Communication

Communication is the process by which information is transmitted between individuals and

organizations so that an understanding response results.

Objectives of Communication

1) Information: One of the most important objectives of communication is passing or

receiving information about a particular fact or circumstance.

2) Advice: Advice is an important objective of communication as it involves personal

opinions and is likely to be subjective. Advice is given to influence his/her opinion or
behavior.

3) Order: Order is an authoritative communication. The downward flow of information is

dominated by orders. Orders may be written or oral, general or specific, procedural or
operational, mandatory or discretionary.

4) Suggestion: Suggestion enjoys great advantage over other means of communication like
advice or order. Suggestion is supposed to be very mild and subtle form of communication.

5) Persuasion: It is an important objective of communication. In the office or the factory, the

lazy, the incompetent and the disgruntled workers have o be persuaded to do their work.

6) Education: Education is a very conscious process of communication. The main purpose of

education is to widen knowledge as well as to improve skills.

7) Warning: Warning is a forceful means of communication as it demands immediate action.

If employees do not abide by the norms of the organization, or violate the rules and
regulations, it may become necessary to warn them. 8) Raising Morale: Morale boosting is
only possible through communication. High morale results in better performance. 9)
Motivation: Motivation energizes and activates a person and channelizes his behavior
towards the attainment of desired goals. Thus, motivation as a form of communication is very
crucial in handling human behavior.

Types of Communication

1. According to Area of Operation:

(i) Internal Communication:
‘Internal Communication’ is a process of com munication made within the organisation
between the superiors and subordinates or between peer persons or between two or more
groups. It may be formal or informal, oral or written. It may flow upward, downward or
horizontal as per requirement.

The oral means of internal communication are face-to-face discussion, verbal

instruction, message, telephone, intercom, meeting, conference or seminar, speech, etc.
The written methods include notice, circular, memo, report, chart or graph, bulletin, email,
fax, etc.
(ii) External Communication:
A business organisation needs to communicate with the external agencies like customers,
suppliers, investors, other business houses, banks, insurance companies, government offices,
etc. Such communication may be called ‘External Communication’ as its area of operation is
with the people outside the organisation. International business organisations need to
communicate with foreign individuals, government agencies/organisations, etc. Oral external
communication is made through face-to-face discussion, meeting, conference, seminar,
telephone, speech, etc. The written process includes notice, letter, telegram, report, e-mail,
advertisement, fax, press release, etc.

2. According to Relationship:
(i) Formal Communication:

‘Formal Communication’ is the transmission of information or direction in formal

organisation structure. Formal communication maintains superior-subordinate
relationship. When a manager directs his deputy manager to carry out some task, it is an
instance of formal communication. Formal communication directs the employees in a definite
manner to know what the managers intend them to do and is generally codified and expressed
in writing in manuals, handbooks, bulletins, annual reports, etc. So, it is rigid and thus lacks
the quality of flexibility.

(ii) Informal Communication:

‘Informal Communication’ is the communication between the members of a group or more
than one group—not on the basis of formal relationships in the organisational structure but on
the basis of informal relations and understanding among the people at the same or different
levels. It is referred to as the ‘grapevine’ which indicates informal means of circulating
information or gossip. It does not follow any structural route or process. It moves towards
any direction. It is direct, spontaneous, flexible, unplanned, and fast-flowing.

3. According to Direction:
(i) Vertical Communication:
Upward and downward flows of communication constitute ‘Vertical Communication’. In
such type of communication message or information is transmitted from the higher authority
to the subordinates, and vice versa.

(a) Downward Communication: Downward communication flows from a superior to the

subordinate staff.

Its objectives are:—

 To give directions about some job.

 To explain policies and procedures.
 To convey assessment of performance.
 To explain the rationale of the job.

Its limitations are:—

  Under communication or over communication.
 Delay.
 Loss of information.
 Distortion.
 Resentment by subordinate staff.

To make it effective:—

 Managers should be adequately informed.

 Managers should be clear how much to communicate.
 Information should be passed on to the correct person.

(b) Upward Communication: Upward communication moves from the subordinate staff to
the superiors. Its importance is:—

 Provides feedback to the superiors.

 Releases the pent up emotions of the subordinate staff.
 Provides the superiors with useful suggestions.
 Promote harmony.

Its limitations are:—

 Employees are reluctant to express themselves.

 Employees fear that their criticism may be interpreted as a sign of their personal
weakness.
 Great possibility of distortion.
 Bypassed superiors feel insulted.
 Resentment by subordinate staff.

To make it effective:—

 Superiors should take initiative to get close to the subordinate staff.

 Keep the lie of communication short.

(ii) Horizontal Communication:—

 It flows between people at the same level.

 It is important for promoting understanding and coordination among various people or
departments.
 It is carried on through face to face discussion, telephonic talk, periodical meetings &
memos.

(iii) Diagonal Communication:

Communication among the executives or employees of different departments is called
Diagonal Communication.’ No definite direction is followed—upward, downward and
horizontal communication takes place in it. Both oral and written means of communication
are used. It is mainly informal. A good relation between the subordinates and superiors is
built up. It is very useful in solving the problems and avoiding conflict, but the chances of
spreading rumors are high.

