Communication- definition and components (1)_٠٢٥٤٢٠

Role and Importance of Communication

Business Communication

  • Business communication involves formal interactions necessary for business activities.

  • Various forms of communication are ranked according to their formality (e.g., group discussions vs. company meetings).

  • Casual conversations among friends and family, storytelling, and poetry recitations do not fall under business communication.

  • All professionals, including doctors, engineers, accountants, and educators, need to engage in some form of business communication.

Attributes of Communication

  1. Unintentional and Intentional

    • Communication can be intentional (deliberate) or unintentional (accidental).

    • Non-verbal cues often convey unintentional messages.

    • We communicate even in silence or absence of words, indicating feelings or states of mind.

  2. Dynamic Process

    • Communication is ongoing and constantly changing.

    • The same message will differ in context depending on personal growth and previous experiences.

    • This aspect underscores the fluid nature of understanding and conveying ideas.

  3. Systemic

    • Each element of the communication system interacts with others (e.g., sender, message, receiver, environment).

    • Disruptions in any component can hinder effective communication.

  4. Interaction and Transaction

    • Both sender and receiver engage in exchanging thoughts and meanings.

    • The process establishes a shared understanding.

Definitions of Communication

  • Keith Davis: A process of passing information and understanding.

  • American Management Association: Any behavior resulting in an exchange of meaning.

  • D. E. McFarland: A meaningful interaction process among individuals leading to shared understanding.

  • Peter Little: Information transmission using agreed-upon symbols, focusing on conveying meaning and ensuring mutual understanding.

Process of Communication

Key Elements

  1. Source/Sender: Initiates the communication.

  2. Audience/Receiver: Intended recipient of the message.

  3. Goal/Purpose: The sender's objective behind the communication.

  4. Message/Content: The actual information conveyed.

  5. Medium/Channel: The method used to communicate the message (e.g., email, face-to-face, written).

  6. Feedback: The receiver's response to the message as perceived by the sender.

  7. Environment/Context: The background conditions surrounding the communication.

Sender Functions

  • Clearly define communication goals.

  • Understand the audience's needs and perceptions.

  • Encode the message using appropriate symbols.

  • Select the effective medium for the message.

  • Seek feedback to gauge the recipient's understanding and response.

Receiver Functions

  • Receive and perceive the message through various senses.

  • Decode and interpret the meaning of the symbols used.

  • Understand the message based on prior knowledge and context.

  • Provide a response through feedback, completing one cycle of communication.

Importance of Shared Experience

  • A shared background contributes significantly to successful communication.

  • Each participant's previous experiences and attitudes shape interpretation and meaning.

Environment Factors in Communication

  • Physical Environment: Comfort and context of the location impact effectiveness.

  • Circumstances: Position, state of mind, and relational dynamics influence interactions.

  • Political/Cultural Context: Affects perceptions and receptivity to messages.

  • Time Considerations: Timing and the duration of communication events can greatly affect outcomes.

  • Context: The circumstances surrounding a communication that inform its significance.

Communication Process Overview

  • One-Way Process: Sender encodes the message, selects a medium, and transmits it to the receiver who decodes it. Feedback helps determine the message’s effectiveness.

  • Two-Way Process: Communication becomes complete when feedback is received, indicating understanding and facilitating further exchanges.

Exercises

  1. Identify factors involved in communication.

  2. Define encoding, decoding, channel, medium, sender, receiver, context, and feedback.

  3. List the four attributes of communication.

  4. Describe the functions of the source and receiver.

  5. Provide examples of unintentional communication.

  6. Formulate a definition of communication.

  7. Discuss the influence of the environment on communication.

  8. Illustrate the communication process with a diagram.

  9. Explain what is meant by "Communication as a two-way process."