Topic 7 & 8

Barriers to Communication

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 Contents
Introduction Recap
Problems in Communication  Importance of Technical
Definition of Barriers Communication
Types of Barriers
 Intrapersonal Barriers
 Interpersonal Barriers
 Organizational Barriers
Ways to Overcome Barriers
Quiz
FAQs
Summary
Next Topic
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Introduction

Percentage of
Name of the Topic Duration Assignments coverage in
(Hrs) Internals/Exams

Barriers to Communication 2 1.2 5.1

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Barriers to Communication

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Where are they?
Inside Outside

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Definition
Barrier comprises anything that
impedes the communication
process and prevents the intended
meaning of the message from
reaching the receiver.

Errors, misunderstandings and

several other factors that prevent
us from sharing our ideas
meaningfully

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Communication barriers are the obstacles arising in
communication process. These barriers may arise at any stage
of communication process, i.e. while the message is
developed, transmitted, received or interpreted. Due to these
obstacles, what is to be communicated does not get
communicated. Message is not received in its original form.

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1. Physical and Mechanical Barriers
2. Semantic or Language Barriers
3. Organizational or status Barriers
4. Emotional or perceptional Barriers
5. Personal Barrier

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 Physical or Mechanical Barriers:
These are the barriers which are caused by faulty physical and
mechanical conditions. These may be as under:

 Noise

 Mental Disturbance:

Time Barrier

Distance Barrier

Other Barrier: Poor lightening, mechanical fault in the

channel of communication, excessive messages etc.also

cause problems in the way of communication.
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 Communication process may get disturbed due to the presence of noise. It may be:

Human noise, traffic noise, noise of machines, noise due to faulty telephone and
electric lines, noise due to people coming and going, etc.
 Sometimes psychological disturbance may also cause physical barriers in
communication. These may be: mental tension, ego clash, tiredness, worry, headache
etc.
 Sometimes time may also become a barrier in communication process. It arises when

sender and receiver of a message are living at different places.

 Distance between the sender and receiver is also a barrier in communication.

Telephone and internet facilities are not available at every place; postal services are
not very effective.

 Poor lightening, mechanical fault in the channel of communication, excessive

messages etc.also cause problems in the way of communication.

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Semantic or language Barriers:

The term ‘Semantic’ means a study of words. Semantic barriers are

the barriers related to language. Difficulties in the use, expression

and understanding of language create such barrier as under:

 Use of Technical words:

 Use of idioms and Phrases

 Use of Denotative and Connotative words: Unreal

Assumption: Other Barriers: Use of words having multiple
meaning and wrong interpretation of message also create
communication barriers.
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People working in technical, administrative, medical
and judiciary groups use technical language. If the sender
and receiver of a message belong to different fields, use of
such language creates communication barriers.

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People of literary taste, use idioms and
phrases in their communication to make it
decorative and interesting. If the receiver is
unable to understand their meaning, it
causes a communication barrier.

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The words that do indicate neither positive ness nor

negative ness are called denotative. Example: Pen,

book, telephone, office etc. The words that indicate
either positiveness or negativeness are called
connotative words. Example: intelligent, dull, honest,
dishonest, expensive, cheap, tasty etc. Some are the
words that have both, positive and negative meanings.
Use of such words causes a communication barrier.

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Sometimes sender of a message assumes that receiver

knows basic facts of this information and, therefore, it

is enough to tell him only the latest developments. If
this assumption is wrong, communication fails to
serve the purpose.

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Use of words having multiple meaning and wrong
interpretation of message also create communication
barriers.

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3. Organizational or status Barriers: Organizational
structure affects the capability and efficiency of employees
in a significant manner. If it is faulty, it creates a number
of barriers in communication as under:
Faulty Polices and Rules
Status Relationship
 Long Scalar Chain
 Lack of Organizational Facilities

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Faulty Polices and Rules: Ambiguous policies and
rules may create a number of communication barriers.
Similarly strict discipline may also cause
communication barriers. It is what makes informal
communication more popular.
Status Relationship: If there is formal division of
work and status, effectiveness of communication may
suffer, particularly if a message is to move from
bottom to top. It is so because there is a lurking fear in
the mind of workers and employees that
communication may be faulty.
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Long Scalar Chain: More the number of
managerial levels in an organization, more difficult
communication it will be. Large number of
managerial levels is a barrier in effective
communication may not be possible.
 Lack of Organizational Facilities: If proper and
sufficient organizational facilities like stationary,
telephone, office equipment, office furniture etc. is not
available, effective communication may not be
possible.

