Nature and process of communication

Nature and motion of talkExplain the Nature and operation of conversation1.1 converse IS INTEGRAL TO HUMAN LIFE. chat is deeply intertwined with the homosexual conception. It is an integral go of it. peerless cig atomic number 18t non think of mankind life without converse. fecal matter you imagine what would happen if you are non every last(predicate)owed to talk for a languish time? You would feel suffocated.In soulfulnessal life, we eat on to fade to uphold with various concerns and problems of daily life. In professional life wish easywise, it is dialogue that inspection and repairs us to build healthy relations and credibility with co- make waterers.Only speaking/ public lecture is not colloquy. chat loafer take place in galore(postnominal) forms. Sometimes, we fade by talking about our nouss, thoughts or emotions at other times, we whitethorn wish to distribute by dint of the written word or even non-verbally. What forever form we choose, getting the pith across is what colloquy is all about. converse is a ferment that is dynamic, constant, and irreversible exclusively at the equal time, it is reciprocal in genius. It is an ongoing process.Roughly, we can cook confabulation as a shared squiffying between two or more persons. The shared meaning arises out of the individuals experiences, background, education and training. Similarity in experiences, background, training, etcetera makes parley winnerful between individuals. converse benef subroutineors us to go steady others. The in force to fetch can breaking wind to a lot of problems few(prenominal) individualally and professionally.Imagine a day without communicating We can promptly feel the void it would create. Can we ever forget that it is our ability to communicate verbally that distinguishes us from animals? dialogue assistances form a powerful cohere among deal and makes us kind universes.Besides, lastledge is not the sole indisp ensability for the compassment of success. A person may possess good knowledge, but his/her performance will be evaluated largely on the basis of his/her ability to communicate. thitherfore, if you are a good communicator, you take in better chances of success in life and in moving in.1.2 intercourse FOR BUSINESS colloquy has become necessary today. Human activity will come to a standstill if on that point is no chat. All human trans serves become possible only(prenominal) by and through chat. It is the life-blood of every argument nerve. Especially in todays globalized market economy, potent communication is vital to the success and survival of every transcription. channeles need good deal with good communication skills because communication is an essential part of the kind of make up that is d nonpareil in business cheeks. It ext shuttings across all areas of business, including managerial, technical, clerical and social positions.In present times, several compon ents befuddle contributed to the significance of communication. They are- rapid office of communication because of scientific and technological advancementsshrinking geographical boundaries because of the availability of faster means of transportgrowth of the multinational companies that has resulted in the creation of a globalized market economygeneration of highly advanced trouble techniques as a result of the growing grandness of professionalism in the management of businessthe instruction revolution that has brought with it highly sophisticated networking technologiesmultiplication of systems of communication at all levels of organization because of specialized knowledge that has lead to departmentalizationadvancements in the domain of a function of social sciences such as in psychology and in sociology that pass created an awareness about the human mind and behaviour and how they influence communication colloquy undertaken by a business organization with the purpose of ac hieving received specific goals is known as business communication. In fact, business communication is a special type of communication undertaken to meet the needs of the organization. muscular concepts in modern management like participation, motivation, involvement revolve just about communication.According to R. Ludlow, Business communication is a process of alter of data and accord between different parts and stack of a business organization. It consists of various modes and media come to in communication interchanges.Effective communication is demand for growth and development of any organization. H.G. Hicks has in effect(p)ly pointed out- Communication is basic to an organizations existence from birth of the organization when communication stops, organized activity ceases to exist. Improving communication skills improves the chances for success of a business. Effective communication brings progress and prosperity to it.More all over, in this age of specialization, p lanning, production, sales, advertising, finance, welfare, etc. are handled by different departments. In absence seizure of utile communication, there would be a serious problem of co-ordination among these departments and there would only be chaos and confusion in the organization.Communication is likewise quite significant keeping in mind the growing importance of human relations and human resource management in todays world. Communication helps a manager in developing meaningful relationships with the subordinates, changing their locatings, boosting their esprit de corps and soliciting their cooperation.Communication links mountain together to strive common goals. It is in like manner required to maintain good public relations. Thus, executives are often judge to give speeches and interviews to the media in order to project a favourable photo of the organization.Effective communication is required to handle various crises and conflicts of interests in an organization. I