AECC::Class Notes::Communication

Introduction to Communication:

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a

common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. It is a process of exchanging thought, ideas,
values and intention between a speaker and a listener. While most people are born with the
physical ability to talk and hear, not all can communicate well unless they make special efforts to
develop and refine this skill of communication further.

Elements in Communication

As communication has been defined as the act of giving, receiving or exchanging information,
ideas and opinions, it is obvious that every effective communication involve exchange of the
“message” as well as the “intention” between both the speaker and listener.
So, Look at Figure 1.1 below. The illustration shows clearly that in a communication process,
there must be a sender who speaks or sends a message, and a receiver who listens or receives the
message.

Figure 1.1: The communication process

The sender sends a message with a certain intention in mind. The receiver of the message tries to
understand and interpret the message sent. He then gives feedback to the original sender, who in
turn interprets the feedback. This process is repeated continuously till the end of communication.

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Clearly, there are several major elements in the communication process – a sender, message,
channel, receiver, feedback and context. There is both a speaker’s intention to convey a message
and a listener’s reception of what has been said. Thus, listening skills are just as important as
speaking skills in order for communication to be effective.

The Communication Process Model

SENDER

IDEA ENCODING OF MESSAGE TRANSMISSION

DECODING OF
REACTION UNDERSTANDING RECEPTION
MESSAGE

RECEIVER

Patterns of Communication
Communication patterns are structures in which communication flows in an organization. They
are the communication links in work teams according to the organizational structures.
The patterns are related to work efficiency and who is responsible towards whom or who talks to
whom. It also relates to satisfaction of group members and decision making process.
This can be applied in groups but all-to-one and one-to-all communication are also taken to be
communication patterns.

Circle: In circle communication pattern, there is a leader and hierarchies in the group members.
Here, leader can only communicate to the members who are next to him/her like their direct
subordinates. He/she cannot talk with any other members too, like the lowest level of workers.

Single strand or straight chain: Single strand network is an information network where one
person will tell a message to another person and he will communicate it to another one person.
The third person also will tell the same message to another one person.

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Gossip: Here all the persons in the communication network talk one another informally. In this
network someone stays in the center of the system. He is the main or pivotal person.
Wheel (star): In wheel pattern, there is a leader at the center of all communication. All others
are members that stand at the same level in structure. Here, all members can communicate with
the leader and vice versa.
Y: Y pattern of communication is more complicated as there are different sub-groups within a
group. In the center is a leader who manages these sub-groups. According to this pattern given by
Leavitt, there are 3 subgroups being controlled by a single leader.
Probability chain: Probability network is an informational network where each of the individual
randomly tells others the same message. The source of information for each of the person
hearing the message is different.
Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. The management can use
grapevine to supplement the formal channels of communication.

Barriers to Effective Communication:

 The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
 Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their
emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo.
 Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
 Differences in perception and viewpoint.
 Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
 Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal
cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less
effective.
 Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
 Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping.
People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to
incorrect conclusions.
 Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures,
as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal
space varies between cultures and between different social settings.

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