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4 .Emotional or Perceptional Barriers: If the
mental condition of sender or receiver or both is not
favorable, communication cannot be effective. Important
emotional barriers are as under:

Behavior and Attitudes

Emotions
Status Consciousness
Poor Retention
Other Barriers

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Behavior and Attitudes: Every person has a different
behavior and attitudes. If the behavior and attitude of
sender are different from that of receiver,
communication cannot be effective. If there is a change
in organizational policies and he it is contrary to the
behavior and attitude of workers, it may invite the
opposition of workers.
Emotions: Effectiveness of communication is affected
by the nature and emotions of both the sender and
receiver of message. If the sender or receiver is angry,
tense, excited or afraid, communication cannot be
effective.
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Status Consciousness: Organizational positions and
status also affect communication. Senior managers do
not like to discuss the things with their subordinates.
Poor Retention: Scientific studies have established
that there is a limit of retention of information. About
30% facts. It causes a major barrier in effective
communication.
Other Barriers: If the receiver is having an evaluation
in his mind about the giver or message, it causes a
hindrance in the exchange of information. Similarly, if
a person feels that he knows everything he has to do, it
also causes a barrier to effective communication.
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Personal Barriers: Personal barriers are the barriers which are
directly related with the sender and receiver. These may relate to
superiors or subordinates as under:
Attitudes of Superiors
Lack of Confidence
Unwillingness to Communicate
Lack of Attention
 Other Barriers

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Attitudes of Superiors: If superiors have positive attitude,
communication will be ineffective. Sometimes, superiors do not
want to convey the facts to subordinates.
Lack of Confidence: If superiors feel that their subordinates
are not capable and efficient they would ignore the information
or suggestions, sent by their subordinates.
Unwillingness to Communicate: If the superiors and
subordinates are not willing to communicate with each other,
effective communication cannot be possible. It may be so
because of the fear that a particular message will be against
their interest.

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Lack of Attention: If superiors or subordinates are not paying
proper attention to the message, communication cannot be
effective.
 Other Barriers: If superiors feel that they should not
communicate with their subordinates due to their high position or if
subordinates feel that they are not capable to communicate with
superiors, communication cannot be effective. If organizational
structure requires that every communication should follow proper
channel, communication cannot be effective. If superiors do not
have time to communicate with subordinates, communication
cannot be possible.

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 How to remove communication Barriers
Communication is an important function of
management. Success of an enterprise depends to
a large extent upon effective communication.
Therefore, the need is that all hindrance in the
way of communication should be overcome.
Following measures should be adopted to make
communication effective.

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 1. Purposeful Communication
2. Clear and Brief Message
3. Use of Seven C’s
4. Continuous Process
5. Adequate Facilities
6. Mutual Faith and Trust
7. Appropriate Language
8. Proper Medium and Transmission Technique
9. Emphasizing Key Points
10. Eliminate Environmental Barriers
11. Facilities Feedback 10/06/2023 27
Types of Barriers
Intrapersonal

Interpersonal

Organizational

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 Intrapersonal barriers stem from a person’s attitude
or habits
 Interpersonal barriers arise due to inappropriate
transactions of words between two or more persons
Inefficient communication skills
Negative aspect nurturing in the climate
 Organizational barriers crop up due to a rigid and
hierarchical structure

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Intrapersonal
Wrong assumption
Varied perception
Differing background
Wrong inferences
Impervious category (Misoneists)
Categorical thinking (Pansophists)

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 Wrong Assumptions
Many barriers stem from wrong assumptions. For example,
when a doctor tells her patient that he has to take some
medicine only ‘SOS’ (i.e., during an emergency), without
knowing whether the patient understands the term ‘SOS’, she
is creating a barrier in their communication. Here the doctor
has made a wrong assumption about her patient’s level of
knowledge. Wrong assumptions are generally made because
the sender or the receiver does not have adequate knowledge
about the other’s background or entertains certain false
concepts, which are fixed in his/her mind.

