Meaning of Communication:

1. The act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated. 2. The imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. 3. Something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted. 4. A document or message imparting news, views, information, etc. 5. Passage, or an opportunity or means of passage, between places.

Definition of Communication:
1. All means of transport (roads, rails, rivers, canals, air, sea) that people use to trade or make physical contact with each other. 2. All means of symbolic or verbal communication (newspapers, mail, email, telephones, television, radio, etc.) that people and machines use to make contact and share information. 3. Two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only exchange (encode-decode) information but also create and share meaning. 4. Communication is sending / giving information, ideas etc. 5. Communication is sending / giving of ideas, information, thoughts, point of views, behavior or attitude etc. 6. Communication is the sending / giving of ideas etc through signs, symbols, language, written, spoken words, print media, electronic media etc. 7. Communication is a process by which a sender / source delivers / transfers their message through a channel / medium to the destination. 8. Communication is the transfer of message etc as contrasted against transportation, transfer of goods / person. For e.g.: Import Export. 9. Sharing of experiences on the basis of commonness (Wilbur Schramm) 10. Communication is the process which increases commonality (Mc Quail) 11. Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or opinions by two or more people (Newman &
Summer)

12. It is the exchange of information & transmission of meaning (Katz & Khan)

Basic Principles of Mass Communication:

~As the field of communication is expanding, the forms of communication are developing as Well, such as, mass communication. I. What is mass communication? 1. Mass communication is a formalized process in which the sending of messages to a large number of individuals takes place. 2. Includes public communication and mass media II. Who is the audience? 1. The audience varies in age, sex, income, religion, nationality and occupation. 2. The audience is an extremely large and diverse group of individuals who come in contact with information through the various methods of mass media.

Components of Communication Process

The main components of communication process are as follows: 1) Sender / Encoder / Source - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance a training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. 2) Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear. 3) Recipient / Decoder / Destination - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder.

Field Of Experience
Source Encoding Message Signal Decoding Destination If the field of experience of both, the source & destination is the same / common, then the communication is more smooth & effective.

Things Important During Communication

Pace: Pace / speed has to be maintained for proper process of communication Percentage of Message: Weightage / amount can be controlled by the source. Change of Message: Source cannot change the message or cannot control the interpretation by the destination. Dialect: The context or material of message is termed as Dialect. Language should be interpreted by the destination.

Effective Communication / Factors for Successful Communication

Effective means successful, useful. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION The process / method / procedure of how communication achieve its effect, how people receive the message, how it is understood by the destination. For e.g. Advertising. The process of effective communication is neither simple nor easy, yet there are certain conditions which when fulfilled / achieved / attained then the communication is effective. The Method 1) The message must be designed & delivered to grab / catch / gain the attention of the destination. 2) The message must employ signs that reflect the same experience by both; the source & the destination to carry the message across. 3) The message must arouse personality needs & suggest ways to meet those needs. 4) The message must meet the needs which are appropriate in the group situation in which the destination finds him at the time when he makes the desired move.

Levels Of Communication
INTRA PERSONAL COMMUNICATION: An internal dialogue / communication within oneself. The act / process of thinking, feeling / articulating words for expressions. For e.g. when a poet thinks of a theme they ponder on the right words. INTER PERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The communication within two individuals / people / persons. In this kind of communication the people share ideas, opinions, views, thoughts and disclose their likes & dislikes. For e.g. communication b/w two friends. GROUP COMMUNICATION: The communication among members in a group (ranges from 3-20 peoples). For e.g. students in a classroom, families etc. A standard size of a group is of 3-20 peoples. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: The communication in which one person takes the responsibility to speak & the public as the listeners. The responses that are generated by the public, mould the message of the speaker. The purpose of this communication is to persuade, motivate, inform, address & educate. For e.g. speech, debate, seminar etc. MASS COMMUNICATION: The communication to a wide audience / masses through a channel / medium. For e.g. T.V., radio, computer, magazines, newspapers etc.

