Presentation 1: Strategic Organizational Communication

1. What expectations does each of the three generational groups have about life and about organizations?

Baby Boomers

Life : Live longer and healthier

Organization: To be rewards for their contributions

To be supported during golden years by an adequate pension

Generation X

Life : To be active- working and playing, well into 70's, 80's or 90's

To be excellent parents/ individuals

Organization: To be rewarded based on performance, not seniority.

Work is no longer job one

Family is important

Generation Y

Life : Everyone to be interested in their Point of View

Organization: To have fun in workplace,

Things can always be changed for better.

2. What messages and experiences have contributed to those expectations?

Baby Boomers: No work, no money

Generation X: Domestic scene

-little infrastructure . institutional support for mothers

-very few day care, no nanny

- first wave of latchkey kids

Generation Y:Born with mostly dual income family and more technology sophisticated.

3. Over what issues are the three groups likely to have conflicts? Why?

Goal and value differences

E.g. Job Promotion

Baby Boomers: Competitive, winning is the best possible outcome

Generation X : Disrupting family, leaving friends

Conflict

Baby Boomers-X'ers: lack ambition, confidence, raw intelligent

X'ers -baby boomers: presumptuous, self-absorbed, arrogant.

Relationship in work -formal, informal?

Y'ers -X'ers: Not competent to be boss,

X'ers is diffusing his enthusiasm, not appreciating work and ideas

Underestimate his capacity

X'ers -Y'ers: Short attention life span

Habits- Cell phones, IM, music

Solution: To Y'ers, communication is important, always multitask

Questions to think about and discuss

1. To which, if any, of the three generational groups do you belong?

How do your expectations correspond to theirs? Over what issues are you likely to have conflicts with members if the three groups? Why?

Generation Y

Value differences

Language and fashion differences

2. How do your expectations and experiences correspond to theirs?
Clean and working environment
Message structure- movement of message in organization

3. Over what issues are you likely to have conflicts with members of the 3 groups? Why?
IT Equipment: not new
Work Attitude: Assignment based

4. Are the strategies chosen by Generation X'ers appropriate to the situations they face? Generation Yers?

The Gen-Xer is not impressed with status symbols such as titles; rather, they want an uncensored corporate structure coupled with opportunities to learn new skills. When given the choice, they prefer flex hours and the ability to telecommute over a higher salary.

Gen X'ers more individualistic, seek work-life balance.

To Y'ers, team oriented, obssessed with planning

Everyone to be interested in their Point of view, eager for comments, feedbacks.

no, work ethics, no sharing of company secret.

5. What effects are their strategies likely to have on their relationships with their supervisors in traditional firms? with their co-workers? With their subordinates? Why?

It's time for Xers to realize that Yers are to be treated with more respect and considerations

Conclusion

The key to organizational excellence is effective communication

Knowledge, Sensitivity, Skills and Values

References:

http://www.conntact.com/archive_index/archive_pages/4780_Business_New_Haven.html

http://www.newyorklife.com/nyl/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=b4dd47bb939d2210a2b3019d221024301cacRCRD
Generation X (2010)

Tutorial 2

1. Describe an organization that you know well. Identify message functions and the structure of that organization.

a global engineering manufacturing company

MESSAGE FUNCTION

what communication does or how it contributes to the overall functioning of the organisation.

Organizing function : STEC delivers Employee Handbook to all employee.

Relationship function: Orientation, Booklet of Guidance for Expatriates

Change function : Provide managerial level employee Blackberry

for immediate responses to work.

Offers team building and allow discussion with area supervisor and

surveys to exchange information and get feedback.

2. Describe the culture of the same organization.

Top down communication style.

HR Director Ms Pat Chung

|

HR supervisor Mr Badrul

|

HR assistant Mr Zaiem

Functioning structure of organization

E.g. An invoice is not charged on STEC until the proposal is passed to get approval from Purchasing Department.

