SH1720

Methodologies and Approaches of Community Actions and Involvements Across

Disciplines

Settings, Processes, and Tools in the Discipline of Communication

Communication Settings
Government
Government communication can be defined as all the activities of public sector institutions and
organizations targeted to convey and share information, mainly for presenting and explaining
important government decisions and actions. It is also used for promotion of the legitimacy of
interventions, defending recognized values, and helping to keep social bonds.
Government communication concerns government institutions, which are government’s, courts,
auditor general’s office, etc., as well as the public-sector organizations. Viewed in terms of an
organized process, government communication includes all formal activities, whether written or
oral, regardless of the support used, and involves either interpersonal communication, a specific
group of people, or an undefined body of recipients or mass.
There is a general distinction between the active government communication and the passive
public communication. Active communication refers to activities provided, unsolicited, and
organized to the public or specific target groups by the authorities and the administration. MOst
communication activities by the government are said to be active for they are planned, organized,
and financed. On the other hand, passive communication refers to the information transmitted by
the administration to those who ask for it under the provisions of access to information laws now
current in most countries.
Civil Society
The communication process in society has three (3) functions.
1. Surveillance of the environment – it is the disclosing of threats and opportunities affecting
the value position of the community and of the component parts within it.
2. Correlation of the components of the society in making a response to the environment
3. Transmission of the social inheritance
In society, the processes of communication show special characteristics when the ruling is afraid
of the internal and external environment.
In gauging the efficiency of communication in any given context, it is necessary to consider the
values at stake, and the identity of the group whose position is examined. In democratic societies,
rational choices depend on enlightenment, which in turn depends upon communication; and
especially upon the equivalence of attention among leaders, experts, and regular members.
Private Sector
In an organization, informal and formal communications are used and many pathways, channels,
or media can be used to convey messages within an organization.
When sending a message within an organization, we need to consider channel, message type, and
audience or target. Choosing the right channel to get a certain message through a certain audience
can be more difficult that is first apparent according to Philip Clampitt in his book, communicating
for managerial effectiveness.

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The Communication Process

The function of the elements of the promotional mix is to communicate, so promotional planners
must understand the communication process.
This process can be very complex. Successful marketing communications depend on several
factors, including the nature of the message, the audience’s interpretation of it, and the
environment in which it is received. For effective communication to occur, the sender must encode
a message in such a way that it will be decoded by the receiver in an intended manner. Feedback
from the receiver helps the sender determine whether proper decoding has occurred or whether
noise has interfered with the communication process.

http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/how-do-you-communicate-with-your-e-learners/

Elements of Communication
 Source/Sender – the person or organization that has information to share
 Receiver – person(s) with whom the sender is sharing thoughts
 Message – the information the source hopes to convey
 Channel – method by which the communication travels from source to receiver
 Encoding – putting thoughts, ideas, or information into symbolic form
 Decoding – transforming the sender's message back into thought
 Response - receiver’s reactions after seeing, hearing, or reading the message
 Feedback – part of the receiver’s response communicated back to the sender
 Noise – unplanned distortion or interference

Tools of Communication
1. A memo is a poor choice while a small group meeting is a better choice in a situation where
a midsize construction firm wants to announce a new employee benefit program. Some
employees may have literacy problems. Synchronous communication means
communication sent and received at the same time.
2. The phone is a poor choice while email or voicemail is a better choice in a situation where
a manager wishes to confirm a meeting time with 10 employees (because there is no need
to use a rich and synchronous medium for a simple message).
3. Interpersonal channels are more likely to meet specific needs of organizational members
in overcoming risk and complexity associated with a change. When high risk or complexity
are not major factors, mediated channels are more effective in providing general
information.
4. Most mediated communications (e.g. reports, newspapers, videos, posters, chief executive
officer’s CEO presentations, closed-circuit TV shows) are centered on the CEO’s message,
which can be counterproductive. Research suggests that employees change only if they
receive rationales for change from their immediate supervisor rather than others further up
the food chain of the organization.

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In understanding organizations and the patterns of communication within them, one (1) for the
critical concepts is directionality.
Vertical communication refers to sending and receiving messages between the levels of a
hierarchy, whether downward or upward.
Horizontal communication refers to sending and receiving messages between individuals at the
same level a hierarchy.

Methods of Community Action Implementation

1. Finding Partners, Finding Focus
It is important to understand the relationship between the partners and the substantive focus.
The partners decide the focus and the substantive focus decides the partners. That
interrelationship is the guiding principle in assembling an effective partnership.
For Example:
The leaders of two (2) youth-serving organizations with their new partners may decide their
community needs a comprehensive youth development agenda. Once the partners make that
their focus, other partners need to be included to work on that task; and some of the original
partners may choose to not move forward. In other words, the focus needs to fit the interests
and resources of each of the partners, otherwise, a partner will not see a reason to stay at the
table.
2. Getting the Partnership Started
Some conveners start a community partnership by reaching out to people they already know.
Others want to reach out to everyone, making sure they do not exclude anyone. Resist both
natural courses of action and start with some analysis that creates a correlation between the
potential partners and the potential focus. To start, a small group of leaders can systematically
discuss a series of questions that help navigate one of the first tensions of a partnership — how
to be inclusive on the one hand, and how to keep the partnership to a manageable size on the
other.
3. Getting the Partnership Ready for the Action
There are many conceptual frameworks for developing a plan. Most partners have gone
through an exercise such as developing a vision and an action plan or walking through the steps
of building a mission, goals, and objectives. Most partnerships start a community assessment
process that allows them to tackle a basic question. To make progress in their area of focus,
does the community need more of the same (e.g., more services, more playgrounds, more social
workers) or does the community need to rethink how it approaches the challenge? In most
cases, the answer is both. That latter challenge—rethinking the approach—is where the
partnership must engage in hard work—tackling difficult issues ranging from turf and ego to
power and oppression.
Community Profiling
Partnerships develop different strategies based on the opportunities and needs in their
community. The types of services partnerships may offer are the following:
• Coordinate services and strengthen communication between agencies and clients.
• Provide technical assistance and training to increase the skills and/or knowledge of
personnel and build capacity within the field.

