Meaning, Importance and Process of Communication 2024
Meaning, Importance and Process of Communication 2024
Process of Communication
What is Communication?
Communication also means “to share”. There are different modes of communication available
today. These include emails, chats, WhatsApp, skype (conference calls), etc. Effective
communication makes people’s work easier and smooth.
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Communication takes place between receiver and sender. It's a two-way process which
should be clear. In case message formation went wrong, it gives a wrong and unclear message
to the recipient. The receiver might get the wrong perspective while receiving a message.
Therefore the message should be written effortlessly.
Definitions
“Communication is an intercourse by words, letters, symbols or messages, and is a way that
one organisation member shares meaning and understanding with another”. – Koontz and O’
Donnell
“Communication is a process by which people create and share information with one another
in order to reach common understanding”. – Rogers
“Communication is transfer of information from the sender to the receiver with the information
being understood by the receiver”. – Koontz and Weihrich
Features/Nature of Communication
Communication is a social process as two or more people are involved in it and they
exchange ideas, information and knowledge.
Communication is a two-way process as the sender sends the information and the
receiver receives it. The receiver understands the information and gives feedback.
Importance of Communication
Communication plays a vital part in building up a strong relationship across the world, either
in organisational structure or outside of it. It is an essential pillar for people in sharing the ideas,
delegating responsibilities, management of a team, building up a healthy relationship, etc.
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Effective communication is necessary for managers in the organisation for planning,
organising, leading and controlling. Managers of the organisation are dedicated enough in
communicating throughout the day in various tasks performances. They spent the whole time
communicating face-to-face or over the phone to their colleagues, subordinates and the clients.
Managers also use written communication in the form of Emails, memos, daily reports and so
on. Effective communication is a successful building block of the organisational structure.
Promotes cooperation and industrial peace: Cooperation and industrial peace are
promoted because of communication by developing understanding between superiors
and subordinates. Any misunderstanding or misconception can be easily removed with
communication. As communication is a two-way process, an atmosphere of trust and
understanding is maintained in the organisation.
Boosts morale and provides motivation: Motivation and morale of the employees
largely depend on the effectiveness of the communication system. Communication
helps in keeping the employees informed about plans, policies, procedures, etc., and
with such information, employees get a sense of belongingness. Good communication
develops the confidence and trust of workers and enables leaders to motivate, influence
and satisfy their subordinates.
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Helps in training and development: Communication plays a vital role in the training
and development of employees at every level of management. The degree of learning
in a training depends not only on the contents of the training and development
programme but also on how the knowledge and skills are being transmitted.
Helps to maintain public relations: An organisation has to deal with both the internal
and external world, which includes customers, investors, trade unions, government, etc.
Organisations are required to maintain healthy and cordial relations with everyone. It
must always strive to convince the public that its actions are in interests of society.
Flow of Communication
An organisation follows the five flow of communications:
Downward Flow:
In this, communication flows from the higher level to lower level, i.e. communication
carried out by the head of the organisation to the subordinates like providing feedback,
giving job instructions etc.
Upward Flow:
Communication which flows to the higher level of the organisation is upward
communication. Subordinates use upward flow to transfer their grievances and
performances to their seniors.
Lateral/Horizontal Communication:
It takes place where communication happens between the same level of the hierarchy
that is communication between colleagues, managers or between any horizontally
equivalent members of the organisation. It benefits employees to perform coordination
among the tasks, time-saving, solving problems of employees of other departments or
conflicts within the department.
Diagonal Communication:
Communication which takes place between the manager and employee of other work
departments is known as diagonal communication.
External Communication:
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Communication which takes place between the manager and external group likes
vendors, suppliers, banks, financial institutions and many more. For example, the
Managing Director would be meeting with the bank manager to get the bank loan.
1. Sender:
The sender or contact generates the message and transmits it to the recipient. He is the
source and the first contact.
2. Message:
It is an idea, knowledge, opinion, truth, feeling, etc. produced by the sender and
intended for reference.
3. Encoding:
The message produced by the sender is encrypted in a symbolic way such as words,
pictures, touches, etc. before transfer.
4. The media:
This is how the coded message is conveyed. The message can be conveyed orally or in
writing.
5. Recording:
It is a process of modifying the signals sent by the sender. After recording the message
is received by the recipient.
6. Recipient:
You are the last person in the chain and the message you sent was sent. If the recipient
receives the message and understands it correctly and acts on the message, only then
the purpose of the communication is achieved.
7. Answer:
Once the recipient confirms to the sender that you received the message and understood
it, the communication process is complete.
8. Noise:
Refers to any restrictions caused by the sender, message or recipient during the
communication process. For example, incorrect telephone connection, incorrect coding,
incorrect recording, careless recipient, incorrect understanding of message due to
discrimination or inappropriate touch, etc.
