UNIT 3: STAFFING AND LEADING

CONCEPT OF STAFFING

Staffing is a very important part of running a business or an organisation. It is referred to as the

process of obtaining and hiring of manpower for the various business requirements. Staffing is
regarded as an essential managerial function.

An enterprise is unable to run its operations without the help of human resources. Therefore,
human resources play an important role in the functioning of an organisation.

Staffing process consists of the following steps:

1) Manpower Planning: Manpower planning is the quantitative and qualitative

measurement of the manpower that is required in an organisation. It involves evaluation
and creation of the manpower inventory and also to develop the necessary talents
among the employees that are selected for obtaining promotion.

2) Recruitment: Recruitment is the process of finding the potential employees of an

organisation and persuading them to apply for the available positions in the
organisation. If the recruitment process is followed scientifically, then it will result in
better wages, high morale and higher productivity among the employees.

3) Selection: Selection is the process of shortlisting of potential candidates and

eliminating the candidates that are not suitable for the positions available in the
organisation. The purpose of selection is to hire the right candidate for the right
position, which will lead to efficient running of operations for the organisation.

4) Placement: Placement refers to the process of introducing an employee to the job for
which he was hired in the organisation. The employee will be provided with a basic
orientation about the company and its work areas.

5) Training: Training is the process of providing the newly recruited employees an idea
about the type of work that they are going to do and how to do that. This falls under the
training department. Training is an essential part of hiring as it helps keep the
employees updated on the way of work in an organisation. Also due to advances in
technology, newer technologies will evolve, that makes it necessary for employees to
be updated with the latest development.

6) Development: Development refers to the opportunity of growth of the employees in

the organisation. The organisation must provide ample opportunities for the
development of the employees, without which the employees may become frustrated.
 7) Promotion: Promotion is referred to as the process of giving the employees a raise in
salary, designation or both. The raise in designation is associated with a raise in wages
or bonus or incentives. There can be some instances where the change in designation
does not result in increase in pay.

8) Transfer: Transfer is the process of shifting of an employee from one position to

another in the organisation without any monetary benefit, or any increase in the
responsibilities. This function needs to be evaluated from time to time.

9) Appraisal: Appraisal is the process of checking the progress of the work done by the
subordinates. It also studies human behaviour and also the attitude and aptitude of the
employee towards performing the job.

10) Determination of Remuneration : The remuneration of an employee is very

important. It is regarded as one of the difficult functions to perform as there exists no
tools which can accurately determine wages.

MOTIVATION

“A motive is an inner state that energizes, activates, or moves and directs or channels behaviour
goals.” The term motivation describes why a person does something. It is the driving force
behind human actions. Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-
oriented behaviors.

EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Extrinsic motivation refers to the behavior of individuals to perform tasks and learn new skills
because of external rewards or avoidance of punishment. It means one engages in behavior
not because you enjoy it or because you find it appealing or satisfying, but in order to obtain
something of value in return or avoid something unpleasant.

INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Intrinsic motivation refers to the act of doing something that does not have any obvious
external rewards. You do it because it’s enjoyable and interesting to you, not because of any
outside incentive or pressures, like rewards or deadlines.Intrinsic motivation is performing an
activity for its own sake rather than the desire for some external reward or out of some external
pressure. Essentially, the behavior itself is its own reward. Intrinsic motivation is more about
personal growth, a sense of duty, and the recognition of purpose, while
extrinsic motivation is more about financial incentives, status, and public recognition.
IMPORTANCE OF MOTIVATION
• Improves Performance Level:- The motivation provided in the organisation gives a
special spirit and energy to work more. Also, they get satisfied with the proper appraisal
of the work they have done. All these factors will improve the performance level of an
employee.
• Reduction in Labour turnover:- Even though the monetary benefits are countable, if
the company atmosphere and colleagues is positive and if the company provides non
monetary benefits the employee will be motivated to work hard and also will be well
satisfied which will lead to decrease in Labour turnover. ]
• Increased Efficiency and Output:- One of the best advantages of employee
motivation to the firm is the increase in the level of efficiency and output. As the
resources are utilised optimally, the output may get increased than before. As already
all the employees are working in satisfying conditions, they put their maximum efforts
to give maximum efficiency.
• Achievement of Goals:- All the advantages of employee motivation to the company
are interrelated. If the efficiency and output were increased, this is what achieves the
goal of an organisation. The primary purpose of each organisation is to provide an
effective output that earns a high income in return.
• Development of Friendly Relationships:- The significance of motivation results in
the development of friendly relations between the employees and a smooth rap between
the superior and subordinates.
• Helps organisation in withstanding competition: Leadership builds team and
together as a team, the workers will work effectively and efficiently towards
organisational goals. Hence withstanding the challenges of competition shall be an easy
task.

