Definition and process of communication

Communication

Meaning.

                The word communication has been derived from the Latin word 'Communis' which means 'common'. Thus, communication means sharing of ideas in common. "When we communication," says Wibur Schramn, "We are trying to establish a 'commonness' with someone. That is we are trying to share information, an idea or an attitude. The essence of communication is getting the receiver and the sender 'turned' together for a particular massage."

Definition:

                   Louis A, Allen defines communication as, "communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another. It is a bridge of meaning. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding."

Koontz and O'Donnell are of the opinion "communication is a way that one organization member shares meaning and understanding with another."

Characteristics: Nature of Communication:

1.    It involves at Least Two Persons: Communication involves at least two persons, a sender and a receiver. The sender is called communicator and the receiver of the message is known as communicatee. A person who speaks, writes or issues some instruction is the sender and the person for whom the communication is meant or who receives the message is the receiver or communicatee.

2.    Message is a Must: A message is the subject matter of communication. e.g., the contents of the letter or Speech, Order, Instructions or The suggestions. A communication must covey some message. If there is no message there is no communication.

3.    Communication May be Written Oral or Gestural: Communication is generally understood as spoken or written words. But in reality, it is more than that. It includes everything that may be used to convey meanings from one person to another, e.g., movement of lips, or the wink of an eye or the wave of hands may convey more meaning than even written or spoken word.

4.    Communication is Two Way Process: It involves both information and understanding. Communication is not complete unless the receiver has understood the message properly and his reaction or response is known to the sender. Understanding is the end of communication but it does not imply agreement.

5.    Its Primary Purpose is to Motivate a Response: The primary purpose of communication is to motivate response or influence human behaviour. There is no doubt that motivation comes from within but communicator can also motivate people by good drafting of message, proper timing of communication etc. to create understanding, communication should be relevant to the situation. It must always be remembered that communication is a means of motivating and not an end itself.

6.    Communication May be Formal or Informal: Formal communication follows the formal channels provided in the organization structure. For example, the managing director communicates with the departmental heads, say finance manager, finance manager communicates to deputy finance manager, the deputy finance manager with accounts officer and so on.

Informal communication flows from informal channels of communication which are not provided in the organization structure.

7.    It Flows Up and Down and Side to Side: Communication flows downward from a superior to subordinate and upward from subordinate to a superior. It also flows between two or more persons operating at the same level of authority.

8.    It is an Integral Part or the Processor Exchange: It refers to the exchange of ideas, feeling, emotions and knowledge and information between two or more persons.

Elements of Communication:

The basic elements of communication are:

1)    Communication- The sender, speaker, issuer or writer- who intends to convey or transmit a message.

2)    Communicatee- The receiver for whom the communication is meant. He receives the information, order or message.

3)    Message- The subject matter of communication i.e., the content of the letter, speech, order, information, order or message.

4)    Communication Channel - The media by which the information and understanding are passing from the sender to the receiver. It serves as a link between the communicator and the communicatee, i.e., the levels of organization or relationships that exist between different individuals or departments of an organization.

Response or Feedback - The effect, reply or reaction, of the information transmitted, on the communicatee i.e., successful no communication or miscommunication.

The Process of Communication

1)    The communicator first of all, formulates a clear idea about facts, opinions or information he wants to convey.

2)    The idea then translated by him into words (spoken or written), symbols or some other form of message which he expects the receiver to understand. This process is known as encoding of the message.

3)    The communicator selects a suitable media for transmission of the message e.g., telephone telegraph or television. The message is conveyed with the help of the media selected.

4)    The message is then received by the communicatee. He tries to understand it by decoding the message.

5)    The communicate acts upon the message as he has understood it.

6)    Finally, the effectiveness of communication is measured through feedback. If the communication brings ill the desired changes in the actions or behaviour of the receiver, it is said to be successful communication. In case, there is no change in the actions or behaviour, there is no communication, and if it leads to undesirable changes it is a case of miscommunication.