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Communication and Presentation Skills Bs (CS) /It-Ii&Iii: The Learning Objectives of These Lectures Are
Communication and Presentation Skills Bs (CS) /It-Ii&Iii: The Learning Objectives of These Lectures Are
communication.
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(Week 1) Lecture 1
Meaning Communication:
The exchange of information or passing of information, ideas or thought from one person to the
other or from one end to the other is communication. According to McFarland communication is,
“a process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically, it is the process by
which meanings are perceived and understandings are reached among human beings.” Newman
and summer defined communication as “an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by
two or more persons.”
Communication is the process of passing information from one person to another. The purpose
of communication understands of information. Whatever one wants to say to someone should be
clearly understood by him else the very purpose of the communication would be defeated.
In an organization communication facilitates the flow of information and understanding between
different people and departments through different media using all the channels and networks.
Communication thus helps understand people better removing misunderstanding and creating
clarity of thoughts and expression. It also educates people. The communication may be written or
oral, formal, informal, and upward, downward, horizontal, diagonal, interpersonal, intrapersonal,
interdepartmental, intra-organizational.
The communication brings people together, closer to each other. The communication is an
important administrative function closely associated with all other managerial functions. It
bridges the gap between individuals and groups through flow of information and understanding
between them. Information is the most vital aspect for communication. It is the information
which is transmitted, studied, analyzed and interpreted and stored. The administrator therefore
has to spare time to collect, analyze and store the information for decision-making and routine
day to day business.
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Features of Communication:
Communication has the following features:
1. Two-way process:
Communication is a two-way process of understanding between two or more persons – sender
and receiver. A person cannot communicate with himself.
2. Continuous process:
Exchange of ideas and opinion amongst people is an ongoing process in business and non-
business organisations. Continuous interaction promotes understanding and exchange of
information relevant for decision-making.
3. Dynamic process:
Communication between sender and receiver takes different forms and medium depending upon
their moods and behaviour. It is, thus, a dynamic process that keeps changing in different
situations.
4. Pervasive:
Communication is a pervasive activity. It takes place at all levels (top, middle, low) in all
functional areas (production, finance, and personnel, sales) of a business organisation.
5. Two people:
A minimum of two persons — sender and receiver — must be present for communication to take
place. It may be between superiors, subordinates and peer group, intra or inter se.
6. Exchange:
Communication involves exchange of ideas and opinions. People interact and develop
understanding for each other.
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9. Mutual understanding:
Communication is effective when sender and receiver develop mutual understanding of the
subject. Messages conveyed should be understood by the receiver in the desired sense.
10. Goal-oriented:
Communication is goal-oriented. Unless the receiver and sender know the purpose, they intend
to achieve through communication, it has little practical utility.
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14. Inter-disciplinary:
Communication is the art of how communicators use knowledge of different fields of study like
anthropology, psychology and sociology. Making best use of these disciplines makes
communication effective. It is, thus, an inter-disciplinary area of administration.
(Week 1) Lecture 2
Purpose of Communication:
Communication serves five major purposes: to inform, to express feelings, to imagine, to
influence, and to meet social expectations. Each of these purposes is reflected in a form of
communication.
INFORMATIVE COMMUNICATION
When people share knowledge about the world in which they live, they are participating in the
process of informative communication. Informative messages attempt to present an objective—
that is, truthful and unbiased—view of the topics being considered. For example, if a sports fan
reads accounts of a baseball game in two different newspapers, it is reasonable to expect that the
reports will agree on all the significant details and facts of the game: the final score, the winning
team, hits, runs, errors, and other happenings.
Informative communication is an important part of life. Young people are exposed to informative
messages throughout their school years; it is the main type of communication at all educational
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levels. As students mature, they are expected to grow in their ability to understand and create
informative messages. When reading or listening to such messages, students are expected to
recognize the subject or purpose, identify the main points, pick out important details, summarize
information, make some assumptions, ask relevant questions, and draw additional conclusions.
