nature,imp&role of communication

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For effective transmission of the message certain principles have to be followed, they arealso called the seven C’s of communication:

1. Completeness- every communication must be complete and adequate. Incomplete

message keeps the receiver guessing, create misunderstanding and delay actions.2. Conciseness- communication should be brief and be able to say whatever youhave to say in fewest possible words.

3. Clarity- the message must be put in simple words to ensure clarity. We should use precise, concrete and simple words. And construct effective sentences and paragraphs.

4. Correctiveness- there should be right level of language and accuracy of facts,figures and words.

5. Concreteness- it means being specific, definite, vivid rather than vague andgeneral.

6. Consideration- it means preparing the message with the receiver in mind. The

words like you should be used instead of I and we. Always emphasize positiveand pleasant facts.7. Courtesy- it stems from a sincere you attitude. Applying socially accepted

manners is a form of courtesy. It means politeness that grows out of respect andconcern for others.

NATURE OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is an adaptation that helps animals survive. The nature of communicationis the exchange of information between two people. It is required that there should be

both a sender and a receiver for communication to take place. Communication is

reciprocal. So at any time the sender is sending a message the receiver is also sendingmessages.Effective communication entails the sender encoding a message and transmitting it to thereceiver where the receiver successfully decodes the message.So you put your thoughts into words in a language you know and you "send it" to your receiver. You can send it through talking, posting it on a message board, sending an e-mail, etc. This goes through a channel which can have "noise" which interferes with themessage. Your receiver gets the message and "decodes" it. If this is done successfullythey will understand your message. Things that might hinder this would be if the other

person doesn't speak the same language as you.

1. Two-way process- communication is possible only when there are at least two persons, one sender and the other receiver.2. Information sharing and understanding- communication doesn’t take simply

because of information transfer but it also depends on the understanding of thereceiver.

3. Verbal and non-verbal- a message can communicate through symbols, gesturesand actions and can also use informal channels.

Communication is defined as the management of messages for the purpose of creating meaning.



4. Circular flow- the flow of information ids circular, i.e. the communication startswhen the sender transmits a message and is completed when the receiver sendsthe feedback to the sender.

5. Goal oriented- the communication is always goal oriented and the ultimate purpose is understanding between the sender and the receiver.

6. Continuous process- exchange of ideas and information is an ongoing process in business and non business organizations.7. Pervasive activity- it takes place at all levels (top, middle, low) and in all

functional areas (production, finance, marketing, personnel, etc.)

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is one of the basic functions of management in any organization and itsimportance can hardly be overemphasized. It is a process of transmitting information,ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. You cannothave human relations without communication. However, good and effective

communication is required not only for good human relations but also for good andsuccessful business.

The Role of Communication

Communication plays a key role in the success of any workplace program or policy and serves as

the foundation for all five types of psychologically healthy workplace practices. Communication

about workplace practices helps achieve the desired outcomes for the employee and the

organization in a variety of ways: Examples of communication strategies that can help make your

workplace programs successful include:

• Providing regular, on-going opportunities for employees to provide feedback to

management. Communication vehicles may include employee surveys, suggestion boxes, town

hall meetings, individual or small group meeting with managers, and an organizational culture

that supports open, two-way communication.

• Making the goals and actions of the organization and senior leadership clear to workers by

communicating key activities, issues and developments to employees and developing policies

that facilitate transparency and openness.

• Assessing the needs of employees and involving them in the development and

implementation of psychologically healthy workplace practices.

•

Using multiple channels (for example, print and electronic communications, orientation andtrainings, staff meetings and public addresses) to communicate the importance of a

psychologically healthy workplace to employees.

• Leading by example, by encouraging key organizational leaders to regularly participate in

psychologically healthy workplace activities in ways that are visible to employees.

Communicating information about the outcomes and success of specific psychologically healthyworkplace practices to all members of the organ



Good communication is critical in ensuring coordination and control of individuals,groups and departments. Good communication ensures individuals know what isexpected of them, that the appropriate person receives the correct information and thatthere is coordination within the organisation. It ensures control of the organisation’s plansand procedures and that instructions given to staff by management are understood. Group

and team cohesiveness is encouraged and stress can be reduced. Many problems such as bias, distortion and omission are often the result of poor communication. However, thesecan be reduced and removed, as can secrecy, rumour and innuendo. This can result in theadded advantage of conflict reduction.

DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

The type of communication and the medium used will depend to a greater or lesser extenton organisational structure. This will in turn be a function of the product or service andits environment. There are many forms of communication within an organisation, formaland informal. Generally, in formal organisations information flows through quite clear

channels and in defined directions. Traditionally, the direction of the three maininformation flows is downward, upward and lateral.

1. Downward communication is associated with giving orders or instructions fromsenior management. This form of communication is often the one most easily recognized.Its purpose is to give specific directives, provide information about procedures and

practices or provide information about the task in hand. Control of employees andinformation about their performance is an important use of downward communication, asis the provision of information on organisational and departmental objectives. Modes of downward communication can be:

•

Handbooks and Pamphlets• Posters and Bulletin• Hose journal• Pay inserts and direct mails• Annual reports• Special meetings

Merits of downward communication:

• Mission and Goals• Plans and Policies• Duty and Authority• Job satisfaction

Limitations of downward communication:

• Distortion• Incomplete Information



• Time Consuming• Filtration of Information

2. Upward communication is usually communication initiated from the employees andtends to be non-directive in nature. It generally takes two forms, personal problems /

suggestions or technical feedback, as part of the organisation’s control system. Modes of upward communication can be:

• Suggestion System• Grievance Procedure• Open door policy• Questionnaires• Ombudsperson

Merits of upward communication:

• Feedback • Creative ideas• Better relations• Overcomes resistance to change• Increased Motivation

Limitations of upward communication:

• Fears and Apprehensions• Filtration• Time consuming• Inattention by superiors• Low morale

3. Lateral or horizontal communication is increasingly important and necessary inmodern organisations, especially as traditional communication theory assumes onlyvertical communication. It can take the form of task coordination, such as departmentalmanagers or supervisors meeting regularly or problem solving through departmentalmembers meeting to resolve an issue by sharing ideas with other departments. It canresolve conflict and interdepartmental friction.

Merits of lateral communication can be:

• Speedy• Facilitates problem solving• Mutual trust and confidence developed

Demerits of lateral communication:



• Differences in perceptions and attitudes• Difference in the likes and dislikes• Lack of knowledge about other functional areas

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication can best be summarized as the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver in an understandable manner. The importance of effective communication isimmeasurable in the world of business and in personal life. From a business perspective,effective communication is an absolute must, because it commonly accounts for thedifference between success and failure or profit and loss. It has become clear thateffective business communication is critical to the successful operation of modernenterprise. Every business person needs to understand the fundamentals of effectivecommunication. It has proven been proven that poor communication reduces quality,weakens productivity, and eventually leads to anger and a lack of trust among individualswithin the organization.

The communication process is made up of four key components. Those componentsinclude encoding, medium of transmission, decoding, and feedback. There are also twoother factors in the process, and those two factors are present in the form of the sender and the receiver. The communication process begins with the sender and ends with thereceiver.

The first step the sender is faced with involves the encoding process. In order to conveymeaning, the sender must begin encoding, which means translating information into amessage in the form of symbols that represent ideas or concepts. This process translatesthe ideas or concepts into the coded message that will be communicated. The symbols

can take on numerous forms such as, languages, words, or gestures. These symbols areused to encode ideas into messages that others can understand. When encoding amessage, the sender has to begin by deciding what he/she wants to transmit. This decision

by the sender is based on what he/she believes about the receivers knowledge andassumptions, along with what additional information he/she wants the receiver to have. Itis important for the sender to use symbols that are familiar to the intended receiver. Agood way for the sender to improve encoding their message, is to mentally visualize thecommunication from the receiver's point of view.

To begin transmitting the message, the sender uses some kind of channel (also called amedium). The channel is the means used to convey the message. Most channels are either

oral or written. Common channels include the telephone and a variety of written formssuch as memos, letters, and reports. The effectiveness of the various channels fluctuatesdepending on the characteristics of the communication. If a sender relays a messagethrough an inappropriate channel, its message may not reach the right receivers. That iswhy senders need to keep in mind that selecting the appropriate channel will greatlyassist in the effectiveness of the receiver's understanding.



