KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPERTMENT OF CIVIL AND BUILDING ENGINEERING

COURSE : BACHELORS IN ENGINEERING IN CIVIL AND

BUILDING ENGINEERING

COURSE UNIT : BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS FOR ENGINEERS

NAME : KALEMA SOLOMON WASAJJA

REG NO : 17/U/8331/ECE/PE

CODE : TENG 1101

LECTURER : MR.MBOGO

QUESTIONS:

With examples, Discuss the barriers to effective Communication.

Communication is the key factor in the success of individual relationships and success within
organisations. When it comes to effective communication, there are certain barriers that every
individual or organisations faces. People often feel that communication is as easy or simple,
however we find that messages are often misunderstood or misconstrued. This can be explained
by some of the aspects explained below.

Perceptual Barriers: The most common problem faced these days is that of the difference in
opinion between two people. The varied perceptions of every individual stemming from
different viewpoints give rise ineffective communication. An example of this is where two
persons that subscribe to different political parties are trying to engage in a debate but with
each of them neglecting the message being put across because the sender is perceived in a
negative light. These could also result from personality conflicts, poor management, resistance
to change or a lack of motivation. Effective senders and receivers of messages should attempt
to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective communication.

Emotional Barriers: Another main barrier is the fear and mistrust that form the roots of our
emotional barrier which stop us from communicating effectively with others. Emotions play a
big role in effective communication. People can be shy, confident and may not allow full or
honest feedback to the receiver. Sometimes people are good listeners but because of the
emotion in the tone the manager or a higher authority exerted, the employee feels he does not
have the authority or confidence to reply back. An example is when a junior staff on a
construction site declines to respond to a question from his boss out of fear for angering ones
boss.

Physiological Barriers: physiological barriers may result from the receivers physical state.
For example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not grasp to entirety of a spoken
conversation. ill health, poor eyesight or hearing difficulties, pain could also constitute
physiological barriers. For example, after a night at the disco where the music is loud, one may
find it difficult to listen to others because of a constant ringing noise in ones ear.

Language Barriers: Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar

accents can be a real hindrance to effective communication. A message that includes a lot of
specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar
with the terminology used. Also an accent to which the receiver is unfamiliar may lead to
frustration thereby preventing effective communication. For example, a visiting professor with
an accent may cause not to understand the concepts being explained leading to boredom.

Physical Barriers: distractions are the physical things that can get in the way of the
communication process. A basic physical distraction can be the environment, the room may be
too hot or too cold, or chairs can be uncomfortable. A person sitting behind a desk or standing
behind a window at the bank automatically creates a physical barrier between sender and
receiver. Time and space also serve as barriers to effective communication. When two lovers
are geographically separated for example, quick, face-to-face communication becomes much
more difficult. In global organisations, the time difference between colleagues in other
continents can be a key communication barrier.

Information Overload: It takes time to process a lot of information and too many details can
overwhelm and distract the receiver. Sometimes going into too much detail can also be a
distortion. Supposing a lecturer at the university that has missed many classes decides to deliver
a semester worth of lectures in a single session. The could overwhelm the class causing them
not to get receive the information as intended. One should try to keep the messages simple,
plain and to the point with hard facts. That is the best form of effective communication.

Noise: Noise is any interference that occurs between the sender of the message, and the
receiver. Noise appears in many forms. It can be distractions due to pictures on the wall, objects
in the room or a WhatsApp Notification. In written forms of communication, it can be the
inclusion of irrelevant material, or a wrong approach to the topic. Other forms of noise can
include; interruptions by other people, the ringing of a telephone, or external noise such as
traffic outside a building, or people having a conversation close by during a lecture. Imagine
yourself in a meeting where you are discussing important strategies for a company and there
are people chanting Togikwatako outside the room. Such noise and distractions creates
problems in effectively conveying messages to the receiver while the sender gets distracted.

Cultural Barriers: The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures. The world
is made up of diverse cultures. People come from different regions, subscribe to different
religions and tribes. In some countries for example in the Middle East, religion is considered
the ultimate guiding force in the workplace while in others its personal goals.

Filtering: This is when the original message is changed into something completely different
when its finally received. Personal and particular experiences colour how people view the
world and how they communicate. A message sender sees the world through one set of filters
and the receiver sees it through a different set of filters. The more similar people are in lifestyle,
experience, culture, and language, the more similar their mental filters are likely to be and the
less distortion should occur. This is why people who come from very different social and
economic situations than their audience must work extra hard to say exactly what they mean to
avoid confusion. Also, the fewer people involved in the transmission of a message, the greater
the chance that it will be received as the sender intended. In business, however, messages may
be summarized by a manager and relayed through an administrative assistant who has clarified
or edited the message. Messages exposed to many filters should be repeated in various ways to
make sure they were understood as the sender intended.

Poor feedback: Feedback is the receiver sending back the message to the sender as they have
perceived it. It is reaction and without this, it is impossible for the sender to know if the receiver
has accepted and understood the message. It can occur in a number of ways: people can be
asked to repeat what they have said, or non-verbal communication such as a frown or a nod
can provide valuable feedback to the sender. Feedback is especially important to help clarify
muddled messages.

In conclusion, effective communication can lead to better understanding amongst individuals

and higher work efficiency within an organisation. Individuals/Organistaions that intend to
communicate better and must learn develop communication channels with minimum barriers,
because the fact remains that barriers cannot be completely removed but they can be
minimized.

REFERENCES

Asma Zaineb; Barriers to Effective Communication in an Organization and Overcoming It.

Samiksha S. 4 Different Types of Barriers to Effective Communication.