The working world depends on informative communication. Nations such as the United States
were once called industrial societies, as most people worked in industries that manufactured
products. Today these nations are often called information societies, as an increasing number of
careers involve the processing of information rather than the fabrication of products. People who
work with things rather than ideas, however, also must use such job-related informative
messages as parts manuals, job descriptions, catalogues, inventory reports, instructions,
warranties, contracts, and invoices.
Young people and adults also use information away from school and work. They seek
information about the weather, sporting events, available entertainment, or local, national, and
international news. People need information in order to conduct their lives intelligently.
Fortunately, information has never been more available than at the present time. Much can be
learned simply by consulting reputable Web sites. Libraries remain among the best sources for
information, and free public libraries are available in most parts of the world. The reference
sections of libraries contain materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, dictionaries of
geographical places, biographical dictionaries, printed or online indexes such as The Reader’s
Guide to Periodical Literature, almanacs, and handbooks and manuals on how to make things.
General-interest publications also contribute to informative communication. Magazines, books,
and newspapers provide information for general audiences and for people with special interests.
Many of these periodical publications may be received through subscriptions or purchased in
bookstores, drugstores, newsstands, and supermarkets.
Technological developments have changed the way people receive daily news. Just as radio
broadcasts replaced newspapers as the main carrier of breaking news, so television news eclipsed
radio. Television has become one of the most important sources of news information in the
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United States. In the early 21st century, however, people were just as likely to turn to multiple
sources for their news. Newspapers, magazines, Internet news sites, radio, and television in
combination provide humans with more information than they have ever before encountered.
Information is rapidly becoming even more available because of these advances in technology.
Personal computers, cable television, DVDs, and video recording devices are finding their way
into more and more homes, classrooms, and businesses. Computers have already dramatically
changed the storage, analysis, and retrieval of information by students, teachers, businesses, and
governmental agencies. Individuals can receive such items as sports scores, weather reports, and
stock prices through their cell phones.
AFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Affective communication is the process through which people express feelings about things,
themselves, and others. Expressions of positive and negative feelings about places, objects,
events, policies, and ideas are called opinions. Expressions of feelings about oneself are known
as self-disclosures. Expression of both positive and negative feelings about others is vital to
maintaining close relationships. Expressions of positive feelings let friends and loved ones know
that they are valued. Expressions of negative feelings serve as a safety valve in a relationship.
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IMAGINATIVE COMMUNICATION
Imaginative communication may be defined as the process through which invented situations are
created and, in most cases, shared. Whenever people invent jokes or stories, speculate,
daydream, or make believe, they are engaged in imaginative communication. People also engage
in imaginative communication when they appreciate fictional messages found in books,
magazines, newspapers, films, television dramas, plays, and conversations.
Imaginative communication plays a major role in the lives of all people. Preschool children
watch television cartoons and “read” picture books. They appreciate stories read to them by older
children and adults. They play “house,” “store,” and “school” and create imaginary castles and
mountain roads in their sandboxes.
Secondary school students are introduced to important literary works and, in some schools, to
quality films and media programs. In many high schools, however, students receive little
encouragement to create imaginative messages of their own. Gifted students find a creative outlet
in debating, drama, journalism, creative writing, and media activities. The vast majority of
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students, though, are merely exposed to the imaginings of others through literature. In their free
time secondary school students enjoy televised sports, drama, and cartoons. Their interest in
music and films usually grows dramatically during this period of their lives.
PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION
Persuasive communication may be defined as the process through which people attempt to
influence the beliefs or actions of others. In many cases persuasive communication involves
people who are important to each other—parents influence children, children influence parents,
and friends influence each other. Persuasive communication such as advertising frequently
involves strangers. Those involved in designing ads or producing commercials will attempt to
“know” the target audience, but this is generally limited to a few important details about
potential customers, such as where they live or how much money they are expected to spend on
certain items in a given year.
