IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

KNOWLEDGE
DECISION

MANAGEMENT

MAKING

COORDINATING
FULFILS

WORK ACTIVITIES

RELATEDNESS NEEDS

THE TERM COMMUNICATION

IS FREELY USED BY EVERYONE IN MODERN SOCIETY ,

INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC , SCHOLARS AND MANAGEMENT

PRACTITIONERS .

COMMUNICATION

IS DEFINED AS THE INTERACTION , GIVING AND TAKING OF

INFORMATION , SENDING AND RECEIVING OF MESSAGES THROUGH VERBAL AND NON VERBAL
MEANS .

F UNCTIONS

OF COMMUNICATION VARIES AS ONE MUST DETERMINE THE FUNCTION OF

THE COMMUNICATION .

KNOWN

AS THE PRIMARY FUNCTION AND IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

THE SITUATION OR POSITION MAY HAVE ONE , TWO OR THREE OTHER SECONDARY
FUNCTIONS .F OR EXAMPLE ,INFORMING ,CONTROLLING , PERSUADING AND CO-ORDINATING .

1. INFORM FUNCTIONS : AN ORGANIZATION NEEDS A VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION

FUNCTION AND OPERATE A BUSINESS . THE TOP MANAGEMENT WOULD REQUIRE

TO

TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE

EFFECTIVE DECISIONS .
2. CONTROL FUNCTIONS : THE MANAGEMENT OF ANY ORGANIZATION WILL ALWAYS HAVE
PLANS WITH LONG , MEDIUM OR LONG TERM OBJECTIVES FOR THE MONTHS AND
YEARS AHEAD . TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES , THEDAILY & MONTHLY ACTIVITIES
MUST PROCEED AS PLANNED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE PERIOD .
3. PERSUADING FUNCTIONS : PERSUASION USUALLY INVOLVES THE SELLING ' OF AN IDEA ,
PRODUCT OR SERVICES TO A PERSON OR GROUP . P ERSUASIVE WORDS OR ACTIONS ,
THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF THE PERSON OR GROUP ACCEPTING IT . WILL RESULT
IN VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE .
4. CO-ORDINATING FUNCTIONS : EVERY EMPLOYEE PLAYS A PART IN CONTROLLING
INPUTS , OUTPUTS , JOB SCOPE AND HEAD COUNT . HAS TO BE WELL -COORDINATED .

I N ANY FORM OF COMMUNICATION , THERE IS A SENDER AND RECEIVER OF THE

MESSAGE . THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE MESSAGE IS SENT AND HOW THE MESSAGE IS
RECEIVED IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE IN COMMUNICATION . C OMMUNICATION IS SUCCESSFUL
ONLY WHEN THE RECEIVER RECEIVES THE INTENDED MESSAGE OF THE SENDER .

ONE OUTLINE OF THE FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION FOLLOWS WHAT MIGHT BE

THOUGHT OF AS A RHETORICAL APPROACH AND IS AS FOLLOWS :

INFORMATION
EDUCATION
P ERSUASION
MOTIVATION
INSTRUCTION
RAISING MORALE
ADVICE
WARNING

ANOTHER, FOCUSES

MORE ON NEEDS :

P HYSICAL
IDENTITY
S OCIAL

AN OUTLINE OF THE INTERPERSONAL

FOLLOWING :

GAINING INFORMATION (WHICH OFTEN REQUIRES DISCLOSING INFORMATION ; SELFDISCLOSURE )

BUILDING A CONTEXT OF UNDERSTANDING (VIA RELATIONSHIP MESSAGES THAT
ARE A SUBTEXT OF MANY " CONTENT " MESSAGES ).
ASSERTING IDENTIFY (BY ADOPTING "ROLES " AND CREATING AND MAINTAINING
"FACE ").
S OCIAL NEEDS, INCLUDING INCLUSION , CONTROL , AND AFFECTION .

ACCORDING
1.
2.

FUNCTIONS OF COMMMUNICATION ASSERTS THE

TO

DEL HYMES ETHNOGRAPHY

OF COMMUNICATION , COMMUNICATION SERVES :

AN EXPRESSIVE FUNCTION WHEN MESSAGE CREATORS FOCUS ON THEMSELVES

A DIRECTIVE FUNCTION WHEN MESSAGE CREATORS FOCUS ON MESSAGE

3.

