What is Communication?The transmission of any meaningful message is communication .Communication is an integral part of human existence. It contributes enormously to the success and failure of any human activity. Communication is essentially the ability of one person to make contact with another and to make himself understood. Since man is a social animal, it is vital that he express his feelings and emotions, receive and exchange information. It is here that communication comes into play.Defining CommunicationThe word com is derived from communis (Latin) meaning common. It stands for a natural activity of all human beings to convey opinions, feelings, information, and ideas to others through words (written or spoken), body language or signs.According to Anderson Communication is interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information, by speech, writing or signs.According to Allen Communication is the sum of all things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another. It involves the systematic process of telling, listening and understanding.According to Haimann, Communication means the passing of information from one person to another. It is the process of importing ideas and making oneself understood to others.Newman and Summer define communication as an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.To sum up, communication is the process of passing and understanding information from one person to another, i.e. the person to whom the message is transmitted understands it in the same sense in which the sender of the message wants him to understand it. According to Harold D. Laswell, a convenient way to describe the act ist to answer the following questions:WhoCommunicatorSays WhatMessageIn Which ChannelMediumTo WhomReceiverWith What EffectReactionCharacteristics of Communication/ Nature of communication The following are the main characteristics of communication. Communication is a continuous process. It is the interchange of information. It involves mutual understanding It creates response or reaction It is a universal function It is a social activity.

Further reading: Rao and Das, Himalaya Publishing House.Objectives of communication in an organisation:1. Information sharing2. Feedback3. Control4. Problem-solving5. Decision making6. Facilitating exchange7. Group buildingFurther Reading: Management principles and practices, Parag Diwan Elements of Communication The process of communication involves seven major elements. These elements are- sender, message, encoding, channel, receiver, decoding and feedback.

SourceAs the source of the message, you need to be clear about why youre communicating, and what you want to communicate. You also need to be confident that the information youre communicating is useful and accurate.

MessageThe message is the information that you want to communicate. It can be verbal or non- verbal.EncodingThis is the process of transferring the information you want to communicate into a form that can be sent and correctly decoded at the other end. It involves converting thoughts into suitable words, pictures, charts and symbols.ChannelMessages are conveyed through channels, with verbal channels including face-to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written channels including letters, emails, memos and reports.DecodingDecoding means attaching some meaning to the message. Just as successful encoding is a skill, so is successful decoding (involving, for example, taking the time to read a message carefully, or listen actively to it.) ReceiverReceiver is the person who receives the message. The receiver has to perform three functions- receiving the message, decoding the message and understanding the message.FeedbackIt means the return of communication from the receiver to the sender. Feedback includes as verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message. ContextThe situation in which your message is delivered is the context. This may include the surrounding environment or broader culture (corporate culture, international cultures, and so on).

Seven Cs of communicationEffective Communication or Characteristics of Successful Communication According to Francis J Bergin there is 7 Cs applicable to effective communication. These are the elements of good business communication. The seven Cs are:-Clarity: Your messages need to be clear if they are to be effective.

Conciseness: If you want your messages to be read by busy people, make them brief. Say what you need to say, and say no more (while maintaining goodwill, of course). Remove all words phrases and sentences that serve no purpose. You can also eliminate wordiness by substituting one word for wordy, overused expressions.

Concreteness: You have a choice in your writing to use concrete (specific) or abstract (vague) words. They both have a place in business writing. However, concrete terms are typically more accurate and, in some cases, more believable.

Correctness: Correctness in business writing includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. For spelling, punctuation, and grammar, you should keep a dictionary and a writer's guide at your desk.

Candidness: in business transactions, our view of a matter should be honest and sincere. We should speak and listen without prejudices and bias.Completeness: Check to be sure that your message is complete. Have you included all the information you need to ensure that the other person can do a complete job or make a reasonable decision?

Courtesy: Your message should be positive-building goodwill and focused upon the reader. Watch gender specific language and always use proper titles.