MAJOR MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES

I. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Human behaviour is goal-oriented and motivation causes this behaviour. Motivation helps a
person to understand his needs and tackle his needs purposely. The need hierarchy model is the
best way to understand human motivation factors and the influence of the same.
Abraham Maslow had proposed the hierarchy of needs theory in 1943 based on an assumption
that there is a hierarchy of five needs in human life. The urgency and importance may vary
from person to person.
The needs are classified into five categories as per the theory in an order to understand their
importance and relevance to humans.
 • Physiological Needs: The needs which are important for human survival and
maintenance are called Physiological needs. They are considered basic needs or
amenities such as shelter, food, clothes, water, air, etc.
• Safety Needs: The needs which help a human feel protected and secured are called the
safety needs of a human. These needs could be physical safety, emotional safety,
environmental safety or even protection of life and family.
• Social Needs: Humans are called Social animals as they need love and affection. There
is always a need for care from family and friends.
• Esteem Needs: There are two factors to esteem needs. Esteem needs could be internal
or external. Internal esteem needs confidence, freedom, self-respect, etc. External
esteem needs attention, recognition, power, etc.
• Self Actualization Needs: This need includes a certain urge to become what you think
you have the potential to become. This need is directed more towards the growth and
success of an individual. These types of needs are insatiable needs. The more
knowledge a person gains the more he believes in his capabilities and in turn there
would never be a feeling of saturation of these types of needs.
As per the theory, Maslow believes that human needs are unsatisfactory but are the base of
motivation for humans. needs.

II. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation

In 1959, Frederick Herzberg, a behavioural scientist proposed a two-factor theory or the
motivator-hygiene theory. According to Herzberg, there are some job factors that result in
satisfaction while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction. According to
Herzberg, the opposite of “Satisfaction” is “No satisfaction” and the opposite of
“Dissatisfaction” is “No Dissatisfaction”.

Herzberg classified these job factors into two categories-

1. Hygiene factors- Hygiene factors are those job factors which are essential for existence
of motivation at workplace. These do not lead to positive satisfaction for long-term. But
if these factors are absent/if these factors are non-existent at workplace, then they lead
to dissatisfaction.

In other words, hygiene factors are those factors which when adequate/reasonable in a
job, pacify the employees and do not make them dissatisfied. These factors are extrinsic
to work.

Hygiene factors are also called as dissatisfiers or maintenance factors as they are
required to avoid dissatisfaction. These factors describe the job environment/scenario.
The hygiene factors symbolized the physiological needs which the individuals wanted
and expected to be fulfilled. Hygiene factors include:

▪ Pay: The pay or salary structure should be appropriate and reasonable. It must
be equal and competitive to those in the same industry in the same domain.
▪ Company Policies and administrative policies: The company policies should
not be too rigid. They should be fair and clear. It should include flexible working
hours, dress code, breaks, vacation, etc.
 ▪ Fringe benefits: The employees should be offered health care plans
(mediclaim), benefits for the family members, employee help programmes, etc.
▪ Physical Working conditions: The working conditions should be safe, clean
and hygienic. The work equipments should be updated and well-maintained.
▪ Status: The employees’ status within the organization should be familiar and
retained.
▪ Interpersonal relations: The relationship of the employees with his peers,
superiors and subordinates should be appropriate and acceptable. There should
be no conflict or humiliation element present.
▪ Job Security: The organization must provide job security to the employees.

2. Motivational factors- According to Herzberg, the hygiene factors cannot be regarded

as motivators. The motivational factors yield positive satisfaction. These factors are
inherent to work. These factors motivate the employees for a superior performance.

