Chapter 1: Communication Processes, Principles and Ethics PDF

CHAPTER 1: C O M M U N I C AT I O N PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS COMMUNICATION Derived from the Latin words con which means “with”, munus which means “a business”, communis which means “common” and communico which means “to confer”. - It is therefore defined as the process of a...

CHAPTER 1: C O M M U N I C AT I O N PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS COMMUNICATION Derived from the Latin words con which means “with”, munus which means “a business”, communis which means “common” and communico which means “to confer”. - It is therefore defined as the process of accomplishing a goal According to Sanchez (2017), effective communication is the most critical component of total quality management. - Described as the transfer of information, thoughts or ideas to create a shared understanding between a sender and a receiver. - It is a dynamic , two- way process - therefore, communication is the process of transferring information from one point to another where the receiver  TYPES OF COMMUNICATION Verbal Communication - uses words or symbols. It is done through speaking or writing. *Spoken communication can be done through face-to- face interaction, through mobiles or computers, public speaking, etc. *Written communication can be written, digitized or printed. Factors that affect verbal communication: 1. Tone of voice 2. Use of descriptive words 3. Emphasis on certain phrases 4. Volume of voice A c c o rd i n g t o M e h r a b i a n ( 2 0 1 7 ) , 5 5 % o f information gathered when people are speaking to each other in person is determined through body language, 38% of the information relayed in a conversation through tone of voice, and only 7% of the words that are spoken are used to understand what is being said.  Non-verbal Communication - sending of message using methods other than spoken language. It may be intentional or unintentional. According to Tidwell (2016) there are two kinds of non-verbal communication: 1. Non- verbal messages produced by the body 2. Non-verbal messages produced by the broad setting such as time , space and silence Examples of non-verbal communication: Touch, glance , eye contact, vocal, nuance, proximity, facial expressions, gestures volume , pause (silence), i n t o n a t i o n , d re s s p o s t u re , s m e l l , context, formality  Uses of non-verbal communication: 1. Used to repeat the verbal message. 2. Often used to accent a verbal message. 3. Often complements the verbal message but may also contradict. 4. Regulate interactions. 5. May substitute for the verbal message, especially if it is blocked by noise or interruption.  In high-context cultures, the manner of saying the word is more important than the word itself. High-context cultures - those who communicate in ways that are implicit and rely heavily on context. These are the collectivistic in nature. Low-context cultures - those who communicate in ways that are explicit. These are the individualistic in nature. ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS Sender - a person, group or organization who initiates communication. Also called as encoder, source, speaker, writer or communicator. The sender is responsible for the success of the communication. The sender ’s experiences, attitudes, knowledge, skills, perceptions, and culture influence the message. Message - is the element transmitted in the communication process. The message should be coded by the sender in a way that it will be easily understood by the receiver. Channel - pathway or medium through which the message travels to reach its destination. It may be oral, written or visual. Each kind of channel has a specific use depending on the message. Examples: Face-to-face, through writing letters, social media, mobile phone call, etc Noise - a form of distortion, barrier or obstacle that occurs in any of the phases of the oral communication process. It may be visual, aural, physical or psychological in forms. Examples: inappropriate channel, incorrect grammar, inflammatory words, jargon, Receiver - the person who receives, understands, analyzes and interprets the message. Also called as decoder, reader or listener. The receiver’s experiences, attitudes, knowledge, skills, perceptions, and culture influence the interpretation of the message. Successful communication takes place when the receiver correctly interprets the sender’s message. In giving the receiver’s response, the receiver then becomes the sender. Feedback - the receiver’s response that provides information to the sender. It shows whether the receiver understood the message or not. According to Bovee and Thill (1992), even the lack of response, is in a sense, a form of response. It is a very important element of the process because it makes the communication dynamic, two-way interactive event. Adjustment - it is done if the message is not clearly understood by the receiver. ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION The importance of communication is related to various aspects.  1. Communication is integrated in all parts of our lives. We communicate every minute and every second of our lives. And as we go through life everyday, we use communication in all places we go to, in different parts of our lives. Academics According to researches, students who are good in writing and speaking perform better not only in the English class, but also in other learning areas. Professional Employees who are better in communicating have the higher chance of getting hired Personal Having a vocabulary to name the communication phenomena in our lives increases our ability to alter consciously our communication in order to achieve our goals and avoid miscommunication. Civic Civic engagement refers to working to make a difference in our communities by improving the quality of life of community members. COMMUNICATION MEETS NEEDS Communication is more than the transmission of information. We also communicate in order to survive our day-to-day activities. 