Business Communication or Importance of Communication in BusinessCommunication is the lifeblood of an organization. If we could somehow remove communication flows from an organization, we would not have an organization.It is needed for: Exchanging information Exchanging options Making plans and proposals Reaching agreement Executing decisions Sending and fulfilling orders Conducting salesFactors contributing to the importance of communication:1. Size of organisations2. Growing importance of human relations.3. Public Relations.4. Technological advances5. Consumerism and globalization6. Growth of trade unionsWhen communication stops, organized activity ceases to exist. Individual uncoordinated activity returns in an organization. So, Communication in an organization, is as vital as blood for lifeTypes of CommunicationORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION INFORMATION FLOW OR DIRECTIONS OF INFORMATION FLOWA.ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATIONOr Dimensions of communicationa) Upward Communication: In upward communication, the information is passed on from the junior level employees to the management of the company. This enables the employees to participate in the company's business and policies and give their valuable inputs. This kind of communication can help the employees gain confidence, and understand the functioning of the organization better.Upward Communication is a mean for staff to: Exchange information Offer ideas Express enthusiasm Achieve job satisfaction Provide feedback

b) Downward Communication On the contrary, in downward communication, the flow of information is from the top level management to the subordinates. This type of communication enables the organization benefit from the managerial expertise and experience of the top level management. However, the management should make sure that downward communication does not take away the employees freedom of expressing their views on certain aspects. So, giving some powers to the employees in spite of having downward communication is essential for growth of the organization. Downward communication generally provides enabling information which allows a subordinate to do something. e.g.: Instructions on how to do a task.Downward communication is needed in an organization to: Transmit vital information Give instructions Encourage 2-way discussion Announce decisions Seek cooperation Provide motivation Boost morale Increase efficiency Obtain feedback Both Downward & Upward Communications are collectively called Vertical Communication

c) Horizontal/Lateral communicationHorizontal communication normally involves coordinating information, and allows people with the same or similar rank in an organization to cooperate or collaborate. Communication among employees at the same level is crucial for the accomplishment of work. Horizontal Communication is essential for: Solving problems Accomplishing tasks Improving teamwork Building goodwill Boosting efficiency

d) Diagonal communicationDiagonal or crosswise communication takes place among employees and managers who are at higher or lower levels. Thus a Marketing Manager may consult the Advertising Production Chief down the line through the Director of Advertising; or the Manager of Finance may confer with the Sales Manager or the Retail Sales director two levels down the hierarchy.The advantages of diagonal communication are as follows: flexibility of communication across speedier transaction of business; a certain degree of informality whicha strictly hierarchical downward flow cannot offer easier organization of formal and informal meetings involving different levels such meetings are attended by workers at all levels and may be held informally at a strictly hierarchical downward flow, lunch or tea time: and they limitations of hierarchy.Diagonal Communication sometimes has the disadvantage of slackening control and this may encourage adverse grapevine.B. INTER PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONACCORDING TO CHANNEL OR MEDIUM (WAY OF EXPRESSION)Or FORMS OF COMMUNICATIONBusiness communication can be classified according to the medium or means of communicating. The basic forms of corporate communication are:1. Verbal Communicationa. Oral communicationb. Written communication2. Non- verbal communicationa. Sign languageb. Body language

1. Verbal Communication: Any communication using words is verbal communication. All serious or formal communication is usually in words. Words can be written or spoken, so verbal communication can be both oral as well as written communication.

a) Oral communication: it is the interchange of verbal messages between the sender and receiver. It is more natural and informal. In business every manager need to learn oral communication skills to converse or discuss persuasively, effectively and convincingly.Objectives/ Importance of Oral Communication in Business.It forms an important part of every managers job as he is engaged in one of the following tasks: meetings, discussions, negotiations, seminars, presentations, interviews, peer conversations, subordinate instructions and telephonic conversation. It also helps: To resolve conflicts To help problem solving To influence people to work together. To persuade others to be involved in organizational goals To be assertive without being aggressive To develop listening skills To be an effective negotiator To make a proposal. Advantages of Oral Communication Saves time and money Immediate feedback Saves paperwork An effective tool for exhortation Best tool during emergency Builds a healthy climateDisadvantages of Oral Communication Greater chances of misunderstanding Ineffective for lengthy communication Lower retention rate Lacks validity Difficult to fix responsibility