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Meaning and Significance of Communication Process
Communication process is regarded as one of the indispensable ways that put emphasis upon
the fact that communication is regarded as one of the important ways of imparting knowledge
and understanding to others. On the other hand, the individuals are able to acquire information
as well in terms of various factors. It is stated that an aimless life is a meaningless life, hence,
all the individuals have an aim to achieve. It is apparent that the aims and objectives are
different for all individuals. All individuals make selection of various fields in accordance to
their skills and abilities. The individuals make selection of various fields. These include,
engineering, medical, law, education, architecture, management, administration and so forth.
In order to excel in one’s chosen fields, and sustain one’s living conditions in an appropriate
manner, it is essential for the individuals to augment their understanding in terms of meaning
and significance of communication process. The exchange of information or passing of
information, ideas and perspectives from one person to another or from one end to the other is
referred to as communication. The meaning and significance of communication process is
acknowledged through promoting useful interactions among individuals. It is a process,
through which meanings are perceived and understandings are augmented among individuals.
Through communication processes, the individuals are able to understand each other better,
alleviate misunderstandings and encourage the clarity of thoughts and expressions. In
educational institutions as well as in various forms of employment settings, when the
individuals communicate with each other, they are able to achieve personal and professional
goals and enrich their lives. In other words, in enhancing ones career prospects and in
promoting better livelihoods opportunities, it is vital for the individuals to get engaged in
communication processes in an effective manner. Therefore, the meaning and significance of
communication processes is acknowledged as it establishes connections between individuals.
The four stages of the communication processes are the sender, message, receiver and
feedback. Within educational institutions, when the instructors are imparting knowledge to the
individuals in terms of stages of communication, it needs to be illustrated in the form of
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diagram. When the students observe the diagram, they are able to acquire an understanding of
the concepts in a well-organized manner. In understanding the stages of communication
process, the instructors need to put into operation, the teaching-learning methods in a well-
organized manner. Furthermore, the instructional strategies that are put into operation by the
instructors are reading, writing and discussing. There are organization of activities as well,
which enable the students to understand the stages of the communication process in an effective
manner. One of the common activities is role play. In role play, the individuals are required to
assume the roles of characters. In this activity, they are required to communicate with each
other in terms of topics, which would facilitate in acquiring an efficient understanding of the
communication process. The stages of communication process have been stated as follows:
Sender
Sender is the individual, who imparts information to other individuals, who may be one or
more. When the senders are imparting information to one or more individuals, they need to
ensure that information is well-organized. They need to prepare themselves well with various
ideas and perspectives that are needed to be conveyed to the receivers. They may impart
information in a verbal, non-verbal or in a written form. In the process of communication, the
role of sender is regarded to be of utmost significance in initiating the communication process.
They provide credibility and validation to the statements and speech. When the sender initiates
the communication process, apart from possessing adequate knowledge in terms of the
concepts, they need to communicate in a friendly way. The senders need to possess an
approachable nature and an amiable attitude, so the receivers do not feel hesitant in
communicating with them. Amiable attitude and an approachable nature enables the senders to
form connections with the receivers. The receivers will be able to approach them and obtain
solutions to any kinds of problems and difficulties. Therefore, it can be stated, when the senders
will be well-prepared and knowledgeable, they will contribute efficiently in enriching the
communication process.
Message
Messages are referred to the information that is transmitted by the senders to the receivers.
They can be information related to different subjects, concepts, individuals and so forth. These
are imparted in an oral, non-verbal and written form. The signs and symbols are also made use
of to convey messages. In some cases, messages are positive, whereas, in other cases, they are
negative. When information is imparted by the sender to the receiver that arouses feelings of
pleasure and contentment among them, the messages are regarded as positive. On the other
hand, when information is imparted that enables the individuals to feel disappointed or stressed,
then the messages are regarded as negative. In some cases, when the receivers receive negative
messages from the senders, they may bring an end to the communication process. In other
words, the communication process may be weakened, when the individuals are exchanging
with each other unpleasant viewpoints. In order to reinforce the communication processes, it is
vital for the individuals to ensure, they encourage positivity in messages. But when negative
messages are imparted, the senders need to ensure that their connections and terms with the
receivers do not weaken. Furthermore, it is necessary to make use of polite language.
Receiver
Receiver are the individuals, who receive information and messages that are imparted to them
by the senders. There are various factors, which need to be taken into account by the receivers.
These are, they need to pay adequate attention towards the senders, they need to learn to
interpret the information received and express their responses. When the receivers have
understood the information well, they convey the viewpoint to the senders that they have
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understood well. On the other hand, when they have not been able to acquire an understanding
of the information, they usually ask the senders to reiterate it. When the senders receive
adequate responses from the receivers, they are able to identify that their efforts have proven
to be meaningful. The efforts, which the senders make in imparting information to the receivers
prove to be effectual, when the receivers are able to understand the concepts in an adequate
manner. Normally, the receivers also make use of the same channel to express their responses.
