8

3.3 FORMS OF CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION.........................................................................9

REFERENCE.........................................................................................................................12

II
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Communication is a very common concept in everyday life and takes place in every
setting, organization, area or a place, no work or operation or function is carried out without
effective means of communication.

Within the process of communication, it is apparent that barriers and obstacles do

occur, which can be avoidable and which cannot be avoidable; therefore, an individual should
inculcate all the required skills, attitudes and traits amongst himself so that he can effectively
overcome all the barriers to communication (Kapur 2018). Due to such disturbances,
managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus, the managers must locate such
barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affects the flow of
communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from
the sender to the receiver, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for
managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized
below.

In this assignment, we will identify the five barriers in communication; measures to

overcome the barriers; and the understanding of methods of control for barrier
communication management.

1
 CHAPTER 2

BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION

Communicating can a challenging matter within an organization, considering that

there are many things that can stand in the way of effective communication. These include
selective perception, disruption or distraction, emotional disconnect, inadequate
communication skills, and suspicion.

2.1 Selective Perception

Selective perception refers to filtering of auditory perception to suit the listener’s own
needs and narrative. This process is often unconscious. Over time, however, one will begin to
make assumptions about the way things are on the basis of past experience. Often, much of
this process is unconscious. Selective perception is a time-saver, a necessary tool in a
complex culture but it can also lead to mistakes.

2.2 Disruption

Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are

also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects
communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication.
Any disruption or failure in the process can create ineffective communication.

2
2.3 Emotions

Emotional disconnects happen when the Sender or the Receiver is upset, whether
about the subject at hand or about some unrelated incident that may have happened earlier.
An effective communication requires a Sender and a Receiver who are open to speaking and
listening to one another, despite possible differences in opinion or personality. One or both
parties may have to put their emotions aside to achieve the goal of communicating clearly. A
Receiver who is emotionally upset tends to ignore or distort what the Sender is saying. A
Sender who is emotionally upset may be unable to present their ideas or feelings effectively.

2.4 Communication Skills

Communication skills poses different challenges to different individuals. Sometimes,

it depends on the language of how one usually communicates, their communing style,
cultural differences, or perhaps due to the individual’s own ineffective communication skill.

Everyone has their own communication style. Some people are very direct while
others prefer a more indirect approach. Some use detailed data, while others rely on
generalities, and so forth. Occasionally, one person is so entrenched in their way of
communicating, they find it difficult to communicate with others who rely on a different
style.

Ineffective communication skill refers to a person’s own fallacy in communicating.

There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail. In many
communications, the message may not be received exactly the way the sender intended and
hence it is important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is
clearly understood. The skills of Active Listening, Clarification and Reflection, may help but
the skilled communicator also needs to be aware of the barriers to effective communication.

3
2.5 Suspicion

It is extremely difficult to communicate anything when there is a lack of transparency

and trust. For example, if employees believe that their superior are holding something back,
they will be anxious, some will speculate, and as a result, it will be more difficult for them to
process any attempt made to communicate with them.

Similarly, if the Sender lacks credibility or is untrustworthy, the message will not get
through. Receivers may be suspicious of the Sender’s motivations. Likewise, if the Sender
has communicated erroneous information in the past, or has created false emergencies, their
current message may be filtered.

Workplace gossip, also known as the grapevine, is a lifeline for many employees
seeking information about their company (Kurland and Pelled 2000). Employees trust their
peers as a source of Messages, but the grapevine’s informal structure can be a barrier to
effective communication from the managerial point of view. Its grassroots structure gives it
greater credibility in the minds of employees than information delivered through official
channels, even when that information is false. Some downsides of the office grapevine are
that gossip offers politically minded insiders a powerful tool for disseminating
communication (and self-promoting miscommunications) within an organization. In addition,
the grapevine lacks a specific Sender, which can create a sense of distrust among employees.
When the news is volatile, suspicions may arise as to the person or persons behind the
Message.

4
5
 CHAPTER 3

METHODS OF CONTROL

3.1 Overcoming Communication Barrier

There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days. When the message
intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus
communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these
communication barriers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication. In order to
remove hindrances in the way of communication the following steps are worth consideration:

1) Controlling the flow of information

The sender of the communication should prepare the structure of the message not
according to his own level or ability but he should keep in mind the level, understanding or
the environment of the receiver. Individuals can communicate only up to a certain extent; the
reason for this is that the knowledge they possess is limited and humans’ limited memory
retention causes forgetting of information leads to breakdown of communication. This also
depends upon the nature of the person, for example, individuals who are isolated, with small
social network and who do not inculcate themselves into communication with others should
not be hold responsible, the reason being that they possess inadequate information that is
required for effective communication. It is the individual himself who decides whether he/she
possesses efficient communication skills.

