DR.

MEENAKSHI SHARMA
DR. MEENAKSHI SHARMA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

SECTION B
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Through the advancement of technology, we have been able to open up new channels
of communication, giving people a wider range of means for communicating with one another.
SEVEN FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

The following are the seven types of communication discussed in this article:
1. Intrapersonal Communication
2. Dyadic and Interpersonal Communication
3. Small-Group Communication
4. Organizational Communication
5. Public Communication
6. Mass Communication
7. Social Media Communication
Intrapersonal Communication

The process of intrapersonal communication takes place within a single person. In other words,
intrapersonal communication involves communicating with yourself. How we communicate with
ourselves is through our “inner voice” or thoughts.
Intrapersonal communication affects almost all of our interactions with others. One major driver
of our self-talk is our self-concept; how we perceive ourselves. Our self-esteem shapes the self-
concept. We may ask ourselves, “Am I making a fool of myself?” or “Am I doing a good job at
work?” How we perceive ourself and our biases toward others affects our self-talk and how we
communicate with other people.
As an exercise, consider the following scenarios and how you think about each situation. Your
thoughts — self-talk — guide your communication with the other person in each situation.
1. You are shopping and see a stranger you would like to approach and get to know
better.
2. You’re asked to give a presentation at work in one hour.
3. You are having a serious conversation with your boss, and they yawn during your
conversation.
4. Your significant other appears agitated lately, and you are uncertain if you are the
cause of their irritation.
Dyadic and Interpersonal Communication
Dyadic and interpersonal communication are similar, but not necessarily the same type of
communication. A dyad is something that consists of two elements or parts. Dyadic
communication — described by social scientists — is the communication between two people.
Interpersonal communication is a two-way interaction between people who are part of a close
and irreplaceable relationship. Thus, not all dyads are interpersonal and not all interpersonal
communication is dyadic.
Dyadic communication may include two passing strangers that engage in a brief small-talk
encounter, asking how one another is doing and exchanging other pleasantries. However, if two
close friends are engaged in a personal conversation, sharing personal information with one
another, we call this interpersonal communication.
Interpersonal communication can be dyadic, whereas two close friends engage in personal
conversation. There can also be interpersonal communication between more than two close
people invested in each other and communicating personal information. A dyad will always
remain just two people communicating and not always communicating interpersonally.
Small-Group Communication

Chances are you took part in a small group activity either in school, at work, or during a family
gathering. Small-group communication is three or more people in a group where each person can
take part actively with other group members. Examples of small groups are:
1. Your family members
2. Athletic teams
3. Colleagues at work
4. Student groups working together on a project

A small group displays characteristics that differ from dyads. For example, small group members
are more likely to take risks than dyads. The majority of members in a small group can outvote
others, whereas in a dyad, this is not possible. Small groups, because of the number of members,
tend to be more creative than dyads. Leadership is prevalent in small groups where leaders
facilitate most of the communication, as opposed to a lack of leadership in dyads.

Organizational Communication
Organizational communication involves a larger collection of people working collectively to
achieve goals. An organization may be commercial (like a corporation), nonprofit like the Red
Cross, political (local, state, or federal government) or health-related, such as hospitals.
Organizations develop their own cultures and traditions that influence how people behave and
communicate. Organizational communication involves specific roles, such as sales associates,
executives, supervisors, line managers, and general employees. These groups communicate
according to their organizational cultures and goals.

Public Communication
Public communication occurs when groups are too large for everyone to contribute. Additionally,
they are characterized by an unequal amount of speaking and limited verbal feedback. Even in
situations where feedback occurs — especially online — the speakers are still in control and do
most of the communicating.
Examples of public communication are political rallies where you have just a few people
speaking to the audience, with very little to no feedback. Business seminars where a speaker
presents their program and may solicit feedback in limited amounts.
Public communication may also take place as part of organizational communication, where the
CEO of the corporation may address a large group of employees, sharing with them their
progress toward the organization’s goal.

Mass Communication
There is often a link between mass communication and media or advertising. This type of
communication occurs when the audience is extremely large, often spread out across cities or
nations. Mass communication includes information transmitted through media channels such as
television, internet channels, magazines, newspapers, movies, or other forms of mass media. The
downside to this type of communication is that it lacks personal contact between the sender and
the receiver. Think of a news program you are watching or a magazine article you read. Both
communicate to a large audience, but you cannot provide any feedback to the originator of the
communication.

Social Media Communication

A newcomer to the varying types of communication is social media communication. Social
media communication can be both challenging and rewarding. It may include dyadic
conversations, facilitate small group communication, or serve as Mass communication for public
figures and organizations. Because social media plays such an integral role in our daily lives, it is
important to have it as its own communication type.

Channels of Communication
Communication involves transmitting non-verbal and verbal information in a channel that
includes a sender, medium of communication, and a receiver. The following are the essential
channel of communication;

Sender and Receiver

The person sending the information and the one receiving the information must be present for
communication to be effective.

The Message
The information conveyed should be available for the sender to transmit to the receiver.
Communication works when people hear, see, feel, and understand what a sender is trying to
convey; this ensures that concentration and attention are given to important details, allowing for
the smooth transfer of information. It is vital to understand that once a sender has granted
information through a communication channel, it cannot be reserved; once the recipient receives
the information, the sender cannot take it back.

Different Types of Communication

Verbal Communication
Storytelling
Crucial Conversations

Nonverbal Communication
Body Language
Eye Contact
Facial Expressions
Posture
Touch
Space

Written Communication

Organizational Communication
Clearly, the task of preparing and submitting a finished sales report doesn’t require the same
kinds of communication skills as talking on the phone with a classmate. No matter what your
“workstation” happens to be—whether your workplace office or your kitchen table—you’re
performing the task of preparing that sales report in an organizational setting. You’re still a
sender transferring information to a receiver, but the organizational context of the task requires
you to consider different factors for success in communicating effectively (including barriers to
success). A report, for example, must be targeted for someone in a specific position and must
contain the information necessary to make a specific set of decisions (Netzley & Snow, 2002).
Communication Flows
• As the term suggests, downward communication flows from higher organizational levels
(supervisors) to lower organizational levels (subordinates).
• Upward communication flows from lower to higher organizational levels.
• Lateral (or horizontal) communication flows across the organization, among personnel on
the same level.

Advantages of Communication Flows

Naturally, each of these different directional flows has its functions and advantages. Downward
communication, for example, is appropriate for giving instructions or directions—telling people
what to do. (As a goal of communication, by the way, giving orders isn’t as one-sided as it may
seem. One of the things that employees—the receivers—most want to know is: What, exactly,
does my job entail?) (Greenberg & Baron, 2002) Like a sales report, upward communication
usually provides managers with information that they need for making decisions, but it’s also the
vehicle for new ideas, suggestions, and complaints. Horizontal communication supports efforts
to coordinate tasks and otherwise help people work together.

Disadvantages of Communication Flows

As information seeps downward, for instance, it tends to lose some of its original clarity and
often becomes distorted or downright wrong. (This is especially true when it’s delivered orally.)
In addition, unlike Donald Trump, most people who are responsible for using downward
communication don’t like delivering bad news (such as “You’re fired” or, more commonly,
“Your job is being phased out”); as a result, bad news—including bad news that happens to be
important news—is often ignored or disguised. The same thing may happen when bad news—
say, a negative status report—must be sent upward.
Finally, while horizontal flows are valuable for promoting cooperation, they can also be used to
engage in conflict—for instance, between two departments competing for the same
organizational resources. The problem is especially bad when such horizontal communications
breach official upward or downward lines of communication, thus bypassing managers who
might be able to resolve the conflict.