t is also needed in order to impart adequate training to the employees in handling latest technology. Subordinates often resent the introduction of changes in the methods of working. This poses a challenge to the management to educate the employees so that they can smoothly lodge to the dynamic character of the organization. They also have to work at alleviating the business concern that these changes are likely to generate unemployment.Thus, effective communication can help in changing the negative attitude of the employees towards technological advancement. It facilitates meetings which play an classical role in the functioning of an organization. Effective business communication dep breaks not only on the skills of the diffuseer of the put across but also on the skills of the peerless who receives that center.Thus, one may say that communication is not an end in itself rather, it is a means to achieve an end.(For more details, refer 1.6 Objectives of Communication)1.3 PRE- REQUISITES OF COMMUNICATIONNow the question is- What is communication and how it can be litigateed? What do we require to carry out communication? Hence, prior to looking at the meaning of communication, it would be helpful to know how we prepare for it.For instance, you want to pull through a letter. What all do you need for it? A piece of paper. A pen. A desk for support. Is there anything else that you require besides these things? Certainly you do. You need to remain on three eventful things-1. project 2. Content 3. SkillsThese three forfeit all speaking or piece of music.WHAT TO COMMUNICATE- CONTENT trainingObservation/ make up ones mind by Select/Reject Think and UnderstandingAttention take heeding or as per your evaluate results intoby supposeing interest, need the instruction knowledgeor expectationThis is how culture is processed in to being knowledge. Knowledge generates in you the confidence to communicate. If you are well prepared with the guinea pig, thu s half the work is through.It is the urge to express something that begins communication. It can be an humor, an emotion, an assurance or some study. Without this basic root word/need, there can be no communication.However, we do not communicate whatever comes to our mind immediately. thither is a need to plan- what to communicate, how to communicate and whom to communicate it to. We do not communicate without a purpose therefore, it is essential to answer these questions before actually communicating. This helps us to communicate effectively and to get a desirable response from the person with whom we are exchanging our ideas.WHY TO COMMUNICATE- PURPOSESpeakers/ will hear/seePurpose of Writers Listener/Communication Expectation Reader will listen/readwill catchwill act/respondTHE PURPOSE IS carry throughPurpose is the primary pre-requisite of all meaningful communication. The vector initiates communication with some purpose i.e. expectation. S/he expects the receiver to hear/ see his message, to listen/read it attentively, to comprehend it and to act/respond to it. When the receiver gives feedback or performs the expect action, then communication is said to be successful. However, the response would depend on various factors like concentration, physical surroundings and psychological makeup of the receiver.The abutting question is- how do we communicate? Communication does not just mean speaking or writing. We are communicating even when we smile or shrug our shoulders. However, when we decide to communicate, we need some culture medium through which to transfer that idea to the other person.HOW TO COMMUNICATE- SKILLSYou may possess good knowledge and may be ready to convey it but if you do not know how to do it, it would not be effective. Poor speaking or writing skills is a real hurdle in communication.Speaking SkillsRead forte Take a small piece of writing from a newspaper, powder store or a book and read it out loud. This will help you to know h ow you speak- your voice tone, pitch, etc.Observe Observe how people speak- their pronunciation, accent, intonation, stress, style, rhythm, etc. Try to emulate the speaking style of good speakers. This will help you to improve your own style of speaking.(For a minute note on speaking skills, writing skills and non-verbal communication, refer Ch given(predicate)er 2 Types of Communication.)Just the idea/ awardive information that the communicator has, the media of transmission available and the presence of the receiver are not luxuriant for communication to take place. We need a proper background and an atmosphere where there are no hindrances in the communication process.Does communication end after the idea is communicated? As stated earlier, we communicate with a purpose. materialization of the idea/information is half the work done. only if communication is considered bed only when there is some response from the receiver. Only then we can say that the purpose of communic ation is fulfilled.Communication involves three basic activities on the part of both the participants i.e. the vector and the receiver.On the senders part, they are-Thinking to develop the content to form a messageSpeaking/Writing to convey the message to the other personFeeling to make the message persuasiveOn the receivers part, the activities include-Listening/Reading to absorb the idea/information contained in the messageInterpreting to catch the meaning of the messageResponding to convey the acceptance or the disagreement with the messageCommunication has al delegacys been an important part of human life. Language and the ability to express ourselves using that language come to us spontaneously. And the need to communicate is so inherent in human nature that we hardly realize that effective communication skills can be undertaked and honed.There are iv basic communication skills- speaking, writing, listening and reading. They endlessly