UNIT – 1

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION

Surjit Ram
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OUTLINE:
• Meaning & Definition
• Role Of Communication
• Classification of communication
• Purpose of communication
• Communication Process
• Characteristics of successful communication
• Importance of communication in management
• Communication structure in organization
• Communication in conflict resolution
• Communication in crisis
• Communication and negotiation
• Communication in a cross-cultural setting
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 Introduction
• The term “COMMUNICATION” comes
from the Latin word “COMMUNICAR”,
which means to share .. And Communis
which means common
• the act of conveying meanings from
one entity or group to another through the
use of mutually understood words,
 signs, symbols, and semiotic rules.

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 MEANING:
“COMMUNICATION is the
process of passing information and
understanding from one to another”.

For Communication to be effective, there

has to be both information and
meaning --- and meaning requires
communication
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• Communication refers to a natural activity
of all humans, which is to convey opinions,
feelings, information and ideas to others
through words(written or spoken), body
language or signs.
• It emphasizes the processes of telling,
listening, and understanding involved in
the act of communicating with other people

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DEFINITIONS:
• George Vardman defines effective
communication as “ purposive symbolic
interchange resulting in workable
understanding and agreement between the
sender and the receiver
Heinz Goldmann :
“Communication is a dialogue, not a
monologue in fact, communication is more
concerned with dual listening process ”

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 William Scott
• Managerial communication is a process
which involves the transmission and
replication of ideas ensured by feedback
for the purpose of directing action which
will accomplish organizational goals ”

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL
COMMUNICATION:
• Universal
• Communication is unavoidable
• Continuous process
• Two-way traffic
• Short-lived process
• Needs proper understanding
• Leads achievement of the organizational
objectives
• Dispels misunderstanding
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• Vidya is a Regional sales manager with
Titan in Bangalore. She reads about an
upcoming B2B international trade
conference in Mumbai. She is interested in
attending it and immediately writes to the
National sales manager, Sumit
Chakraborti, at the head office in Chennai,
describing the conference and its
relevance to their work.
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 Dear Mr. Chakraborti
An international conference on B@B trade,
which would be of great importance for us, is
being held at Mumbai. The enclosed brochure
shows the business information to be shared
at the conference would be of great value in
expanding our corporate sales business. The
registration fee is only Rs 5000/- and the cost
of travel and stay is about 8000/-

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• Hence Rs 13000/- will be required per
person. Iam informing you about the
conference now so that you can take a
decision in time for me to make
arrangements for train / flight bookings and
hotel accommodations.
• The National sales manager was thrilled to
receive the memo and wrote back
immediately to Vidya.
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• Dear Vidya
Thanks for informing me about the B2B
conference in Mumbai. I will certainly
attend it. Please make all the necessary
arrangements for me as suggested in your
meme.

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 ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
• Managing complexities all around
• Better understanding and cooperation
• Big organization management
• Enhance cohesion in the organization
• Image of the company improves
• Profitability increases
• Employee turnover is less
• Better customer interaction
• Dissemination and collection of information is easier

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 PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION:
• Communication to Inform
• To give and receive information

• To convey the right message

• To provide advice

• To receive suggestions

• To persuade people
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 Communication to Persuade
• To motivate people

• To issue order and instructions

• To impart education and training

• To issue warning and notice

• To improve morale
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 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
LANGUAGE INTELLECTUALISM

KNOWLEDGE INITIATION

ELEMETS FEEDBACK
EXPRESSION
OF
COMMUNICATION

ATTITUDE CHANNEL
PURPOSE SITUATION

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 COMMUNICATION PROCESS

MESSAGE
IS
IDEA SENDER ENCODING TRANSMITT
RECEIVING RECEIVE DECODING
ED R

MEDIUM

FEEDBACK 17
 COMMUNICATION PROCESS
• The process of communication begins with
a persons desire to share or exchange an
idea, thought, or feeling with another
person or persons.

• It basically involves a sender, a message,

a medium and a receiver.

