Communication

Communication and
and Control
Control
What is communication?

• Communication is a process through

which two or more people exchange
information, ideas, thoughts,
emotions in such a way that each
gain a common understanding of the
intended message.
COMMUNICATION
Communication is the
process of sending and
receiving messages
between parties
 Definition
• Communication is the process of passing
information and understanding from one person to
another. -Keith Davis

• Communication is any means by which thought is

transferred from one person to another.
-Chappell and Read

•
“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas,
opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
-W.H. Newman
 Features of Communication
(1) Two or More Persons: The first important characteristic of communication is that
there must be a minimum number of two persons because no single individual can have
an exchange of ideas with himself. A listener is necessary to receive one’s ideas.
Therefore, there must be at least two persons-the sender of information and the
receiver.

(2) Exchange of Ideas: Communication cannot be thought of in the absence of exchange

of ideas. In order to complete the process of communication there must be an
exchange of ideas, orders, feelings, etc., among two or more than two persons.

(3) Mutual Understanding: Mutual understanding means that the receiver should receive
the information in the same spirit with which it is being given. In the process of
communication, it is more important to understand the information rather than carry
it out.

(4) Direct and Indirect Communication: It is not necessary in communication that the
receiver and giver of information should be faceto-face with each other.
Communication can be both direct and indirect. Direct communication means face-to-
face conversation, while indirect communication is through other means.
(5) Continuous Process: Communication is an endless process, as is the case
with business where the manager continuously assigns work to his subordinates,
tries to know the progress of the work and gives directions.

(6) Use of Words as well as Symbols: There can be many means of

communication, like the written, the oral and symbolic. The examples of
symbolic communication are the ringing of bell for closing a school or a college,
saying something by the movement of the neck, showing anger or disapproval
through eyes, giving some decision by the raising of a finger in cricket, etc
 Importance of Communication
• Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. It is the vehicle that
ensures proper performance of organizational functions and achievement of
organizational goals. As a separate field of study, business communication
has the following objectives:

1. Managerial efficiency: – Communication helps in smooth operation of management.

Managerial task can only be performed when communication system is effective.

2. Enhance morale and relations: – Effective communication emphasizes the employee’s

participation in management. It helps to build the employees morale and cordial
industrial relations between management and employees

3. Effective leadership: – effective leadership depends upon effective communication.

Two-way communication helps in effective communication. Managerial leader must
handle the subordinates. For ordering qualitative leadership is essential. And that can
be obtained from proper system of communication.
4. Mutual trust and confidence: – mutual trust and confidence between labor
and management is necessary for effective movement of organization. When there
is effective communication, it helps to reduce misunderstanding and develop
mutual trust.

5. Better decision: – the success of organization can be measured in better

decision. When the information, data and other fact are not effectively
communicated, it hampers the decision making. So, when the facts are
communicates to concerned department, organization and person. It is easy to
make decisions promptly.

6. Staffing: – when the information are correctly communicates in time, it helps

in the function of selection, placement, socialization, promotion and transfer.

7. Better managerial concern: – all managerial functions such as planning,

organizing, directing, controlling etc. can’t be conducted without communication
Process of Communication
Basic Model Of Communication
Seven major elements of communication: Seven major
elements of communication process are:

(1) Sender
(2) Ideas
(3) Encoding
(4) Communication channel
(5) Receiver
(6) Decoding and
(7) Feedback.
(1) Sender: The person who intends to convey the message with the intention
of passing information and ideas to others is known as sender or communicator.

(2) Ideas: This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an
opinion, attitude, feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.

(3) Encoding: Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and

intangible, its further passing requires use of certain symbols such as words,
actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into these symbols is the
process of encoding.

(4) Communication Channel: The person who is interested in communicating has

to choose the channel for sending the required information, ideas etc. This
information is transmitted to the receiver through certain channels which may
be either formal or informal.
(5) Receiver: Receiver is the person who receives the message or for
whom the message is meant for. It is the receiver who tries to
understand the message in the best possible manner in achieving the
desired objectives.