4. According to Means:
(i) Verbal Communication:
‘Verbal or Oral Communication’ implies the transmission of orders, messages or
suggestions through spoken words. It may be face-to-face or through a speaking
instrument like telephone.

(ii) Written Communication:

A ‘Written Communication’ means the sending of message, order or instruction in writing
through a letter, circular, manual, report, telegram, office memo, bulletin, etc. It is a formal
method of communication and is suitable for long distance communication and repetitive
standing orders. It creates the records of evidence and future reference, and can be sent to
many persons at a time.

(iii) Gestural Communication:

Communication can be made through movement of body, facial expression, smile,
modulation of voice, sign, handshake, rubbing of hands, eye- to-eye contact, style of walking,
etc. As communication is made through bodily gestures it is called ‘Gestural
Communication.’

Informal Communication:—

Grapevine:—

 It is an informal channel of communication.

 Primarily a channel of communication of horizontal communication, it can flow even
vertically and diagonally.

It is of 4 types:—

 Single strand: Flows like a chain.

 Gossip: One person tells everyone else.
 Probability: Information may move from anybody to anybody.
 Cluster: Moves through selected group.

Importance:—

 Emotional
 relief.
 Harmony and cohesiveness in the organization.
 Fast channel.
 Provides feedback.

Demerits:—

 Distortion of information.
  May transmit incomplete information.
 Travels with destructive swiftness.
 Keep an eye on rumor-managers.
 Use it primarily for feedback.
 Contradict rumors promptly.

Various media of communication

Written Communication: It includes letters, circulars, memos, telegrams, reports, minutes,

forms and questionnaires, manuals etc. Therefore, everything in written form falls in the area
of written communication.

Merits:—

 Accurate
 Precise
 Permanent Record
 Legal Document
 Can reach a large number of people simultaneously.
 Helps to fix responsibility.

Limitations:—

 Time Consuming Expensive not in terms of postage but of the time of so many
people.
 Quick clarification is not possible.

Oral Communication: Includes face to face conversation, conversation over the telephone,
interview, and group discussion.

Merits:—

 Saves time
 Saves money
 Immediate feedback
 Can be informal
 Immediate clarification

Limitations:—

 Not possible for distant people in the absence of mechanical devices.

 Unsuitable for lengthy messages.
 Message cannot be retained for long
 No legal validity
 Greater chances of misunderstanding
Face to Face Communication:—

Merits:—

 Expression and gestures makes communication very effective.

 Very suitable for discussions.

Limitations

 Unsuitable for large organizations.

 Unsuitable for large gatherings.
 Ineffective if the listener is not attentive.

Visual Communication: It encompasses gestures and facial expressions, tables, charts,

graphs, diagrams, posters, slides, film strips etc. It is suitable only to communicate
elementary and simple ideas, can be effective if used in combination with other media.

Audio-Visual Communication: It encompasses television and cinema films that combine

the visual impact with narration. Computer based Communication: It includes e-mails, voice
mails, cellular phones, fax etc.

Advantage:—

 The quickest means of communication.

 The barrier of space is conquered.
 Video-conferencing can replace personal meetings.
 Storage and retrieval of permanent record had become easier.

Limitations:—

 Uncertain legal validity

 The virus malady.
 Fear of undesirable leakage.

Barriers to communication

Each communication must be transmitted through an appropriate medium. An unsuitable

medium is one of the biggest barriers to communication.

Physical Barriers:—

 Noise: Noise in a factory, external disturbance in telecom facilities, poor writing, bad
photocopies etc.
 Time and Distance: It can also act as a barrier to communication.

Semantic Barriers:—
  Interpretation of Words: It is quite possible that the receiver of a message does not
assign the same meaning to a word as the transmitter had intended. This may lead to
miscommunication.
 Words carry different meanings, shades or flavors to the transmitter and receiver.
 To minimize semantic barriers, we should—
 Use familiar words.
 Clarify the shades.
 As far as possible, use words with positive connotations.

Barriers caused by different comprehensions of reality are:—

 Abstracting means picking up few details and leaving out others.

 Slanting means giving a particular bias or slant to the reality.
 Inferring means drawing inferences from observation.

Socio-Psychological barriers:—

 Attitude and Opinions: We react favorable or are hostile according to our personal
benefit.
 Emotions: We cannot transmit nor receive anything correctly if our mind is agitated.
 Closed Mind: We hold our opinion so rigidly that we just refuse to listen.
 The Source of Communication: We react according to the trust we have in the
source of communication.
 Inattentiveness: We unconsciously become inattentive if communication contains
new idea or if we don‘t like an idea.
 Faulty transmission: Part of the message is last in transmission and can also act as a
barrier.
 Poor Retention: Oral messages in particular are lost due to poor human retention.
 Status Consciousness: We are over-conscious of our lower or higher rank and do not
express ourselves candidly.