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 COMMUNICATION PROCESS
• The Linear concept of communication also
considered as the earliest conceptualization of
communication involves the following five basic
questions
• Who? Says what? To Whom?
• In Which Channel? With what effect?
• Receiver receives the message and acts as desired
by the sender. Intended to manipulate / control
• Assumed the message reaches-- without any
change / distortion
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 The Shannon-Weaver Model
First to point out that – messages can be
changed or blocked
believed that the message received is not the
same as message sent ---NOISE
based on the idea that communication occurs
only when the message is received unchanged
Filters in the minds of both the sender and
receiver affects the content of the message
(feedback corrects the distortions)
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 Basic Elements
• Information Source : sender has some raw
info. His intent changes that information to
be communicated
• Encoding : (Transmitter) having thought
about the message the sender puts it into
words(symbols or any symbolic form of
expression)
• Channel : (Transmission) An appropriate
medium (oral,written,electronic,signalling)
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• Receiver : (Decoding) receiver gets
message through decoding, by receiving,
understanding and interpreting the msg

• Acting : communication ends with the

receiver putting the message into action
as intended by the sender

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 The Two Way Comm Process
• Recent conceptualization – as a two way
process
• Group of people involved in completing the cycle
of communication
• Receiver acts a sender of feedback to the sender
• Both play reciprocal and reversible roles
• Receiver also an active agent in understanding
the meaning of the message(Transactional
Communication)

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 IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN
MANAGEMENT

• Basis of Managerial functions

• Efficient functioning
• Stimulates initiative and creativity
• Job satisfaction and good morale
• Building human relationship
• Maximum production at minimum cost
• Prompt decisions and its implementation
• Contact with external parties

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 CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION

ON THE BASIS OF ON THE BASIS OF ON THE BASIS OF

ORGANIZATION DIRECTION WAY OF
STRUCTURE EXPRESSION

INFORMAL/GRAP
FORMAL EVINE

VERTICAL HORIZONTAL DIAGONAL

DOWNWARD UPWARD

ORAL WRITTEN GESTURE

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ON THE BASIS OF ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

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ON THE BASIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

• FORMAL COMMUNICATION
Communication through the chain of
command is known as formal
communication.
It is a means of communication normally
controlled by managers or people
occupying similar positions in an
organization.
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• Formal lines of Organizational
communication include

• Line Relationships

• Functional Relationships

• Staff Relationships
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 TYPES OF FORMAL COMMUNICATION

• Single chain
• Wheel
• Circular
• Free flow
• Inverted V

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 SINGLE CHAIN
A

E
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 WHEEL

C A E

D
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 CIRCULAR

E B

D C
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 FREE FLOW

E B

D C
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 INVERTED V
A

C D
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 INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

• It is also known as Chat / Grapevine.

• Is not a planned or deliberately created
channel of communication.
• It is free from all formalities.
• No formal organization chart is followed to
convey the communication.

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• Chat :
• Horizontal or Lateral communication
between managers of different
departments or within the same peer
group
•

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• Grapevine
• Feeling of employees being inadequately
informed in a formal system
• Feels management conceals than reveal
the true message
• Info obtained—attributed to real source
• The unofficial version of news – believed
by people
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 Merits of Informal
Communication
• Uniting force

• Speed

• Creation of Ideas

• Good personal Relations

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 Demerits of Informal
Communication
• Rumours

• Inadequacy

• Changing Interpretations

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Information to be communicated
at the work place
• Statutory Information

• Regular work-related information

• Major policy or operational changes

• Information Bulletin

• Communication by expectancy
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• According to Henry Mintzberg :
• Managers need effective communication skills
to perform in the following interrelated skills
• Interpersonal Role: (Figure Head, Leader
Liason officer)
• Informational Role (Monitor, Disseminator
spokesperson)
• Decisional Role:(entrepreneur, trouble
shooter,negotiator,resource allocator
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 ON THE BASIS OF DIRECTION

• Vertical : 1) Downward
2) Upward

• Horizontal or lateral communication

• Diagonal communication

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 VERTICAL COMMUNICATION
• It constitutes both upward and downward
communication.
• Information is transmitted from top
management to the employees working in
organization or vice versa.

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 DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
• Downward communication flows from a manager .i.e.
from top to the chain of command.
• For example when managers inform, instruct or advice
their subordinates, the flow of communication is in
downward pattern.
• Downward communication can take any form as member
notice, new policies or procedure to ask for any analysis
etc.
• Communication may be through written form, face to
face or telephonic.

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 UPWARD COMMUNICATION
• When the flow of communication is from bottom line to the top
authority it is termed as upward communication.
• For example when subordinates send a report to inform their
superiors or to present their findings, communication flows upward.
• The extent of upward communication depends on the organization.
• Open culture creates a climate of trust, participative or
empowerment, as they would provide input for managerial division.
• Suggestion box, survey, grievance procedures, reviews reports
etc. provides information to top management

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 HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
• This form of communication takes place among peer group
or hierarchical equivalent employees.
• Such communication is necessary to facilitate co‐
ordination, save time and bridge communication gap.
• Lateral communication enables the sharing of information
with a view to apprise the peer group of activities of a
department.
• This type of communication is very vital for growth of an
organization as it builds co‐operation among various
branches.