(6) Decoding: The person who receives the message or symbol from the
communicator tries to convert the same in such a way so that he may
extract its meaning to his complete understanding.

(7) Feedback: Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has
received the message and understood in the same sense as sender meant
it.
Types of Communication
Communication may be grouped on the following basis:

1.On the basis of Direction of Communication:

(i)Downward Communication
(ii)Upward Communication and
(iii)Horizontal or Lateral Communication

2. On the basis of Way of Expression:

(i)Oral Communication and
(ii)Written Communication

3. On the basis of Organizational Structure:

(i) Formal Communication and
(ii) Informal Communication
 1. On the basis of Direction of Communication:
(i) Downward Communication: Downward communication occurs when information and
messages flow down through an organization's formal chain of command or hierarchical
structure. In other words, messages and orders start at the upper levels of the
organizational hierarchy and move down toward the bottom levels. Responses to
downward communications move up along the same path.

(ii) Upward Communication: Communication is a very important part of working in the

business environment. Managers must be able to communicate with employees and
employees must be able to communicate with managers in order to have a profitable
business. Upward communication is the flow of information from front line employees to
managers, supervisors, and directors.

(iii) Horizontal or Lateral Communication: Horizontal communication is the transmission of

information between people, divisions, departments or units within the same level of
organizational hierarchy. You can distinguish it from vertical communication, which is
the transmission of information between different levels of the organizational
hierarchy. Horizontal communication is often referred to as 'lateral communication.'
2. On the basis of Way of Expression:
(i) Oral Communication: It occurs through the spoken word. In oral
communication, the two parties to communication, the sender and the
receiver, exchange their views through speech, either in face-to-face
communication between individual and individual, or between an individual
and the group, or any mechanical or electrical device, such as a telephone,
public address systems etc. meetings, conference, lectures, etc. are some
other media of communication.

(ii) Written Communication: The Written Communication refers to the

process of conveying a message through the written symbols. In other
words, any message exchanged between two or more persons that make
use of written words is called as written communication. The written
communication is the most common and effective mode of business
communication. In any organization, the electronic mails, memos, reports,
documents, letters, journals, job descriptions, employee manuals, etc. are
some of the commonly used forms of written communication.
 3. On the basis of Organizational Structure:
(i) Formal Communication: The Formal Communication is the exchange of
official information that flows along the different levels of the
organizational hierarchy and conforms to the prescribed professional rules,
policy, standards, processes and regulations of the organization. The
formal communication follows a proper predefined channel of
communication and is deliberately controlled. It is governed by the chain of
command and complies with all the organizational conventional rules.

(ii) Informal Communication: ‘Informal Communication’ is the communication

among the people of an organization not on the basis of formal relationship
in the organizational structure but on the basis of informal relations and
understanding. It may overlap routes, levels or positions. Informal
communication creates a situation where the different workers
communicate with each other, work side by side, hour after hour and day
after day irrespective of their formal positions and relationships. It is
referred to as the ‘grapevine’ which indicates informal means of circulating
information or gossip. It is direct, spontaneous and flexible. It is personal,
unofficial, and mostly verbal.
Factors affecting Communication
A number of factors which may disrupt the communication process and
affect the overall understanding and interpretation of what is communicated
are :
1. Status / Role
2. Cultural differences
3. Choice of communication channel
4. Length of communication
5. Use of language
6. Individual Perceptions / Attitudes / Personalities
7. Known or Unknown Receiver
1. Status/Role
The sender and receiver of a message may be of equal status within a hierarchy (e.g.
managers in an organisation) or they may be at different levels (e.g. manager/employee,
lecturer/student, business owner/clients).This difference in status sometimes affects the
effectiveness of the communication process.

2. Cultural Differences
Cultural differences, both within or outside the organisation (for example, inter-
departmental dealings and communication with outside organisations or ethnic minorities)
may impede the communication process.

