TYPES OF MODEL OF COMUNICATION

There are three types of communication models; the linear communication model, the transactional
communication model and the interactive communication model.
The linear communication model is a straight line of communication, leading from the sender
directly to the receiver. In this model, the sender creates a message, encodes it for the appropriate
channel of delivery, and pushes the message out to its intended audience.
The transactional communication model on the contrary describes communication as a process in
which a person is simultaneously the sender and receiver of messages. For example when yoy first
meet a client, you send verbal messages saying hello, and telling the client who you are and why you
are there. Before you are done with your introduction, the client is reacting non -verbally. So as you
are sending and encoding verbal messages at the same time you are receiving and decoding non-
verbal messages from the client.
Interactive communication model describes communication as a process in which participants
alternate positions as sender and receiver and generate meaning by sending messages and receiving
feedback within physical and psychological context.
FUNCTIONS OF MODEL OF COMMUNICATION
- It enhances the skills and abilities of individuals to communicate in an effective manner
- It helps in conducting research in the field of communication. Research is one of the
indispensible factors that is necessary for individuals.
- All individuals irrespective of their categories and backgrounds aspire to make the
communication process successful. For this purpose they need to understand the models of
communication.
- It contributes in identifying the setbacks of the communication process so as to eliminate
them.
- In educational institutions, public places, employment settings and at home, individuals need
to implement communication programs. Through the modems of communication one can
acquire an efficient understanding in terms of communication programs.

Harold laswell model of communication (1948)

Laswell is an American sociologist ad pshycologist who is best known for his work in the
linear model of communication. It is a linear model of communication because it is a
unidirectional process i.e it describes a one-way process within communication. Laswell
model analyses communication in terms of 5 basic questions; who?, Says what?, in what
channel?, to whom and with what effect?
“who” here refers to the sender of the message
“says what”? is simply the message which is transmitted
“in what channel”? this refers to the medium which is used to convey the message.
“ to whom”? this is the receiver of the message
“ with what effect”? this is the effect the message has on the receiver.
Laswell made use of verbal communication. The model suggests that more than one channel
will be used to carry the message to a multi audience (mass communication)
Advantages of Laswell model
- It is easy and simple
- It suits for almost all types of communication
 - The concept of effect is considered
Disadvantages of Laswell model
- Feed back is not mentioned
- Noise not mentioned in the communication process.

Shannon and Weaver model of communication (1949)

Shannon weaver model is a model consisting of basic elements such as source, encoder, medium,
decoder, receiver and noise. It describes the way information flows from a sender to a receiver. The
model holds that a sender initiates the communication and is the source of information. Information
is then relayed from the brain and through the lips in the form of signal. This signal is mixed with
other distractions and other sounds and finally received by the recipient. An example of this model is
telephone conversation. The person making the call is the sender and is the one with something
important to tell the person receiving the call. The telephone that the person making the call uses is
the encoder as it turns the message into binary data which can be transmitted through wires. The
wires through which the data moves are the channels. Noise can occur due to a malfunction of the
telephone wires. The telephone that the person on the other end is using is the decoder, as it will
turn the binary data into a sound that matches that of the sender. The person hearing the output
sound is the receiver and is responsible for interpreting the message.

Advantages of this model

- It accounts for elements that hinder effective communication, hence, it makes it possible to
identify noise or communication flaws and resolve them.
- This model breaks the communication process into small parts making it more
understandable to the receiver.
- It evaluates communication as a quantifiable process.

Disadvantages of this model

- It is more effective for one on one communication but less effective for mass and group
communication.
- The receiver remains passive while the sender plays an active role during communication.
This implies there is no feedback
- It is misleading since human communications are not mathematical in nature.

Osgood’s Schramm model

Schramm and Osgood viewed communication in the same way and that is the reason why
their model is jointly known as the Osgood Schramm model. According to them there is an
interactive relationship between the sender and the receiver during the communication
process. According to them communication occurs in a circular way. Being circular, means
the sender and the receiver exchange roles (the roles are reversed with the receiver
becoming a sender and the sender becoming the receiver) and participates equally in
communication. A critical aspect of this model is encoding and decoding. According to
schramm a person’s background, experience and knowledge are factors that impact
interpretation. This model was found more applicable in interpersonal communication in
which the sender and the receiver are physically present e.g a teacher and a student.
 Components of Schramm’s model of communication
- Sender (transmitter): this is the person who sends the message. He encodes the message by
converting it into words.
- The receiver: this is the person who gets the message. He or she decodes by interpreting and
understanding the actual message.
- Message : this is the data sent by the sender and information that the receiver gets
- Feedback: it is the process of responding to the received message by the receiver.
- Medium or media: This is the channel used to send the message.
- Noise: This is the interference and interruptions caused during the process. It is also created
when the intended meaning of the message sent by the sender and the meaning interpreted
by the receiver is different. This is known as semantic noise and it is a type of communication
failure.

