 

Lecture 2
 Sender
 Message/Information
 Medium
 Receiver
 Barriers of Communication
 Value of Communication
 Noise

Sender Encoding the Message Decoding the Receiver

message message

Feedback
 Source
Selects Sends
creates
Channel message
messages

Feedback Noise

Filters:
Interprets •Experience Receiver gets
message •Knowledge message
•Feelings
 Sender
Initiates the communication process.
Can be an editor, a reporter, a filmmaker,
a teacher, a writer or anybody who takes
the initiative to start a dialogue.
Before one speaks or writes, the message
is conceptualized and then encoded.
 Sender
Initiates the communication process.
Can be an editor, a reporter, a filmmaker,
a teacher, a writer or anybody who takes
the initiative to start a dialogue.
Before one speaks or writes, the message
is conceptualized and then encoded.
 Encoding
 Formulation of messages in the
communicator’s mind.
 Communicator translates his purpose
(ideas, thoughts or information) into a
message and decides on the medium to
communicate his planned message.
 He must choose the media (speaking,
writing, signaling or gesturing) that the
receiver can comprehend well.
 e.g.: An illiterate receiver will fail to
understand a written message, but can
understand an oral message.
 Encoding
 Formulation of messages in the
communicator’s mind.
 Communicator translates his purpose
(ideas, thoughts or information) into a
message and decides on the medium to
communicate his planned message.
 He must choose the media (speaking,
writing, signaling or gesturing) that the
receiver can comprehend well.
 e.g.: An illiterate receiver will fail to
understand a written message, but can
understand an oral message.
 Channel
 Vehicle through which a message is carried from the
communicator to the receiver.
 The channels of communication may be - written,
spoken, verbal, non-verbal, mass media
 Need to choose the appropriate channel, the one most
suitable for the message as well as the receiver.
 Success and failure of communication depends on the
selection of the right channel.
 e.g. A campaign on ‘Product Marketing’ what media
would you choose to reach the intended audience and
after selecting the media you have to decide if it is
feasible cost wise, taking into account the number of
people and the kind of people who will be exposed to
your message, and certain other factors.
 Receiver
 Recipient of the message
 Must possess the same orientation as the communicator.
(If the receiver does not have the ability to listen, to read,
to think, he will not be able to receive and decode the
messages in the manner the communicator want him to)
 For effective communication, the receiver is the most
important link in the communication process.
 Decoding
 Interpretation of the message by the receiver.
 The receiver looks for the meaning in the message, which
is common to both the receiver and the communicator.
 Feedback
 Response or acknowledgement of receiver to the communicator’s
message. (Only possible if the receiver responds.)
 Even through fluttering eyelids, raising an eyebrow, making a face,
organizing a point and asking for explanation, the message is
shaped and reshaped by the communicator and the receiver until
the meaning becomes clear. In this way both participants in
communication interact and constantly exchange roles.
 In face-to-face communication the receiver responds naturally,
directly and immediately. This provides the communicator an
opportunity to improve and make his communication effective.
 It provides an opportunity to evaluate what is right or wrong about a
particular communication.
 It helps to regulate the conversation among two or more individuals
and also stimulates and reinforces an idea that is desired to be
communicated.
 Noise
 Interruption that can creep in at any point of the
communication process and make it ineffective.
 Environment is one major cause that interferes with
message reception: like noises from the roadside,
constant chattering of individuals outside the
communication act, blaring loudspeaker, faulty
transmission, etc.
 And from other forms like; poor handwriting, heavy
accent or soft speech, communication in a poorly lit
room, etc. in fact, these are barriers to effective
communication. For smooth and effective
communication, it is necessary to eliminate or reduce
noise as far as possible.
 Message Transmitter

Communicatio
Receiver
n Process

Communicatio Communicatio
n n Symbols
Channel
 “Communication models are merely
pictures; they’re even distorting pictures,
because they stop or freeze an essentially
dynamic interactive process into a static
picture.”
A
Speaker..