After the appropriate channel is selected, the message enters the decoding stage of thecommunication process. Decoding is conducted by the receiver. Once the message isreceived and examined, the stimulus is sent to the brain for interpreting, in order to assignsome type of meaning to it. It is this processing stage that constitutes decoding. Thereceiver begins to interpret the symbols sent by the sender, translating the message to

their own set of experiences in order to make the symbols meaningful. Successfulcommunication takes place when the receiver correctly interprets the sender's message.The receiver is the individual to whom the message is directed.

Feedback is the final link in the chain of the communication process. After receiving amessage, the receiver responds in some way and signals that response to the sender. Thesignal may take the form of a spoken comment, a long sigh, a written message, a smile,or some other action. "Even a lack of response, is in a sense, a form of response" (Bovee& Thill, 1992). Without feedback, the sender cannot confirm that the receiver hasinterpreted the message correctly. Feedback is a key component in the communication

process because it allows the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of the message.

Feedback ultimately provides an opportunity for the sender to take corrective action toclarify a misunderstood message. "



COMMUNICATION NETWORK Broadly speaking there are two types of communication which take place in anorganization. These are:

1. Formal communication2. Informal communication

FORMAL COMMUNICATIONIt refers to the official communication that takes place following the chain of command inthe organization. It can occur in different directions.Advantages of formal communication:

• Orderly flow of information• Identified source• Authentic information• Justification of authority• Control• Answerability for actions

Disadvantages of informal communication:• Time consuming• Lack of personnel touch• Distortion• Expensive

INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONCommunication between individuals and groups which are not officially recognized isknown as informal communication. In organizational content the informalcommunication is known as grapevine as the origin and direction of the flow of informally conveyed messages cannot be easily traced. It has the following features:

• It transmit information in every direction• It transmits information rapidly• It is selective in regards to person who receives the information• It extends beyond the formal hierarchy system• It generally occurs orally• It is based on people rather than task • It doesn’t follow a fixed pattern

Advantages of informal communication:• Social relations• Need satisfaction• Speed• Avenue of expressions• Feedback • Supporting the formal channel• Better human relations

Disadvantages of informal communication:• Incomplete information



• Distortion• Unreliability• Leakage• Lack of authenticity• Problem in fixing responsibility

Formal communication Informal communication• Follows officially established chain

of command and lines of communication.

• Slow moving• Easy to pinpoint the responsibility

• Task oriented• Consists of work related matters

• Orderly and systematic• It flows in vertical, horizontal

directions• It can oral or written• The message is accurate and

authentic

• Independent of authority relationsin the organization.

• Fast and speedy• Responsibility fixation is not

possible• People oriented• Consists of work related as well

social messages• Unsystematic and erratic• Flow in every possible direction

• It is oral• The message can’t be considered

authentic unless it is supplemented by formal channels

COMMUNICATION NETWORKS1. Single strand/ Chain network- one person communicates with one person only.

2. Wheel network- people will communicate through one source who is called as thecentral authority like the hub of a wheel.

A

B

C

B

C EA

D



3. Free flow network- in this there is no restrictions on the flow on communication.everyone is communicate to communicate with anyone and everyone in theorganization.

RUMOURS

Rumour is a grapevine information which is communicated without authentic standardsof evidence being present. It can be called as an untrue part of grapevine. It can be bychance be correct or is generally incorrect, so is presumed to be undesirable. Causes of rumour can be:

• Plain maliciousness• Employee’s anxiety• Job insecurity• Poor communication

It tends to change person to person as it passes. Its general theme may be maintained butnot in details. The rumour gets twisted and distorted and gets an exaggerated shape.Dealing with rumours is the most important task before the management. We have to getto its root cause and try to kill it after it has started. When causes are known it should bestopped as early as possible. So the manager must pass in the correct message at the righttime. The only solution is to get the facts across before misconceptions have a chance toget a foothold. Usually face to face supply of facts is the most effective way as it helpsanswer the particular ambiguities in each individual’s mind.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

BARRIERS- the term barrier means hurdle or obstacle. Thus barriers to communicationimply hindrance on the way of transmission of message fro sender to receiver. Theygenerate confusion, conflict and misunderstanding in the organization by creating

bottlenecks, delays and distortions of information. The different types of barriers are:• Physical & Mechanical barrier • Language or Semantic barrier • Socio-psychological barrier • Organizational barrier

