Download Communication Studies One

Understanding Communication

“An idea, no matter how great, is
useless until it is transmitted and
understood by others.”



“Communication is the transference and
understanding of meaning.” (Robbins, 310)
“Communication is the process by which information
is exchanged and understood by two or more people,
usually with the intent to motivate or influence
behaviour.” (Daft, 567)
It is a continuous process that occurs in various
contexts and uses cultural symbols. It is a process that
purposefully uses spoken, nonverbal and visual
symbols. Communication involves and affects nearly
every disciplinary field, including business.


Communication is a Process. The exchange of
messages is on-going and dynamic. Our
internal communication and our exchanges
with others are always changing and growing.
Communication is Continuous. Communication
starts at birth. Even if we do not talk then nonverbal communication occurs. Non-verbal
communication includes body movements
such as gestures, facial expressions and vocal
sounds that do not use words

We also continually communicate internally.
Intrapersonal communication involves both
intentional and unintentional message
exchange. For Example, some of our thought
processes are unintentional, such as when the
body signals thirst to the brain, but our internal
critical thinking, listening and reading are
intentional communication.

Communication acts to control member behaviour in
several ways. Organizations have authority hierarchies
and formal guidelines that employees are required to
follow. For e.g., when employees are required to first
communicate any job-related grievance to their
immediate boss, to follow their job description, or to
comply with policies, communication is performing a
control function.



Communication fosters motivation by clarifying to
employees what is to be done, how well they are
doing it, and what can be done to improve
performance if it’s subpar.
Communication provides a release for emotional
expression of feelings and for fulfilment of social
needs.
Communication facilitates decision making. It
provides the information that individuals and
groups need to make decisions by transmitting
data to identify and evaluate alternative choices.


Communication can be thought of as a process or
flow. Communication problems occur when there
are deviations or blockages in that flow.
Before communication can take place, a purpose,
expressed as a message to be conveyed, is needed.
It passes between a source (the sender) and a
receiver. The message is encoded (converted to
symbolic form) and is passed by way of some
medium (channel) to the receiver, who retranslates
(decodes) the message initiated by the sender. The
result is transference of meaning from one person
to another.
The communication model is made up of seven
parts:
 1. ideas
 2. encoding
 3. communication source and receiver
 4. the message,
 5. the channel
 6. decoding
 7. feedback

Ideas are generated at the point of perception,
when information from the outside
environment or from inside your mind
stimulates and arouses your attention. The
sender must choose certain words or nonverbal methods to send an intentional message.
The activity is called encoding. The words and
channels that a communicator chooses to
deliver a message can make a tremendous
difference in how that message is received.


Each person in the communication process is
both a message source and a receiver
throughout a given interaction. A message
source is the originator and transmitter of the
message.
The receiver is the recipient of the message, or
the destination point.

Message are ideas encoded and designed into
one or more symbols to communicate meaning.
We think about these messages internally;
formulate them into words, behaviours or
visual images and send them to other people.


The channel (sometimes called the medium) is
the method used to deliver a message. As a
business communicator, you can always choose
whether to put your message in writing as a
letter or memo.


Even if a message does not get to its intended
receiver intact, there is no guarantee that it will
be understood as the sender intended it to be.
The receiver must still decode it, attaching
meaning to the words or symbols.

The discernible response of a receiver to a
sender’s message is called feedback. Some
feedback is non-verbal- smiles, sighs and so on.
Feedback can also be written, as when you
respond to a co-workers memo. In many cases,
no message can also be a kind of feedback.