3. Choice of Communication Channels

•Sender should choose the most appropriate channel for a particular purpose and keeping
the person/receiver in mind.
•Sending messages via inappropriate channels can send out wrong signals and end up
creating confusion.
•Choosing the appropriate channel needs :
•Considering all aspects of the communication process (interpretation, understanding,
feedback).
•Determining all the possible barriers.
•Evaluating the complexity of the message and decide how it might be best conveyed .
4. Length of Communication
•The length of the message also affects the communication process.
•Sender need to be sure that it serves the purpose and is appropriate for the receiver.
•Is the message too long or too brief?

5. Use of Language
•The language used must be familiar to the receiver .
•Poor choice of words or weak sentence structure also hampers communication.
•Sentences must be framed correctly .

6 .Individual Perceptions/Attitudes/Personalities
•Sometimes, the method of communication needs to take into consideration the receiver's
personality traits, perceptions , age and preferred style.

7 .Known or Unknown Receiver

•Whether the receiver is known or unknown to sender also plays a major role in determining
the effectiveness of the communication.
•A known receiver may be better able to understand the message despite having
insufficient information as both sender and receiver have common experiences .
•An unknown receiver, on the other hand, may require more information and time to decode
the message.
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
 Barrier ?
• Lack of Commonness is barrier
• A barrier to interpersonal communications is
anything that prevents or restrictsthe
conveyance of meaning by words or gestures
between two or more persons in a social
setting.
• The term ‘Barriers’, ‘Obstacles’, ‘
Hindrances’ and ‘noise’ are all used to
describe the distracting stimuli
• Associated with the
• Communication process

Absence of defined role of any component = Creates Barrier

Barriers to Effective
Communication
• Semantic Barrier
• Psychological Barrier
• Physical Barrier
• Organizational Barrier
• Personal Barrier
• Cultural Barrier
(1)SEMANTIC BARRIERS

There is always a possibility of misunderstanding the feelings of the sender of the

message or getting a wrong meaning of it. The words, signs, and figures used in the
communication are explained by the receiver in the light of his experience which
creates doubtful situations. This happens because the information is not sent in simple
language.
The semantic barriers are as:
(i) Badly Expressed Message:
Because of the obscurity of language there is always a possibility of wrong interpretation
of the messages. This barrier is created because of the wrong choice of words, in civil
words, the wrong sequence of sentences and frequent repetitions. This may be called
linguistic chaos.

(ii) Symbols or Words with Different Meanings:

A symbol or a word can have different meanings. If the receiver misunderstands the
communication, it becomes meaningless.

For example, the word ‘value’ can have different meanings in the following sentences:
(a) What is the value of computer education these days?
(b) What is the value of this mobile set?
(c) Value our friendship.
(iii) Faulty Translation:
A manager receives much information from his superiors and subordinates and he translates it for all the
employees according to their level of understanding. Hence, the information has to be moulded according to
the understanding or environment of the receiver. If there is a little carelessness in this process, the
faulty translation can be a barrier in the communication.

(iv) Unclarified Assumptions:

It has been observed that sometimes a sender takes it for granted that the receiver knows some basic
things and, therefore, it is enough to tell him about the major subject matter. This point of view of the
sender is correct to some extent with reference to the daily communication, but it is absolutely wrong in
case of some special message.

(v) Technical Jargon:

Generally, it has been seen that the people working in an enterprise are connected with some special
technical group who have their separate technical language.
Their communication is not so simple as to be understood by everybody. Hence, technical language can be a
barrier in communication. This technical group includes industrial engineers, production development
manager, quality controller, etc.

(vi) Body Language and Gesture Decoding:

When the communication is passed on with the help of body language and gestures, its misunderstanding
hinders the proper understanding of the message. For example, moving one’s neck to reply to a question
does not indicate properly whether the meaning is ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
 (2) PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

The importance of communication depends on the mental condition of both the parties. A
mentally disturbed party can be a hindrance in communication. Following are the emotional
barriers in the way of communication:
(i) Premature Evaluation:
Sometimes the receiver of information tries to dig out meaning without much thinking at the
time of receiving or even before receiving information, which can be wrong. This type of
evaluation is a hindrance in the exchange of information and the enthusiasm of the sender
gets dampened.

