The choice of one channel over another depends on
whether the message is routine or nonroutine. Routine mes-
sages tend to be straightforward and have a minimum of
ambiguity. Nonroutine messages are likely to be compli-
cated and have the potential for misunderstanding.
Individuals can communicate routine messages efficiently
through channels that are lower in richness. However, they
can communicate nonroutine messages more effectively by
selecting rich channels. Evidence indicates that high-performing managers tend to be more
media-sensitive than low-performing managers.^9 In other words, they are better able to
match appropriate media richness with the ambiguity involved in the communication.
A 1999 study at Boston University revealed that managers found it easier to deliver
bad news (layoffs, promotion denials, and negative feedback) via email, and that the mes-
sages were delivered more accurately this way. This does not mean that sending negative
information through email is always recommended. One of the co-authors of the study
noted that “offering negative comments face-to-face is often taken as a sign that the
news is important and the deliverer cares about the recipient.”^10
The Feedback Loop
The final link in the communication process is the feedback loop. Feedback lets us
know whether understanding has been achieved. If the feedback loop is to succeed
in preventing miscommunication, the receiver needs to give feedback and the sender
needs to check for it. Many receivers forget that there is a responsibility involved in
communication: to give feedback. For instance, if you sit in
a boring lecture, but never discuss with the instructor ways
that the delivery could be improved, you have not engaged in
communication with your instructor.
When either the sender or the receiver fails to engage in the
feedback process, the communication is effectively one-way
communication. Two-way communication involves both talk-
ing and listening. Many managers communicate badly because
they fail to use two-way communication.^11
One of the greatest difficulties managers have is providing
performance feedback. In From Concepts to Skills, on pages
217–218, we discuss strategies for providing performance feed-
back. We also provide some practice exercises for doing so.
The Context
All communication takes place within a context, and violations
of that context may create additional problems in sending and
receiving messages. For instance, the context of a workplace
presents different expectations about how to interact with peo-
ple than does the context of a bus stop. The workplace may
demand more formal interaction, while communication at a
bus stop is generally expected to be informal. In some situa-
tions, informal communication can look unprofessional, and
thus be viewed negatively. In other situations, formal commu-
nication can make others feel awkward, if the formality is out of
place. Thus, it is important to consider context in both encod-
ing the message and choosing the channel.
Chapter 6 Communication, Conflict, and Negotiation 189What information
should be sent
by which communi-
cation channel?*
Companies use the technique of 360-degree feedback to ensure
that individuals get feedback from co-workers and subordinates.
As a senior vice-president with Scotiabank, Claude Norfolk
found that sometimes feedback hurts. “I was really surprised, for
example, to find out that I needed to work on my listening skills,
because I thought I was a pretty good listener.” Turns out his
wife agreed with Norfolk’s colleagues. Still, he found value in the
exercise. Feedback almost always brings with it valuable insights,
which we can use for greater understanding.feedback loop The final link in
the communication process; it puts
the message back into the system as
a check against misunderstandings.