a) Written Communication: A message constitutes written communication when it is put in black and white. It is a formal type of communication. every manager is responsible for a variety of written communication such as replies to clients, enquiries, memos, proposals for contract, formal or informal reports to initiate action and so on. Principles of effective Writing: Accuracy Brevity ClarityAdvantages of Written Communication Precision and Accuracy Easily verified Permanent record Suitable for lengthy and complicated messages Responsibility can be easily fixed Legal validityDisadvantages of Written Communication Slower method of communication Too much of paperwork No flexibility Literacy essential Costly in terms of money and manpower Possibility of ambiguity Non-Verbal CommunicationCommunication which is not in words but involves things such as gestures, postures and physical appearance constitutes non- verbal communication. It generally involves all bodily movements. Non-verbal communication is classified in two different ways:a) Sign language: Sign language includes both visual and audio signs.b) Body language: also known as Kinesics includes body movements, facial expressions, gestures etc.

C. ACCORDING TO THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE FORMAL AND INFORMAL COMMUNICATION Formal Communication: Formal communication is normally controlled by people in positions of authority in an organization, all the reports, records and all other forms that supply working information to various parts of the organization are included in formal communication. A good business organization will ensure that the formal channels of communication are properly planned and designed to its needs.Formal lines of communication in an organization comprise:1. Line relationship: it is that line of authority which sets down the path of communication from boss to subordinate and vice versa. All official information, orders and instructions move from seniors to subordinates. Similarly all follow up action, compliance and execution information and reports move upward from subordinate to boss.2. Functional relationship: it is the communication that occurs when departments inform work and other related organizational matters to each other.3. Staff relationship: it is the communication that supports the line management, marketing and production. It does not carry the executive authority of line relationship.Advantages of formal communication1. Formal communication is more binding and thus more likely to be obeyed as it is official communication.2. It is more precise and thus less likely to be misunderstood. 3. It is traceable at all times and can be preserved (with numerous copies available for distribution.4. Formal communicationestablishes responsibilityof the sender and receiver beyond any doubt. 5. Formal communicationsaves time and effortthat would otherwise be consumed in informal talks, in discussions, and perhaps in arguments. 6. Formal communicationavoids the embarrassmentof face-to-face contact between the parties when the subject of communication is sensitive or painful.

Disadvantages of formal communication: Formal communication has also been widely criticized on the following bases: 1. It is toorigid, in that it limits information within the department to that sanctioned by the chief or supervisor. 2. It follows a classic format commonly referred to as "bureaucratic jargon," the cautious phraseology of which is not conducive to true understanding and often serves toobscurethe real meaning of a communication. 3. It fails, in most cases, to identify the reasons behind the message; and thislack ofexplanationcan be very frustrating to the recipient. 4. It iscostlyin terms of secretarial effort, reproduction costs, and delivery time. 5. Itsmacks of authoritarianism, since orders descend to a much greater extent than reports and feedback ascend to leadership positions (and since social matters are seldom mentioned). 6. Itfails to motivate employees, since it is usually impersonal and fnal. 7. It oftenunderestimates the intelligence of recipientsby focusing on elementary or trivial matters. 8. It can bedivisive, separating personnel into "recipients" and "non recipients."