These factors are called satisfiers. These are factors involved in performing the job.
Employees find these factors intrinsically rewarding. The motivators symbolized the
psychological needs that were perceived as an additional benefit. Motivational factors
include:

▪ Recognition: The employees should be praised and recognized for their

accomplishments by the managers.
▪ Sense of achievement: The employees must have a sense of achievement. This
depends on the job. There must be a fruit of some sort in the job.
▪ Growth and promotional opportunities: There must be growth and
advancement opportunities in an organization to motivate the employees to
perform well.
▪ Responsibility: The employees must hold themselves responsible for the work.
The managers should give them ownership of the work. They should minimize
control but retain accountability.
▪ Meaningfulness of the work: The work itself should be meaningful,
interesting and challenging for the employee to perform and to get motivated.

Limitations of Two-Factor Theory

1. The two-factor theory overlooks situational variables.

2. Herzberg assumed a correlation between satisfaction and productivity. But the research
conducted by Herzberg stressed upon satisfaction and ignored productivity.
3. The theory’s reliability is uncertain. Analysis has to be made by the raters. The raters
may spoil the findings by analysing same response in different manner.
4. No comprehensive measure of satisfaction was used. An employee may find his job
acceptable despite the fact that he may hate/object part of his job.
5. The two-factor theory is not free from bias as it is based on the natural reaction of
employees when they are enquired the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at
work. They will blame dissatisfaction on the external factors such as salary structure,
company policies and peer relationship. Also, the employees will give credit to
themselves for the satisfaction factor at work.
6. The theory ignores blue-collar workers.
III. Vroom's Expectancy Theory
Vroom’s Expectancy theory assumes that behaviour results from conscious choices among
alternatives whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. Together with
Edward Lawler and Lyman Porter, Victor Vroom suggested that the relationship between
people's behaviour at work and their goals was not as simple as was first imagined by other
scientists. Vroom realized that an employee's performance is based on individual’s factors such
as personality, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities.
The theory suggests that although individuals may have different sets of goals, they can be
motivated if they believe that:

• There is a positive correlation between efforts and performance,

• Favourable performance will result in a desirable reward,
• The reward will satisfy an important need,
• The desire to satisfy the need is strong enough to make the effort worthwhile.

The theory is based upon the following beliefs:

Valence
Valence refers to the emotional orientations people hold with respect to outcomes (rewards).
The depth of the want of an employee for extrinsic (money, promotion, time-off, benefits) or
intrinsic rewards (satisfaction). Management must discover what employees value.

Expectancy
Employees have different expectations and levels of confidence about what they are capable
of doing. Management must discover what resources, training, or supervision employees need.

Instrumentality
The perception of employees as to whether they will actually get what they desire even if it has
been promised by a manager. Management must ensure that promises of rewards are fulfilled
and that employees are aware of that.

Vroom suggests that an employee's beliefs about Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence
interact psychologically to create a motivational force such that the employee acts in ways that
bring pleasure and avoid pain.
LEADERSHIP

Leadership is defined as the action or an act of guidance of leading a group of people or an

organisation. Leaders in varying backgrounds possess certain essential characteristics. Leaders
ought to have the option to set up contact with their equivalents, manage their subordinates and
guide them, intervene in clashes, resolve issues by weighing different other options and face
challenges and activities.

STYLES OF LEADERSHIP

1. DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

A democratic leadership style is where a leader makes decisions based on the input received
from team members. It is a collaborative and consultative leadership style where each team
member has an opportunity to contribute to the direction of ongoing projects. However, the
leader holds the final responsibility to make the decision. Democratic leadership is one of the
most popular and effective leadership styles because of its ability to provide lower-level
employees a voice making it equally important in the organization. It is a style that resembles
how decisions are made in company boardrooms. Democratic leadership can culminate in a
vote to make decisions. Democratic leadership also involves the delegation of authority to other
people who determine work assignments. It utilizes the skills and experiences of team members
in carrying out tasks. The democratic leadership style encourages creativity and engagement
of team members, which often leads to high job satisfaction and high productivity. However,
establishing a consensus among team members can be time-consuming and costly, especially
in cases where decisions need to be made swiftly.

2. AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

Autocratic leadership is the direct opposite of democratic leadership. In this case, the leader
makes all decisions on behalf of the team without taking any input or suggestions from them.
The leader holds all authority and responsibility. They have absolute power and dictate all tasks
to be undertaken. There is no consultation with employees before a decision is made. After the
decision is made, everyone is expected to support the decision made by the leader. There is
often some level of fear of the leader by the team. However, autocratic leadership can be an
effective approach in cases where the leader is experienced and knowledgeable about the
circumstances surrounding the decision in question and where the decision needs to be made
swiftly. It is also ideal in situations when a decision does not require team input or an agreement
to ensure a successful outcome.

3. LAISSEZ-FAIRE LEADERSHIP

Laissez-faire leadership is accurately defined as a hands-off or passive approach to leadership.

Instead, leaders provide their team members with the necessary tools, information, and
resources to carry out their work tasks. The “let them be” style of leadership entails that a leader
steps back and lets team members work without supervision and free to plan, organize, make
decisions, tackle problems, and complete the assigned projects. The laissez-faire leadership
approach is empowering to employees who are creative, skilled, and self-motivated. The level
of trust and independence given to the team can prove to be uplifting and productive and can
lead to job satisfaction. Laissez-faire leadership is the least satisfying and least effective.
Importance of Leadership

• Initiating Action: Leadership starts from the very beginning, even before the work
actually starts. A leader is a person who communicates the policies and plans to the
subordinates to start the work.
• Providing Motivation: A leader motivates the employees by giving them financial and
non-financial incentives and gets the work done efficiently. Motivation is the driving
force in an individual’s life.
• Providing guidance: A leader not only supervises the employees but also guides them
in their work. He instructs the subordinates on how to perform their work effectively so
that their efforts don’t get wasted.
• Creating confidence: A leader acknowledges the efforts of the employees, explains to
them their role clearly and guides them to achieve their goals. He also resolves the
complaints and problems of the employees, thereby building confidence in them
regarding the organization.
• Building work environment: A good it to adversely affect the entity. A positive and
efficient work environment helps in stable grow leader should maintain personal
contacts with the employees and should hear their problems and solve them. He always
listens to the point of view of the employees and in case of disagreement persuades
them to agree with him by giving suitable clarifications. In case of conflicts, he handles
them carefully and does not allow th of the organization.
COMMUNICATION
The English word ‘communication’ is derived from the Latin communis, which means
common sense. The word communication means sharing the same ideas. In other words, the
transmission and interaction of facts, ideas, opinions, feelings or attitudes. Communication is
the essence of management. The basic function of management (planning, planning, staffing,
supervision and management) cannot be done effectively without effective communication.
Communication is a two-way process which involves transferring of information or messages
from one person or group to another. This process goes on and includes a minimum of one
sender and receiver to pass on the messages. These messages can either be any ideas,
imagination, emotions, or thoughts. There are different modes of communication available
today. These include emails, chats, WhatsApp, skype (conference calls), etc. Effective
communication makes people’s work easier and smooth.

Purpose of Communication
1. Communication Foundation:
The manager explains to the employees the goals of the organization, the methods of
their success and the interpersonal relationships between them. This provides
communication between the various staff and departments. Therefore, communication
serves as the basis for collaboration in the organization.
2. Functional:
The manager coordinates the individual and physical aspects of the organization in
order to run it efficiently and effectively. This integration is not possible without proper
communication.
3. The Basis for Making Decisions:
Good communication provides information to the manager that helps them make
decisions. No decisions could have been made without knowledge. Thus,
communication is the basis for making the right decisions.
4. Improves Management Ability:
The manager transfers targets and issues instructions and assigns tasks to subordinates.
All of these factors are involved.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communications is a continuous process which mainly involves three elements viz.

sender, message, and receiver. The elements involved in the communication process
are explained below in detail:

1. Sender: The sender or the communicator generates the message and conveys it to
the receiver. He is the source and the one who starts the communication
2. Message: It is the idea, information, view, fact, feeling, etc. that is generated by the
sender and is then intended to be communicated further.
3. Encoding: The message generated by the sender is encoded symbolically such as in
the form of words, pictures, gestures, etc. before it is being conveyed.
4. Media: It is the manner in which the encoded message is transmitted. The message
may be transmitted orally or in writing. The medium of communication includes
telephone, internet, post, fax, e-mail, etc. The choice of medium is decided by the
sender.
5. Decoding: It is the process of converting the symbols encoded by the sender. After
decoding the message is received by the receiver.
6. Receiver: He is the person who is last in the chain and for whom the message was
sent by the sender. Once the receiver receives the message and understands it in proper
perspective and acts according to the message, only then the purpose of communication
is successful.
7. Feedback: Once the receiver confirms to the sender that he has received the message
and understood it, the process of communication is complete.
8. Noise: It refers to any obstruction that is caused by the sender, message or receiver
during the process of communication. For example, bad telephone connection, faulty
encoding, faulty decoding, inattentive receiver, poor understanding of message due to
prejudice or inappropriate gestures, etc.
 MODE OF COMMUNICATION

