Introduction To Communication PDF

CHAPTER ONE =========== INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION ============================= **Learning Outcomes** By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to: - Understand the meaning of term communication - Describe the objectives of communication - Discuss the characteristics of...

CHAPTER ONE =========== INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION ============================= **Learning Outcomes** By the end of this chapter, the learner should be able to: - Understand the meaning of term communication - Describe the objectives of communication - Discuss the characteristics of communication - Describe the principles of effective communication - Appreciate the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in communication - Explain the benefits of ICT in communication - Identify the challenges of ICT in communication **Introduction** Communication is as old as human civilization. The word communication is used to mean speaking or writing or sending a message to another person. Communication is really much more than that. It involves ensuring that your message reaches the target audience and that the receiver understands and responds to the message appropriately. Communication is an important aspect of behaviour; human communication is affected by all factors that influence human behaviour. The common need for protection led to group life. As group life developed, forms of communication also developed. Communication was in the forms of codes, indications, signals, and expressions. Gradually with the increase in population, division of labor, exchange economy, etc., necessitated the development of language. In the present-day world, communication is a vital need of every Step in any industrial or commercial activity. The term communication has been derived from the Latin word, 'communis', which means common. Communication means, to tell, show, spread information, and inform. The term communication is used to signify the process of transferring ideas or receiving them by any means such as word of mouth, telephone, telegram, letter, message, etc. Thus, communication stands for sharing of information, imparting or conveying ideas and knowledge. The English word 'communication' is derived from the Latin word communis, which means common. The term communication refers to the sharing of ideas in common. In other words, it is the transmission and interaction of facts, ideas, opinions, feelings, or attitudes. Communication is the essence of management. The basic function of management (planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling) cannot be performed well without effective communication. In short, Communication is the process of passing ideas, views, facts, information, and understanding from one person to another. This process is necessary for making the subordinates understand what the management expects from them. Communication cannot take place without two parties -- the receiver and the sender. The information which is sent by the sender must be understandable to the receiver. Various definitions have been advanced in communication literature as following: **Communication** is the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another. According to Koontz and O'Donnel (2005), **Communication** is the exchange of information at least between two persons to create an understanding in the mind of the other, whether or not it gives rise to conflict. According to Newman and Summer (2008), **Communication** is the exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons. According to Louis Allen (2009), **Communication** is the sum of all things a person does when he wants to create an understanding in the mind of another. According to Keith Davis (2002), **Communication** is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. It is essentially a bridge of meaning between people. By using this bridge of meaning, a person can safely cross the river of misunderstanding that separates all the people. - **Communication** is the process of transmitting information and meaning from one individual or organization to another by means of mutually understandable symbols. The crucial element is meaning. Communication has as its central objective the transmission of meaning. - The process of communication is successful only when the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it. Both parties must agree not only on the information transmitted but also on the meaning of that information. - In order to transfer an idea, we must use symbols (**words, signs, pictures, sounds**) which stand for the idea. - The symbols must be understood by the person or persons with whom we intend to communicate. Both must assign the same meaning to the symbols used; otherwise, there is miscommunication. **Objectives of Communication** The primary objective of communication in management is to convey information---instructions, policies, procedures, decisions, etc., so the listener will hear, read, understand what is said, agree and accept the message, and react as intended by the manager or sender of the communication. There are many objectives of communication: - Stronger decision making - Increased productivity - Steadier workflow - Enhanced professional image - Clearer promotional material - Provide advice - Provide order - Suggestion - Persuasion - Education - Warning - Raising morale and motivation - To give and receive information - To provide counseling - To improve discipline **Characteristics of Communication** a. **At least two persons** -- Communication involves at least two persons---the sender and the receiver. The sender sends the message and the receiver receives the message. There is an exchange of information between two or more persons. b. **Two-way process** -- Communication is essentially a two-way process. It does not merely mean sending and receiving messages. It is not complete unless and until the message has been understood by the receiver in the same sense. c. **Form of communication** -- Communication may take several forms, e.g., order, instruction, report, queries, etc. It may be verbal or written. It may be formal or informal. d. **Scope** -- Communication is present in all human relationships. It is essential in all types of organizations and at all levels of management. It has a very wide scope. e. **Dynamic process** -- Communication is influenced by the mood and thinking of the sender and receiver. It keeps on changing depending upon the Level of understanding of the sender and receiver. f. **Goal-oriented** -- Communication is goal-oriented and is effective only when there is a congruence of goals of the sender and the receiver. g. **Interdisciplinary** -- Communication derives knowledge from several sciences like anthropology (the study of body