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 DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION
• Diagonal or cross lines communication flows in all direction
and cuts across all function and level in an organization.
• For example sales manager communication directly to vice
president (production).
• This form of communication deviates from normal chain, but
it’s quick and efficient.
• The increase use of e‐mail also encourages cross lines
communication.
• As there is no specific line command in diagonal
communication, it is also referred as cross lines, radial or
circle communication, depending upon structure of an
organization.

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ON THE BASIS OF WAY OF EXPRESSION

• Oral communication

• Written communication

• Gesture communication

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 ORAL COMMUNICATION

• Oral means stemming from mouth,

message in the form of spoken words are
referred as oral communication.
• The use and position of words in oral
communication can make difference in
understudying the intent of message.

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 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

• Written communication refers to the words that are

written and studied in
• the form of a message.
• In an organization written from of communication
written from of
• communication is in the form of letters, means,
reports etc.
• Whenever message is transmitted in written
format, they acquire a formal structure; simple
language is used, for better interpretation.
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 GESTURE COMMUNICATION

• Body language
• Space/distance
• Voice modulation
• Pictures/symbols/sign
• Dress
• Eye contact

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 Essentials of Effective Oral
Communication
1. Brevity: Keep the message as brief as possible.
2. Precision: Give your information in precise form.
3. Conviction: Be sincere. Words must carry
conviction. A firmly held belief or opinion
4. Logical Sequence: Arrange the information
logically.
5. Appropriate word choice: choose words carefully.
6. Avoid ……. Like, “you know”, phrases and …… “Is
it not”, “I see” etc.
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 Essentials Of Effective Oral
Communication
7. Right use of Paralinguistic: Speak slowly distinctly,
element…………take care of tone, pitch, stress
and pauses.
8. Congruity between verbal and non-verbal
communication.
9. Attentive listening.
10.Natural voice.
11.Finding the right register: Adapt your message to
the emotional and intellectual level of the receiver.
 7 C’s of Effective Communication
- FRANCIS. J. BERGIN
• Consideration: Focus on “you” not “I” or “we”.
Candidness : one’s view of matter be honest sincere
• Clarity: Use familiar and accurate words.

• Completeness: Provide message and required information.

• Conciseness: Brevity, Avoid wordy expression and repetition.

• Correctness: Use the right words. & present facts.

• Concreteness: words being specific and definite.

• Courtesy: Be polite, thoughtful and appreciative.

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 4 S’s of Business Communication

1. Shortness: “Brevity is the soul of wit”. This

is true of communication also.
2. Simplicity: Reveal clarity in the thinking
process by using simple terminology and
equally simple concepts.
3. Strength: Convinces. Reflects the credibility
of the sender.
4. Sincerity: Appeals.-Reflects genuineness.
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• Mr. Raj, a heart patient , was considering
two medical procedures : Bypass surgery
and Angioplasty. His surgeon told
angioplasty would cost slightly more than
bypass surgery. The bypass costs Rs 2.5
lakhs. Mr. Raj did not mind spending
slightly more for the angioplasty, so he
opted fro it. But he was shocked to later
get a bill of 5lakhs. He was shocked.
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 How Sentence Structure affects
Meaning
• The letter has been dispatched by
me(action)
• I have dispatched the letter (doer)
• (Change in emphasis) --

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• Only you have to be there

• You have only to be there

• You have to be only there

• The shift in significance relates to WHO,

WHAT and WHERE
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• The word ALSO modifies the word that
follow it

• Also, Abhinav is going to Paris

• Abhinav is going to Paris also

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• The word TOO changes the meaning
completely

• Manish too is tired

• Manish is too tired

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 KISS Principles of Effective Communication

KISS stands for Keep It Short and Simple.

How ???
1.Choosing short and simple words.
2.Developing clear sentences.
3.Forming short paragraphs with
appropriate emphasis.
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COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE IN ORGANIZATION

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 CONFLICT IN COMMUNICATION

• Conflict is the outcome of behaviours, is

an integral part of human life.
• Whenever there is a interaction there is a
conflict.
• Conflict can be defined many ways and it
can be considered as an expression of
negative attitude, aggression, rivary and
misunderstanding.
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 CONFLICT IN COMMUNICATION

• MEANING:
it can be defined as disagreement
between two or more individuals or
groups, with each individual or group
trying to gain acceptance of its view or
objectives over others.

