COMMUNICATION

DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create
understanding in the mind of another. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling,
listening and understanding. (Louis A Allen)
Communication can be defined as the process through which two or more persons come to
exchange ideas and understanding among themselves. The word Communication describes the
process of conveying messages (facts, ideas, attitudes and opinions) from one person to another,
so that they are understood. (M.W. Cumming)
Communication is the process whereby speech, signs or actions transmit information from one
person to another. This definition is concise and definitive but doesn‘t include all the aspects of
communication. There are other definitions, which state that communication involves
transmitting information from one party to another. This broader definition doesn‘t require that
the receiving party obtain a full understanding of the message. Of course, communication is
better when both parties understand... but it can still exist even without that component
Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and non verbal messages that
produce a response. The communication is considered effective when it achieves the desired
reaction or response from the receiver, simply stated, communication is a two way process of
exchanging ideas or information between human beings.
Communication can be defined as the process through which two or more persons come to
exchange ideas and understanding among them. Communication is the understanding, not of the
visible but of the invisible and hidden. These hidden and symbolic elements embedded in the
culture give meaning to the visible communication process. Equally, if not of more importance is
the fact that communication is a personal process that involves the exchange of behaviours.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The process of communication involves two or more persons participating through a medium
that carries the information or message for a particular purpose which is mutually understood by
both the sender and receiver. Only when these conditions are fulfilled, a significant
communicative situation will take shape.

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 ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The transmission of sender’s ideas to the receiver and the receiver’s feedback or reaction to the
sender constitute the communication cycle. The process of communication begins when one
person (the sender) wants to transmit a fact, idea, opinion or other information to someone else
(the receiver). This facts, idea or opinion has meaning to the sender. The next step is translating
or converting the message into a language which reflects the idea. That is the message must be
encoded. The encoding process is influenced by content of the message, the familiarity of sender
and receiver and other situation of factors. After the message has been encoded, it is transmitted
through the appropriate channel or medium. Common channel in organization includes meetings,
reports, memorandums, letters, e-mail, fax and telephone calls. When the message is received, it
is decoded, by the receiver and gives feedback to the sender as the conformation about the
particular message has been carefully understand or not.

To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and
confusion, your goal should be to lessen the frequency of problems at each stage of this process,
with clear, concise, accurate, well-planned communications. We follow the process through
below:

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i. Source
As the source of the message, you need to be clear about why you're communicating, and what
you want to communicate. The source has ideas, needs, intentions, information and a purpose for
communication, which he translates into a code or language. The source/sender is the person
who originates and encodes information that he desires to share with others. The process of
communication begins when one person (the sender) wants to transmit an idea, opinion or
information to someone else (the receiver). These facts or ideas have meaning to the sender who
then translates or converts the message into a language which reflects the idea. For the process of
communication to be effective, there should be a well-defined goal in the mind of the sender.
You also need to be confident that the information you're communicating is useful and accurate.
ii. Encoding
This is the process of transferring the information you want to communicate into a form that can
be sent and correctly decoded at the other end. Your success in encoding depends partly not only
on your ability to convey information clearly and simply, but also on your ability to anticipate
and eliminate sources of confusion (for example, cultural issues, mistaken assumptions, and
missing information.)
A key part of this is knowing your audience: Failure to understand who you are communicating
with will result in delivering messages that are misunderstood. The process of putting these ideas
in some form that can be received and understood by another individual is called encoding.
Encoding is using a code to structure a message in an effort to achieve our communicative
objective. A code is a coherent set of symbols plus the rules needed to structure a message. For
example, a language code consists essentially of a list of words, and a set of rules for preparing a
text. These rules are the grammar or syntax of the language. The encoding process is influenced
by content of the message, the familiarity of the sender and receiver and other factors.
iii. Message
The message is the information that you want to communicate. The symbols themselves
constitute the message. The message may be oral or written and its transmission may be through
any of the above mentioned channels.
There are three factors that should be taken into account while considering the message:
(a) Message Code: which has to do with the way in which symbols are structured?
(b) Content: This is the selection of material to express the purpose.

