Reflective Report on Communication and Collaboration Skills - Module

This report is a reflective analysis of communication and collaboration skills, focusing on the application of communication theories and models within an organizational context. The student explores various communication theories, including face negotiation theory, cultural approaches, and organizational information theory, and relates them to real-world scenarios. The report examines the impact of cultural differences and negotiation processes on communication effectiveness, and the importance of conflict resolution. It includes a discussion of different communication styles, conflict management, and the role of teamwork, referencing Belbin's team roles. The report also reflects on the student's personal experiences with communication and conflict in the workplace, and identifies areas for improvement in collaborative skills. The student analyzes the importance of effective communication in building relationships and fostering successful teamwork.

Running head: COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATIVE WORKING
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATIVE WORKING
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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The aim of this paper is to discuss the communication and collaborative skills in the successful
working in an organisation. Communication in an organisation is essential because through this,
the information flows from one level to the other, improve negotiation among the stakeholders
and partners and develop the workplace to have a robust cultural competency to gain competitive
advantage in a critical situation. The communication system includes the factors like language,
values, beliefs and the behaviours of the employees in an organizational setting. It is capable to
mitigate the conflicts within the workplace by sharing issues in detail and grow a connection of
bonding among the employees.
From the module I have learnt different communication theories and models that then affected by
the factors like cultural difference and negotiation process. Communication to me is the main
and the most important factor that guide the people associated with a company to solve any type
of conflicts by detailing the expirations in one hand and meeting them in a regular basis. In order
to detail the proper understanding of this module, I shall be using Kolb’s reflective cycle. This
cycle is related to the concrete experience, reflective observant, abstract conceptualisation and
active experimentation.
There are several theories and concepts that guide the communication systems of the
company and make the human resource more confident in the sharing of knowledge as well as in
the teamwork. Among these communication accommodation theory, cultivation analysis,
coordinate management of meaning, cultural approach to communication, symbolic interaction
theory, face negotiation theory, organizational information theory and relational dialectics theory
can be analysed. This model cossets of four factors like experience, observations, development
and testing of the ideas through practice. Through this module and lectures I have first pointed
out some very important theories of communication.

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The face negotiation theory speaks for the ways of facing conflicts on the individual as
well as the collective level. This theory has been considered with the face management stressing
on the people from different cultural background can face conflict. This theory connects to the
fact that the companies that are more exposed to the external environment, the more they will be
facing the issues of miscommunication. There are two ways which describe the conflict
negotiation of the different cultures which are self-face and other face need to be incorporated.
Face negotiation theory has close connection with the cultural approach to
communication theory. The cultural approach theorists put importance upon the importance of
culture where human beings’ love for being involved in a network is pointed out. After the
globalisation wave, more companies have started to expend overseas therefore they are facing
the difference in the communication system that are potent to create issues in the organistion
(McPhee and Poole 2016). This is the reason why the need for having proper knowledge about
the difference of communication systems as well as understanding of the messages are essential.
According to the Hofstede theory of culture, the national cultures of the different countries tend
to regulate the organizational cultural as well as the communication systems. This is the reason
why the communication system depending upon the hierarchal systems, individualism,
indulgence and long term orientation process have been included. The communication of the
culture of the organization has been represented by the stories and rituals conveyed through
communication system.
Organizational information theory relates to the ambiguity present in the communication
system. This theory proposes that the organizations tens to share conflicting information for the
right interpretation of the employees. The members of the teams interpret the information by the
process of rational selection of the information. The more they can avoid ambiguousness, the

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more they will be successful. Interpersonal communication system leads to grow team bonding
which I have found out while working in a project during study or for that matter in the
organisational setting. I possess less collaborative skills that is essential for working in a team.
This is the reason why this module regarding conflict resolution ad negotiation can be helpful for
me.
Relational dialectics theory indicates the essentialist of communication in building
relation among the communicators which in this case are the negotiators and employees. As in
any setting, people feel the push and pull of desires and having the security as well as openness
in the personal relation (Ferrer-i-Cancho 2018). Therefore they tend to avoid balancing the
conflicting desire of life in the relationship that impacts free communication system.
Symbolic interaction theory refers to the fact that the people tend to make communication
through creating symbols and assign meanings by the association of the places and events. This
can relate the reason of conflict because some of the countries support the symbols used in the
verbal md nonverbal communication systems. On the other hand the others may not ascribe with
the symbolic communication hence led to misinterpretation of the communication of the
information. Here again the cultural factors come into front (Adler, Rodman and Du Pré 2016).
The cultures like that of China, Middle East countries have the communication system to read
between lines but on the contrary, the western countries allow only for clearance of
communication system. In this case, when the company with home country US enters the
Chinese market face conflicts in managing the human resource as well as the suppliers as the
communication is completely different in these two counties.
Communication accommodation theory relates to the motivational aspects as well as the
results of transference of the communication styles among people. According to this theory

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people tend to transfer their communication styles into different ways like divergent and
convergent. The people with strong ethical background tend to transfer their communication
styles through the divergent communication process. They do so by highlighting the essentiality
of their identity in the groups. Similarly, the powerless people or the new people in the
organization, tend to use convergent style of communication as they actually need a social
acceptance.
The theory of cultivation analysis in communication focuses upon the mediation process of
communication. According to this theory, the media like television or another source of
information play an important part in the communication process` it speaks for people need to
gather information from the mediated sources rather than the direct sources so that they can
develop the sense of reality. The mediums in the modern culture are effective but have side
effects. For example, more dependence upon the mediums for collecting information leads to
have excessive interactions and result in the creation of violence. Finally, the coordinate
management of meaning theory of communication speaks for the process of people collecting
and understanding meaning of the messages through the coordination of the conversations
(Barbe and Pennington-Gray 2018). These are essential for the conflict resolution and
negotiation. As the stories are told, coherence takes place. These lead to the coordination
process.
Along with the communication theories I have also leant of different communication styles. In
the business scenario, verbal communication, non-verbal, written and many others depending
upon the importance of the communication system along with the structure of the organization.
In this process the module have discussed the importance of conflict resolution. Through the
lectures about conflict I have understood that conflicts are raise due to the difference of ideology.