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• Transitions in Conflict Thought
• Traditional View – All conflicts are harmful
and must be avoided. 

• Interactionist View – Conflict is absolutely

necessary for group to perform effectively.

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 CAUSES OF CONFLICT

• Personality clashes
• Different sets of values
• Threats to status
• Contrasting perception
• Lack of trust
• Interdepartmental wrangles
• Job related

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 What causes workplace
conflict?
• poor management.
• unfair treatment.
• unclear job roles.
• inadequate training.
• poor communication.
• poor work environment.
• lack of equal opportunities.
• bullying and harassment.
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 CONFLICT RESOLUTION

• Conflict in the workplace just seems to

be a fact of life. There are situations
where different people with different
goals and needs have come into
conflict.
• As long as it is resolved effectively. It
can lead to personal and professional
growth.

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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES/TECHNIQUES

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 ASSERTIVENESS
• Assertiveness is the quality of being self-
assured and confident without being
aggressive
• It affirms the person's rights or point of view
without either aggressively threatening the
rights of another (assuming a position of
dominance) or submissively permitting
another to ignore or deny one's rights or
point of view.
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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES/TECHNIQUES

1)Avoiding(Withdrawal) : The avoiding style is characterized

by low assertiveness of one’s own interests and low
cooperation with the other party. Desire to withdraw from a
conflict.
2)Accommodating(Smoothing) : This style is low in
assertiveness and high on cooperation. Willingness of one
party in a conflict to place the opponents interest above his
or her own.
3)Competing(Dominance) : A competing style tends to
maximize assertiveness for one’s own position and
minimize cooperation response regardless of impact of
other party to the conflict.
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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES/TECHNIQUES

4) Compromising : it combines immediate level of

assertiveness and cooperation. Each party to a
conflict is willing to give up something.

5) Collaborating: in the collaborating mode, both

assertiveness and cooperation are maximized
in the hope that an integrative agreement occurs
that fully satisfies the interested of both parties.

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 CONFLICT PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Conflict prevention is proactive approach.

Prevention means anticipating potential
causes of conflict and taking quick action
to turn them into positive forces for
understanding and co-operation.
 Participative decision making
 Collaboration and team building

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 CRISIS

• A crisis may be defined as “ any situation

that is threatening or could threaten to
harm people or property, seriously interrupt
business, damage reputation or negatively
impact share value”.

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• Crisis communication is a sub-specialty of
the public relations profession that is
designed to protect and defend an
individual, company, or organization facing
a public challenge to its reputation. 

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 Crisis management phases
• Crisis management is the process by which
an organization deals with a major event that
threatens to harm the organization, its
stakeholders or the general public.
• A crisis is a significant threat to operations
that can have negative consequences if not
handled properly.
• It means a testing time or an emergency
event
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ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT

PRE - CRISIS

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS

DURING THE CRISIS

RECOVERING FROM THE CRISIS

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 COMMUNICATION IN CRISIS

Communication in crisis situations requires a

high degree of agility in order to the
demands , as well as particular sensitivity
towards individuals or groups of people
negatively affected by the situation.

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 COMMUNICATION IN CROSS INTER – CULTURAL
SETTING

It is also called as Inter-culture communication.

It is a process of exchanging, negotiating, and

mediating one’s cultural communication
differences through language, non – verbal
gestures, and space relationships.

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 Intercultural Communication
• Intercultural / Cross Cultural communication
is about dealing with people from different
cultures in a way that minimizes
misunderstandings and maximizes the
potential the potential for strong relationships
• Increasing Globalization
• Familiarity with Host culture
• Cultural Sensitivity

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 Intercultural Communication
• Understand the prevalent culture

• Prerequisite for setting up a business

• New Standard English

• English a Global Dialect

• Global Mantra – Go Local

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 Intercultural Communication
• Culture is not behavior
• Culture is a received and accepted set of
rules guiding human behavior
• Absorbed and gets engrained in the minds
of people

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 FACTOR AFFECTING COMMUNICATION IN CROSS –
CULTURAL SETTING

 Language
 Environment and Technology
 Social organization and history
 Conceptions of authority
 Non – verbal communication

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 MAKING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IN CROSS –
CULTURE SETTING

 Maintaining similarity
 Empathy
 Working hypothesis
 Be patient
 Ask questions
 Respect
 Time
 Humor
 Always check
 Be positive
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• Cultures provide people with ways of
thinking—ways of seeing, hearing, and
interpreting the world.
• Same words can mean different things to
people from different cultures, even when
they speak the "same" language.

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