work in the bring home the baconing a djacency pairs-Speaking/writing is handled by the sender of the message and listening/reading by the receiver of the message. Mastering these four skills is very essential if one wants to become an effective communicator.As children, we learn to speak by listening first. Thus, listening is the first skill that we acquire as we develop the language instinct. Then follows the reading skills once we take leave schooling and lastly we learn the writing skills as a part of our formal education.Thus, learning language/s and the related communication skills follow a taxonomical process. It does not happen accidentally and instantaneously.Despite of this, people often turn out to be poor communicators as more or less of us tend to take its importance for granted. Most of the time, we fail to achieve our objective while we communicate. This happens because of our failure to convey our ideas in a on the button and crownly understandable manner. There may be a wish either in the content of the message or in the way in which it is conveyed to the think audience, or both.The point is we do not ordinarily focus much on what to communicate, when to communicate and how to communicate. Also, we need to consider other equally important spirit why to communicate i.e. the purpose.Thus, it is very important for us to recognize and study the essential elements involved in the process of communication in order to become effective communicators.Every aspect of life, whether personal, social or professional, involves communication. The basic meaning of the word communication is- an stand in of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behaviour. The meaning of the word has not undergone much change. However, the ways and means of communication have changed greatly as a result of technological and other socio-ethnical developments in recent times.Thus, these advancements have added numerous new dimensions to the communication process, which has b ecome more complex over a period of time. It, thus, calls for a detailed study of the various components that are involved in it in order to be able to communicate effectively.1.4 DEFINING COMMUNICATIONIn order to understand the term communication, it would be useful to have a look at some definitions stipulation by the experts.The word communication is derived from the Latin word communis which means to transmit, to impart, to rallying, to share, or to convey.Communication means the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. (Oxford English Dictionary)Communication is a nonpartisan process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange (encode-decode) information but also create and share meaning. (Business Dictionary)According to Newman and Summer, Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.Keith Davis states Communication is a process of passing information a nd understanding from one person to other.F.G. Meyer defines communication as the communion by words, letters or messages, the intercourse of thoughts or opinions. It is the act of making ones ideas and opinions known to others.In the words of Theo Haimann, Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another it is the process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood by others.According to C.G. Brown, Communication has been delimit as the transfer of information from one person to another, whether or not it elicits confidence or becomes an exchange or interchange. But the information transferred must(prenominal)(prenominal) be understandable to the receiver.William Scott defines communication as a process which involves the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of eliciting actions which will accomplish organisational goals.Louis A. Allen says, Communication is the sum of all the t hings which a 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.According to McFarland, Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically, it is a process by which meanings are perceived and understanding is reached among human beings.These definitions let off communication asa process of passing information and understanding (Keith Davis)a two-way process of reaching mutual understanding (Business Dictionary)the act of making ones ideas and opinions known to others (F.G. Meyer)the process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood by others (Theo Haimann)the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of eliciting actions (William Scott)a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening, and understanding (Louis A. Allen)a process by which meanings are p erceived and understanding is reached among human beings (McFarland)Thus, these definitions adequately highlight and express in concise form the important features of the process of communication. In short, we can define communication as a process in which two or more elements of a system interact in order to achieve a desired outcome or goal. (Larry L. Barker and Deborah A. Gaut, Communication 2001)1.5 FEATURES OF COMMUNICATIONOn the basis of the above plowion, let us now converse certain important features of the process of communication.1. It is an exchange of ideas.Communication is the process through which an exchange of information takes place. It is the sharing of information, ideas, concepts and messages.2. Two parties are involved in it.In communication, the exchange of information takes place between two or more persons. This implies that there are minimum two people involved in the communication process at any given time.The one who initiates the exchange is the sender of the message (speaker/writer) and the one who receives and interprets it is the receiver of the message (listener/reader).3. It is a two-way process.Communication is a two-way process of exchanging ideas or information. One person alone cannot carry out