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To strengthen your skills as a communicator ,
try to put yourself in the shoes of the listener.
This exercise will prevent making wrong
assumptions about the receiver.

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 Varied Perceptions
We all know the story of the six blind men and their
description of an elephant. The elephant was perceived by
each man as a fan, a rope, a wall, a sword, a snake and a tree.
None of the blind men were wrong, as the part of the
elephant body touched by each man compared well with the
various objects they named. This is how different individuals
hold different viewpoints about the same situation.

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 Differing Backgrounds
No two persons have the same background. Background can
be different due to different education, culture, language,
environment , financial status etc. Our background plays a
significant role in how we interpret a message. At times,
something not experienced earlier is difficult to interpret or
appreciate. Think of a class where the professor talks about
his rock—climbing adventure. Students who have
experienced rock climbing may be able to appreciate the
professor’s talk, while others who have never been into
adventure sports may not find it interesting at all.

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 Wrong Inferences
Suppose you have returned from a business trip and you find
that two of your colleagues are absent. They do not turn up
for several days. Since there is a recession on, you draw an
inference that they have been laid off. The fact is that they
have been promoted and sent to another department. This is
an example of fact-inference confusion. It has happened
because you failed to distinguish between what actually
exists and what you had assumed to exist.

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Inferences are more dramatic than facts, and for this reason
they can provide more scope for gossip and rumour to
spread. When professionals analyse material, solve problems
and plan procedures, it is essential that inferences be
supported by facts. System analysts, marketing specialist,
advertisers, architects, engineers, designers and others must
work on various premises and draw inferences after
collecting factual data. When presenting any inference in the
course of your work, you could use qualifiers such as
‘evidence suggests’ or ‘in my opinion’ to remind yourself
and the receiver that this is not yet an established fact.

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 Impervious category (Misoneists)
Communication and other technologies are advancing so
rapidly today many people find it difficult to quickly adapt
themselves to these developments. Instead of taking
advantage of these developments, which help expedite the
communication process, such people tend to resist and
criticize them. This is a result of having a closed mind. Such
people are called misoneists.
Some people have certain prejudices so deeply embedded in
their mind that these cant be challenged.

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 Categorical thinking (Pansophists)
People who feel that they ‘ know it all’ are called
pansophists. This type of thinking exists in
people who feel that they know everything about
a particular subject, and therefore refuse to
accept any further information on that topic.

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Interpersonal
Incongruity of verbal and non verbal messages
Communication selectively
Cultural variations
Poor listening skills
Noise in the channel

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Incongruity of verbal and non verbal messages
Imagine a situation where your CEO introduces the
newly recruited middle-level manager to the other
employees. In a small speech, he conveys the message
that he is very delighted to have the new manager
appointed in his office. However, the expression on his
face shows just the opposite of what he is saying. The
stark difference between the verbal and non-verbal
aspects of his communication leaves his listeners feeling
confused and puzzled.

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 Communication selectively

When the receiver in a communication process

pays attention only to a part of the message,
he/she is imposing a barrier known as
communication selectivity. This happens because
he/she is interested only in that part of the
message which may be of use to him/her. In such
a situation, the sender is not at fault. It is the
receiver who breaks the flow of communication.

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 Cultural variations
This is one of the predominant interpersonal factors
contributing to communication failure. As businesses are
crossing national boundaries to compete on a global scale,
the outlook of the global and domestic workforce has
changed drastically. European, Asian, and American firms
have expanded their business worldwide to create
international ties through partnership, collaborations and
affiliations. The management and employees of such
companies need to closely observe the laws, customs, and
business practices of their host countries, while dealing with
their multinational workforce.