Advantages of Osgood -Schramm model

- Circular communication gives opportunity to both parties to give their opinion.
- Semantic noise included as concept help in understanding problems that can occur during
interpretation of messages.
- Feedback makes it easier to know if the message the message is interpreted by the receiver
as intended or not?
- There is no sepeate sender and receiver. Sender and receiver is the same person.
-
Disadvantages of Osgood – Schramm model
- This model cannot deal with multiple levels of communication and complex communication
processes.
- There can only be two sources communicating. Many sources complicate the process and
the model cannot be implemented.
- It assumes encoding and decoding takes place on its own. This is a major drawback of this
model

Test your understanding questions

1) What are the different components of schramm’s model of communication?
2) Write a brief note on the Schramm’s model of communication
3) Compare the Laswell’s Model of communication with the Shannon weaver model of
communication
4) What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Osgoods Schramm model of
communication?

Communication Failure
Communication fails when our messages don’t go through as intended. It’s like sending a text
that is misunderstood or talking when no one is really listening.
Types of communication Failure
- Semantic communication failure: This occurs due to misinterpretation i.e when the message
the sender intends to send is understood by the receiver in a different way.
- Cultural failure: different people have different beliefs and different values. What may make
sense to one person of a particular culture may be nonsense to another person of a different
culture. This may hinder the smooth flow of information from one person to the other.
- Channel failures: The channel which a person uses to transmit information may be the result
of failed communication. A person may send and information through a communication
channel which is not suitable for that kind of message.
- Emotional failures: If someone doesn’t feel good, they will likely speak less or negatively.
When people are suffering from mental disturbance their communication is highly affected
by the mental state in which they are in. this will prevent them from communicating
effectively.
- Technological failure: These are obstacles and challenges that arise from the use or misuse
of technology in exchanging information. These barriers can range from simple issues like
poor internet connectivity to more complex problems such as digital literacy gaps.

Causes of communication failure

- Lack of unity: A united organization emphasizes team work and meaningful relationship
among employees, not just the ones who work in the same department. Togetherness
enables coworkers to work towards a common goal. When employees feel distant from their
counterparts that don’t work in the same vicinity, he quality of their communication
decreases.
- Surplus information: another instance of communication failure is delivering too much
information about a topic. Employees will find it difficult to concentrate on the core message
and priorities tasks when there are surplus materials
- Slow response to emergencies: emergency situations often require immediate responses. A
delayed response to the public can cause misinformation to spread and affect the reputation
of a company.
- Insufficient delivery: when you represent a company publicly, the delivery of your messages
can impact how consumers respond. They may base their interpretations on your tone, non
verbal aspects and word selection to determine if you are meeting their needs. A
communication failure can occur when they perceive the brand representation differently
than what you intended.
- Overlooked writing mistakes: Public written work, such as email, newsletters, social media
captions and press releases can represent the organiasation and influence the reputation of
its brand. Employees can experience communication failure when they don’t proofread the
material that they write. This can make customers to have a different impression about the
message than what the company predicted.

How to prevent communication failures

- Create an extensive plan: Whether you are releasing a campaign or launching a new
product, it’s important to have a plan that involves all employees. Promote team work to
identify and fix mistakes, and explain the concepts of the plan so that everyone can
understand their responsibilities.
- Prioritize widespread communication: when every member of your team fully understands
the objectives, the quality of their work can increase. Therefore communicate with your
employees frequently and encourage conversations between departments to clarify ideas.
- Take responsibility for your actions. If the organization makes a mistake, then be
transparent about what transpired and focus on how you can improve for the future.
- Give regular feedback: regular feedback will help a person to know if what he or she is doing
is correct or not. In case the person is making an error a feed back is necessary to correct the
error.
- Avoid assumptions: avoid making assumptions when passing across information. This is
because the information you are passing across based on assumption may be wrong and by
so doing you will receive a wrong feedback.