ORAL OR VERBAL COMMUNICATION:

Oral communication is a direct communication between two individuals. In oral
communication both the parties i.e., sender and receiver exchange their ideas through
oral words either in face-to-face conversation or through any mechanical or electrical
device such as telephone, teleconference etc. When it is face to face, the person
communicating can ask questions or explanations or sometimes when the
communication is not properly understood, he can clarify meaning. Oral
communication is generally possible where there can be either a direct contact or
message to be conveyed is not of permanent nature. Meetings and conferences, lectures
and interviews are other media of such communication.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION:
When the communication is reduced to black and white (writing), it is called written
communication. This includes written words, graphs, diagrams, pictures, etc. Written
communications are extensively used in organisations. Sometimes, this form of
communication becomes indispensable as in the case of rules, orders, schedules or
policy matters etc. The circulars, magazines, notes and manuals are some common
forms of written communication.

FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• Formal Communication:

Formal Communication refers to communication that takes place through legal

channels in an organization. That kind of communication takes place between managers
or employees of the same class or between high and low and vice versa. It may be oral
or written but a complete record of that communication is kept in the organization.

• Informal Communication:

Informal communication is defined as any communication that occurs outside of the

official channels of communication. Informal communication is often referred to as the
 ‘vine’ as it spreads throughout the organization and on all sides regardless of the level
of authority.

The pattern of contacts among the members of the organisation and flow of information among

them is communication network. Network helps managers to establish contacts in different

patterns through communication flows. The network depends upon the magnitude of the

organisation, nature of communication channels in the organisation and the number of persons

involved in the process. There can be many patterns of communication network.

The most frequently followed networks are the following:

1. Vertical Network/Line Network:

The vertical network is usually between the superior and subordinate and

vice versa. It is two-way communication. The immediate feedback is

possible in this type of communication network. It is formal network.

2. Circle/Circuit Network:

Under this network two persons communicate with each other. Say Mr. ‘A’ sends message to

Mr. ‘B’. After receiving message Mr. ‘B’ communicates the feedback message to Mr. ‘A’. So

communication takes the form of a circuit. Therefore it is known as circuit network. It is similar

to vertical network but in circuit network ‘A’ and ‘B’ are not

necessarily superior and subordinates.

3. Chain Network:

This network of communication follows the organisational hierarchy and chain of command.

All subordinates receive commands or instructions from their superior. B, C, D and E, F, G are

the subordinates to A in the organisational hierarchy and receive

commands from ‘A’ which follows the way shown in the diagram.
4. Wheel Network:

Here all subordinates receive commands from one superior. This is highly centralized type of

communication network where each subordinate receives commands or instructions from a

single authority or superior ‘A’ and wants the immediate feedback.

5. Star Network:

Under star communication network all members of the group communicate with each other

and exchange information. This network is a must for group communication or where

teamwork is involved. This network channel of communication is open to all members of the

group. The members communicate with each other without hesitation.

The effectiveness of the above networks of communication channels depend upon their users

i.e. the managers at all levels, their subordinates and other members of the organisation and

above all the seriousness with which all these human resources make use of the facilities

provided to them by the organisation to accomplish its objectives.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION:

The importance of communication in modern business can hardly be over--emphasized.

This is why the managers usually spend a considerable portion of their time to
communicate with others. But communication is not always as effective as it should be.
Certain external and internal forces impede the flow of communication. They interrupt
or block communication or prevent mutual understanding. Communication may be
vague and badly expressed. It may suffer from lack of clarity or poor retention.
Many communications do not receive the attention they deserve. These limitations or
causes of breakdown of communication channels are called “Communication Barriers‟.

Barriers to Business Communication: Communication is impeded by various types of

barriers. These may be classified into three categories:
(A) External Barriers, (B) Organisational Barriers; and (C) Personal Barriers.