A

A

A

AA



• Personal barrier

(1) PHYSICAL & MECHANICAL BARRIER a) Noise- communication does not occur in totally noise free environment. Noise thoughof varying degree, disturbs or interferes with communication. Adverse weather conditions

and faulty tele-communication system are the other most common barriers. Noise due toheavy traffic machines, human sounds, construction/demolitions works, fans etc. makescommunication difficult. Noise can be physical & psychological. Physical disturbances or distractions – such as gossips, loud speakers etc draw the attention of the receiver while

psychological noise is related to the mental disturbances- ego clash, pre occupiedthoughts, hang over, fatigue, anxiety & preconceived ideas.

b) Distance- Long distances between the sender and the receiver can also obstructeffective communication. If sender and receiver are separated by geographical distances,tele-communication can result in miscommunication or incomplete communication.c) Time- Time refers to the reaching of the message. If an important message reaches lateit is sure to effect communication.

d) Information overload- It refers to excessive transmission of information. Much moreinformation then what the receiver can process is transmitted to him. The receiver cannotunderstand, digest, analyze and act upon information overload that is beyond its mentalcapacity.e) Physical barriers- outdated machines and equipments can produce excessive noiseleading to physical barriers in communication which destructs effective communication.f) Use of words with different meanings- Communication is mainly carried throughspoken and written words. But the words used may convey different meanings todifferent people. When the reader or listener assigns a different meaning to a word thenwhat the writer or speaker intended then occurs miscommunication. People interpret theword differently due to differences in their economic, social, cultural and educational

background.

(2) LANGUAGE OR SEMANTIC BARRIERSa) Unclear message- Lack of clarity and precision in a message makes it badly expressed.Poorly chosen and empty words and phrases, careless omissions, lack of coherence, badorganization of ideas, awkward sentence structure are common faults found in this case.

b) Faulty Translation- Every manager receives various kinds of communication fromsuperiors, peers, subordinates and he must translate information destined for subordinates, peers and superiors into language suitable to each. Approximate

understanding of words and the consequent faulty translation lead to impaired efficiencyand heavy costs.c) Specialist’s language- It is often found that technical personal and special groups tendto develop a special, peculiar and technical language of their own.d) Unclarified assumptions- There are certain uncommunicated assumptions whichunderlie practically all messages. Though a message appears to be specific its underlyingassumptions may not be clear to the receiver.



(3) SOCIO-PSYCOLOGICAL BARRIERSa) Differences in perceptions- Perpetual barriers may arise due to differences betweenindividuals in the way they perceive, organize and understand their environment.Differences in perceptions arise due to different job experiences, educational

backgrounds, value systems etc. b) Differences in attitudes- People differ with regard to attitudes and opinions whichoften interfere with communication. If the message is consistent with our attitudes wereceive it favorably. On the other hand if the message is contrary to our expectations,

beliefs and cherished values we do not react favorably to it.c) Emotions- How the receiver feels at the time of receiving the message influences howeffectively he interprets the information. Extreme emotions and jubilation or depressionare quite likely to hinder the effectiveness of communicationd) Inattention- Communication has no effect on those who are unwilling to listen. Thismay be a matter of motivation. If people do not pay the required amount of attention tolistening and understanding the message supposed to receive, communication will lose its

purpose.e) Closed minds- One of the assumptions implicit in the communication is that both thereceiver and the sender have open minds, which enable them to process information in anuninhibited manner. If people limit their agenda to their own narrow goals and views, noeffective communication is possible because closed minds regard all information asunnecessary overload.f) Premature evaluation- Some people form a judgement before receiving the completemessage. Such premature evaluation prevents effective communication. The decision

based on incomplete information is likely to be wrong.g) Distrust- It arises out of ill-considered judgments or illogical decisions of thecommunication by the communicator. Repeated experience of this kind graduallyconditions the receiver to delay actions.h) Resistance to change- It is the general tendency of humans to maintain status quo.When new ideas are being communicated the listening apparatus may act as a filter inreceiving new ideas. Thus resistance to change is an important obstacle to effectivecommunication.

i) Cultural differences- They are faced when managers deal with people of differentcultures. Symbols, words, colors, gestures, language must be carefully selected whensenders of information are dealing with people of different cultures.

