Communication

Communication

 

Meaning of communication

Communication is the process of transformation of information from one person to another. It is a process of exchanging opinions ideas, feelings, information, views and other fast between or among two or more people. It involves the systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding. Communication skill means conveying the message to others and understanding the message from others. Business communication is a bridge of passing information between the management and the employees.

Process of communication

1. Source or sender: – the first step in the communication process is source or sender. The source is also called communicator. Communication begins when someone has some idea, information, view, feeling to transmit. The communicator may be a person, group or an organization. When the communicator intends to communicate to somebody communicator prepares the message

2. Encoding: – the idea or feeling the sender has to be translated into some language or symbols. This process is called encoding. The sender must choose appropriate words, symbols, pictures etc to express his/her idea.. While selecting the symbols, the sender has to pay attention about the receiver understanding the message.

3. Message or medium: – the medium is simply the pathway for transmission of the message. Some medium must be selected. This channel is chosen by the sender. They can be formal or informal. Examples are face to face , email, letters, fax. Telephone etc

4. Decoding to the receiver: – the receiver assigns some meaning to the symbol transmitted by the source, so the receiver interprets the message and the process is known as decoding. It is not an easy task because words have different meaning for different people. Problems of communication break down frequently.

5. Feedback: – this is the final phase. Feedback is the reaction of the receiver. The receiver has to confirm whether or not the message has been received or not. It is only taken in two-way communication.

6. Noise: – it is interference with the normal flow of information. It disturbs the communication system. No matter how well designed is the communication system; if noise exists the message received is different from message sent. Example: – noise of machines, vehicles, loud voice etc.

Barriers to effective communication

A. Physical barriers

Internal structure of the organization and layout of office machines and equipments creates physical barriers in communication

a.      Distance: – communication is found obstructed in long distance. Like communication between America and Nepal.

b.      Noise: – it is from external sources and affects the communication process. Noise negatively affects the accuracy

c.       Physical arrangement: – the physical arrangement of organizational sources like men, money, material and machine obstruct the communication process.

B. Semantic barriers

The use of difficult and multiple use of languages, words, figures, symbols create semantic barriers.

a.       Language: – we can find some words having different meaning. As meaning sent by the sender can be quite different from the meaning understood by the receiver. Long and complex sentences creates problem in communication process.

b.      Jargons: – technical or unfamiliar language creates barriers to communication that may be drawn from the literature. So message should be simple and condensed as far as possible so that no confusion creation will be there to the receiver.

C. Organizational barriers

It is raised from the organizational goals, regulations, structure and culture.

a.      Poor planning: – it refers to the designing, encoding, channel selection and conflicting signals in the organization.

b.      Structure complexities:- difficult organizational structure barrier for free flow of information. Appropriate communication process must be used.

c.       Status differences: – it creates barrier for communication. Superior provides information to the subordinate about plans and policies. Different information is provided by different subordinates who create barrier in communication.

d.      Organizational distance:- distance between sender and receiver also creates barriers to effective communication.

e.      Information overload: – if superior provides too much information to the subordinate in short period receiver suffers from information overload which creates barriers to effective communication.

f.        Timing: – communication can be obstructed if not done on time. If the information is not provided in time it creates barriers to effective communication.

D. Psychological barriers

It is the barriers to effective communication created from the lack of interest of the people from whom the communication is meant. People do not pay attention to the communication which are not interesting to them and which do not fulfill their want.

a.      Perception: – it is the process of accepting and interpreting the information by the receiver. People receive things differently for a various number of reasons.

b.      Filtering: – communication some time filters the negative information to make it more favorable to the receiver. In this process, knowingly or unknowingly some valuable information may be disposed.

c.       Distrust: – superior provides information or message to the subordinates to their own view, ideas and opinion which create obstruction in communication.

d.      Emotions: – emotion also creates barriers to effective communication like anger, het, mistrust, jealousy etc.

e.      Viewpoint: – it also creates barriers to effective communication. It the receiver doesn’t clear the message and ignore without hearing, the message may create obstructions.

f.        Defensiveness: – if the receiver receives the message as threat and interprets that message in the same way, it creates barriers to effective communication.

Types of communication

Formal and informal communication

1. Horizontal communication: – it is the process of lateral flow of information in order to coordinate work activities at the same level of management hierarchy. It helps in coordination of task, share information and minimize the conflict. In other words, it is the flow of information between the activities and to solve the organization problems, this can be shown by following figure.

2. Vertical communication: – it is the process of upward and downward flow of information in order to coordinate work activities at the different level of management hierarchy. It helps in task directives, share information about rules and regulations, responsibility, problem, achievement and suggestions and minimize the conflict between subordinates and superior. There are two types of vertical communication

                                I.            Downward communication: – it is the flow of information from top to bottom through formal lines of authority. Top level management transmits the information to subordinates about objectives, policies, strategies and responsibility.

                                II.            Upward communication: – it is the flow of information from bottom to top in an organization. Middle and low level management transmits the information to superior about problems, suggestions

3. Diagonal communication: – it is the flow information between the superior and subordinates who are neither in the same department nor at the same level. It violates the principle of chain of command and unity of command.

Channels of communication

1. Formal communication channel

Networks are another aspect of direction and flow of communication. Bavelas has shown that communication patterns, or networks, influence groups in several important ways. Communication networks may affect the group's completion of the assigned task on time, the position of the de facto leader in the group, or they may affect the group members' satisfaction from occupying certain positions in the network. Although these findings are based on laboratory experiments, they have important implications for the dynamics of communication in formal organizations.

There are several patterns of formal communication:

·   "Chain",

·   "Wheel",

·   "All-Channel" network,

·   "Circle".