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(c) Treatment: the way in which the message is presented, that is the frequency and emphasis.
Another factor is the filter or frame of reference through which the audience receives the
message which includes meanings that may enhance or cripple the effect. For communication to
occur at all, the source and receiver must have at least some minimum degree of prior
experience, some level of similarity and some level of shared meanings at the other extreme, no
two individuals have exactly the same experience. Hence the symbols in the message have
somewhat different meanings for the source and the receiver.
iv. Channel
Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal channels including face-to-face meetings,
telephone and videoconferencing; and written channels including letters, emails, memos and
reports. Communication channel is the medium utilized to convey a message. It is the means by
which a message travels between the communications source to the receiver. After the message
has been encoded it is transmitted through the appropriate channel or medium. Common
channels in organizations include meetings, reports, memoranda, letters, email, fax and telephone
calls. The channel is the physical system which carries the message from sender to receiver,
which can vary from the air carrying the voice between two speakers to something like an email
where the author is separated from the reader by complicated electronic processes.
v. Decoding
Just as successful encoding is a skill, so is successful decoding (involving, for example, taking
the time to read a message carefully, or listen actively to it.) Just as confusion can arise from
errors in encoding, it can also arise from decoding errors. This is particularly the case if the
decoder doesn't have enough knowledge to understand the message.
vi. Receiver
Your message is delivered to individual members of your audience. No doubt, you have in mind
the actions or reactions you hope your message will get from this audience. Keep in mind,
though, that each of these individuals enters into the communication process with ideas and
feelings that will undoubtedly influence their understanding of your message, and their response.
The receiver is that person to whom the source is attempting to share information. This
individual receives the signal and decodes or interprets the message to determine its meaning.
Successful communication can occur only when both the sender and the receiver attach the same
or at least similar meanings to the symbols that compose the message. The source determines

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what information he or she intends to share, encodes this information in the form of a message,
and then transmits the message as a signal to the receiver through a channel. The receiver
decodes the transmitted message to determine its meaning and then responds accordingly. To be
a successful communicator, you should consider these before delivering your message, and act
appropriately.
vii. Feedback
Your audience will provide you with feedback, as verbal and nonverbal reactions to your
communicated message. Effective communication takes place only when there is feedback. The
errors and flaws that abound in business situations are a result of lack of feedback. Pay close
attention to this feedback, as it is the only thing that can give you confidence that your audience
has understood your message. If you find that there has been a misunderstanding, at least you
have the opportunity to send the message a second time.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication has the following characteristics –
I. It is Unavoidable – It is impossible to not communicate, since we communicate
unintentionally all the time, even without the use of words. Our body language, the way
we dress, the importance we give to arriving on time, our behavior and the physical
environment in which we work, all convey certain messages to others.
II. It is a Two-way Exchange of Information – Communication is sharing of information
between two or more persons, with continuous feedback.
III. It is a Process – Each message is part of a process and does not occur in isolation. This
means that the meaning attached to a message depends on what has happened before and
on the present context. For example, your boss‘s response to your request for a promotion
will depend on your past relationship with him, as well as his mood at that particular
moment.
IV. It involves a Sender and a Receiver of Information – Any communication starts with a
sender of a message and requires a receiver to attach some meaning to that message.
V. It could be Verbal or Non-verbal – Communication could be through the use of words
in spoken or written form, or through the use of body language such as gestures and
facial expressions. It is successful when the Receiver Interprets the Meaning in the Same

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 Way as that intended by the Sender. The receiver does not always attach the same
meaning to a message as the sender. When the message is wrongly interpreted, the
communication is a failure.
IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
Good communication has many advantages for a business: strong communication:
I. Motivates employees – helps them feel part of the business (see below)
II. Easier to control and coordinate business activity – prevents different parts of the
business going in opposite directions
III. Makes successful decision making easier for managers– decisions are based on more
complete and accurate information
IV. Better communication with customers will increase sales
Improve relationships with suppliers and possibly lead to more reliable delivery
DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION:
Communication can be either vertical or downward when considering the flow. Communication
that moves in both directions – upwards and downwards is termed as Vertical Communication
and communication that moves in lateral direction is termed as Horizontal Communication.
Communication can be classified as follows:
I. Downward Communication
II. Upward Communication
III. Horizontal Communication
IV. Diagonal Communication