[A] External Barriers: External barriers to business communication may be in the

following forms:

1. Semantic Barriers: The words and symbols used to communicate the facts and
feelings may have variety of meanings. Different people interpret the same message in
different ways depending upon their education, experience, social and cultural
backgrounds etc. The language of the sender may be incomprehensible to the receiver.
Thus, words and symbols sometimes fail to convey the true meanings.
2. Emotional or Psychological Barriers: Emotional or psychological factors are the
prime barriers in inter-personal communication.
The following are some of the emotional barriers:
i. Lack of atttention: It is one of the major chronic psychological barriers. When the
receiver does not pay complete attention to the message, communication becomes
ineffective. A person may be pre-occupied with other important matters, or the message
may be uninteresting or contrary to his/her expectations.
ii. Perceptual Barrier: Every individual has specific areas of interest. So, he/she may
hear, read or see that part of the message which is valuable to him/her. People see what
they want to see and consider it a reality. Some persons interpret the message in terms
of their own viewpoint which may be misleading, thus perception leads to filtering of
the message unconsciously.
iii. Loss by Transmission and Poor Retention: When communication passes through
various channels in the organization, successive transmissions of the same message are
decreasingly accurate. It is said that in the case of oral communications about 30% of
the information is lost in each transmission
iv. Premature Evaluation: Communication is hampered when the receiver evaluates the
message before getting the complete information. On several occasions, the managers
start evaluating the information before reaching proper understanding. Decision is
taken before knowing the full facts. Such a premature evaluation tends to inhibit the
free flow of information and understanding and distorts the communication.
v. Undue Reliance on the Written Words: Written words are no substitute for sound
face-toface relationships. A written communication might fail to explain the purpose of
order, procedure or directive. Written communication often tells what is to be done, but
not why it should be done, and lacks the persuasive quality.

[B] Organisational Barriers: Major organisational barriers may be as follows:

i. Organisational Policy: The general organisational policy regarding

communication acts as an overall guideline to everyone in the organisation
regarding how he is normally expected to behave in this matter. The policy
might be in the form of explicit declaration in writing, or it has to be
interpreted from the behaviour of organisation members, particularly people
at the top. If this policy is not supportive to the flow of communication in
different directions, communication flow would not be smooth and
adequate.

ii. Status Relationship: In the formal organisation structure, superior-

subordinate relationship may cause obstacle to free and frequent
communications, more particularly in upward direction. A manager may not
communicate to subordinates his/her weaknesses. The subordinates do not
feel free to talk to the superiors. They pass on only what the superiors would
like to hear and hold back unpleasant facts. They may communicate to their
superiors only those things which they expect would be appreciated by the
latter. When a subordinate does not have trust in his superior,
communication becomes less effective.
iii. Organisational Rules and Regulations: Organisational rules and regulations
affect the flow of communication by prescribing the subject-matter to be
communicated and also the channel for such communication. The rules may
restrict the flow of certain messages and may leave many important ones.
On the other hand, communication through proper channel in a specified
way prescribed by these rules delays it and works against the willingness of
the persons to convey the message.

iv. Complexity in Organization Structure: In an organization, where there are a

number of managerial levels, the number of filtering points is many. As a
result, the process of communication gets delayed and the chances of
communication getting distorted increase.

v. Organisational Facilities: Organizational facilities provided for smooth,

adequate, clear and timely flow of communication may take a number of
forms such as meetings, conferences, complaint box, suggestion box, social
and cultural gathering, etc. If these are not properly emphasized, generally
people fail to make effective communication.

vi. Information Overload: The managers are overloaded with information from
various sources. They may not always be able to regulate the flow of
information. As a result, the effectiveness of communication is reduced.
They may ignore or misinterpret some of the messages.

[C] Personal Barriers: As communication is basically an inter-personal process,

there are also some personal factors which are responsible for blocking
communication. Personal barriers may be listed as follows:

1. Barriers in Superiors: The role of the superiors in communication is very vital.

Because of their hierarchical relationships with the subordinates, they act as
barriers in a number of ways.