2. Informal Channel of Communication / Grapevine:

The informal channel of communication is often discouraged or looked down upon in an “organization, and is not officially sanctioned. It is popularly referred to as grapevine. This is because it runs in all directions irrespective of the formal structure.

The origin of the term grapevine can be traced to the way the botanical vine grew over telegraph wires, making telegraphic messages go in unintended directions. In business life, grapevine owes its existence to man’s gossipy nature.

Humans tend to speak loosely or lightly with their associates wherever they may be. Time to time they feel the need to get freed from the necessity to stick to logic or truth.

As people go about their work, they have casual conversation with their friends in the office. These conversations deal with both personal and business matters. This results in the generation of a rumour mill, which is a grapevine.

Grapevine is classified into four categories:

Single strand: Each one tells another.

Group or gossip chain: One tells all persons in his/her group.

Probability chain: Each randomly tells a number of people.

Cluster chain: Some tell selected others.

Grapevine satisfies the social needs of members, leads to more relaxed human relations (partly through the release of fantasy), serves to fill the possible gaps in the formal communication and links even those people who do not fall in the official chain of command.

Other characteristics of grapevine are:

(i) It is more people-oriented then issue-oriented.

(ii) May not be totally authentic and dependable.

(iii) Grapevine transmission flows in all directions in an organization.

(iv) Grapevine information travels very fast.

(v) Its responsibility cannot be fixed.

Factors leading to grapevine:

A rumor mill becomes active when the following factors exist in an organization:

(i) A lack of sense of direction, especially in times of crisis. The more the uncertainty, the greater the rumormongering.

(ii) The formation of favored groups of employees by the management. This breeds insecurity among other employees leading to rumors.

(iii) A lack of self-confidence amongst employees leads to the formation of groups. These groups often run rum our mills.

Advantages:

(i) Speed:

Speed is the most remarkable characteristic of this channel of communication. It is possible to transmit information remarkably fast since there are no formal barriers and no stopping. A rumour, thus, may spread like a wildfire.

(ii) Feedback:

The feedback through this channel is much faster than a formal channel of communication. The channel is like the pulse of an organization. The reaction to the decisions, policies, directives and directions often reach managers faster through this channel than through the formal one.

(iii) Parallel function:

The informal channel does not have official sanction, but is an inevitable parallel to the formal channel. It works as a supplementary channel of communication in an organization. Good managers have been known to use the informal channel to their benefit for transmitting information otherwise unfit for formal channels.

(iv) Support system:

A grapevine is an informal support system developed by employees within an organization. It brings them closer and gives them immense satisfaction.

Disadvantages:

(i) Less credible:

A grapevine is less credible than a formal channel of communication. It cannot be taken seriously as it involves only the word of mouth. It is, therefore, likely to be contradicted.

(ii) Selective information:

Informal channels usually fail to carry the complete information. As a result, the receiver does not get the essence of the whole message. Mischief mongers or vested interests may use the channel for transmitting selective information.

(iii) Creates trouble:

A grapevine can foster trouble within an organization as there is no control over the information sent, received, its portrayal and perceptions. Information gets distorted. A grapevine can be synonymous with the spreading of false or wild stories.

(iv) Leakage:

Information may get leaked at the wrong time. The term ‘open secret’ in an organization can often is attributed to such leaks.

Effective use of informal channels of communication:

(i) The higher authorities should ensure that employees are well informed of the working of the organization. This will reduce the tendency for distortion.

(ii) Activities that update knowledge should be frequent. This will prevent the generation of rumours.

(iii) The higher authorities should not indulge in favoritism.

(iv) A manager should conduct regular meetings with the employees.

(v) The manager should make efforts to identify popular employees who can serve as leaders for other employees.

(vi) As far as possible, employees should be involved in the decision-making process.

(vii) Managers should not indulge in loose talk.

(viii) A manager should be a good listener,

(ix) A manager should try to get regular reviews about his style of work.

Interpersonal and non-verbal communication

Interpersonal communication

This type of communication takes place between two or more persons which can be in oral or written form.

Oral communication:

Oral communication is the process of expressing information or ideas by word of mouth. Learn more about the types and benefits of oral communication, and find out how you can improve your own oral communication abilities.

Definition and Types

Great communication skills are your ticket to success in the academic and business world. But have you ever been overcome by fear or anxiety prior to going on a job interview or speaking in front of an audience? Knowing when to choose oral communication and polishing your speaking skills can help you at every stage of your career.

Oral communication is the process of verbally transmitting information and ideas from one individual or group to another. Oral communication can be either Formal or Informal. Examples of informal oral communication include:

• Face-to-face conversations

• Telephone conversations

• Discussions that take place at business meetings

More formal types of oral communication include:

• Presentations at business meetings

• Classroom lectures

• Commencement speech given at a graduation ceremony

With advances in technology, new forms of oral communication continue to develop. Video Phones and Video Conferences combine audio and video so that workers in distant locations can both see and speak with each other. Other modern forms of oral communication include Podcasts (audio clips that you can access on the Internet) and Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP), which allows callers to communicate over the Internet and avoid telephone charges.

There are two main types of communication: oral and written. Written communication involves any type of message that makes use of the written word. Written communication is the most important and the most effective of any mode of business communication.

Examples of written communications generally used with clients or other businesses include:

• Email

• Internet websites

• Letters

• Proposals

• Telegrams,

• Faxes

• Postcards

• Contracts

• Advertisements

• Brochures and

• News releases.

 

Nonverbal communication is a very powerful medium of communication that entails sending and receiving messages through any of the human sense channels, without using language. Messages may occur on a conscious or unconscious level and may be intentional or not, and are usually, though are not limited to visual manifestations. Some forms of nonverbal communication include gestures, body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and posture, in addition to body temperature, movement, time and personal space. It is said that nonverbal communication comprises approximately two-thirds of all communication among people and groups.