3. Debate whether or not whether we should view communication as the fundamental organizational process.

In this complex & information rich society, the key to organisation excellence is effective communication. In an organisation process, both human and technological are responsible for solving the increasingly complex problems creatively.

Organization of today and tomorrow need competent communicators at all organisational levels.

4. Which of three approaches (functional, meaning-centered, or emerging perspectives) to organizational communication do you think better describes organizations? Why?

5. Describe a circumstance you have observed when organizational communication influenced effectiveness.

STEC appreciation night year 2011 was successfully organised within 2 months as the organizing committees formed a team of 8 were highly communication competent (knowledge, sensitivity, skills, values)

With the understanding and practices of (knowledge sensitivity, skills and values) organization communication, employees get to know message functions of organization: inform, persuade, command, instruct and integrate.

Reference: Fundamentals of organizational communication: Knowledge, Sensitivity, Skills and Values

Tutorial 1

What unusual communication demands are placed on the "competent communicator" now that we are living in the information society?

1. Equipped with technical knowledge of communication and to be techonological fluent

+ Using basic features of the operating system. Ability to use and learn new ways of using computers, laptops and projectors.

+Using standard application programs (Ability to use word processing software, use drawing tools to create chart and insert images.)

+Searching/finding/evaluating information on the Internet. (website, forum, blog, facebook, twitter)

+Learning new tools and programs (I learn Corel Draw and Nitro only when I started to work)

2. The art of idea presentation

To constantly communicate

Communication process doesn't stop when a job is done. People expect to have continuing communicaion to keep communicatiors up to date to the happening and needs of one self and to maintain a good relationship.

How will you, as a "competent communicator" use each of the four components of competency ( knowledge, sensitivity, skills and values) in your personal and professional life?

Knowledge

I would apply my expertise and professionalism in workplace such as knowledge about communication in the workplace learnt in HELP University.

Using the shared realities such as technology terms (email, Cc, Bcc, sms, mms) in communicating with colleagues or clients.

Sensitivity

Be observative to learn and adapt to the organization culture.

Sense workplace atmosphere, is there promotion lately? What was the message delivered in the last memorandum?

Be update with current news inside and outside of organization

Skills

Apply analytical and critical thinking skills

-in receiving a task, listening to a comment

Creativity skills in designing job and planning skills in organizing tasks

Values

Everyone holds different values due to different cultural background.

Value other people's work and value things that are valuable.

Think of a person you consider to be a "competent communicator" and describe how he or she demonstrates the four components of competency (knowledge, sensitivity, skills and values)

Lim Guan Eng

Lim Guan Eng is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang and Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party (DAP). He is the son of Lim Kit Siang, Leader of the Opposition in the Dewan Rakyat from 1973 to 1999 and 2004 to 2008.

Knowledge

Lim Guan Eng graduated from Monash University, Australia in Bachelor of Economics and was a qualified professional accountant by 1983. He was the president of MUISS (Monash University International Student Society). He has a great and very wide financial knowledge on Penang state.

Penang has been praised by the Auditor-General for recording budget surpluses every year in state government finances. Most notable was saving Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai from bankruptcy afer RM230 million of losses in 7 years under BN. Another notable achievement was reducing our state government debts by 95% or RM600 million from RM630 million to only RM30 million.

Although he was not born in Penang, he is very sensitive to the needs of Penangites.

He is optimistic in the future stemming from proving that a clean, competent, accountable and transparent can also work and succeed in Malaysia

No doubt, Lim Guan Eng has a powerful skill of communciation. He managed to push people to have critical thinking, persuade and motivate his people towards a Cleaner, Greener and Safer Penang.

Lim Guan Eng value peoples choice and thinking.

Future success is only guaranteed when both the rakyat the state government is committed to putting Penang first over any private interests. Putting Penang first requires proof that prosperity is shared and solutions to problems are inclusive. If possible no one is left behind.

Value culture. Respecting human dignity to speak freely and each other's differences fosters peace and harmony. Penang's ability to accommodate diversity has brought great pride to Penang, with the listing of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/clubhouse/handouts/fluency-v3.pdf