4. Barriers in Subordinates: Vertical communication in either direction can take

place only when the subordinates also actively participate in this process. There are
various factors in the subordinates that adversely affect such active participation
on their part.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

The following methods are suggested to avoid the communication barriers:

1. Full Information: To make the communication effective, it is first of all necessary

that the communicator should know completely and clearly what he intends to
communicate.

2. Appropriate Language: The language used for communication should be such that
it can be easily comprehended by the receiver. Most popular symbols, clear and precise
language should be used for proper communication.

3. Inter-Personal Relationship: Proper inter-personal relationships must be developed

between the superiors and the subordinates so that the latter may feel free to transmit
complete and correct information to the former. The superiors must appreciate useful
criticisms and beneficial suggestions of the subordinates.

4. Selection of Appropriate Channel: The managers must be competent enough to

select the most appropriate channel for sending messages. Face-to- face discussion or
telephone should be used to send a complicated message. On the other hand, memos,
letters or electronic mail may be used to send routine messages, because there is hardly
any chance of misunderstanding.

5. Empathy in Communication: The way for effective communication is to be

sensitive towards the receiver’s needs, feelings and perceptions. The communicator
should convey the message in such a way that the emotions and sentiments of the
receiver are not hurt.

6. Supporting Words with Actions: The most persuasive kind of communication is

not what you say but what you do. The managers must make sure that their actions
support the communication process. This will ensure the seriousness in communication.

7. Examples and Visual Aids: To fix the idea of communication in the receiver’s mind,
appropriate stories and word pictures may be used in appropriate situations to the
understanding of the receiver. Further, visual aids through charts and diagrams can be
 advantageously used to stress particular points or ideas which may be difficult to
describe properly by words.

8. Good Listening: Careful listening is essential for effective communication. By this

process, one is not only giving chance to others to speak but gathers useful information
for further communications. By concentrating on the speaker’s explicit and implicit
meanings, the manager can obtain a much better understanding of what is being said.

9. Delaying Reaction: It is a good practice for effective communication not to be

influenced by immediate reaction of the first impression. Hasty reaction often results in
ignoring the real implication of communication and experience shows that the delaying
of action by the recipient becomes helpful in understanding the intended meaning of
the communication.

10. Strategic Use of Informal Communication (Grapevine): A manager should use

the informal channels of communication to supplement the formal communication
system. For this purpose, he must understand the informal communication networks
and should make their intelligent use to fill up the gaps in formal channels of
communication.

EMERGING TRENDS IN COMMUNICATION

1. Social Media Platforms

These days, almost all social media platforms encourage businesses on their network. They
have lined up exclusive features and marketplaces for businesses to connect with customers
easily.

Social media platforms such as Instagram even have some handy tools that will help to make
their process smoother. For instance, you can add Quick Replies to the frequently asked
questions, so you can immediately answer your clients.

2. Video Channels

Though technically, YouTube can be deemed a social media platform, how you correspond
with clients here might vary slightly. Most often, audience reaches out through comments
rather than contacting through direct messages.When customers feel heard and seen, the
chances are they will share your videos or spread words about your reliable customer service
to others.
3. Live Chat

It has become imperative for businesses to have a live chat option on their websites. Live Chat
has the highest customer satisfaction level. On occasions, customers even rely on live chat for
clarifications in the middle of purchasing an item from an online store. The biggest attraction
here is, undeniably, the quick responses.

4. Customer Feedback

Customer feedback could be used not only as a metric for your marketing performance but
when cleverly presented, customer reviews are excellent to promote your business. A popular
way of utilizing customer feedback is to showcase promising reviews on your website. Positive
reviews on social media or other related platforms can also be used to attract new customers.

5. Call Center Software

Although other communication channels might be becoming more popular, when it comes to
urgent responses, or even as the last resort, people always turn to call customer service. Today
it is mostly used as the last option if nothing else is working. In essence, it will minimize the
issues that you might come across when you engage with customers through the phone. You
could route calls to specific agents, set a conference call, or even an automatic callback in case
a connection is lost.

7. Text Messages and Whatsapp

Texts have become the go-to method to reach out to someone without disrupting another
person’s day. Since Whatsapp has become almost synonymous with texts, businesses have
been flocking to create their professional accounts. Many companies have already reached out
to their existing subscriber list emphasizing that they are always available. Text messages can
also be used to remind your customers of promotions or any product updates without
interrupting them. Many customers consider a text message as a more personal mode of
communication.