Grapevine or Informal Communication: Advantages of informal communication: Proponents of informal communication advocate its use for the following reasons: 1. Informal communication is less official andless intimidating.It can therefore enhance the flow of new ideas and plans without the fear of ridicule or punishment. 2. Informal communication ispersonal, which imbues it with the enthusiasm and zeal of the participants rather than dry, bureaucratic logic. 3. Since it is usually verbal, informal communication allows both parties to discuss and explore the hidden dimensions of organizational matters in atwo-waycommunication pattern. 4. Informal communication can be a convenient way of explaining to workers why the department operates as it does. It promotesdisclosure of underlying motivesand pressures through an atmosphere of free, yet discreet, discussion.5. Informal communication canrefute rumorsand put an end to gossip that can otherwise sprout up in a formal environment filled with unanswered questions. 6. Informal communication canunite workersand foster a spirit of camaraderie based on the discovery of shared concerns and interests. 7. Informal communication can pave the way for a harmonious relationship between officers and their superiors, and can thuspromote cooperationbased on mutual understanding and concern. Disadvantages of informal communication: On the other hand, informal communication is not a panacea for all organizational ills. Opponents of informal communication make the following arguments against its use: 1. It is toolooseand therefore difficult to define or apply systematically.2. It can result in the spread ofinaccurateinformation and half-truths. If carried to an extreme, it can result in second- and third-hand information being presented as original, factual, and trustworthy. 3. It can lead to theindiscriminatedisclosure of classified information.4. It is too oftenemotionalor laden with sentiments which can distort or change its meaning. 5. Because it is verbal, it ishard to tracewhen an inquiry becomes necessary. 6. Its social advantages arequestionable, since it is only as constructive as the participants make it. The Right Mixture: The most useful method of communication is one based on an appropriate mixture of formal and informal communications. While there is no magic formula for arriving at this mixture, a proper blend can be achieved by intelligent leaders intimatelyfamiliar with the environment of the department and the needs of its personnel. For instance, formal communication could be limited to official business and presented in meaningful, trustworthy language. Informal communication could then be used as a supplement to the formal method, for the purpose of reassuring workers, maintaining their interest, improving their attitudes, and deepening their commitment to the department.

OBSTACLES/ BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION (IN DETAIL)The ideas and messages have to reach from the transmitter to receive in the same sense. If it does not happen, it is on account of barriers in communication. The most commonly found barriers in the commn process are listed below.I. Semantic BarriersSemantics is the science of meaning. It is contrasted with phonetics, the science of sounds. It is related with the coding and decoding of the message.a. Words having multiple meanings: sometimes in our conversation, we use several words, which have the same pronunciation but are having different meanings like sight, site, cite etc. In verbal communication, a particular word may have a variety of meanings. For example the English word round has 110 diff meanings.b. Badly expressed language: Lack of clarity and precision makes the message badly expressed. Lack of coherence, sentence structure, jargons are common faults.c. Wrong interpretation: Whenever one interprets a symbol, his understanding may differ with others. The word kaka means uncle in one part of the country but small by in other part of the country. As inferences can give wrong signals, more info should be sought to clarify doubts.d. Unclarified assumptions: Sometimes, the sender may send info with specific meanings and assumptions to the receiver. Though a message appears to be specific, its underlying assumptions may not be clear to the receiver.e. Specialist language: It is often found that technical personnel and special groups tend to develop a special, peculiar and technical language of their own. This increases their isolation from others and builds a communication barrierII. Emotional or Psychological Barriers: It depends on the emotional or psychological state of both the parties involved.a. Selective perception: The receiver may make a world of his own around himself. He projects his interest and expectations as he decodes the message. He may only take that piece of info, which may suit his wolsd of thinking. As a result, the person acquires incomplete and inappropriate info. It may also lead to premature evaluation (mentioned by Rogers and Roethlisberger in 1952)b. Halo effect: People do not listen carefully because of impressions based on earlier encounters. Even one of the parties having an halo effect may disrupt the flow of commn.c. Status relationship: People in higher positions tell a lot to their subordinates but are not ready to listen. When people do not listen effective communication is not possible.d. Poor retention: About half the info, if not properly retained, is lost. The sender may suffer from such a problem. It is said that 30% of the info is lost in each oral transmission.e. Inattention: The preoccupied mind of the receiver and the reluctant non-listening one are one of the major psychological barriers. It is because of this people do not react to ideas or messages received in commn.f. Undue importance to written word: Written word is no substitute for sound face to face relationships and that employees cannot be persuaded to accept companys view points and policies through slick easy to read, well illustrated publications, unless there is a fair degree of mutual trust and confidence between the organisation and its employees. Written word often tells what is to be done but not why it should be done. It lacks the persuasive way.III. Organisational Barriers: Following are the organisational barriers in communication.a. Organisational policy: Every organisation has a policy, written or implied, regarding communication, which acts as an overall guideline to everyone in the organisation regarding how he is expected to behave in this matter. If it the policy is not supportive to the flow of communication in different directions then the communication flow would not be smooth and adequate.b. Organisational Rules and Regulations: The rules and regulations of the organisation vary widely from one organisation to another. They may be so rigid that they may influence the flow of info in the wrong direction..c. Status relationships: The status, power and position relationship acts as a hurdle. Individuals may not say what they wish to say because of the fear of the position and power of the other party. d. Complexity of organisational structure: The complex hierarchical structure with many managerial levels may lead to delay of communication. The chances of communication getting distorted are more if the number of filtering points is more.e. Lack of cooperation between superior and subordinate: There may not be proper communication between the superior and subordinate for personal and organisational relatiotionships, which may lead to improper communication in the organisation.IV. Barriers relating to superior-subordinate: for and organisation to work effectively both the superiors and the subordinates must ensure a free flow of communication. There are barriers emanating from both superiors and subordinatesA. Barriers emanating from superiors:a) Lack of time for employees: superiors feel, whether correct or otherwise, they are overloaded with work and they have little time to talk with their subordinates.b) Ignoring communication: sometimes superiors consciously and deliberately ignore the communication from their subordinates to maintain their importance.c) Lack of confidence in subordinates: they generally perceive their subordinates to be less competent and capable.d) Fear of challenge to authority: Comes from fear of losing power or control.e) Insistence on proper channel: superiors do not like any bypassing in communication, which may sometimes be necessary. They perceive it to be challenge to their authorityf) Lack of awareness: Sometimes, superiors may lack the awareness about the significance and usefulness of communication.g) Information overload: due to extra info provided by the employees, they may miss some imp information, which ultimately acts as a barrier of communication B. Barriers among subordinates:a) Unwillingness to communicate: There may be no interest in the part of subordinates to have a dialogue, discussion and interaction with their superiorsb) Lack of incentive: Sometimes lack of incentive obstructs the flw of information. It happens especially in case of upward communication.c) Lack of trust and cooperation: Lack of cooperation and mutual understanding leads to hiding of information from each otherd) Fear of penalty: If a subordinate feels that because of free expression and upward communication he will face some type of penalty, there is apossibility that he may not provide full or correct message to the superior.Bibliography: Communication Skills, Rao and Das, Himalaya Publishing House Management Principles and Practices, Parag Diwan, IMT GhaziabadHOW TO OVERCOME THE BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATIONRefrence: p 38-40, Communication Skills, Rao and Das, Himalaya Publishing House 1. Fostering good relationships between the employer and the employee