Inventi Arrangem Style Deliver

on ent y
Memor
y
"A barrier to communication is something that keeps meanings
from meeting. Meaning barriers exist between all people, making
communication much more difficult than most people seem to
realize. It is false to assume that if one can talk he can
communicate. Because so much of our education misleads people
into thinking that communication is easier than it is, they become
discouraged and give up when they run into difficulty. Because
they do not understand the nature of the problem, they do not
know what to do. The wonder is not that communicating is as
difficult as it is, but that it occurs as much as it does."
- Reuel Howe, theologian and educator
 Physical Barriers
 Marked out territories and empires where strangers are not
allowed
 Closed office doors, barrier screens, separate areas for people
of different status
 Large working areas or working in one unit that is physically
separate from others

Most important factors in building cohesive teams is

Proximity.
 Noise
 Physical Noise – Blaring Music, Noise from Machines
 Psychological Noise – Stress during/after Disaster,
Indifference of listener
 Written Noise – Poor Handwriting, Abbreviations, poor
grammar
 Visual Noise – Tone of speech, Accent
 Improper Time
 Meeting at day closing, boss’s call at midnight for trivial
matter
 Distance
 Information
 Inadequate/Overload
 Physical Medium
 Environment
 Organizational Barriers
 Marked out workplaces by distances and culture
 Large gaps in organizational hierarchy
 Complexity, inadequate facilities/opportunities of growth
 Poor lightening, staff shortage, out-dated equipment and
background noise
 Organizational Regulations/Poor organization culture
 One way/ Rigid/Discussion restricted/delay/lack of motivation
 Hierarchy
 Restricts flow of communication/Levels enhance gaps

Information Loss
 Lack of Formal/Informal Communication
 Improper Channel
 Internal and external environment
 Perceptual Barriers
 We all see world differently
 Everyone has difference of opinion, motive, social
values, experience and perception
 Selective Perceptions
 Distorted reception of information we don’t want to
receive/results in misunderstanding
 Premature Evaluation
 Inability to acknowledge Reality
 Attitude
 Of Superiors – Unwilling to share information, Lack of
confidence in juniors,
 Of Subordinates – Inferiority complex, fear of action
 Poor Listening
 Hearing what is said from your own mind-set, selective
listening
 Semantic Barriers
 Semantic gaps are words having similar pronunciation
but multiple meanings.
 Barriers for others who are not familiar with our
expressions, buzz-words and jargon. Such language is a
way of excluding others.
 In a global market place the greatest compliment we
can pay another person is to talk in their language.
 Different languages
 Inappropriate words/misunderstood messages
 Different context for words and symbols
 “The meanings of words are not in the words, they are in
us”
 Water/water of the river
 Poor vocabulary, fake or different accent and
dialect
 Represents national/ regional barriers
 Emotional Barriers
 Comprised mainly of fear, mistrust and suspicion.
 As children people are taught to hold back from
communicating their thoughts and feelings to others.
 Excessive fear of what others think can stunt
development and our ability to form meaningful
relationships
 Positive emotions
 Love, affection and compassion enhances flow of
communication
 Negative emotions
 Hatred, Anger, anxiety, jealousy, low self esteem can
obstruct communication flow
 Reduces rational thought
 Negativity spreads

Calm your mind to communicate better..

 Cultural Barriers
 Ethnic barriers
 Religious barriers
 Social differences.
 ‘7 C’ Communication model by Francis J. Bergin
 Defamation
 False statement that injures a person’s good name or reputation
 Slander - Defamation in oral communication
 Libel - Defamation in permanent form such as written/on video
 Invasion of Privacy
 Unreasonable intrusion into another person’s private life
 Using someone’s name/photograph for sales promotion without the
person’s permission
 Fraud and Misrepresentation
 Fraud - A deliberate misrepresentation of the truth for the purpose
of inducing someone to give up something of value
 Misrepresentation – A false statement that is made innocently
with no intent to deceive the other party
 If misrepresentation – contract/agreement can be withdrawn
 If fraud – contract/agreement can be withdrawn and offended party
may be monetary compensated
 Caselet designed by Stanford Business School
Lecturer
 You have been on the job for four days. Your boss hands
you a report he hasn’t had time to complete. “Just copy
the numbers of last month’s report,” she says. “Nobody
at headquarters ever really reads these.” What do you
do?

 Offer to collect the real data for the report. Everyone is

tested in the first weeks by coworkers who favour
shortcuts and small ethical compromises. Establish your
values, insist on getting the real data.