language), sociology (the study of human behaviour), psychology (the study of a human), etc. The linking between these sciences makes communication effective. h. **Interpersonal relations** -- The main purpose of communication is to influence the human behavior which creates interpersonal relations. i. **Circular process** -- There is a circular flow of information in the communication process. After the feedback, the receiver of the original message is required to transmit another message. The response indicates the success of the communication. **Essentials/Principles of Effective Communication** Communication is effective only when both the sender and the receiver are focussed on the act of communication. While the sender must sharpen and improve skills of speaking and writing, the receiver must improve skills of listening and reading. The qualities of communication which the sender must achieve are called the C\'s of Communication because most of them begin with the letter C. **Cs of Good Communication** 1. **Correctness** A letter must be correct in every respect: - **In spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and use of language**. Incorrect language spoils the message, distracts the receiver\'s attention, and creates a poor impression of the sender; it may also convey a wrong meaning. All spellings must be checked; spelling of names must be checked with extra care. Most people are offended if their name is wrongly spelt or pronounced. There must be consistency in the use of numbers, units of measure, technical terms, abbreviations, hyphens, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. American and English spelling vary. Hyphenation and punctuation and capitalization do not have absolutely fixed rules. Whatever you decide on, be consistent throughout the document. - **In appearance and form of layout**. Poor and untidy appearance, with typing mistakes corrected in ink, uneven spacing or carelessness in the layout, creates a poor impression of the company\'s efficiency in handling its work. Appearance depends on placing the parts of layout correctly on the letterhead, even spacing between letters, words, lines and parts of layout, and having proper margins on all sides. Similarly, shabby appearance of the speaker and lack of attention to body language creates a bad impression. - **In the information conveyed correct and accurate**. Communicating wrong or incomplete information is the most harmful thing; it leads to waste of time in making corrections and will lead to loss of goodwill and loss of business. All dates and days, time, numbers and facts must be in agreement. Nothing is more confusing than mismatched information. - **In tone, formality and style must be appropriate to the occasion**, the content and the relationship between the sender and the receiver. An overdone apology sounds childish or undignified; a grudging or patronising agreement to grant a request sounds unpleasant. 2. **Clarity** The message must be clear at the first reading so it that takes very little time to follow and understand. Clearly written or spoken messages avoid misunderstanding and save time. Write and speak to express, not to impress. Clarity depends upon five factors: - **Simple,** common everyday words which everyone can understand. Never send the reader to the dictionary. Technical terms should be avoided unless absolutely needed and if you are communicating within the profession. - **Short and simple sentences.** Long sentences confuse the reader, and often confuse the writer also. Phrases and clauses should not be added on to a sentence. Each bit of important information should be given in a separate sentence. - **Proper punctuation and pauses**. It helps to provide pauses and stops and to break up groups of words into sensible units. Besides the full stop, there are other, shorter pauses like the semi-colon and the comma which help to break up a sentence into readable units. 3. **Consistency** Consistency should be in the use of numbers, units of measure, technical terms, abbreviations, grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization and dates. British or American spellings vary. Hyphenation, punctuation and capitalization do not have absolutely fixed rules. Whatever you decide on, be consistent throughout the document. 4. **Coherence** Coherence is logical sequence of ideas. Making a clear plan for a presentation or a letter ensures that the ideas are in logical order; coherence, that is, logical connection of ideas makes any composition easy to understand. Consistency in numbering also helps in achieving coherence 5. **Concreteness** Giving definite and concrete details with figures and names. Vague phrases like \"in due course\" or \"at your earliest convenience\" are not so useful as definite time phrases like in two weeks or within three weeks, soon, good, any time. Use words and expressions which communicate exact and definite information. It is better to use concrete words with a definite meaning, or to give concrete examples and description. Words like good, bad, far, near, make sense only when you indicate the level of efficiency or quality and say at what speed. 6. **Conciseness** Conciseness means expressing much in a few words; in business communication it means keeping to the point, using as few words as possible without sacrificing clarity or courtesy. It does not necessarily mean being brief; it means making every word count. Conciseness can be achieved by: - Leaving out unnecessary modifiers; for example, \"new innovation;\" (can there be an old innovation?) or \'\'very unique\" (unique means only \"one of its kind\"). Other examples are: \"advance plans\", \"actual experience\", \"cylindrical in shape\", \"three cubic meters in volume.\" - (Reducing unimportant ideas to phrases or single words like, in the form of - as in many cases - often exhibits the ability to - can in the event of - if - Making sure that only the necessary and relevant details are included. Using more words than necessary confuses the idea. Conciseness and clarity are closely related; giving clear and definite details often reduces the length of a sentence. Readers are thankful for precise and clear messages. Irrelevant ideas and going out of point confuse the listener. 