1. Physical Needs - keep our brain and body functioning 2. Instrumental Needs - instructing people, giving directions 3. Relational Needs - initiate, maintain or end a relationship 4.Identity Needs - people present their image through the way they communicate COMMUNICATION IS GUIDED BY CULTURE AND CONTEXT  Culture - as defined by O’Neil (2006), it is the full range of learned human behavior patterns. It includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, etc. Context - the circumstances that form the setting for an event Culture and context influence how we deliver and how we understand messages. COMMUNICATION IS L E A R N E D.  The need to communicate and the ability to learn a language is innate. However, our manner of communication varies from person to person. This is because communication is learned rather than innate. The Case of the Feral Children - children who were raised by animals; children who grew up isolated from human contact COMMUNICATION HAS ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS. Communication ethics deals with reflecting and negotiating our actions based on what we believe to be right or wrong. The Communication Process Model  PRINCIPLES IN COMMUNICATION P R I N C I P L E S A R E G U I D E L I N E S W E F O L L O W W H E N W E S AY O R D O S O M E T H I N G. Principle of Clarity - messages should be worded clearly. Messages should not be ambiguous or can be i n t e r p r e t e d i n d i f fe r e n t w a y s. I t s h o u l d b e straightforward so the receiver will easily understand w h a t t h e s p e a ke r i s s ay i n g. I t i s a l w ay s t h e responsibility of the sender to make the message clear so that the receiver will understand the message correctly. Principle of Attention - the receiver’s attention should be drawn to the message to make the communication effective. In order to achieve successful communication, the receiver should be listening to the sender to understand the message. There are many distractor that may cause the receiver to lose the focus on the message. Avoid any circumstances that may lead to the loss of attention of the receiver. Principle of Feedback - there should be a feedback in communication in order for the sender to know whether the message was clearly understood by the receiver. The feedback will also indicate whether the sender needs to make adjustments on the message for the receiver to understand the message. Principle of Informality - in academic or business setting, the language used is mainly formal. However, in circumstances where formal language fail to meet its goal, which is to make receiver/s understand the message, the sender should be flexible in switching to informal language to code the message clearer. Informal communication is as important as formal communication. Principle of Consistency - communication should always be consistent with the policies, plans, programs and objectives of the organization and not in conflict with them. If l e a d e rs a re n o t fo l l ow i n g t h e r u l e s , t h e subordinates will be confused. Principle of Timeliness - communication should be done in real time. It helps transactions to be done fast. Principles of Adequacy - when communicating, information should be adequate and complete. Incomplete information may cause delay and confusion. COMMUNICATION ETHICS The National Communication Association (NCA) formulated the Credo for Ethical Communication in N ove m b e r 1 9 9 9. I t re m i n d s u s t h at e t h i ca l communication is relevant across contexts and applies to every channel of communication. 1. Advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty and reason as essential to the integrity of communication. 2. Endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent to achieve the informed and responsible decision making fundamental to a civil society. 3. Strive to understand and respect other communicators before evaluating and responding to their messages. 4. Promote access to communication resources and opportunities as necessary to fulfill human potential and contribute to the well-being of families, communities, and society. 5. Promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding that respect the unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators. 7. Condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred. 8. Commit to the courageous expression of personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice. Advocate sharing information, opinions and feelings when facing significant choices while also respecting privacy and confidentiality. 9.Accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences for our own communication and expect the same of others. Ethics Resource Center (Free Word Press, 2017) Simple Three-Part Guide for Ethical Business Communication 1.Be honest. 2.Be respectful. 3.Show sensitivity to cultural differences.  Communication Ethics in the Academic Context 1. Avoid plagiarism. The Instrument of Judicial Governance defines plagiarism as “the intentional representation of another person’s words, thoughts or ideas as one’s own.” 1. Data gathered from participants for a research or study should be kept confidential at all times, unless given the permission of the participant. 2. Students should always show respect to authorities in school. 3. Transactions or communication plans should follow a protocol for their acceptance or approval. 4. Never tell a lie or misrepresent facts to your teachers, classmates or any people. COMMUNICATION AND GLOBALIZATION