Elements of Communication
When encoding a message, the sender has
September 16, 2012 by niyatimcms
Elements of Communication
Communication is one of the most important factors
for the existence of our society today. The
importance of effective communication is
immeasurable in the world of business and in
personal life. Denis McQuail is one of the most
influential scholars in the field of mass
communication studies says Communication is
the sending of meaningful messages from one
person to another. According to Harold D
Lasswell Communication is discerning who says
what, in which channel to whom and with what
effect. In simple words Communication is giving,
receiving or exchanging ideas, information, signals
or messages through an appropriate media. It is a
dynamic process involving a series of actions and
reactions with a view to achieve a goal. The
importance of effective communication is
immeasurable in the world of business and in
personal life. Communication is, therefore, a two
way process. Each element plays an important role
in making the communication effective and can be
classified as follows:
1. Sender: Sender is an individual, group, or
organization who initiates the communication. This
source is initially responsible for the success of the
message. A process by which the sender
formulates an idea to communicate is selected
first. The first step the sender is faced with involves
the encoding process. In order to convey meaning,
the sender must begin encoding, which means
translating information into a message in the form
of symbols signs that represent ideas or concepts,
which is then communicated. This process can be
influenced by external factors, or it can come about
internally by thinking about a particular subject. For
Ex:
Ex. A politician giving a speech.
A parent lecturing a child.
Customer of a restaurant writing a complaint letter
to the management of the restaurant.
2. Message: A message can be an idea,
concept, emotion, feeling that a person wants to
share with another person. A message can be
verbal or non-verbal form of communication. It is
based on the source or idea, but the message is
crafted to meet the needs of the receiver. The
purpose to send a message is to evoke meaning to
the other person. A message can be intentional or
non-intentional. Messages can be encoded into a
variety of formats oral, written or visual.
Eg: Speech is a channel, signs, gestures,symbols
are different ways in which a message can be
transmitted.
3.
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 and
assumptions, along with what additional information
he/she wants the receiver to have. It is important
for the sender to use symbols that are familiar to
the intended receiver. A good way for the sender to
improve encoding their message, is to mentally
visualize the communication from the receiver's
point of view.
4. Channel: Its the medium through which
communication is transmitted from one person to
the reliever. Most channels are either oral or
written. Common channels include the telephone
and a variety of written forms such as memos,
letters, and reports. The effectiveness of the
various channels fluctuates depending on the
characteristics of the communication. In case
of immediate feedback Oral Communication is
convenient. In a situation where the message must
be delivered to more than a small group of people,
written channels are often more effective. Although
in many cases, both oral and written channels
should be used because one supplements the
other. For Eg: A president delivering a Speech may
speak face to face with an audience, via the
broadcast media or via print.
For Ex : An audience receives the politicians
speech.
1. The child who is the recipient of the parents
lecture
5. Receiver: Receiver is the individual or
individuals to whom the message is directed to.
The extent to which a receiver comprehends the
message will depend on a number of factors, which
include the following: knowledge of the individual
regarding the message, their receptivity to the
message. All interpretations by the receiver are
influenced by their experiences, attitudes,
knowledge, skills, perceptions, and culture.
Ex. An audience receives the politicians speech.
Student receiving a lecture from the teacher in a
classroom.
6. Decoding: Decoding is the process where
the message is interpreted by the receiver . The
receiver begins to interpret the message through
words, signs, symbols sent by the sender
translating the message to its set of experiences in
order to make the message meaningful. Successful
communication takes place when the receiver
correctly interprets the senders message.
Eg: A student searches the definition of
a word unknown to her in the
dictionary, interprets the meaning and gains
information.
7. Feedback: Feedback is an integral part of
communication process that allows the speaker to
monitor the process and to evaluate the success of
the message communicated. This step conveys to
the sender that the message is understood by the
receiver. After receiving a message, the receiver
responds through a channel and signals that
response to the sender. For Ex: The signal may
take the form of a spoken comment, a written
message, a smile, rolling of eyes, a sigh or some
other action. No response is also a form of
feedback. Without feedback, the sender cannot
confirm that the receiver has interpreted the
message correctly. For Eg: Employee surveys,
company news letters, e-mails.
8. Noise- There are certain barriers present in
the communication process. These factors may
have an impact on the communication process.
Noise is one of the most common barriers, that
influence the feedback in this process. Noise
essentially is anything that distorts a message by
interfering with the communication process. Noise
can take many forms it can be external or internal
factors. Noise as a barrier may originate from the
source or the receiver, from the channel used in
sending the message, or outside the source and
receivers control.