(ii) Lack of Attention:

When the receiver is preoccupied with some important work he/she does not listen to the
message attentively. For example, an employee is talking to his boss when the latter is busy in
some important conversation. In such a situation the boss may not pay any attention to what
subordinate is saying. Thus, there arises psychological hurdle in the communication.

(iii) Loss by Transmission and Poor Retention:

When a message is received by a person after it has passed through many people, generally it
loses some of its truth. This is called loss by transmission. This happens normally in case of
oral communication. Poor retention of information means that with every next transfer of
information the actual form or truth of the information changes.
According to one estimate, with each transfer of oral communication
the loss of the information amounts to nearly 30%. This happens
because of the carelessness of people. Therefore, lack of transmission
of information in its true or exact form becomes a hindrance in
communication.

(iv) Distrust:
For successful communication the transmitter and the receiver must
trust each other. If there is a lack of trust between them, the
receiver will always derive an opposite meaning from the message.
Because of this, communication will become meaningless.
(3) PHYSICAL BARRIER

(a) Time and Distance: Time and distance also act as barriers to the smooth flow of
communication. The use of telephone along with computer technology has made
communication very fast and has, to a large extent, overcome the space barrier.
However, sometimes mechanical breakdowns render these facilities ineffective. In
such cases, the distance between the transmitter and the receiver becomes a mighty
barrier. Some factories run in shifts. There is a kind of communication gap between
persons working in different shift.

(b) Noise: Unfortunately communication is very affected/distorted by noise that occurs

primarily at the transmission level. Literally the word noise means “interference that
occurs in a signal and prevents you from hearing sounds properly”. It is, therefore,
the first major barrier to communication. In a factory, for example, where there are
machines and engines making a constant noise, oral communication becomes difficult.
Blaring of loudspeakers around is bound to interfere with our conversation, whether
face-to-face or on telephone.
 (4) ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS
Organizational structure greatly affects the capability of the employees as far as the
communication is concerned. Some major organizational hindrances in the way of
communication are the following:

i) Organizational Policies:
Organizational policies determine the relationship among all the persons working in the
enterprise. For example, it can be the policy of the organisation that communication will be
in the written form. In such a situation anything that could be conveyed in a few words
shall have to be communicated in the written form. Consequently, work gets delayed.

(ii) Rules and Regulations:

Organizational rules become barriers in communication by determining the subject-matter,
medium, etc. of communication. Troubled by the definite rules, the senders do not send
some of the messages.

(iii) Status:
Under organizing all the employees are divided into many categories on the basis of their
level. This formal division acts as a barrier in communication especially when the
communication moves from the bottom to the top.
For example, when a lower-level employee has to send his message to a superior at the
top level there is a lurking fear in his mind that the communication may be faulty, and
because of this fear, he cannot convey himself clearly and in time. It delays the
decision making.

(iv) Complexity in Organizational Structure:

The greater number of managerial levels in an organization makes it more complex. It
results in delay in communication and information gets changed before it reaches the
receiver. In other words, negative things or criticism are concealed. Thus, the more
the number of managerial levels in the organization, the more ineffective the
communication becomes.

(v) Organizational facilities:

Organizational facilities means making available sufficient stationery, telephone,
translator, etc. When these facilities are sufficient in an organisation, the
communication will be timely, clear and in accordance with necessity. In the absence
of these facilities communication becomes meaningless.
 (5) PERSONAL BARRIERS

The barriers which are directly connected with the sender and the receiver. They are
called personal barriers. From the point of view of convenience, they have been divided
into two parts:

(a)Barriers Related to Superiors: These barriers are as follows:

(i) Fear of Challenge of Authority: Everybody desires to occupy a high office in the
organization. In this hope the officers try to conceal their weaknesses by not
communicating their ideas. There is a fear in their mind that in case the reality comes to
light they may have to move to the lower level,

(ii) Lack of Confidence in Subordinates: Top-level superiors think that the lower- level
employees are less capable and, therefore, they ignore the information or suggestions
sent by them. They deliberately ignore the communication from their subordinates in
order to increase their own importance. Consequently, the self-confidence of the
employees is lowered.
(b) Barriers Related to Subordinates