CONSUMERS
A PHATIC ( CONTACT ) FUNCTION WHEN MESSAGE CHANNELS ARE CONCERNED WITH

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

MESSAGE CHANNELS
A METALINGUISTIC WHEN CODES ARE FOCUSED ON CODES
A CONTEXTUAL WHEN SETTINGS ARE FOCUSED ON SETTINGS
A POETIC WHEN MESSAGE - FORMS ARE FOCUSED ON FORMS
A REFERENTIAL WHEN TOPICS ARE FOCUSED ON TOPICS
A METACOMMUNICATIVE WHEN EVENTS ARE FOCUSED ON AN EVENT

ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

1. SIMPLE LANGUAGE : THE LANGUAGE
AND UNDERSTANDABLE .

USED IN THE COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE SIMPLE

2. CLEARNESS : THE COMMUNICATOR SHOULD BE CLEAR IN HIS MIND ABOUT THE OBJECTIVE
OF HIS COMMUNICATION . THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY AMBIGUITY IN COMMUNICATION .
3. ADEQUACY

OF INFORMATION

: IT SHOULD

CONTAIN ADEQUATE INFORMATION AND SHOULD

BE COMPLETE IN ALL RESPECT ; OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT SERVE THE PURPOSE OF

COMMUNICATION .

4. PROPER MEDIUM

OF COMMUNICATION

: THE COMMUNICATOR

SHOULD SELECT THE PROPER

MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION BY CONSIDERING SUCH FACTORS AS THE NATURE OF

COMMUNICATION , URGENCY OF COMMUNICATION , DISTANCE BETWEEN COMMUNICATOR AND
RECIPIENT OF COMMUNICATION ETC.

5. ACCURATE : AN EFFECTIVE

COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE ACCURATE .

FALSE

AND

MISLEADING STATEMENT WILL SERIOUSLY UNDERMINE THE REPUTATION OF THE BUSINESS . IT

MAY ALSO LEAD TO EXPENSIVE LITIGATION .

6. COURTESY : POLITENESS

IS , OF COURSE , ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION .
HELPS IMPROVE BUSINESS

A POLITE LANGUAGE
RELATIONS .

BARRIERS
THERE ARE MANY

TO

SHOULD BE USED IN COMMUNICATION . IT

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

REASONS WHY INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS MAY FAIL . IN

MANY COMMUNICATIONS , THE MESSAGE (WHAT IS SAID ) MAY NOT BE RECEIVED EXACTLY
THE WAY THE SENDER INTENDED . IT IS , THEREFORE , IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNICATOR
SEEKS FEEDBACK TO CHECK THAT THEIR MESSAGE IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD .

THE SKILLS

OF

ACTIVE LISTENING , CLARIFICATION

AND

REFLECTION

MAY HELP BUT

THE SKILLED COMMUNICATOR ALSO NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE

COMMUNICATION AND HOW TO AVOID OR OVERCOME THEM .

THERE ARE MANY BARRIERS

TO COMMUNICATION AND THESE MAY OCCUR AT ANY

STAGE IN THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS .

BARRIERS

MAY LEAD TO YOUR MESSAGE

BECOMING DISTORTED AND YOU THEREFORE RISK WASTING BOTH TIME AND /OR MONEY BY
CAUSING CONFUSION AND MISUNDERSTANDING .

EFFECTIVE

COMMUNICATION INVOLVES

OVERCOMING THESE BARRIERS AND CONVEYING A CLEAR AND CONCISE MESSAGE .