7. **Courtesy** Courtesy is consideration for other people\'s feelings. It is seen in an individual\'s behaviour with others. A well-mannered and courteous person shows consideration and thought for others. In a letter, the style, the manner and the choice of words reflect the courtesy of the writer. Some simple rules for courtesy are: - Use the courtesy words please, thank you, excuse me and sorry as the situation requires. - Express appropriate feeling according to the situation. For example, sympathy when someone suffers, good wishes when someone begins something new, and congratulation when someone achieves something. - Make the other person feel comfortable. This is an important factor of courtesy. Care and consideration for the reader is reflected in the letter. The opening sentence itself shows the courtesy of the writer: - We appreciate your promptness in sending the goods. - Thank you for sending your quotation so promptly. - We are sorry to learn that you were inconvenienced. Requests must also be made courteously: - We would appreciate it very much if you could send your cheque within three days of receiving our bill. - Will you please look into the matter at once? - Be attentive and prompt in responding. Every message, written or oral should be answered within twenty-four hours. If it is a letter of complaint, the response should be immediate; a courteous company makes a phone call or sends a fax message immediately on receiving a complaint or hearing about a problem. Everyone appreciates prompt attention. - Let the tone, the choice of words and the style of the message reflect your consideration for the feelings and needs of the receiver. This is particularly important if the message to be \'conveyed is likely to be unpleasant for the reader. A courteous letter has the best chance of getting a favourable response. Seeing the situation as the reader sees it, and taking care of his/ her needs, is courtesy. You must have an awareness of how the words sound to the receiver. 8. **Completeness** The message communicated should be complete with all necessary details and information given to enable proper understanding and response by the receiver. **The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Communication** Information and communication technologies (ICT) play a significant role in all aspects of modern society. ICT have changed the way in which we communicate with each other, how we find needed information, work, conduct business, interact with government agencies, and how we manage our social lives. **ICT** involves the use of computer and internet in communication, including the internet enabled mobile phone. **[Effects of Communication Technology on Business Productivity ]** - Business productivity has increased dramatically with mobile communication tools. The mobile telephone and the mobile PC have freed the business person from the desk and made it possible to work from anywhere, anytime. With instant messaging, the capabilities of communication have become even more powerful. Regular Instant Messaging users have increased the number of people they contact and the frequency of such contacts, while decreasing the number of e-mail and phone calls they initiated. - It builds customer and partner relationships. Clients and business partners get instant access to the company contacts they need, right when they need them. They do not have to waste time waiting for the operator or the EPBX system to put them through to the person they need to talk to. - It increases employee productivity since on-the-spot responses means that work gets done faster and more efficiently, right from your desktop. - It increases flexibility and decreases downtime. There is no need to spend time just waiting for information to be located and transmitted by some other person. Direct access to the needed information means ability to take decisions on the spot. Within the organization, rigid and time-consuming procedures of getting information through the organizational channels can be avoided. Using wireless connectivity gives users more flexibility to work from a variety of locations, resulting in productivity gains and efficiency savings. With instant messaging it is possible to reply to urgent queries, eliminate the need to make copies, eliminate travel in many cases. Productivity gains are measured by the amount of additional time available that is used to perform business tasks. - An important development is the portability of the cellular telephone and of the laptop computer, so that an individual has the power to contact anyone at any location from any location. The instrument is no longer tied to the transmitting equipment because of developments in wireless technology combined with telephone for the cellular (mobile) telephone. - The laptop and other portable computers and the mobile telephone have freed the person from the office and the desk. - The mobile telephone has acquired a large number of capabilities besides transmission of voice; it has become capable of storage. - Data which might be needed at important meetings at a faraway location can be carried in compressed form in a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, palmtop computer or pocket computer. This data can be in the form of text, graphics or voice and sounds. - The instrument is also capable of taking instant pictures and storing or transmitting them; these can then be transferred to other instruments like the desktop computer. - It allows access to the internet, thus making information search possible from any location. The instrument allows the user to carry out some editing of the stored data. - Ability to hold one-on-one conferences online and hold \"virtual meetings\" where others can join in. - Offers opportunity for online marketing and online business transactions. Employees and customers can discuss sales deals on-the-spot. - Information communication is fast, enabling immediate answers to urgent questions and staying in close touch with employees who are on the road. The management can also send personal, timely congratulatory notes to boost staff morale. - It has capacity for mass storage of information. All data about the organization can be located in one place. - It enables quick and ready access to information from many sources at any time. - Provides reprographic services in communication. - Enables social networking through the social media. **Benefits of ICT in Communication** - Improved efficiency - Convenient, fast, and easy business communications - Cuts across geographical boundaries -- reduces costs of travelling - Prompt response to customer needs - Improved research and development - Increased sales through online marketing **Challenges posed by the use of ICT in communication** - Increase in cyber-crime. - Internet fluctuations. - High cost of purchasing and installing communication gadgets. - Proper usage of ICT needs technical knowledge and skills. - Mobile phone and social media have led to spread of fake news, hatred and defamation. **Self-Test Questions** 1. Define the term communication 2. List the objectives of communication 3. Discuss the characteristics of communication 4. Describe the principles of effective communication 5. Explain the Cs of good communication 6. Examine the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in communication 7. Discuss the benefits of ICT in communication 8. Discuss the challenges of ICT in communication