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Success , whether as a student or as a
professional, lies in knowing the business
practices, social customs and etiquette of the
particular country one is dealing with.

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 Poor listening skills
A common obstacle to communication is poor
listening habits. We should remember that
listening and hearing are not the same. Hearing
is a passive exercise while listening requires
careful attention and accurate decoding of the
signals received from the speaker. The various
distractions that hinder listening can be
emotional disturbance, indifference, aggression
and wandering attention.

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 Noise in the channel
As discussed earlier, noise interferes in the transmission
of signals. Noise is any unwanted signal that acts as a
hindrance in the flow of communication. It is not
necessarily limited to audio disturbance, but can also
occur in visual, audio –visual, written, physical or
psychological forms.

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Organizational
Too many transfer stations
Fear of superior
Negative tendencies
Use of inappropriate media
Information overload

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 Too many transfer stations
The more links there are in a communication chain, the
greater are the chances of miscommunication.
Some employees may filter out the parts of the message
they consider unimportant. Whatever the reasons for
filtering or distorting the message, having too many
transfer stations is always an obstacle to effective
communication and should be avoided. Transfer station
do serve a purpose, but having too many of them is
counter- productive.

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 Fear of Superiors
In rigidly structured organizations, fear or awe of the
superiors prevents subordinates from speaking
frankly. An employee may not be pleased with the
way his boss works but is unable to put his point
across because of losing his boss goodwill.

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 Negative Tendencies
Many organizations create work groups. While some
groups are formed according to the demands of the task,
such as accomplishing a particular project, many other
small groups are also formed for recreational, social or
community purposes. These groups may be formal or
informal, and generally consist of people who share
similar values, attitudes, opinions, beliefs and
behaviours.

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 Use of Inappropriate Media
Some of the common media used in organizations are graphs
and charts, telephones, facsimile machines, boards, e-mail,
telephones, films and slides, computer presentations,
teleconferencing and video conferencing. Before sending a
message, you should consider the following factors while
choosing a medium:
Time
Cost
Type of message
Intended Audience

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 Information Overload
One of the major problems faced by organizations
today is the availability of huge amounts of data
which the receiver is unable to handle effectively.
This is known as information overload. Thus the
quality of the information is much more important
than the quantity.

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To Overcome Barriers
 Learn to use feedback well.
 Be sensitive to receiver’s point of view.
 Listen to UNDERSTAND!
 Use direct, simple language, or at least use language
appropriate to the receiver.
 Use proper channel(s).
 Learn to use channels well.

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Cont……
 Learn to use supportive communication
 Being brief
 Shortening scalar chain
 Keep an open mind
 Encourage subordinates to express
 Pay complete attention
 Listen patiently

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 Quiz
1. Intra-personal barrier to communication is
a. barrier between person to person b. individuals inbuilt barriers
c. external barriers d. emotional barriers
2.Barriers to communication
a. can never be eliminated b. can be partially avoided
c. can be totally eliminated d. none of the above
3. Lack of planning and semantic problems may lead to
a. bad communication b. emotionally charged communication
c. naturally good communication d. perfect communication
4. Semantic barriers are related to
a. language b. distance
c. body language d. culture

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FAQs
What are the causes of Interpersonal barriers? (2015-16 )
Enumerate different barriers to communication.
Describe Intra-personal barriers briefly. (2016-17 )
What is 'Communication Selectivity’? (2018-19)
 Enumerate the most common reasons for Interpersonal
barriers in communication. (2012-13 )
 Discuss in detail various barriers to communication?
(2019-20)
 Enumerate different barriers to communication.
Describe Intra-personal barriers briefly. (2013-14)

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Key Takeaway
Communication barriers are the obstacles arising in
communication process.
These barriers may arise at any stage of communication
process, i.e. while the message is developed, transmitted,
received or interpreted.
Due to these obstacles, what is to be communicated does not
get communicated.
The most common reason is that the message is not received
in its original form.
To overcome barriers to communication, pay attention to
details; strive to understand the target meaning; consider
your nonverbal expressions; and review, reflect, and revise.

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Thank you

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