COMMON BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:

1. THE USE OF JARGON. OVER-COMPLICATED, UNFAMILIAR AND/OR TECHNICAL TERMS.
2. EMOTIONAL BARRIERS AND TABOOS . SOME PEOPLE MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO
EXPRESS THEIR EMOTIONS AND SOME TOPICS MAY BE COMPLETELY 'OFF- LIMITS ' OR
TABOO .
3. LACK OF ATTENTION , INTEREST , DISTRACTIONS , OR IRRELEVANCE TO THE RECEIVER.
(SEE OUR PAGE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING FOR MORE INFORMATION ).
4. DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION AND VIEWPOINT .
5. PHYSICAL DISABILITIES SUCH AS HEARING PROBLEMS OR SPEECH DIFFICULTIES .
6. PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO NON -VERBAL COMMUNICATION . NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE
NON -VERBAL CUES , GESTURES , POSTURE AND GENERAL BODY LANGUAGE CAN MAKE
COMMUNICATION LESS EFFECTIVE .
7. LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES AND THE DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING UNFAMILIAR
ACCENTS .
8. EXPECTATIONS AND PREJUDICES WHICH MAY LEAD TO FALSE ASSUMPTIONS OR
STEREOTYPING . PEOPLE OFTEN HEAR WHAT THEY EXPECT TO HEAR RATHER THAN
WHAT IS ACTUALLY SAID AND JUMP TO INCORRECT CONCLUSIONS .
9. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES . THE NORMS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION VARY GREATLY IN
DIFFERENT CULTURES , AS DO THE WAY IN WHICH EMOTIONS ARE EXPRESSED . FOR
EXAMPLE , THE CONCEPT OF PERSONAL SPACE VARIES BETWEEN CULTURES AND
BETWEEN DIFFERENT SOCIAL SETTINGS .
10. SEE OUR PAGE ON INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS FOR MORE INFORMATION .
11. A SKILLED COMMUNICATOR MUST BE AWARE OF THESE BARRIERS AND TRY TO
REDUCE THEIR IMPACT BY CONTINUALLY CHECKING UNDERSTANDING AND BY
OFFERING APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK .

A CATEGORISATION

OF

BARRIERS

TO

COMMUNICATION

1. LANGUAGE BARRIERS
LANGUAGE

AND LINGUISTIC ABILITY MAY ACT AS A BARRIER TO COMMUNICATION .

HOWEVER , EVEN WHEN

COMMUNICATING IN THE SAME LANGUAGE , THE TERMINOLOGY

USED IN A MESSAGE MAY ACT AS A BARRIER IF IT IS NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE

RECEIVER (S).

F OR

EXAMPLE , A MESSAGE THAT INCLUDES A LOT OF SPECIALIST JARGON AND

ABBREVIATIONS WILL NOT BE UNDERSTOOD BY A RECEIVER WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE
TERMINOLOGY USED .

REGIONAL

COLLOQUIALISMS AND EXPRESSIONS MAY BE MISINTERPRETED OR EVEN

CONSIDERED OFFENSIVE

2. PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF THE COMMUNICATORS WILL INFLUENCE

MESSAGE IS SENT, RECEIVED AND PERCEIVED .
FOR

HOW THE

EXAMPLE , IF SOMEONE IS STRESSED THEY MAY BE PREOCCUPIED BY PERSONAL

CONCERNS AND NOT AS RECEPTIVE TO THE MESSAGE AS IF THEY WERE NOT STRESSED .

STRESS MANAGEMENT

IS AN IMPORTANT PERSONAL SKILL THAT AFFECTS OUR

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS .

ANGER IS ANOTHER

EXAMPLE OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIER TO COMMUNICATION , WHEN

WE ARE ANGRY IT IS EASY TO SAY THINGS THAT WE MAY LATER REGRET AND ALSO TO
MISINTERPRET WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING .

MORE GENERALLY PEOPLE

WITH LOW SELF -ESTEEM MAY BE LESS ASSERTIVE AND

THEREFORE MAY NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE COMMUNICATING

- THEY MAY FEEL SHY ABOUT

SAYING HOW THEY REALLY FEEL OR READ NEGATIVE SUB -TEXTS INTO MESSAGES THEY HEAR .

3. PHYSIOLOGICAL BARRIERS
PHYSIOLOGICAL
FOR

BARRIERS MAY RESULT FROM THE RECEIVER S PHYSICAL STATE .

EXAMPLE , A RECEIVER WITH REDUCED HEARING MAY NOT GRASP TO ENTIRETY OF A

SPOKEN CONVERSATION ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND NOISE .

4. PHYSICAL BARRIERS
AN EXAMPLE

OF A PHYSICAL BARRIER TO COMMUNICATION IS GEOGRAPHIC DISTANCE

BETWEEN THE SENDER AND RECEIVER (S).