2. Coordination between superior and the subordinates: There should be good and proper coordination and cooperation between the superior and the subordinates for effective communication.

3. Avoid technical language: the specialist language should be avoided. There should be all efforts to use the language commonly understood by the receiver.

4. Feedback: The selective perception of the receiver should be minimized through proper feedback. The drawback of selective perception should be explained to minimize the barriers.

5. Accuracy: There should be accuracy in the message to be transmitted between the parties to the communication to improve its effectiveness.

6. Minimize semantic problems: The message to be transferred should be clear, precise, accurate and without any ambiguity. People use either the same word in different ways, or different words in the same way. There are 15 meanings of the word charge in the English language.

7. Proper communication channels: If one wants immediate action from the receiver, there is no need to send a lengthy discussion report. One could probably pickup the telephone or g to his office to tell him what to do. One picture is worth a thousand words, and in the age of computer graphics, the info can be produced more quickly in this way too.

8. Communication of organisational philosophy: The organisational philosophy should be properly communicated to its employees so that they give proper attention to their day to day communication.

9. Flat organisational structure: The organisation should have clear cut and simple organisational structure. Flat structure is better than tall hierarchical structure to avoid excessive control of information.

10. Division of labour: There should be proper division of labor between persons in order to reduce information overload and prevent delay in information transfer. WRITE SHORT NOTES ON: Communication Barriers or Bottlenecks in CommunicationA "communication barrier" or "a barrier to communication" is anything that interferes with the transfer of intended information from a sender to a receiver. This can include anything from static on a radio, preventing the listener from hearing the program, to a third party interfering in a conversation between two people.The communication barriers can be classified as under:1. Mechanical barriers: it refers to medium distortions. Some examples of mechanical barriers are- a poor telephonic connection, electricity breakdown, poor printing quality, atmospherics on radio or TV, especially in cloudy weather.

