Communication : Theory and It's Process Notes.

Theory of Communication.

Introduction.

Communication is a feature which makes human beings different from other animals as we use language to communicate which other animals do not. To understand human culture as  well as civilization, it is essential therefore to study human communication. Moreover, it is  also true that success people in this world are always better communicators and therefore it is  essential that we learn to be effective communicators so as to achieve our goals in life.

Communication.

The word “communication” is used to mean any activity in which information, emotions and feelings are conveyed from one to another. The word “communication” is derived from the  Latin word “communicare” which means ‘to share’, that is, to share information, ideas,  

emotions, knowledge amongst people - to share meaning. It is also thought that the Latin word “communis” which means ‘commonness’ is another root word for communication.  Communication is the commonest thing that each of us share with fellow human beings. So  from that perspective both words “communicare” and “communis” are significant in providing meaning to the idea of communication.

 Defining Communication.

The word “Communication” has many definitions. In 1970, communication theorist Frank Dance counted more than a hundred distinct definitions of communication proposed by  experts in the field. In the years since that survey, even more definitions have surfaced.

According to Kelly, “Communication is a field of knowledge dealing with the systematic application of symbols to acquire common information regarding an object or event”.

According to A. Kumar, “Communication is the process of making a message

understood by satisfying the need sets and ego sets of a receiver.”

 According to Katz and Kahn, “Communication the exchange of information and the transmission of meaning - is the very essence of a social system or an organisation.”

 In the view of Sanborn, “Communication is the process of sending and receiving

messages.”

 According to Fauconnier, “Communication is nevertheless an attempt at making

common the basic condition for the origin, the existence, and the development of every social relationship.”

Functions of Communication.

1. In the individual context:

 It provides knowledge

 It gives way to commercial success.

 It enforces and adjusts behavioral 

patterns.

 It helps in socialization and building relationships. 

 It creates legends.

2. In the social context:

 It educates people and makes them capable on various fronts.

 It persuades the targeted subjects to buy products and/or services.

 It generates enthusiasm in the minds of the targeted subjects to develop ormodify 

views on particular issues

 It dissuades them form eschewing some habits, products or services that are harmful to them or to the society in general.

3. In the organisational context:

 It serves as an essential tool

 It assists in decision making

 It keeps the employees enlightened.

 It informs the employees informed about their obligations.

 It builds good employer-employee relations.

 It facilitates the basic management process.

Effective Communication.

 We must know what the objective of our communication is. Without an aim, we can be good at saying things in an informal setting (like talking to our friends or relatives), but  for formal communication, such as in an office meeting or in a seminar or while talking to  the boss in office, we cannot merely blabber for no reason at all, we need to have a  

concrete aim or objective in mind.

 When the objective is set, then the next step is to present our thoughts, emotions, feelings, etc. with clarity and integrity. If we are not able to present our thoughts clearly, then how  can we expect the listener/s to understand and respond?

  

 The medium chosen for communication should be one both the parties are conversant with. For example, we must make sure that we communicate in a language in which the  listener/s is/are comfortable. Moreover, we should also choose the medium depending on  

whether it is written or oral communication.

Process of Communication

Communication is a process in which at least two individuals are involved – Sender or the encoder of the message and the receiver or the decoder. The sender has an idea/ need /  motivation / desire to communicate to the listener/s and s/he encodes the message in language  (it can even be a gesture or paralanguage) and sends the message using a particular medium / channel (such as oral or written or electronic) to the receiver/s. The receiver tries to decode  so that s/he comprehends what the encoder means/ intends. If the encoder and the decoder  share the same basis of encoding and decoding the sounds and symbols, then the communication succeeds.

 But if the semantic base of the sender and the receiver is different,  then it leads to miscommunication. Miscommunication or hampered communication can also  happen if appropriate channel or media is not used or if the communication environment is noisy (we will deal with Noise at greater length while discussing Communication  Barriers).This is only one aspect of communication. Communication is complete only when  the decoder sends feedback to the encoder which tells the sender whether her/his message  has been grasped or not.

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