COMMUNICATION

IS GENERALLY EASIER OVER SHORTER DISTANCES AS MORE

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS ARE AVAILABLE AND LESS TECHNOLOGY IS REQUIRED .

ALTHOUGH MODERN TECHNOLOGY OFTEN SERVES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL

BARRIERS , THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EACH COMMUNICATION CHANNEL
SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD SO THAT AN APPROPRIATE CHANNEL CAN BE USED TO OVERCOME
THE PHYSICAL BARRIERS .

5. SYSTEMATIC BARRIERS
SYSTEMATIC

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION MAY EXIST IN STRUCTURES AND

ORGANISATIONS WHERE THERE ARE INEFFICIENT OR INAPPROPRIATE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

AND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS , OR WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR COMMUNICATION . IN SUCH ORGANISATIONS , INDIVIDUALS

MAY BE UNCLEAR OF THEIR ROLE IN THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS AND THEREFORE NOT
KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM .

6. ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS
ATTITUDINAL

BARRIERS ARE BEHAVIOURS OR PERCEPTIONS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE

FROM COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY.

ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION MAY RESULT FROM PERSONALITY

CONFLICTS , POOR MANAGEMENT , RESISTANCE TO CHANGE OR A LACK OF MOTIVATION .
EFFECTIVE RECEIVERS OF MESSAGES SHOULD ATTEMPT TO OVERCOME THEIR OWN
ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS TO FACILITATE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION .
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
1. VERBAL COMMUNICATION
VERBAL OR ORAL COMMUNICATION USES SPOKEN WORDS TO COMMUNICATE A
MESSAGE . WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION , THEY THINK OF
SPEAKING , BUT LISTENING IS AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT SKILL FOR THIS TYPE OF
COMMUNICATION TO BE SUCCESSFUL . VERBAL COMMUNICATION IS APPLICABLE TO A WIDE
RANGE OF SITUATIONS , RANGING FROM INFORMAL OFFICE DISCUSSIONS TO PUBLIC SPEECHES
MADE TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE .
2. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION INCLUDES BODY LANGUAGE , GESTURES, FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS , AND EVEN POSTURE . NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION SETS THE TONE OF A
CONVERSATION , AND CAN SERIOUSLY UNDERMINE THE MESSAGE CONTAINED IN YOUR WORDS
IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL TO CONTROL IT . FOR EXAMPLE , SLOUCHING AND SHRINKING BACK
IN YOUR CHAIR DURING A BUSINESS MEETING CAN MAKE YOU SEEM UNDER -CONFIDENT ,
WHICH MAY LEAD PEOPLE TO DOUBT THE STRENGTH OF YOUR VERBAL CONTRIBUTIONS . IN
CONTRAST , LEANING OVER AN EMPLOYEE S DESK AND INVADING HIS OR HER PERSONAL
SPACE CAN TURN A FRIENDLY CHAT INTO AN AGGRESSIVE CONFRONTATION THAT LEAVES THE
EMPLOYEE FEELING VICTIMIZED AND UNDERVALUED .

3. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNICATING COMPLICATED
INFORMATION , SUCH AS STATISTICS OR OTHER DATA, THAT COULD NOT BE EASILY
COMMUNICATED THROUGH SPEECH ALONE . WRITTEN COMMUNICATION ALSO ALLOWS
INFORMATION TO BE RECORDED SO THAT IT CAN BE REFERRED TO AT A LATER DATE . WHEN
PRODUCING A PIECE OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION , ESPECIALLY ONE THAT IS LIKELY TO BE
REFERRED TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN , YOU NEED TO PLAN WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY

CAREFULLY TO ENSURE THAT ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION IS ACCURATELY AND

CLEARLY COMMUNICATED .

WRITTEN

COMMUNICATION MUST BE CLEAR AND CONCISE IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE

INFORMATION EFFECTIVELY.

A GOOD WRITTEN REPORT CONVEYS THE NECESSARY

INFORMATION USING PRECISE , GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT LANGUAGE , WITHOUT USING
WORDS THAN ARE NEEDED .

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