People begin to influence others early in life. Preschool children learn that they can influence
other children and adults by crying, smiling, whining, pointing, tugging, and, eventually, talking.
By the time children enter school, they use a variety of strategies to influence others.
During elementary school years children grow in their ability to adapt persuasive messages to the
people they wish to influence. Research has shown that kindergartners and children in the first
grade tend to use the same strategies when trying to influence different people. Children in
grades two and three adapt their persuasive messages by adding words like “may I” and “please.”
Children who are in the fourth and fifth grades begin to adapt their messages to specific people.
For example, they begin to use strategies when trying to gain favors from teachers that differ
from those, they use in trying to gain favors from friends.
By the time most students are in the sixth grade, they can adapt their persuasive messages to
specific listener characteristics. In one study, most 12-year-olds used different strategies when
trying to get a ball back from the yard of an angry-appearing man than they did when addressing
a pleasant-appearing man.
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In high school, students continue to grow in the number and sophistication of persuasive
strategies used. The average high school senior, for example, anticipates and responds to
arguments that disagree with his or her own. High school seniors, however, still have much to
learn about influencing others and responding critically to attempts to influence them. Since
persuasive communication is complex, learning about it is a lifelong process. Much of that
learning can begin by participating on school debate teams and studying rhetoric.
RITUALISTIC COMMUNICATION
Ritualistic communication is the process through which people meet social expectations. The
word ritual comes from the Latin ritualis, meaning “pertaining to rites.” At one time rites were
seen as acts of religious or public ceremony. People were expected to perform the rites in a
certain way. People still have strong expectations about how others should act in a wide range of
social situations.
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Ritualistic communication is important because people who violate the rules and customs of
social interaction may have difficulty relating well to others. They can also be seen as weakening
the unity of the social group. Children who do not recognize when other children are “kidding,”
or overreact when other children are “teasing,” have difficulty adjusting to school life. Teenagers
who have difficulty in engaging in light banter and responding to put-downs are considered by
their peers to be odd. Adults who seem too stiff and formal or too loose and informal have
difficulty in relating to other adults.
Social expectations differ greatly across different cultures. In some cultures, men are expected to
embrace one another and kiss each other on the cheek. In other cultures, such behavior is
considered peculiar. In American culture most people feel free to express many of their feelings
openly. In some Asian cultures the open expression of feelings causes embarrassment or shame.
There are many different kinds of social rituals. In modern life people are expected to engage in
such everyday speech acts as greeting one another, small talk, leave-taking, teasing, and joking.
It is also expected that people use social amenities, or polite expressions, when relating to each
other. People are expected to use such polite expressions as “May I please...,” “Yes, you may,”
“Thank you,” “You’re welcome,” “May I be excused,” and “Pardon me.”
People are also expected to introduce others gracefully, use telephone etiquette, demonstrate
good table manners, and write thank-you notes. In conversation it is expected that individuals
take turns, change topics skillfully, and demonstrate interest in the ideas that are expressed by
others. In group discussions, participants are expected to share leadership roles, meet the
emotional needs of other group members, follow agendas, and compromise.
In written communication people are also expected to conform to social expectations. Personal
letters, business letters, letters to editors, limericks, sonnets, ballads, haikus, invitations,
responses to invitations, short stories, novels, and editorials are all governed by rules or
expectations
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1. Flow of Information:
The relevant information must flow continuously from top to bottom and vice versa. The staff at
all levels must be kept informed about the organisational objectives and other developments
taking place in the organisation. A care should be taken that no one should be misinformed. The
information should reach the incumbent in the language he or she can understand better. The use
of difficult words should be avoided. The right information should reach the right person, at right
time through the right person.
2. Coordination:
It is through communication the efforts of all the staff working in the organisation can be
coordinated for the accomplishment of the organisational goals. The coordination of all
personnel’s and their efforts is the essence of administration which can be attained through
effective communication.
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