Types of Communication
The difference b/w types & levels of communication is that; in level of communication sequences does matter. Therefore, in the types of communication the character / category are differing. INTRA PERSONAL COMMUNICATION: An internal dialogue / communication within oneself. The act / process of thinking, feeling / articulating words for expressions. For e.g. when a poet thinks of a theme they ponder on the right words. INTER / INFORMAL PERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The communication within two individuals / people / persons. In this kind of communication the people share ideas, opinions, views, thoughts and disclose their likes & dislikes. For e.g. communication b/w two friends. GROUP COMMUNICATION: The communication among members in a group (ranges from 3-20 peoples). For e.g. students in a classroom, families etc. A standard size of a group is of 3-20 peoples. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: The communication in which one person takes the responsibility to speak & the public as the listeners. The responses that are generated by the public mould the message of the speaker. The purpose of this communication is to persuade, motivate, inform, address & educate. For e.g. speech, debate, seminar etc. MASS / FORMAL COMMUNICATION: The communication to a wide audience / masses through a channel / medium. For e.g. T.V., radio, computer, magazines, newspapers etc. VERBAL COMMUNICATION: Any communication in which with the help of signs & symbols. For e.g. conversation b/w two friends. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: Any communication in which the signs & symbols do not use / involving straight written communication. EXTRA PERSONAL COMMUNICATION: The communication b/w human beings & plants & animals. For e.g. communication with pets. ORAL & WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Same definition as verbal & non-verbal communication. FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION: The communication where source faces the destination. ACCIDENTAL COMMUNICATION: The communication that occurs unintentionally, by accidents. This communication doesnt have a specific purpose.

EXPRESSIVE COMMUNICATION: The communication which is intentional and full of emotions to achieve a certain purpose / goal. RHETORICAL COMMUNICATION: The communication which is intentional to achieve a purpose / goal. For e.g. news bulletin, news story.

Functions of Communication
Sharing. Interaction. To Inform. To Influence. To Motivate. To Persuade. To Evaluate. To Create Impression/Image.

Feedback in Communication
Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the message and respond to them. This response of a receiver to senders message is called Feedback. Sometimes a feedback could be a non-verbal smiles, sighs etc. Sometimes it is oral, as when you react to a colleagues ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written like - replying to an e-mail, etc. Feedback is your audiences response; it enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your message. If your audience doesnt understand what you mean, you can tell by the response and then refine the message accordingly. Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an open communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages feedback. For example after explaining the job to the subordinated he must ask them whether they have understood it or not. He should ask questions like Do you understand?, Do you have any doubts? etc. At the same time he must allow his subordinated to express their views also. Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he agrees to that message or not. There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees, such as : Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news letter etc. Employees are not always willing to provide feedback. The organization has to work a lot to get the accurate feedback. The managers encourage feedback by asking specific questions, allowing their employees to express general views, etc. The organization should be receptive to their employees feedback.

A manger should ensure that a feedback should: 1. Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general. 2. Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize anyone personally. 3. Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we should always direct it to the recipients goal. 4. Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the recipients behaviour and the receipt of that feedback. 5. Use I statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words like I, However etc. For example instead of saying You were absent from work yesterday, manager should say I was annoys when you missed your work yesterday. 6. Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make sure that the recipients understands the feedback properly. 7. While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not mention the factors which are not in control of the recipient.

Communication Barriers - Reasons for Communication Breakdown

Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender are interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affect the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the receiver, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below.

Following are the main communication barriers:

1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example: A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support. The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean different to different individuals. For example: consider a word value. a. What is the value of this Laptop? b. I value our relation? c. What is the value of learning technical skills? Value means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver. 2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.

3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay attention to one NO PARKING sign, but if such sign is put all over the city, he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of subordinate. 4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. 5. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. 6. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). 7. Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. 8. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown.

