Suggestions to help improve the lecturer's technique

Spector devised an experiment
whereby the same poorly delivered lecture was given to different groups .of subjects. After 15 minutes the groups were asked to write down suggestions to help improve the lecturer's technique. One group was then told that their suggestions had been accepted, one that their suggestions had been seen but rejected, and another that the suggestions had not been read or accepted. The lecturer then carried on exactly as before-in the same poor style-to all groups. Beforeafter attitudinal questionnaires found that the group 'allowed' to feedback advice felt that the lecture had improved in style more than either of the other two groups.

Most writers on industry would argue that, in general, an open feedback system would result in a clearer picture of responsibilities. difficulties. and strong and weak points of both superior and subordinate. Prompt feedback on performance may be more important in changing behaviour than intensive discussions which only occur infrequently. Furthermore, a human need is satisfied when personnel are informed of their progress and the effectiveness of this satisfaction is governed by the clearness of the perfOlmance targets and the accuracy with

Dyadic or interpersonal communication involves face-toface exchanges between two individuals. Our model of communication and interpersonal relationships and our discussion of non-verbal communication, serial communication, communication networks, leadership and management, com-munication barriers, and methods of improving organizational communication all centre to some degree upon the one-to-one, face-to-face communrcation situation. In this chapter we shall consider a special form of interpersonal communication: the interview. Since organizational decisions concerning policy, procedures, and personnel often are made on the basis of information gained through interviews, effective interviewing techniques are crucial to organizational success. We shall therefore consider the nature of interviews, kinds of questions often employed during interviews, and specific types of interviews commonly used in organizations.