(4) ORGANISATIONAL BARRIERSa) Status relationship- Organization structure creates a number of status level among themembers of the organization. Status refers to the regard and attitude displayed and heldtowards a position by the members of the organization. This may create hurdles in thecommunication. The common causes for obstacle in communication due to status arenon-listening habit of the superior and the desire to keep maximum information withoneself.



b) One way flow- Effective communication is a two way street in which both the sender and the receiver feel free to interact which enhances the quality of the process. But wherethe flow of feedback from the receiver is blocked, understanding will suffer.c) Organization structure- The organization structure influences the ability of members tocommunicate effectively. The organization structure of most big enterprise is complex. It

creates problems as communication may break down at the level of supervision due tofaulty transmission in order to overcome these difficulties.d) Distance barriers- If both communicator and communicate are at distant places, thecommunicate fails to get the immediate clarification required.e) Mechanical barriers- Equipments used for communication should be in perfectworking order. Any defect in the equipments may distort the impression.

(5) PERSONAL BARRIERSa) Attitude of superiors- The attitude of superiors towards communication in general or atany particular direction affects the flow of messages in different directions.

b) Lack of confidence in subordinates- Superiors generally perceive, that their subordinates are less competent and capable, they are not able to advise superiors or theymay not have some information coming downwards.c) Ignoring communication- Sometimes superiors consciously and deliberately ignore thecommunication from their subordinates to maintain their importance. This works againstthe willingness of subordinates to communicate.d) Filtering of information- Sometimes the sender intentionally screens the informationfor passing only such information which will look favorable to the receiver. The remediesfor filtering are a well designed feedback system, development of rapport withsubordinates, listening to subordinates with understanding attitude and reducing the fear of failure.e) Lack of time- They don’t have spare considerable time to talk to their juniors. Theyfeel that they overburdened with work.f) Message overload- It is really a hurdle in the communication process. If messageoverload is routine, there is a grave danger to the orderly and smooth flow of communication. The effect of overload may be omission of message, errors, delay,filtering and approximation.

ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONCommunication is the soul of an organization, and without it the organization can’t exist.Therefore managers must ensure that there is adequate and smooth flow of communication in all directions. For this the manager has to take necessary steps for

making communication effective.

1. Clarity in idea- the communicator should be quite clear about what he want tocommunicate. It is a process starting with ideation that includes generation of ideas which are meant for communication.

2. Purpose of communication- every communication has some purpose. However the ultimate objective may be extended, for example, getting an order accepted by



the subordinate. The communication should be extended towards the objective bythe communicator.

3. Empathy in communication- the way for effective communication is to besensitive towards receiver’s needs, feelings and perceptions. This is what imply

projecting oneself into the viewpoint of the other person. When the sender looks

at the problem’s from receiver’s point of view misunderstanding is avoided.4. Two way communication- two way communication brings two minds together which is the core of any communication. It involves a continuous dialogue

between sender and receiver of the message.5. Appropriate language- the matter of communication is transmitted by encoding

it into symbols. Such symbols may be in the form of words, either spoken or written, and gestures. The language used for communication should beunderstandable by the receiver. Technical terminology may be impressive looking

but they can also be troublesome to the listener.6. Supporting words with actions- often it is said that action speak louder than

words. The sender may use the actions to emphasize on a point. This enhances in

understanding the important point in communication. This will also ensureseriousness in communication.7. Credibility in communication- one criteria for effective managerial

communication is that it has believability. The subordinates obey the order of thesuperiors because he has demonstrated that he is worthy of trust. He must alsomaintain the trust and credibility.

8. Good listening- a communicator must be a good listener too. By this process, heis not only giving chance to others to speak but he gathers useful information. Byconcentrating on the speaker’s words the manager can obtain a much better understanding of what is being said.

Newstrom and Davis suggested some points which may be observed in listening :

• No talking• Put the talker at ease• Show the talker that you want to listen to• Remove distractions• Emphasize with the talker• Be patient• Hold your temper• Go easy on arguments and criticism• Ask questions

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