chapter 13

Group 4
Chapter 13
Interpersonal and collaborative messages

This chapter will feature the development of interpersonal relationships, nonverbal behaviors and working collaboratively in business. Interpersonal communication is verbal, nonverbal and listening interaction between at least two people engaged in co-creation of a relationship. Two messages are actually expressed in any given interaction. The content message is stated and the relationship message is implied trough both the nonverbal behaviors demonstrated and the way the message is stated.
Relationships are established trough interpersonal interaction, so communications and relationships are intertwined. A relationship is a dynamic system coordinated trough communication between two or more people. Relationships are always changing because the people involved are always changing. Developing positive relationships with co-workers, vendors and customers can mean increased productivity and moral. The patterns of our relationships can establish aspects of relational power, control, and influence. Complementary relationship occurs when communicators engage in contrasting behavior in which one person controls and the other relinquishes control. Symmetrical relationship occurs when the communicators mirror each other’s behavior. Because people and their interactions are not static, no relationship is stuck permanently in either a complementary or a symmetrical arrangement.
Every communications event involves rules that are both cultural and relational. Cultural rules for business groups are subdivided into tree types – interactive, standard, and role related.
Nonverbal behavior manages and regulates conversation, displays emotions and feeling, provides feedback, and influences others. Nonverbal communication refers to body movements or vocal variations that communicate without words. There are six types of nonverbal communication:
1. Kinesic behaviors refer to body movements we use to communicate.
2. Eye behavior refers to eye movements that communicate emotions, facilitate and regulate conversation and monitor reactions.
3. Paralanguage involves vocal sounds other than words. It s how you say something rather than what the word means. Vocal interferences are paralinguistic sounds such as “um”, “er” and “uh” that fill dead air during speech.
4. Chronemics is the study of how people use and perceive time.
5. Proxemics is the study of how people use space and distance.
6. Haptics involves touching behaviors.
A small group is composed of two or more interdependent people who are aware of their group membership and who communicate to accomplish common goals. A group does not exist unless there is interaction among its members. Small-group communication is a specific type of interpersonal communication. Group members are not only interdependent on one another to achieve group goals, but aware of their membership in the group. Business groups are often more attractive to people when they perceive that member commitment, cohesion, collaboration and effective conflict modification strategies exist. The four C’s of small groups are:
1. Commitment (refers to members’ consistent participation on group-related tasks, and dedication to maintaining group values and achieving group goals.
2. Cohesion is the establishment of harmonious and compatible working relationships.
3. Collaboration occurs when members of a team work together to accomplish a task.
4. Conflict strategies are problem modification techniques that groups use to resolve disputes.
Conformity is acceptance of influence and adherence to group rules.
Groupthink occurs when members neglect relevant news or information that contradicts what the group already believes.
Leadership is the ability to influence people and share a vision that moves projects or organization forward in a productive and creative way. Good business leaders use both relational and task leadership skills to further the goals of the group and those of the company. To influence behavior you must first influence attitudes.
Agendas are guidelines for discussion topics and time frames for goal accomplishment during meetings.
Technology has provided many new virtual team work channels to communicate through. Collaborative commerce or c-commerce is emerging technology that allows companies to collaborate with customers, suppliers and distributors to improve existing product and services. When time and money prohibit face-to-face business meeting with professionals at different geographic locations, distance conferences bring people together from wherever they are. Teleconferencing is the most common type of distance meeting in which participants communicate by phone from different locations. Videoconferencing combines both visual and verbal communication. Web conferencing is use of compact cameras and microphones attached to personal or laptop computers to send and receive audio and video messages transmitted over the internet.
While it is possible to develop and maintain relationships without face-to-face human interaction, interacting in person from time to time will strengthen the business relationships. No matter how far technology can go at these days, and how far it will in the future, human factor always was and will be key point in all kind of businesses.