Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Elements of messages:
Forms of messages
1. Verbal – divided into written & oral communication.
Oral communication refers to spoken words.
Written communication can be either email, letters &
documentations
2. Non verbal ex. Kinesics (facial & body movements ex. smiling),
proxemics (social distance- cultural norms dictate a comfortable
distance for interaction with others ex. leg swinging, gaze aversion or
dagger look) paralanguage (voice, pitch, tone, rhythm)
The Communication Process
Channel
The sender selects the appropriate channel for transmitting the
message. The 3 typical communication channels are:
Decoding
The destination of the message, it can be an individual, group or
organization
Receiver
The individual whose senses perceive the senders message
A communication has not taken place if the message has not reach
the receiver
Types of Communication
1. Goal clarity
The sender must clarify the goals. In an organization the use MBO
approach, the objectives or goals are jointly set by both supervisor
& subordinates. The MBO serves to ensure that the objectives
are clear to both the organization and the individuals
2. Sender
The qualities, characteristics, role, status of the person affects
communication flow. A highly autocratic leader would most likely
be understood by self-governing staff, a demanding boss may be
misunderstood by a secretary
3. Receiver
The recipient person. His qualities, role, status, emotional state
affects communication. It is the ability of the person to listen
that he can take the message clear.
Factors that Affect the Quality of Communication
4. Symbol
Communication is largely symbolic. The content must be relevant to
the issue at hand or to the objectives of the organization. It
should be in good grammar, simple and easy to understand. In
non-verbal, it is the expression or action of the person. Ex. A
speaker would suddenly laugh in the midst of truly sad story
5. Information overload
Managers are drowning in excessive information & data due to
various technologies. Failure to cope with information overload
creates serious problems in the organization ex. Information
from Radio, TV, telecommunications, newspapers, satellite network
6. Feedback
The reaction by the recipient to the communication determines the
success or failure of the communication. Feedback is restating the
ideas of the sender into own words by the receiver. Ex. Manager
gives instruction to the employee, the employees gesture like a nod
means the message was understood.
Barriers to Communication
1. Culture
Culture, background, allow us to use our past experience to
understand new things. When the meaning is changed it interferes
the communication process.
2. Noise
Equipment or environmental noise impedes clear communication
because the sender and the receiver can no longer concentrate on
the messages being sent to each other.
3. Perception
Preconceived attitudes affects our ability to listen. Ex. If a person
talks too fast of not fluently we set aside the person. But when a
person who speaks fluently, we listen uncritically.
4. Message
Semantic distractions occur when a word is used differently than
what a sender prefer. Ex. The word Chairman instead of
Chairperson may cause you to focus on the word and not on the
message
5. Ourselves
Focusing on ourselves rather than the person can lead to confusion
and conflict. Ex. Superiority (we feel we know more than the
other) ego (we feel we are the center of the activity)
Communication
Quotes
Upward
Employees from lower authority feels
Rank & File free to initiate and suggest new
programs & projects which are
Supervisor welcomed by management. Higher
organizational levels are provided with
Middle Management information about what is going on
below
Top Management Ex. Feelings of employees about their
jobs, organization, complaints,
suggestions, clarifications.
Types of Communication
2. Levels of Source and Receiver
Communicate with the same level.
Horizontal Supervisors group together to
Top Management discuss common problems. The main
motivation is “Task-oriented”
Supervisors
Ex. Coordination of work
Supervisors Supervisors assignments, sharing information &
plans, joint problem solving
Circular
Middle Management
Types of Communication
2. Levels of Source and Receiver
Cross- Channel / Diagonal Communication
Top Management