(i) Unwillingness to Communicate:

Sometimes the subordinates do not want to send any information to their superiors.
When the subordinates feel that the information is of negative nature and will
adversely affect them, an effort is made to conceal that information.
If it becomes imperative to send this information, it is sent in a modified or amended
form. Thus, the subordinates, by not clarifying the facts, become a hindrance in
communication,

(ii) Lack of Proper Incentive:

Lack of incentive to the subordinates creates a hindrance in communication. The lack of
incentive to the subordinates is because of the fact that their suggestions or ideas are
not given any importance. If the superiors ignore the subordinates, they become
indifferent towards any exchange of ideas in future.
(6) CULTURAL BARRIERS
Especially in international environment, cultural differences often cause communication
problems. The same category of words, phrases, symbols, actions, colours mean
different things to people of different countries/cultural backgrounds. For example, in
Western countries black colour is associated with death and mourning while in the Far
East white is the colour of mourning. In the United States people love to be called by
their first name while in Britain people are more formal and like to be addressed by
their little or their last name.

•Language
Different languages, dialect, individual linguistic ability, use of difficult
words, inappropriate words, pronunciation
•Norms and values
•Belief
•Social practices and traditions
 Remedies to overcome the barriers
1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right
individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has
command over the written and spoken language.There should be proper Induction program so that the
policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings
conducted for required employees (for eg: Voice and Accent training).

2. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use of ambiguous words
and jargons should be avoided.

3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication barrier which must be
overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source.

4. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between “listening” and “hearing”.
Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking
questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the
same terms as intended by the speaker.

•
5. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be complex. The
number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control within
the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication.

6. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They
should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with their
subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively.

7. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the feedback
might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to
effective communication between the superior and subordinate.

8. Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of communication.
Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings.
Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages.
For significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such
as: Memos, Notices etc.
7 C’s in Communication
 7 C’s in Communication
There are 7 C’s of effective communication which are applicable to both written as
well as oral communication. These are as follows:
1.Clear: The message should be clear and easily understandable to the recipient. The
purpose of the communication should be clear to sender then only the receiver will be
sure about it. The message should emphasize on a single goal at a time and shall not
cover several ideas in a single sentence.

2.Correct: The message should be correct, i.e. a correct language should be used, and
the sender must ensure that there is no grammatical and spelling mistakes. Also, the
message should be exact and well-timed. The correct messages have a greater impact
on the receiver and at the same time, the morale of the sender increases with the
accurate message.

3.Complete: The message should be complete, i.e. it must include all the relevant
information as required by the intended audience. The complete information gives
answers to all the questions of the receivers and helps in better decision-making by
the recipient.
4. Concrete: The communication should be concrete, which means the message
should be clear and particularly such that no room for misinterpretation is left. All
the facts and figures should be clearly mentioned in a message so as to substantiate
to whatever the sender is saying.

5. Concise: The message should be precise and to the point. The sender should avoid
the lengthy sentences and try to convey the subject matter in the least possible
words. The short and brief message is more comprehensive and helps in retaining the
receiver’s attention.

6. Consideration: The sender must take into consideration the receiver’s opinions,
knowledge, mind-set, background, etc. in order to have an effective communication.
In order to communicate, the sender must relate to the target recipient and be
involved.

7. Courteous: It implies that the sender must take into consideration both the
feelings and viewpoints of the receiver such that the message is positive and focused
at the audience. The message should not be biased and must include the terms that
show respect for the recipient.
 Points to Remember
• Communication is a two way process.
• Effective communication= Bridging the gap between encoded
and decoded message= Establishing Common Understanding
• Responsibility of effective communication mainly lies with the
communicator
• Feedback is an important return message. Ensure getting and
using it effectively for better performance
• Know the roadblocks. This will help you to handle the
communication process in an effective way
• Use Heart and Mind and Soul for an effective result
• Communication is a skill, learn and practice
 To Sum up

To Become an Effective communicator

Make effective use of
Heart and Body, Mind and Soul