2. Physical barriers: background noise, distance act as a physical barrier

3. Psychological barrier: it includes hindrances such as age and educational level of the listener, gender barriers, an instable mind, emotional state of a person, ones prejudices, personality etc are examples of psychological barriers.

4. Semantic barriers: it includes badly expressed message, faulty translations, use of technical jargons, inadequate vocabulary etc.

5. Cross-cultural barriers: it includes social status, economic position, cultural background, political beliefs and ethics and values.

External Communication External communication is when the company employees or officials get in touch with people outside the organization for the purpose of business expansion. The main advantage of such type of communication is that the management gets to know what are the expectations of the customers/clients in the market, and what the competitors are offering. With this information, the existing product range can be improved and new products can be developed and introduced. External communication leads to better; Sales volume Public credibility Operational efficiency Company profitsIt should improve Overall performance Public goodwill Corporate imageUltimately, it helps to achieve Organizational goals Customer satisfactionA company regularly interacts with its external environment which consists of.

Communication Networks

There are different patterns or networks of communication, each of which has its own characteristics. The structure of the network influences speed and accuracy of message handling, and performance and motivation of the participants. Some of the most common structures are shown below:

Fig: 3.2Communication Networks

Wheel Network: If you are in a wheel network, information flows from one central member of the group to the rest of the members. Other group members may not have to communicate with each other to perform well. An example would be a group of independent makeup consultants who report to one regional mentor. The independent makeup consultants do not need to interact with one another in order to perform. Wheel networks do not exist in teams, since teams signify intense interaction between all members of a group.Chain Network: If you are a part of a chain network, members communicate with each other in a pre-planned sequence. An example of a chain network is an assembly-line group. In an assembly line, employees only communicate with those whose work precedes or follows their own. Like wheel networks, chain networks do not exist in teams.Circle Network: If you are in a circle network, members communicate if they share something in common, such as experiences, beliefs, areas of expertise, background or office location. For example, the people who you may informally socialize with in your office area may be a part of your circle network. Circle networks are not described as teamwork.All-Channel Network: An all-channel network is found in teams. Teamwork is characterized with high levels of intense communication. Each team member communicates with every other team member. Information flows in all directions. Computer programs are often utilized to maintain effective communication in teams due to their efficiency.

Y-Pattern: The y pattern is slightly less centralized two persons are closer to the centre of the network.

Audience Analysis In order to send a meaningful communication, the sender nedds to know the audience he is dealing with. To know the audience is to know what motivates them.Acoording to the modern researchers there are five types of audiences:a. Primary Audience: this is the audience that decides the fate of the communication- whether to act or not to act on it.The housewife who selects the washing soap is the primery audience for it.b. Secondary audience: These are the people who comment on the message and implement the decision once it is taken. The husband who byes the soap from the market is the secondary audience.c. Initial audience: This is the person or persons who first receives the message and then pass it on to someone else to deal with it.d. Gatekeeper audience: these are the people who have the power to stop the message before it reaches the addressee, The secretary to chairman is a gatekeeper audience.e. Watch dog audience: this includes all alert bystanders who see a message conveyed and, if necessary, react favourably or otherwise. For example, women activists, as a watch dog audience, may object to some posters.Corporate communicationCorporate communication is the message issued by a corporate organization, body, or institute to its publics. "Publics" can be both internal (employees, stakeholders, i.e. share and stock holders) and external (agencies, channel partners, media, government, industry bodies and institutes, educational and general public).Corporate communication takes many forms.within the organization, it works by means of a house journal and ongoing programmes to improve its managers speaking, writing and personality. With the outside world, an organization communicates through corporate brochures, information booklets, press releases, ads etc.Through effective management of corporate communication a company earns a good name attracts good workers as employees Keeps the existing staff satisfied and growing. Gets government recognition Creates a market for its productsLegend: Flagged topics are important from the examination point of view for both descriptive and short formats of questioning.Trivia:Speak Volumes.Words Optional Tagline of a fashion retail companyMake bridges..not walls around you