communication. When you communicate, there has to be a receiver or an audience that would reciprocate. Then only your communication can be consummate.Thus, communication is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and non-verbal messages. It is considered effective only when it achieves the desired fightion or response from the receiver. The response may be positive or negative. In case of absence of any response, communication is incomplete.Thus, communication is effective only when a concise and clear message is delivered well, received successfully, understood fully, and responded to promptly.1.6 OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNICATIONThere is no human action that is done without any purpose. Even the simplest and most natural actio n like breathing has a purpose- to stay alive. Communication is also always carried out with some purpose. (Refer 1.3 Pre-requisites of Communication)Communication begins with two-fold objectives or purposes that occupy the senders mind conterminous or Primary to convey or to shareObjectives informationofCommunicationUltimate or Secondary to convince or topersuade peopleTo inform and to persuade are the two basic purposes (goals) that are ever present in the mind of a communicator. Sometimes, he seeks only to inform, as in scientific writings sometimes, his goal is to persuade the reader, as in journalistic writings and oftentimes, he wants both to inform and to persuade the reader, as in sales letters, advertisements, etc.Communication is vital to business. The communication activities of an organization fall into three broad categories1. Intra-organisationalCommunication FORMALBusiness 2. Inter-organisationalCommunication Communication3. Personal INFORMALCommunication1. Intra-Orga nisational CommunicationIt is communication inside an organization. It is done to implement business plans. It takes many forms like orders, instructions, reports, emails, etc.2. Inter-Organisational CommunicationIt is communication that a business organization does with people outside the organization i.e. with other companies, customers, clients, general public, etc. It takes the form of planned publicity to improve its image and public relations with the help of business messages, advertising, displays, etc.The success of a business depends on its ability to fulfill the customers needs. Besides providing services, it must communicate effectively with outside people and groups for its success.3. Personal CommunicationIt is communication without a specific business objective i.e. without an ulterior motive or purpose. Man is a social animal, therefore we have a impelled need to communicate even when we have nothing substantial to convey. such communication also occurs in the work place. For example, personal conversations, gossip, Grapevine phenomenon, etc. If one is not allowed to engage in such casual communication, it may lead to frustration and other such psychological problems.(For a more detailed discussion on corporate communication, refer Chapter 7 Formal and unaffixed Networks of Communication.)The primary objective of communication is to convey or share information. Business organizations have to deal with a large and varied amount of information on a daily basis in order to make do various business activities. Thus, proper flow of information helps them to make right decisions.Another equally important objective of communication is to persuade people to accept a point of view or to change their attitude and accept a new or modified attitude. Persuasion is achieved through logical arguments or an stirred appeal to accept the change. Advertisements are an apt example of the persuasive nature of communication. Essentially, all communication is a debate and intentional act of persuasion. A communicator wants the reader not only to understand the message but also to be influenced as intended by him. (For a detailed discussion, refer 10.6 Persuasive Communication, Chapter 10 Nature of placement and its Influence on Communication)Communication helps to convey information from experts to trainees in an organization for the purpose of educating or training them to handle new technology or to adapt to the changes in the work environment.Communication is an effective tool in the hands of the managers to motivate and to boost the morale of the employees. This enables the organization to achieve higher(prenominal) productivity. Through advice and counseling, the management can help the employees in dealing with their emotional problems as well as problems pertaining to maladjustment and also to give career guidance. By means of letters of appreciation, special mention in reports, minutes of meetings, etc., the management can appreci ate the work of the employees. In case of strikes, lockouts, and dismissal of individual employees or disciplinary action against them, the management uses communication channels to unloosen warnings.Communication also helps in co-ordination of intra-organisational activities, inter-organisational transactions, business transactions, and commercial transactions by means of conferences, meetings, advertisements, requests, suggestions, reviews, and discussions. Without communication, coordinating the activities of different persons engaged in running a business is a remote possibility.The management and the subordinates come closer through communication. Communication promotes cooperation and good industrial relations as it conveys feelings, ideas, opinions, and viewpoints of one troupe to the other party.The policies and programs formulated by the organization to guide the workforce have to be conveyed to those who are responsible for the execution of work to achieve the organizati onal objectives. Only effective communication can translate the plans into actions. It aids teamwork by enabling people to work together. It helps perform