SALALAH COLLEGE OF
TECHNOLOGY
MINISTRY OF MANPOWER
SULTANATE OF OMAN
The Communication Process
Name:
I.D:
Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................. 2
The Communication Process................................................................................... 2
Examples and Observations:................................................................................... 5
BLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................ 6
The Communication Process
Introduction
Communication is a purposeful activity of exchanging information and meaning across space
and time using various technical or natural means, whichever is available or preferred.
Communication requires a sender, a message, a medium and a recipient, although the
receiver does not have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the
time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and
space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of
communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver
understands the sender's message.
The Communication Process
The goal of communication is to convey informationand the understanding of that
informationfrom one person or group to another person or group. This communication
process is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through
a channel to the receiver. (Figure shows a more elaborate model.) The sender first develops
an idea, which is composed into a message and then transmitted to the other party, who
interprets the message and receives meaning. Information theorists have added somewhat
more complicated language. Developing a message is known as encoding. Interpreting the
message is referred to as decoding.
The other important feature is the feedback cycle. When two people interact, communication
is rarely oneway only. When a person receives a message, she responds to it by giving a
reply. The feedback cycle is the same as the senderreceiver feedback noted in Figure .
Otherwise, the sender can't know whether the other parties properly interpreted the
message or how they reacted to it. Feedback is especially significant in management
because a supervisor has to know how subordinates respond to directives and plans. The
manager also needs to know how work is progressing and how employees feel about the
general work situation.
The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common
understanding. Understanding exists when all parties involved have a mutual agreement as
to not only the information, but also the meaning of the information. Effective
communication, therefore, occurs when the intended message of the sender and the
interpreted message of the receiver are one and the same. Although this should be the goal
in any communication, it is not always achieved.
The most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of resources expended.
Time, in particular, is an important resource in the communication process. For example, it
would be virtually impossible for an instructor to take the time to communicate individually
with each student in a class about every specific topic covered. Even if it were possible, it
would be costly. This is why managers often leave voice mail messages and interact by e
mail rather than visit their subordinates personally.
However, efficient timesaving communications are not always effective. A lowcost approach
such as an email note to a distribution list may save time, but it does not always result in
everyone getting the same meaning from the message. Without opportunities to ask
questions and clarify the message, erroneous interpretations are possible. In addition to a
poor choice of communication method, other barriers to effective communication include
noise and other physical distractions, language problems, and failure to recognize nonverbal
signals.
Sometimes communication is effective, but not efficient. A work team leader visiting each
team member individually to explain a new change in procedures may guarantee that
everyone truly understands the change, but this method may be very costly on the leader's
time. A team meeting would be more efficient. In these and other ways, potential tradeoffs
between effectiveness and efficiency occur.
Communication can best be summarized as the transmission of a message from a sender to
a receiver in an understandable manner. The importance of effective communication is
immeasurable in the world of business and in personal life. From a business perspective,
effective communication is an absolute must, because it commonly accounts for the
difference between success and failure or profit and loss. It has become clear that effective
business communication is critical to the successful operation of modern enterprise. Every
business person needs to understand the fundamentals of effective communication.
The communication process is the guide toward realizing effective communication. It is
through the communication process that the sharing of a common meaning between the
sender and the receiver takes place. Individuals that follow the communication process will
have the opportunity to become more productive in every aspect of their profession.
Effective communication leads to understanding.
The communication process is made up of four key components. Those components include
encoding, medium of transmission, decoding, and feedback. There are also two other factors
in the process, and those two factors are present in the form of the sender and the receiver.
The communication process begins with the sender and ends with the receiver.
The sender is an individual, group, or organization who initiates the communication. This
source is initially responsible for the success of the message. The sender's experiences,
attitudes, knowledge, skill, perceptions, and culture influence the message. "The written
words, spoken words, and nonverbal language selected are paramount in ensuring the
receiver interprets the message as intended by the sender" (Burnett & Dollar, 1989). All
communication begins with the sender.
The first step the sender is faced with involves the encoding process. In order to convey
meaning, the sender must begin encoding, which means translating information into a
message in the form of symbols that represent ideas or concepts. This process translates the
ideas or concepts into the coded message that will be communicated. The symbols can take
on numerous forms such as, languages, words, or gestures. These symbols are used to
encode ideas into messages that others can understand.
When encoding a message, the sender has to begin by deciding what he/she wants to
transmit. This decision by the sender is based on what he/she believes about the receivers
knowledge and assumptions, along with what additional information he/she wants the
receiver to have. It is important for the sender to use symbols that are familiar to the
intended receiver. A good way for the sender to improve encoding their message, is to
mentally visualize the communication from the receiver's point of view.
Examples and Observations:
Sender and Receiver
"In the basic interpersonal communication model, the sender, also known as the source, is
the person who initiates the communication process.
Interaction of Senders and Receivers
"Because communication is interaction, participants take turns 'sending' and 'receiving.'
Context in the Communication Process
"Context refers to the idea that every act of communication must happen in some sort of
surroundings.
Noise in the Communication Process
"Noise is anything that disrupts or interferes with the communication process. Noise can
be physical or psychological, it can disrupt the communication process at any point, and it
can be associated with any element in the system."
Feedback in the Communication Process
"Feedback is the final link in the chain of the communication process. After receiving a
message, the receiver responds in some way and signals that response to the sender.
Co-orientation in the Communication Process
"An interesting manifestation of the attention paid to the receiver in the study of the
communication process is the concept of 'co-orientation,' which has become popular in the
United States recently.
BLIOGRAPHY
Burnett, M.J., & Dollar, A. (1989). Business Communication: Strategies for Success. Houston,
Texas: Dane.
Ivancevich, J.M., Lorenzi, P., Skinner, S.J., & Crosby, P.B. (1994). Management: Quality and
Competitiveness. Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin.
Gibson, J.W., & Hodgetts, R.M. (1990). Business Communication: Skills and Strategies. NY, NY:
Harper & Row.
Bovee, C.L., & Thill, J.V. (1992). Business Communication Today. NY, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Berko, R.M., Wolvin, A.D., & Curtis, R. (1986). This Business of Communicating. Dubuque, IO:
WCB.
Wright, P.M., & Noe, R.A., (1995). Management of Organizations. Chicago, IL: Irwin.