Scope of Communication:
It is essential for the sender to understand the scope, and for the recipient to understand the purpose of the communication. If these understandings do not exist, then there is little chance of the communication being effective. Additionally, although the recipient who must understand the purpose, it is the responsibility of the communicator to ensure that the purpose is clearly identified.

Scope
Scope, refers effectively to the sphere of operation (or influence) of the communication. There are two aspects to this: 'audience scope' and 'subject scope'.

Audience scope: First and foremost, it is essential for the communicator to clearly identify the target audience of the communication. This will allow the recipient to decide "Is this communication intended for me? It will also allow the communicator to tailor the communication (especially the language used) to the particular needs of the audience. For e.g. advertising product which suits the majority.

Subject scope: The subject scope is a specification of the information covered by the communication. For example, if a document provides instructions for changing a printer cartridge, it would be wise to specify the models to which the instructions apply, Seminars, Ads of an institute which specify the subjects.

Communication Settings:
Personal Communication:
a) Intrapersonal Communication. b) Interpersonal Communication (Dyad + small groups). c) Extra Personal Communication.

Non-Personal Communication:
a) PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: The communication in which one person takes the responsibility to speak whiles the public as the listeners. The responses that are generated by the public mould the message of the speaker. The purpose of this communication is to persuade, motivate, inform, address & educate. For e.g. speech, debate, seminar etc. b) MASS COMMUNICATION: Definition: It refers collectively to all media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience. The communication with masses using / employing mass media as channels. There is a thin line b/w machine assisted and mass communication. In this way messages are transmitted or sent to large, perhaps millions or billions of people spread across the world. Channel / Medium: Means of communication is called medium of communication. Messages are sent through different forms of mass medium such as newspapers, magazines, films, radio, T.V. and internet. Media is the plural for the word medium or means of communication. Signal: It cannot be physically be touched.

c) MACHINE-ASSISTED INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: It combines characteristics of both the interpersonal and mass communication situations. In this setting, one or more people are communicating by means of a mechanical device (or devices) with one or more receivers. The source and receiver may or may not be in each other's immediate physical presence. The machine can give message permanence by storing it on paper, magnetic tape, or some other material. The machine can also extend the range of the message by amplifying it and/or transmitting it over large distance. The Process of Machine-Assisted Interpersonal Communication: Source: it is the human being or beings who actually programmed these devices in the first place the source in the machine-assisted setting can be a single person or group of persons. The source may or may not have firsthand knowledge of the receiver. Encoding: the first setting of encoding involves the source translating his or her thoughts into words or other appropriate symbols, while the second occurs when machine encodes the message for transmission or storage. Channels: machine-assisted settings generally restrict the message to one or two and this form of communication has at least one machine interposed between source and receiver. (Sound waves, electrical energy, light rays) Messages: they can range from messages that can be altered and tailor-made for the receiver (telephone call), to messages that can not be altered once they are encoded. Messages are relatively cheap to send in most forms of machine-assisted communication. Messages can be both, private (letter, phone call, telegram) and public (sound truck broadcasting an election-day message, a person handing out pamphlets, a poster nailed to a telephone pole). The transaction can be terminated by the receiver much more easily than in interpersonal communication settings, where the source has a bit more control over the situation. Decoding: it can go through one or more stages. Single phase (reading the letter) and two phases (hearing a hit song on the radio) Receiver: it can be a single person or it can be a small or large group. The receivers can be in the physical presence of the source or they can be selected by the source or they can self-select themselves into the audience.

Feedback: can be immediate (when the source and receiver are in close proximity) or delayed (answering the letter). If the source and receiver are separated by geography, then feedback may or may not be immediate. The extent of possible feedback is dependent on the actual circumstances surrounding the machine-assisted setting. In other situations, feedback is limited (in telephone conversation is limited to the audio channel). Noise: it can be semantic and environmental and also mechanical, since interference with the message might be due in part of difficulties with the machine involved.