Communication Process
Communication is a two-way street.
David Berlo (1996) SMCR Model of Communication:
A Sender sends Messages through a Channel to a Receiver. After getting the message, the Receiver decodes the message based on individual understanding and provides Feedback to the sender. Within the communication process, receivers do not necessary understand exactly what the sender presents. Instead, Noise are generated based on what information the sender provides, how the message are delivered, how the receivers decode the message, what are the default assumptions, etc.
David Berlo (1996) SMCR Model of Communication:
A Sender sends Messages through a Channel to a Receiver. After getting the message, the Receiver decodes the message based on individual understanding and provides Feedback to the sender. Within the communication process, receivers do not necessary understand exactly what the sender presents. Instead, Noise are generated based on what information the sender provides, how the message are delivered, how the receivers decode the message, what are the default assumptions, etc.
IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators
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Ethical Communication v.s. Effective Communication
Ethical communication means to communicate with accurate and complete information in time without withholding critical information or intenting to mislead others. Ethical communication requires an individual to not only follow the Ethical Principles, but also be truthful, transparent and clear when communicating with others to gain mutual understanding and avoid discrepancy-noise (IABC Code).
In my opinion, ethical communication is not equal to effective communication. However, they are correlated. For example, when our procurement person came to me and asked for a purchasing decision for the next quarter, a) I can provide a straight answer by saying "we buy enough components to make X amount of what products", or b) I can share the forecast information and the strategic factors to discuss with buyers and develop a buying decision together.
Am I being unethical in either way? Which method is more efficient in communication?
According to IABC, the former, option a, is unethical because it doesn't provide complete information for the buying decision, while the latter, option b, allows the buyers to see the full picture and understand why and how I came up with the numbers. If only based on the result perspective, both communication options may end with the same procurement result, so we can say both are effective. However, the difference is that option b allows the buyers to engage in the decision making process and create a bonding relationship between them and the company. In my opinion, option b is a more effective approach of communication in the long run. Meanwhile, since communication is a two-way street, it also matters who I communicate with. If the receiver is a person who doesn't really care how we develop the results, but just want a straight answer, option a is a more appropriate way to proceed.
In my opinion, ethical communication is not equal to effective communication. However, they are correlated. For example, when our procurement person came to me and asked for a purchasing decision for the next quarter, a) I can provide a straight answer by saying "we buy enough components to make X amount of what products", or b) I can share the forecast information and the strategic factors to discuss with buyers and develop a buying decision together.
Am I being unethical in either way? Which method is more efficient in communication?
According to IABC, the former, option a, is unethical because it doesn't provide complete information for the buying decision, while the latter, option b, allows the buyers to see the full picture and understand why and how I came up with the numbers. If only based on the result perspective, both communication options may end with the same procurement result, so we can say both are effective. However, the difference is that option b allows the buyers to engage in the decision making process and create a bonding relationship between them and the company. In my opinion, option b is a more effective approach of communication in the long run. Meanwhile, since communication is a two-way street, it also matters who I communicate with. If the receiver is a person who doesn't really care how we develop the results, but just want a straight answer, option a is a more appropriate way to proceed.