basic management functions like instructing, coordinating, staffing, planning, etc.Thus, these are the few important objectives of communication in the context of business organizations.So far, we have discussed what comprises communication and the significance of communication in our personal, social as well professional life. We have also highlighted some of the fundamentals of communication. Let us now analyse the process of communication and see how it is accomplished.1.7 PROCESS OF COMMUNICATIONProcess is a serial of things done to achieve something. Communication also follows a process.Communication begins when the sender/encoder identifies the need to communicate some idea/concept/information. He then encodes/formulates it into a message using a medium which can be understood by the receiver/decoder of the message who in t urn processes it in his mind and responds to it. When the decoder understands the message completely, fidelity of communication is said to be 100% and the communication process is said to be complete. (Refer David Berlos Model of Communication) Thus, communication is a two-way process.Fidelity of CommunicationIdea Idea apprehension Encoder strong point Decoder ConceptMessage MessageInformation InformationFidelity of CommunicationDavid Berlos Model of CommunicationIf necessary, the receiver may send a reply or may respond or react to the message. This response or reaction is also known as feedback. But sometimes, there may be no response at all from the receiver even if it is required.Absence of feedback can be attributed to either of the chase reasons- a) the message does not reach the receiver or b) the receiver fails to understand the message. Such situations may arise due to the presence of some factor/s that can- a) obstruct the message from being transmitted or b) color the meaning of the message.The factors that hamper the flow of communication are known as barriers to communication. (Refer Chapter 4 Resolving Barriers to Communication)Communication occurs in five phases and it consists of the following eighter from Decatur components which are inter-relatedIdeaSender/Encoder (Speaker/Writer)EncodingMessageChannel and MediumReceiver/Decoder (Reader/Listener)DecodingFeedbackLet us now discuss in detail the various stages and elements involved in the communication process. variety I- IDEATING1) IdeaEvery message whether oral or written has its line of credit in an idea that germinates in the mind of the sender of the message.Every idea refers to some context. Context is a common frame of reference within which the sender and the receiver communicate with each other.Thus, the idea or information that the sender wants to convey to the receiver is the source of the message in the communication process.2) Sender/EncoderThe person who initiates the communi cation process is referred to as the encoder. The process of communication begins with the sender who identifies the need to communicate. He may want to inform or to persuade or to influence or to make the receiver take a particular course of action.The sender must have a clear picture in his mind about what he wants to communicate and should accordingly select symbols, words, images, etc. that would best convey his ideas to the receiver.He must identify his audience and formulate the message in such a way that the receiver understands fully what he intends to convey and interprets it within the same context. kind II- ENCODING3) EncodingEncoding takes place when the sender formulates his idea into a message to be transmitted to the receiver, using a series of symbols- verbal and/or non-verbal, written or oral.The sender should encode his message keeping in mind the purpose of communication and he should select words or symbols so as to make the receiver understand the communication correctly and to achieve the expected feedback.The sender as well as the receiver should attach the same meaning to the symbols or words, other communication would fail. Thus, proper encoding is essential for successful communication.4) MessageThat which is encoded, i.e. the idea/concept/information, is the message. Message is an idea transformed into words.It can be verbalized in different ways depending on the subject-matter, purpose, audience, personal style and cultural background of the sender.It can be transmitted effectively only when it is well-formulated, clear, and complete in itself.PHASE III- TRANSMITTING5) Channel and MediumAn appropriate medium chosen to send the message is known as channel. It is the vehicle which facilitates the sender to convey the message to the receiver.Channel is the system used to transmit a message, whereas medium is one of the forms or types used under that system.For example, oral communication is a channel and telephone conversation (a for m of oral communication) is a medium.There are three broad channels of communication and there are several media under each-Channel Medium1. Oral face to face conversation, telephone conversation,audio-tapes, voice mail, etc.2. Written letters, memos, reports, manuals, notices, circulars,questionnaires, minutes, email, fax, etc.3. Audio-visual cinema, television, characterization-tapes, video conferences,video chat, etc.Thus, there is a difference between medium and channel. The sender should decide the best possible channel and medium to transmit the message.The natural selection of an appropriate channel/medium would be influenced by the following factors- a) the nature of the message, b) the urgency of the message, c) the number of receivers, d) the cost factor, and e) the relationship between the sender and the receiver.PHASE IV- RECEIVING6) Receiver/DecoderThe person who receives the encoded message is referred to as the decoder. He is the intended audience of the message.Th e receiver may be an individual or a group of individuals. As communication is a two-w