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• Organize resource development and sharing through coordination of purchasing

programs or by creating joint grant proposals.
• Organize community residents to be stronger advocates and take more responsibility
for their community.
• Conduct research projects to assess the needs of the community and help identify gaps
in service.
• Promote service needs and advocate for changes through legislative and other policy
avenues.
• Educate the community on the issue by promoting events, establishing a speakers’
bureau and/or publishing a community newsletter.
4. Action
This is an exciting step for the group. It brings people together, increases people’s
ownership and motivation for the project, and can lead to new people wanting to be at the
table. Though there is much excitement, there are still issues to address during this time.
5. Assessing the Growing Community Action Plan and the Community Partnership
Building and maintaining effective community and partnerships requires dedicated time
and ongoing attention to the collaborative process.
The use of the assessment, such as checklists or survey form that will help you understand
the community and the local groups where it may need attention. Assessing the community
before and after the action helps the local government monitor the community and its
developments.

Various Aspects of Group Process

When we speak of group aspects, we refer to group properties or regularities in the interaction
among the individuals, and in their activities over time. These properties of the group are essential
to uncover the dynamics of each member in pursuing his goals and aspirations.
Types of Group Involvement
1. Primary group – greater degree of personal involvement, informal. Example: friends,
family
2. Secondary group – formal and lesser degree of personal involvement. Example: Club or
Sorority
3. Exclusive group – membership limited to certain class of individuals.
4. Inclusive group – greater interaction with the context of equalization in society.
5. “In” group or “We” group – strong feeling of loyalty, sympathy, and devotion.
6. “Our” group or “They” group – more detached and less cohesive.
A group refers to two (2) or more persons engaged in any kind of relationship. When two (2)
members disagree with a third (triad), the group is called a coalition. Group membership is affected
by the following:
1. Satisfaction (reward)
2. Problem (cost), which serve to interfere or inhibit performance of action
3. Influence upon others (social pressure)
4. Each member influencing others (reciprocal or mutual control)
5. Cohesiveness – forces acting on the group member to remain in the group (commitment)
6. Compatibility – ability of the people to develop harmonious relationships with one another

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7. Norms – adherence to uniform patterns of behaviour of the group

8. Morale – optimistic feelings and confidence in the group with respect to problems or tasks
9. Social climate – emotional atmosphere of the group, which may be characterized by warm
or cold acceptance, hostilities, being detached or relaxed
10. Reference group – any group that has a normative effect on behaviour or standard of the
group.
Purpose of Group Formation
1. Accidental or Voluntary
 The accidental formation is beyond control not at all deliberated.
 The voluntary formation is the result of mutual attraction or goals.
2. Task-oriented or Social Function
 Task-oriented – formed to accomplish a job
 Social function – developed to enhance human interaction or improve the interpersonal
relationship.
Factors Affecting Group Activity
It is important to remember that the group members are made, not born to see their own efforts in
relation to those of the group. To make the kind of contribution that makes group activity more
effective, it will depend on several factors: size of the group and physical condition, absence or
presence of stress or anxiety, kind of leadership, goals and objectives, roles and needs, and
assessment and evaluation.
1. Size of the Group – The size of the group should not be small or too big. The ideal number
of participants is 12 to 20 members. Bigger groupings can cause people to withdraw.
2. Threat Reduction and Degree of Intimacy – Removal of the element of uncertainty or
surprises. It is important that people feel accepted and are comfortable. It is vital that people
should know one another, e.g. by having name tags or allowing social interactions. A brief
introduction of oneself or relating some funny incident about oneself will promote
familiarity. There must be a climate of mutual trust.
3. Distributive Leadership with Focus of Control on Group Activity – The absence of stress
and tension will develop trust and confidence to the accepted leader who will work for the
welfare of the group.
4. Goal Formation – Must share purposes and aspiration
5. Flexibility – Adaptable to the need of the group.
6. Consensus and Degree of Solidarity – Discussion and deliberation of issues, where
everyone is given a chance to express his views and be gratified for giving a solution to the
problem.
7. Process Awareness and Continue Evaluation – There must be an increasing sensitivity to
the roles and needs of different members. Close follow-up and honest evaluation of activity
must be made.

References:
Arcinas, M. (2016). Discipline and ideas in applied social sciences. Quezon, City. Phoenix Publishing
House, Inc.
Institute for Educational Leadership. (n.d.). Building effective community partnerships. Washington, DC.:
Author
Tria, G. & Jao, L. (1999). Introductory course in group dynamics. Rex Book Store. Manila, Philippines.

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