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Here comes the ability of the managers who by using their expertise bring a conclusion to these
conflicts.
Throughout the learning process I have understood that communication and conflict resolution
are such subjects which need to have proper practical understanding (Ma and Zhan 2016). This is
the reason why I have implemented these styles in the workplace as well as in the studying in
this particular course. While working in a part time job, I have faced conflicts associated with
communication. Here I have found that there are causes of conflicts like lack of resources, poor
communication, perceived differences, environment and many others related to communication.
The negative communication process has often led me to conflicts. In those cases, I could not
collaborate with other team members nor could I avoid the situation. This had led me to face
demotivation in working.
The issues due to communication systems can be solved through different approaches
detailed in the lectures notes. I have started to develop my skills to be assertive and utilising
power of the position in a prositive way. I had been operating as a customer service team
members therefore faced this type of issues every day both with my other tea embers as wells the
customers. It is very common that the employees who will be regularly communicating with the
customers face conflicts rewarding their understanding as well approaches (Berger et al. 2018). I
have understood one thing in this job of customer engagement that in solving any type of conflict
listening to the communicators is the most important factor. The more, I will be listening to the
customers the more will develop the understanding and convey my messages more eloquently.
In some cases, not addressing the conflicts can lead to find a temporary solution but this
cannot be permanent all the time. Throughout the negotiation process, conflict cam take place in
any stage. Through this particular module I have gained the knowledge of get engaged in a true

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and dependable negotiation process (Giles 2016). I have understood that the skills of effective
negotiation, being able to inspire trust among the team managers is essential. Along with this
having ultimate level of patience, being assertive and in-depth knowledge of the situation are
important (Blakar 2018). In addition to this, while working in the organisation I have understood
that having a futuristic vision can help the negotiation process as I will be able to foresee the
conclusion of the communication process, I will obviously choose the right path and do not go
for any compromise.
The lecture has also included the team work process as communication is one of the most
important across in the successful team working process. In this regard, Belbin’s teamwork
model has been detailed (Oetzel 2017). Here proper understanding of the roles in the team can
solve may an issues in the organization. In this regard I have pointed out that the behaviours,
contribution of skills ad interaction among the team members are the main success factors that a
team members can include in the tem structures. As I have working in an organistion where we
had to work in the team structure. Here there are different aspects of team roles as dependent
upon the skills that the person possess. Some people are excellent coordinator, some are monitor
evaluator. Some people are specialist of the subject and share the most vital information the other
team members need to complete a task. It has been realised by me that in a team all types of
people are necessary so that the information are flown properly and the tasks are excited
depending upon the strategies. Not everybody in the team are capable to plan or strategize to
achieve the goal (Van Ruler 2018). This is the reasons they need the conflicts management
regarding the responsibilities need to take place and those can one be done through proper
communication.

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Therefore it can be concluded that culture and ideologies have the most vital part to play
in the proper communication system. This is due to the fact that they actually regulate the belief,
values and attitudes of the people who are responsible to make decisions or for that matter
competing a negotiation process. However there are various factors that create barrier for the
successful communication process and cut the bond of the team members to face any type of
issues in the internal environment. Through proper team roles, in depth knowledge of the subject
and positive communication system, the people can solve internal conflicts among the team
members in one hand and convince the negotiators to make decisions in support of the company.
References:
Adler, R.B., Rodman, G.R. and Du Pré, A., 2016. Understanding human communication (Vol.
10). Oxford University Press.
Barbe, D. and Pennington-Gray, L., 2018. Using situational crisis communication theory to
understand Orlando hotels’ Twitter response to three crises in the summer of 2016. Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism Insights.
Berger, C., Calabrese, R., Ellul, J., Adorno, T., Horkheimer, M., Barthes, R., Ong, W., Luhmann,
N. and Castells, M., 2018. Communication theory.
Blakar, R.M., 2018. Towards a theory of communication in terms of preconditions: A conceptual
framework and some empirical explorations. In Recent advances in language, communication,
and social psychology (pp. 10-40). Routledge.

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Ferrer-i-Cancho, R., 2018. Optimization models of natural communication. Journal of
Quantitative Linguistics, 25(3), pp.207-237.
Giles, H., 2016. Communication accommodation theory. The international encyclopedia of
communication theory and philosophy, pp.1-7.
Ma, L. and Zhan, M., 2016. Effects of attributed responsibility and response strategies on
organizational reputation: A meta-analysis of situational crisis communication theory
research. Journal of Public Relations Research, 28(2), pp.102-119.
McPhee, R.D. and Poole, M.S., 2016. Models of communication. The international encyclopedia
of communication theory and philosophy, pp.1-16.
Oetzel, J.G., 2017. Effective intercultural workgroup communication theory. The International
Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, pp.1-5.
Van Ruler, B., 2018. Communication theory: An underrated pillar on which strategic
communication rests. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), pp.367-381.