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DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION –
Downward communication is the information that is exchanged between a manager and a
subordinate in other words from top level to low level. In the best of cases, the information is
clear and direct. The purpose of such communication is to inform about policies, procedures,
programmes and objectives and to issue orders and instructions to the subordinates. The
information is sent through verbal or written orders.
UPWARD COMMUNICATION –
Effective upward communication is possible only when organizations empower their employees
and allow them to participate freely in decision making. Through this type of communication
employees can communicate information to their superiors freely and can voice their opinion.
HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION –
Horizontal communication is necessary to develop a collaborative and proactive culture in an
organisation. People communicate with others at their own level, in their own departments or
other departments, to solve problems and to share experiences. Horizontal communication
involves not only the movement of information from the upper levels to the lower levels of the
organizational hierarchy but also is defined primarily as the quality of information sharing
among peers at similar levels.
VERTICAL COMMUNICATION –
Vertical communication occurs between various hierarchies. It maybe upward or downward. For
example manager to employee, general manager to managers, foreman to machine operator, head
of the department to cashiers, etc. Downward communication is more prevalent than upward
communication. It is suggested that downward communication is most effective if top managers
communicate directly with immediate supervisors and immediate supervisors communicate with
their staff. The major purposes of downward communication are to advise, inform, direct,
instruct, and evaluate employees and to provide organization members with information about
organizational goals and policies
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
External communication reaches out to the customer to make them aware of your product or
service and to give them a reason to buy. This type of communication includes your brochures,
various forms of advertising, contact letters, telephone calls, web sites and anything else that
makes the public aware of what you do. Image is extremely important in external

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communication! Your logo should represent who you are; your letterhead should be a selling
tool; your telephone message should reflect your professionalism. External Communication
comprises of Formal contacts with outsiders as well as some informal contacts with outsiders.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Internal communication is essential to attracting and retaining a talented staff. You must provide
the direction for the company by consistently communicating that message; you must motivate
your staff through various forms of communication, which can include awards, newsletters,
meetings, telephone calls and formal and informal discussions. The internal communication is
further subdivided into two parts, Formal Communication channel and Informal Communication
Channel.

CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
A breakdown in the communication channel leads to an inefficient flow of information.
Employees are unaware of what the company expects of them. They are uninformed of what is
going on in the company. This will cause them to become suspicious of motives and any changes
in the company. Also without effective communication, employees become department minded
rather than company minded, and this affects their decision making and productivity in the
workplace.
Eventually, this harms the overall organizational objectives as well. Hence, in order for an
organization to be run effectively, a good manager should be able to communicate to his/her
employees what is expected of them, make sure they are fully aware of company policies and
any upcoming changes.
Therefore, an effective communication channel should be implemented by managers to optimize
worker productivity to ensure the smooth running of the organization. The two major channels of
communication are the Formal and informal channels.
Formal Channels of Communication
The messages which are circulating on regulated, preset channels, of an organization are creating
the formal communication. The formal communication can consist of verbal messages,
nonverbal messages, written, under the shape of letters, telephone messages, radio messages,
printed, internal notes. Even some gestures can consist in formal communication. The messages