2) Encouraging feedback

Feedback is the audience’s response. It is a tool to enable the sender in evaluating the
effectiveness of their message. If audience does not understand the message clearly, the
sender can tell by the response and then paraphrase their message accordingly to increase its
comprehensibility. In practical application, while making provision of feedback to the

6
employees and subordinates, negativity should be avoided and feedback should always be
delivered in a constructive manner; negative feedback is stated to be a barrier to effective
communication.

Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has

understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he agrees to
that message or not.

3) Language used

As it has been understood, within the organizational settings, educational institutions

and other places, individuals are from diverse backgrounds, they have different religions,
castes, cultures, traditions, norms, beliefs, customs, ethnicity and sometimes they even speak
different languages; hence, all these factors are stated to be barriers within the course of
effective communication. While communicating no matter what language, the use of words
should be understandable, clear and simple; usage of complicated words might make an
individual perplexed and such words should be avoided. This is especially important during
communication with those who are of different culture and first language.

4) Listening actively

Listening is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take

place until and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the
receivers/listeners. Listening is a dynamic process. Listening means attentiveness and interest
perceptible in the posture as well as expressions.

Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind. Effective listeners
appreciate flow of new ideas and information. Organizations that follow the principles of
effective listening are always informed timely, updated with the changes and
implementations, and are always out of crisis situation. Effective listening promotes
organizational relationships, encourages product delivery and innovation, as well as helps
organization to deal with the diversity in employees and customers it serves.

7
 5) Controlling negative emotions

Every individual must be acceptance of each other’s mistakes or limitations. This will
lead to understanding of human life. People usually find difficulty in assessing their own
weaknesses and it can lead to emotional disconnect to whomever they try to engage when
they allow their moods – particularly negative ones – to influent their method of conveyance.

An individual has to be humble and respectful towards other people. Ofttimes the
sender and the receiver are not in proper frame of mind. This creates problems in
Communication. Misunderstanding, lack of interests, mental and physical disturbance can
cause problems because of that. Efforts should be taken by superiors and all reporting people
to overcome the problems.

6) Using non-verbal signs

Body language is the way a person act in certain situations in terms of their body. For
example, if a person is not stood upright, if they are leaning back in a chair when people are
talking to them and so on. The use of body language in communication is important as it may
display a person’s enthusiasm or keenness in listening. One of the methods of displaying
positive body language is by keeping eye contact, good sitting posture, or gestures like
nodding or head bobbling. Maintaining an appropriate facial expression is also vital
throughout interpersonal interactions.

7) Using grapevine communication

Grapevine communication is an informal channel of business communication.

Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. Despite grapevine is more freely
termed as ‘office gossip’, it is actually beneficial if the supervisor/manager utilize the
grapevine to send a strong message.

8
 Grapevine channels carry information rapidly, and it serves as an emotional support
value to the subordinates apart from creating a sense of unity among the employees. A smart
manager should make the best possible the advantages of grapevine.

3.2 Basic Methods of Control

The control process of management ensures that every activity of a business is

furthering its goals. This process basically helps managers in evaluating their organization’s
performance. By using it effectively, they can decide whether to change their plans or
continue with them as they are.

1) Pre-control

Pre-control or preliminary control, as the name implies, is a control process that take
place before any unwanted thing to occur in the first place. The control identifies actions to
be taken in advance before a problem arises or precautions that is made to avoid unwanted
occurrence. Pre-controls are proactive and preventative. Pre-controls are helpful to managers
because they allow a manager to plan work effectively; they can regulate resources like
employees, raw materials and capital ahead of time.

2) Concurrent Control

Concurrent control is an ongoing control that helps to maintain quality and

uniformity. It usually involves the monitoring of employees who are directly involved with
customers, or the manufacturing process. When developing concurrent control, an employer
will set the standards, regulations, and guidelines which the employees are expected to
follow.

3) Feedback Control

Feedback control is also known as the post-action control, where controls will occur
when feedback, or implications had been done. Feedback provides information whether

9
performance, standards, quotas, or any other measurable criteria are fulfilled successfully.
Through feedbacks, a management can determine what to improve and what to correct.

3.3 Forms of Control Implementation

1) Bureaucratic control

Bureaucratic control is the use of formal systems of rules, roles, records, and rewards
to influence, monitor, and assess employee performance to help an organization achieve its
goals. Organizations use the system when their size and complexity make more informal
practices such as interpersonal communication and relationships impractical, unreliable, and
ineffective. Bureaucratic controls help to shape how employees perform, create
accountability for outcomes, track actual performance, and rectify behaviours when
necessary. For example, in industry setting, bureaucratic control can be seen from safety
regulations that are outlined for the employees to comply with and disobedience can be
charged with disciplinary actions.

2) Objective control

Objective control is based on facts that can be measured and tested. Rather than create
a rule that may be ambiguous, objective controls measure observable behavior or output.
customers. As an example of a behavioral control, say that a store wants employees to be
friendly to customers. It could make that a rule as stated, but it may not be clear what that
means and is not measurable. To make that goal into an objective control, it might specify,
“Smile and greet anyone within 10 feet. Answer customer questions.”