Eg: Internal factor- Involves mental forces within a
receiver or sender that might affect his or her ability
to either encode or decode a message
correctly. Eg: Daydreaming, fatigue, exhaustion.
Eg: External factors: Anything around the person
that disturbs the communication process. Eg:
Sights, sounds, smell.
Conclusion:
Successful and effective communication for an
individual, group or an organisation starts with the
right implementation of the communication process.
Effective communication leads to
understanding. Through this process that the
sharing of a common meaning between the sender
and the receiver takes place. Communication is
important for us. For effective communication we
need to understand how various elements work.
Intrapersonal Communication
Intrapersonal communication is self-talk or a
conversation you hold with yourself under certain
circumstances for example, when you need to
make an important decision or learn something
about yourself. You may wonder whether
intrapersonal communication is just another way of
describing the thinking process. In a way, that
would be correct.
Intrapersonal communication is a form of thinking
that goes on inside us which relies on language to
express itself. It is similar to the Shakespearean
soliloquy where the character in question engages
in self-talk to reflect on events that have transpired
(please refer to Figure 1.6). Intrapersonal
communication often increases self-awareness and
mindfulness, and hones critical thinking skills.
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1.3.2 Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is communication
between several people. This form of
communication may range from the impersonal to
the very personal. Impersonal communication is
when you talk with a person you do not really care
about there is often a coldness or an indifference
in your attitude when you engage in this kind of
communication.
Then, there is social communication where you
engage in niceties with people you meet in a social
context. The most personal type of communication
occurs when you talk with people who are close to
you, for example, your best friend, family members
and colleagues. Such relationships are
interdependent, meaning that the actions of one
party very often directly affects the other party.
Interpersonal communication can take place face to
face as well as through electronic channels like
video-conferencing, chat rooms, e-mail and
Twitter.
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1.3.3 Small Group Communication
Small group communication takes place in a group,
usually comprising five to 10 people (please refer to
Figure 1.7). This form of communication serves
relationship needs (like companionship, family
bonding and affection or support) as well as task-
based needs, for example, deciding on disciplinary
action or resolving conflict in the workplace.
In academic institutions, students often form small
groups which meet regularly for study discussions
or to work collaboratively on projects. At the
workplace, small groups may meet to discuss
issues related to work, or for problem-solving or
team-building purposes. Learning to communicate
effectively in teams contributes to success and
advancement in many careers. Small group
communication allows you to interact with others,
be it at home, in school, at the workplace or in
public. You learn to exchange ideas, solve
problems and share experiences.
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1.3.4 Public Communication
Public communication, also known as public
speaking, involves communication between a
speaker and an audience. This audience may
range from just a few people to thousands or even
millions of people. The aim of the speaker is usually
to inform or to persuade the audience to act, buy,
or think in a certain way. A teacher may address an
assembly of students on codes of behaviour or
school rules. A politician may make speeches on
how he will be dealing with certain issues in order
to win their votes. An executive may give a
business presentation to get more sales. It is
important to understand some of the basic
principles of effective public speaking so that you
are able to influence, persuade as well as entertain
your audience when you communicate with them.
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1.3.5 Mass Communication
Mass communication is communication that is sent
out from a source to many receivers all over the
world. It takes place through media like films, radio,
videos and television. Modern avenues of mass
communication like the Internet and blogs can be
very powerful indeed as information is
disseminated instantly.
1.3.6 Corporate Communication
Corporate communication is communication that
takes place among members of an organisation,
within that organisation. Interacting in teams,
conferencing with co-workers, talking with a
supervisor or manager, giving employees
explanations and directions, interviewing and
making presentations are some examples of
corporate communication. Effective corporate
communication skills enhance corporate image and
impact positively on morale, commitment, and
productivity in corporations.
Is corporate communication compatible with
morality and ethics? Please view the following
thought-provoking video and form your own
opinions on this matter:
1.3.7 Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication is communication
between people of diverse cultures and ethnicity.
The world is increasingly becoming a global village
and every country has people of various ethnicities.
Thus, it is important to note differences in the
communication practices of different cultures if
intercultural harmony and understanding is to be
maintained. For example, in many Asian countries,
students will seldom contradict or disagree with a
teacher in the classroom as this shows disrespect.
In Western academic institutions, however, it is the
norm for students to think for themselves and
engage their teachers in debate and discussion. It
is important to make efforts to recognise and
respect the communication practices of people from
different cultures
andnationalities
Source,encoding,message,channel,decoding,receiver,feedbac
k,noise. Yunh mga yan. Saka yung
interpersonal,intrapersonal,dyadic,public communication.