But in some cases, they may use different channels as well. For instance, when the senders are
communicating with them through email, they respond through emails or phone calls or both.
Therefore, receivers need to communicate with the senders in an appropriate manner.
Feedback
Feedback is referred to as the return of information about the result or the returned portion of
a process. Feedback is when the senders express their responses to the answers or information
that they have received from the receivers. For instance, when the receivers express their
responses to the information that they have received from the senders, then the senders too
need to provide feedback. Through receiving of feedback, the receivers usually feel contented
that they are able to provide solutions to their problems and challenges. In some cases, the
feedback is positive, whereas, in other cases, it is negative as well. Positive feedback is
desirable and negative feedback is undesirable. Feedback is given by the senders through
various sources, which are verbal, non-verbal and written. In providing feedback, there are
various factors, which need to be taken into account. These are, depicting positivity, focus
should be put upon the behaviour not the person, depicting specificity, depicting timeliness,
implementing clarity, judgement should not be used, it should be provided from a neutral place,
implementing politeness, negativities should be stated in a constructive manner and feedback
should be productive towards communication. This is the final stage of the communication
process and brings the communication process to a conclusion.
When understanding the communication process, there are various factors, which need to be
identified. These are, participants, contact, context, common code, form of message, and goals
of communication. When the individuals are communicating with each other, personally or
when they are located at a distance, they need to take into account these factors. Sufficient
information in terms of these factors would render a significant contribution in making the
communication processes efficacious. These have been stated as follows:
Participants
Within the communication process, the participants are two or more. These are termed as
senders and receivers. Senders are the ones, who impart the information, whereas, receivers are
the ones, who receive the information. The receivers need to ensure that they understand and
interpret the information that is given by the senders in an adequate manner. On the other hand,
the senders need to ensure they provide factual and necessary information to the receivers. Both
the senders and the receivers have a goal to achieve through the communication processes.
When the receiver have been able to adequately understand the information, they need to impart
feedback to the senders. In this manner, the senders too are able to know that they have carried
out their task well. Therefore, obtaining feedback in the communication process is regarded as
vital in making the communication processes successful. The sender has primarily two tasks to
perform. They are the senders of message and receivers of feedback. On the other hand, the
receivers also have two tasks to carry out, they are the receivers of the message and senders of
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feedback. They may not be present all the time at one place, therefore, communication takes
place through verbal, non-verbal and written forms.
Contact
In order to make the communication processes successful, it is necessary for the participants to
establish contact between themselves. The sender needs to ensure that the receiver is paying
attention towards his message. When the receiver is paying attention, then the sender is able to
express themselves in a well-organized manner. In this manner, they are able to impart them
the necessary information and achieve their goals. There are cases in communication processes,
when the receiver is involved in some other work and is not paying attention. In such cases,
the sender needs to implement ways to promote their attention. The contact is established not
only physically but psychologically as well. The sender makes use of various techniques, which
are used to maintain contact with the receiver. Normally, when the individuals are located at a
distance, it is apparent that they usually tell each other to maintain contacts, by communicating
with each other on a regular basis. When they cannot see each other personally, then mostly,
they maintain contacts through phone calls, messages, emails, letters etc. These can take place
on daily basis or once a week, month etc. Therefore, it can be stated, maintaining contacts is
regarded as one of the important factors of communication process.
Context
In order to communicate well, the sender and the receiver need to ensure that the context in
which communication processes are implemented are appropriate. The topic is regarded to be
of utmost significance, which forms the basis of communication. Apart from topic, it is
necessary to put emphasis on the physical environmental conditions as well. Within the
physical environment, it is necessary to ensure that the individuals have all the materials and
resources available, which are important in making the communication processes worthwhile.
For instance, when the individuals are communicating with each other in terms of a report or
any written document, they need to have it with them in order to encourage effectiveness of
the communication process. This factor can be explained well with an example. In educational
institutions, when the instructors are imparting information to the receivers in terms of lesson
plans, they need to make the environmental conditions amiable. Within the classroom settings
there are various types of teaching-learning materials, such as, graphs, charts, posters,
technologies, pictures, images and so forth, which are utilized to make the communication
processes effective. Therefore, it is vital to pay attention towards up-gradation of context in not
only educational institutions but in all places on regular basis.
