COMMUNICATION

Organizational Communication

Organizational Communication

Introduction

The need for competent communication dates back to the beginning of time. It has always been necessary to have effective and appropriate interaction among citizens who are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and motivation to sustain a progressive citizenry. The term communication competence applies to a range of interconnected fields of study that focus on broad aspects of socialization and interaction, including identity studies, as communication competence depends on an understanding of one's own identity and the identity of the other (Hymes, 1972).

Discussion & Analysis

Conceptually, communication competence stems from knowing pertinent rules and behaviors in various communicative contexts and being able to comprehend the outcomes for both conforming to and violating operative norms. Communication competence assumes an ability to choose communication behavior that is appropriate for a given situation.

Communication competence encompasses the ability to reveal appropriate communication in a particular setting. Communication competence has been described as being related to concepts such as accuracy, clarity, flexibility, success, affection, empathy, and effectiveness. This entry provides an overview of communication competence, a discussion of interpersonal communication competence, an examination of organizational communication competence, a description of intercultural communication competence, and a connection between communication competence and identity.

Overview

Communication competence has been conceptualized in a variety of ways; however, the common link among all scholars is the assumption that communication competence is important and essential in society. The term communication competence, as it is contemporarily understood, originated in the work of Dell Hymes. Hymes developed the term communicative competence, out of which emerged a four-part typology that included as its fourth part strategic competence. Contemporarily, when people think of communication competence, they are clearly referring to strategic competence, whereby their success in interaction is defined by their knowledge, skills, and motivation, as well as the appropriate and effective use of communication skills and knowledge.

Hymes, a sociolinguist, considered communicative competence dependent on tactical knowledge and the ability for use. The definition has since evolved to incorporate a cognitive and behavioral element. Scholars have argued that studying cognition alone ignores the performative aspects, which include ability or skills. The ambiguous nature of communication has yielded studies with different quantitative measures. Despite differences in the conceptualization of communication competence, there is consistency in examining cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, with most research focused on the psychomotor and least on the affective domain. A plethora of scales in various different disciplines exists. This overview focuses on four measures. The construct of cognitive communication competence measures one's own cognitions about one's personal communication performances. The communicator competence questionnaire assesses interaction between persons in specific roles within an organization. This instrument measures one's perceptions of others' competence within an organizational setting. The Self-Perceived Communication Competence scale is designed to permit the respondent to define communication competence, allowing one to reflect on how competent one feels in a variety of communication contexts. Many of these measures assume a connection to interpersonal communication, a specific area of research in communication competence.

Interpersonal Communication Competence & Compliance

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