3) Normative control

Normative control is defined as the deep, subjective experience of employees that is

claimed in the name of the corporate interest. Normative controls govern behaviour through
accepted patterns of action rather than written policies and procedures. Normative control
uses values and beliefs called norms, which are established standards. For example, within a

10
team, informal rules make team members aware of their responsibilities. The ways in which
team members interact are developed over time. Team members come to an informal
agreement as to how responsibilities will be divided, often based on the perceived strengths
of each team member. These unwritten rules are normative controls and can powerfully
influence behaviour. Normative control is the attempt to elicit and direct the required efforts
of members by controlling their underlying experiences, thoughts and feelings that guide
their actions. Under normative control, members act in the best interest of the company, not
because they are physically coerced, nor purely from an instrumental concern with economic
rewards and sanctions. It is not just their behaviours and activities that are specified,
evaluated and rewarded or punished. Rather, they are driven by internal commitment, strong
identification with company goals and intrinsic satisfaction from work. These are elicited by
a variety of managerial appeals, exhortations and actions (Kunda 1995).

4) Concertive control

Concertive control is an extension of cultural management strategies. However,

concertive control relies on participatory organizational techniques, such as team-based
management, to promote a strong feeling of ownership and empowerment among the
workers. In a concertive system, members work in concert with each other to achieve
organizational objectives. Members are not only empowered to control their own behavior for
the benefit of the organization, they are also encouraged to take responsibility for the actions
of their peers. Everyone in the team is simultaneously a supervisor and a subordinate. The
identification members feel with the organization and each other makes it particularly
difficult for these individuals to resist managerial control efforts. Additionally, because these
members are empowered to create their own rules and regulations, they also know where
there may be weaknesses in the system. As a result, members work together to close the gaps
and further reduce their own opportunities for resistance.

5) Self-control

Current definitions across theories of self-control concur that self-control is the

capacity to change or inhibit dominant response tendencies while managing behavior,
thoughts, and emotions. This includes altering inner responses to block undesired behavioral

11
response patterns and to promote performance of desired behaviors. Individuals high in self-
control tend to engage in deliberative processing while taking a broad perspective. At work,
leaders with higher levels of self-control display more effective leadership styles – they are
more likely to inspire and intellectually challenge their followers, instead of being abusive or
micromanaging.

12
 REFERENCE

Anon. 2015. “12.4 Communication Barriers.” in Principles of Management.

University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing edition.
Anon. n.d. “Communication Barriers.” Lumen Learning. Retrieved August 22, 2020
(https://courses.lumenlearning.com/principlesmanagement/chapter/12-3-
communication-barriers/).
Gratis, Brandi. 2017. “Overcoming Emotional Barriers to Communication.” Retrieved
August 22, 2020 (https://www.typetalk.com/blog/overcoming-emotional-
barriers-to-communication/).
Johnson, S. Karen. 2019. “Effective & Ineffective Communication.” Chron. Retrieved
August 22, 2020 (https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-ineffective-
communication-56100.html).
Juneja, Prachi. n.d. “Reasons for Communication Breakdown.” MSG Content Team.
Retrieved August 22, 2020
(https://www.managementstudyguide.com/communication_barriers.htm).
Kapur, Radhika. 2018. Barriers to Effective Communication. Delhi.
Kerns, D. Charles. 2013. “Self-Control at Work.” 2013 Volume 16 Issue 3 (3).
Kiaos, Theaanna. 2018. “Normative Control in Organisations.” Diversity First.
Retrieved August 22, 2020 (https://www.diversityfirst.com.au/single-
post/2018/10/22/Normative-Control-In-Organisations).
Kunda, Gideon. 1995. “Engineering Culture: Control and Commitment in a High-
Tech Corporation.” Organization Science 6(2):11.
Kurland, Nancy B., and Lisa Hope Pelled. 2000. “Passing the Word: Toward a Model
of Gossip and Power in the Workplace.” The Academy of Management Review
25(2):428.
Lambarki, Talia. n.d. “Levels and Types of Control.” LumenCandela. Retrieved
August 22, 2020 (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-
principlesmanagement/chapter/levels-and-types-of-control/).
de Ridder, Denise T. D., Gerty Lensvelt-Mulders, Catrin Finkenauer, F. Marijn Stok,
and Roy F. Baumeister. 2012. “Leadership Takes Self-Control. Here’s What
We Know About It.” Personality and Social Psychology Review 16(1):76–99.

13
S, Samiksha. n.d. “9 Important Measures to Overcome the Barriers of
Communication.” Retrieved August 22, 2020
(https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/business-communication/9-important-
measures-to-overcome-the-barriers-of-communication/1006).
Willkomm, Converse Anne. 2018. “6 Barriers to Effective Communication.” Drexel
Goodwin. Retrieved August 22, 2020
(https://drexel.edu/goodwin/professional-studies-blog/overview/2018/July/6-
barriers-to-effective-communication/).

14