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are transmitted by the authorized ones: on official channels, these arrive to the ones who need to
react, to people or machines which need to know the content of these messages.
The formal communication network is formed out of formal channels, created by setting a formal
system of responsibilities according to the hierarchical structure of the organization. The perfect
network is the one which contains communication channel from bottom up, downwards and
horizontally.
The number of communication channels available to a manager has increased. Video
conferencing, mobile technology, electronic bulletin boards and fax machines are some of the
new possibilities. As organizations grow in size, managers cannot rely on face-to-face
communication alone to get their message across. A challenge the managers face today is to
determine what type of communication channel should they opt for in order to carryout effective
communication. In order to make a manager's task easier, the types of communication channels
are grouped into three main groups: formal, informal and unofficial. A formal communication
channel transmits information such as the goals, policies and procedures of an organization.
Messages in this type of communication channel follow a chain of command. This means
information flows from a manager to his subordinates and they in turn pass on the information to
the next level of staff.
An example of a formal communication channel is a company's newsletter, which gives
employees as well as the clients a clear idea of a company's goals and vision. It also includes the
transfer of information with regard to memoranda, reports, directions, and scheduled meetings in
the chain of command. A business plan, customer satisfaction survey, annual reports, employer's
manual, review meetings are all formal communication channels.

Informal Channels of Communication

Informal communication arises out of all those channels that fall outside the formal channels and
it is also known as grapevine. It is established around the societal affiliation of members of the
organization. Informal communication does not follow authority lines as in the case of formal
communication. Informal communication takes place due to the individual needs of the members
of an organization and subsists in every organization. Normally, such communication is oral and
may be expressed even by simple glance, sign or silence. It often works in group of people, i.e.
when one person has some information of interest; he passes it on to his informal group and so

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on. An organization can make efficient use of informal channels to fortify the formal channels of
communication. It acts as a valuable purpose in expressing certain information that cannot be
channeled via the official channels. It satisfies the people desires to identify what is happening in
the organization and offers an opportunity to express dreads, worries and complaints. Informal
communication also facilitates to ameliorate managerial decisions as more people are involved in
the process of decision making. In spite of on many advantages, informal communication has
certain disadvantages. Informal communication contains facts, deceptions, rumors and unclear
data.
GRAPEVINE
Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. It is called so because it stretches
throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels. Man as we know
is a social animal. Despite existence of formal channels in an organization, the informal channels
tend to develop when he interacts with other people in organization. It exists more at lower levels
of organization.
Grapevine generally develops due to various reasons. One of them is that when an organization
is facing recession, the employees sense uncertainty( Mohan, T., McGregor, H., Saunders, S. and
Archee, R., 1997). Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due to which they form
unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential treatment and favour some employees giving
a segregated feeling to other employees. Thus, when employees sense a need to exchange their
views ,they go for grapevine network as they cannot use the formal channel of communication in
that case. Generally during breaks in cafeteria, the subordinates talk about their superior’s
attitude and behaviour and exchange views with their peers. They discuss rumours about
promotion and transfer of other employees. Thus, grapevine spreads like fire and it is not easy to
trace the cause of such communication at times.

ADVANTAGES OF GRAPEVINE
 Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets to know
some confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes the details then to his
closest friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it spreads hastily.
 The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies. Thus, the
feedback obtained is quick compared to formal channel of communication.

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  The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their
views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing group cohesiveness.
 The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value.
 The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where formal communication does not
work.
DISADVANTAGES OF GRAPEVINE
 The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours. Thus, it
does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs.
 The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of
communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.
 The productivity of employees may be hampered as they spend more time talking rather
than working.
 The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives.
 The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false negative
information about the high level people of the organization.
FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BEFORE SELECTING A CHANNEL OF
COMMUNICATION
In choosing your channel of communication there are certain factors you must consider.
These include:-
i. Channel Credibility:
It is the expertness and trustworthiness of a channel as received by the receivers. Channel
credibility is directly linked to communicator and audience characteristics.
ii. Channel Feedback:
This refers to the opportunity a channel provides for the receiver to respond immediately and to
affect the source of the message in communication process. Face is face communication tends to
facilities feedback, while mass communication tends to restrict it.
iii. Channel Involvement (Participation):
This is the effort required by all senses in order to receive information from a communication
channel. Face to face communication offers the greatest possibility for involvement.
iv. Channel Availability:

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This is the frequency and extent to which a channel may be used to reach a given audience. In
some geographic areas, some channels may not be available such as television or print media in
highly illiterate areas.
v. Channel Multiplicative Power:
The channel ability to cover areas with speed and timeliness. The mass media can multiply a
message and make it available to large numbers of people while face to face communication is
low in this dimension.
vi. Channel Permanency (ability to preserve a message):
The ability of a communication channel over time to carry the message. Print media have this
dimension but radio does not.
vii. Channel Complementary:
This is the channel ability to supplement the communicative work of another channel. Both mass
media and interpersonal channels have proven to be high on this dimension. The sender selects
the channels for sending the information. It is the link that connects the sender and the receiver.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
In conveying information or communicating in an organization, writing such information put
more weight on the message and craves attendance to the contents. Written communication could
be used to pass information between superiors and vice versa, the wordings or the message will
however indicate who the superior is , and who the subordinate is also. Examples of written
communication include letters, memorandum, report, abstracts, minutes, articles; etc clearly
written information will enhance the understanding of the receiver.
ORAL COMMUNICATION
This is communication through the use of words of mouth either formally or informally in
organizations or between individuals. e.g of oral communication include; face- to face
communication ,interview , meeting , oral briefing ,public address , oral presentation , telephone
call conference ,training session , etc all these require interpersonal skills and appropriate
communication manners to achieve their purpose.lot of operational communication in
organizations is orally made.

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NON VERBAL COMMUNUNICATION
Some people refer to this as visual communication .non –verbal as the name implies, is
communication without the use of words .this type of communication is by facial expression,
gestures, vocal inflection, head movement, laughter, silence,voting by raising of hands only,
posturing, diagram,charts ,graphs, tables photograph, etc

BARRIER TO COMMUNICATION
No matter how good the communication system in an organization is, unfortunately barriers can
and do often occur. This may be caused by a number of factors which can usually be summarised
as being due to physical barriers, system design faults or additional barriers.
Perceptual Barrier: This is one of the most common barriers to communication because
different people interpret our actions, words and mannerisms in different ways. People want to
receive those messages which are of significance to them. Perceptions of people differ and
depend on the cultural, emotional, personal and spiritual background of the person. People
normally tend to assume things rather than clarifying it with the other person. When this
happens, communication is blocked right away and conflict arises. That is why it is important to
clarify things before reacting.
Language Barrier: Language is another barrier to communication. Sometimes, we don‘t realize
and we use such words or phrases which may or may not be understood by the other person, thus
leading to a barrier. This could be words from a dialect that is not common to the people in your
office or it could be jargon that others don‘t know the meaning to. Therefore, one should only
use such words which are common and easily understood by all rather than showing off how
good a grasp you have over the language and unnecessary causing a barrier between you and the
listener.
Interpersonal Barriers to Communication: Interpersonal barriers, on the other hand, are
barriers to communication that come as a result of the way different people relate to one another.
Some people may lack the social skills, therefore they withdraw. Others may find it hard to make
time to get to know their co-workers on a more personal level because of their routines like
work, and after office activities.

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Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to
control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or
overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.
Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time
period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal
channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not completely
transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication.
Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical
distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also
affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with
communication.
Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the
receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very
bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the
message is interpreted to be good and interesting).
Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more
the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only
the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have
knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas.
Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One can‘t always retain what is
being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication
breakdown.
HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION
Problems with communication can occur at every stage of the communication process. At each
stage, there is the potential for misunderstanding and confusion. Considering the importance of
effective communication in the successful functioning of business organizations, it is essential on
the part of the management to overcome these barriers.
1, Organizational policy must be clear and explicit and encouraging the communication flow so
that people at all levels realize the full significance of communication.
2. Every person in the organization shares the responsibility of good communication; however,
persons at the top have special responsibility in this regard.

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3. Organization should have adequate facilities for promoting communication. Proper attention
must be given towards their proper and effective use.
4 The development of inter-personal relationships based on mutual respect, trust and confidence
is essential for its promotion. The organizational climate, therefore, should be modified to make
it more intimate and personal.
5. There should be continuous programme of evaluating the flow of communication in different
directions. This would highlight problems in this area identify their causes and thereby enable
the adoption of suitable corrective actions.

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