Common Code
A common code is referred to a set of conventions used for communications. Both the sender
and the receiver must be in possession of some common code. The code needs to be shared by
all the participants. This common code may be linguistic, para-linguist and non-verbal. The
communication takes place between individuals through three major forms, verbal, non-verbal
and written. It is necessary for the communication processes to be effective and worthwhile
that code should be taken into consideration. The senders need to pay attention towards it, so
they are able to adequately impart information to the receivers. On the other hand, in order to
acquire an efficient understanding of the message and give feedback, the receivers need to
make selection of common code. When the senders and receivers are communicating with each
other, it is vital that they make use of common code. When senders are communicating orally,
the receivers also communicate orally. On the other hand, when the senders are communicating
in a written manner, the receivers also respond in a written manner. In some cases, when the
receivers need to acquire information on an urgent basis and senders take time in responding,
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then they may send a message or give a phone call. Hence, in such cases, there may be
differences in the code.
Form of Message
The message, which is transmitted from the sender to the receiver must have the same form.
This form is dependent upon the situation. If the setting of the situation is noisy, the form may
be loud. If the setting of the situation is short-timed, the message may be brief. When the setting
of the situation does not require the individuals to speak, then one may speak softly, if they
need to say something important. The form of message can be formal or informal. Formal
messages usually are exchanged between the individuals, particularly within the working
environment. On other hand, informal messages are exchanged between the individuals, when
they are communicating with each other within home, community and public places. It is
comprehensively understood that in order to make the communication processes worthwhile
and effective, it is vital for the individuals to be polite and make use of decent words. But in
some cases, communication takes place in an impolite manner as well. Therefore, the form of
message can be polite as well as impolite. The form of message is influenced by the roles of
the participants and goals of communication. There are number of ways of conveying different
forms of message and it is regarded as an important factor in the communication process.
Goals of Communication
Communication is regarded as a goal-oriented activity. There are differences in the goals and
they are not regarded as same in all settings. The goals are usually related to particular topics,
factors, subjects or concepts. This is referential function of language. The language is made
use of by expressing the thought-content by making statements for putting forth
propositions.The goal may be code-oriented. This is referred to as the meta-linguistic function
of language. In this case, focus is put upon the set of rules and conventions. The main aim of
this function is to test mutual understanding of the rules and conventions. Finally, the goal may
be message-oriented. This is referred to the imaginative function of language. The sound,
rhythm and tune are used in such a manner, so pleasure and contentment can be given to the
participants. When communication takes place in a written manner, this goal can be achieved
by using different graphics. This is regarded as an aesthetic function of language. When the
participants are putting into operation the communication process, it is vital for them to be
well-aware in terms of goals of communication. Furthermore, they need to implement methods
and approaches in an appropriate manner to achieve them. Therefore, goals of communication
are also regarded as vital factors of communication processes.
Business communication and communication are similar in that they both involve the transfer
of information from one person to another. However, business communication is a specific
type of communication that takes place within the context of an organization or business. It is
more formal and structured, with a specific purpose and often involves the use of specialized
vocabulary, channels, and methods to achieve its goals.
On the other hand, communication is a broader term that encompasses all forms of human
interaction that involve exchanging information, ideas, and feelings between people. It can be
formal or informal, verbal or nonverbal, and take place in various contexts and settings,
including personal, social, cultural, and professional contexts. Communication refers to the
process of exchanging information, ideas, and messages between individuals or groups to
convey meaning and understanding. Effective communication is vital for the smooth
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functioning of any business organization, as it allows individuals to coordinate their actions,
share information, and collaborate toward achieving common goals.
Similarly, in business, communication is essential for the success of any organization. Effective
communication helps to build strong relationships between employees, managers, clients, and
stakeholders. It is critical in ensuring that everyone in the organization is on the same page,
with a clear understanding of the organization's goals, strategies, and priorities.
Clear and concise communication also plays a vital role in ensuring that projects are completed
on time and within budget. It helps to avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and errors that can
arise when communication is poor. Effective communication also helps to build trust, which is
essential in maintaining healthy relationships both within and outside the organization.
In addition to these benefits, effective business communication also helps to enhance the
organization's reputation, credibility, and brand image. It enables organizations to convey their
messages clearly, accurately, and with impact, thereby enhancing their ability to influence and
persuade others.
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3. Improving productivity: Communication helps to clarify roles, responsibilities, and
expectations. When employees are clear about what is expected of them, they can perform their
tasks more efficiently, leading to increased productivity.
3. Social media: Social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter are increasingly being
used by organizations to communicate with their customers and stakeholders.
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The process of communication involves the following steps:
1. Sender: The process of communication starts with the sender, who has a message to convey.
2. Encoding: The sender encodes the message in a language or format that the receiver can
understand. This could be verbal, written, or non-verbal.
3. Channel: The message is then transmitted through a communication channel such as email,
phone, or face-to-face conversation.
4. Decoding: The receiver receives the message and decodes it to understand its meaning.
5. Feedback: The receiver provides feedback to the sender, indicating whether they have
understood the message or not.
6. Noise: During the process of communication, various factors such as distractions, language
barriers, and physical barriers can create noise, which can interfere with the effectiveness of
communication.
Conclusion
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