Types of communication

Dr Asha KaushikCPC ,COES

For communication to be effective ,the communicator has to be very careful and judicious in the choice of media, which will depend on various factors like urgency of the message ,the time available ,expenditure involved and the intellectual and emotional level of the receivers.

All the media available can be broadly classified into five groups:

(i) Written communication.(ii) Oral communication.(Face to Face

communication)(iii) Audio-visual communication.(iv) Computer-based communication.

Types of communication

1. Written communication includes Letters , circulars , memos , telegrams , reports ,minutes , forms and questionnaires , manuals , etc.

2. Oral communication includes face to face communication ,conversation over the telephone , radio broadcast ,interviews , group discussions , meetings ,conferences ,seminars and speeches.

3. Visual communication encompasses gestures and facial expressions , tables and charts , graphs , diagrams , posters ,slides ,film strips ,etc .

• Audio-visual communication includes television and cinema films that combine the visual impact with narration .

Written communication: merits• It is accurate and precise .• It can be repeatedly referred to .• It is a permanent record .• It is a legal document .• It facilitates the assignation of

responsibility .• It has a wide access.

• It is time consuming: a letter may take two or even three to four days to reach its destination , where as in oral communication message is instantly transmitted .

• It is costly

written communication : Limitations

Oral communication is not possible if the communicator and the receiver are far removed from each other and no mechanical devices are available to connect them.

Lengthy messages are not suitable for oral transmission

Oral messages cannot be retained for long time Oral messages do not have any legal validity

unless they are taped and made a part of permanent record .

Although oral communication offer greater opportunity for clarification ,there are also inherent in them greater chances of misunderstanding.

Oral communication :limitations

Clear pronunciation. Brevity . Precision. Conviction. Logical sequence. Appropriate word choice Avoiding hackneyed phrases and

clichés. Natural voice

Essentials of oral communication

Facial expressions and gestures help to communicate better.

It reinforced with the help of tone ,pitch and intensity of the speaker ‘s voice .

The message being communicated gets assistance of facial expressions and gestures.

Particularly suitable for discussion. There is a immediate feedback from the

total personality of the listener . It provides the speaker with a much better

opportunity for adjustment.

Face to face communication: mMerits and limitations

• Difficult to practice in a large –sized organisations

• Not effective in large gathering

• Ineffective if the listener is not attentive

Limitations

• Visual communication alone is not enough .it can be effective only in combination with other media.

• It can be used to transmit very elementary and simple ideas ,orders ,warnings.

• As we can easily interpolate the message given by a poster including two pieces of bone put in a cross- wise fashion and a skull placed in between.

Visual communication.

• It is a combination of sight and sound.• Make use of written record also.

• It facilitate interpretations and ensure that message is driven home.

• Information transmitted through audio-visual retained much longer than any other means.

• It is found most suitable for mass publicity ,mass propaganda and mass education.

Audio-visual communication

• Within the organisation ,the workers can be educated by suitable demonstrations on the close-circuit televisions screen.

• It is necessary to make the films and slides attractive and interesting.

• The narration becomes clear ,precise ,lucid and easily understandable.

• It is also advisable to keep the films short and to screen them at an appropriate time.

• Advantages of computer technology

• The quickest means of communication• Space no longer a barrier to

communication• Video conferencing can replace personal

meetings• Better means of keeping permanent record

of valuable and bulky data• World –wide web as a publishing platform.

Computer –based communication

• Uncertain legal validity

• Fear of undesirable leakage

• The virus malady

limitations

• Vertical-(i)Downward (ii)Upward

• Horizontal or lateral

Diagonal or crosswise

• Grapevine.

Dimensions/Flow of communication

Any organization has an inbuilt hierarchical system, and in that, in the first instances, communication invariably flows downwards.

Written: e.g. memoranda ,letters, handbooks, pamphlets, policy statements.

Oral: e.g. speeches, meetings, telephones etc.

Downward

Downward Communication

•Used by most large schools that are hierarchical in nature.• Flows from Superintendent to Assistant Superintendent to principal to Assistant Principals to Faculty to students.• Necessary to clarify district’s goals, provide a sense of mission, assist in indoctrinating new employees. Inform employees about educational changes that impact the district and to provide subordinates with data regarding their performance.

Subordinates select and prioritize messages in accordance with their perception of their Boss’s character, personality, and motivation.

Sender does not devote enough time to learn whether messages have been received and understood.

Those at the Top may shut off this channel at certain times and on certain subjects or withhold information on a need to know basis.

Downward communication tends to be dominate in mechanistic organizations, as opposed to organic systems which are more open and unidirectional in flows of information.

PROBLEMS WITH DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION

• Adopt training sessions for administrators to help them learn better ways to communicate.

• Get out of the office and walk around talk to employees on the firing line.

• Conduct regular supervisory subordinate discussion sessions, which will help identify, analyze ,and solve problems in collaboration with subordinates.

Ways to improve Downward Communication

The main functions of upward communication is to supply information to the upper levels about what is happening at the lower levels.

For example: suggestion systems, appeal and grievance procedures, complaint system , counseling sessions , joint setting of objectives , the grapevine, group meetings. etc

Upward communication

UPWARD COMMUNICATION SUPERINTENDENTS

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS

PRINCIPALS

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

FACULTY

• Provides feedback to Administrators from Downward Communication.

• Helps monitor decision making effectiveness.

• Helps gauge organizational climate.

• Deals with problem areas quickly .

• Provides needed information to Administrators.

BENEFITS

• Subject to filtering and distortion because subordinates do not want superiors to gain information that could be damaging to the subordinates.

• Highly cohesive groups tend to withhold information that might be damaging to the group as a whole.

• Lower level subordinate show less openness to upward communication than those who are at higher levels in the organization.

PROBLEMS WITH UPWARD COMMUNICATION

WAYS TO IMPROVE UPWARD COMMUNICATION

Employee Meetings

Open Door Policy

Employee Letters Social Groups

• Meetings to probe job problems,and needs.• Determine what administrative practices help or

hinder subordinate job performance.• Provide feedback to administrators and

encourage subordinates to offer ideas.• Help subordinates feel self worth and importance.• Studies show these meetings reduce turnover and

improve subordinates attitudes

Employee Meetings

• Encourages subordinates to walk in and talk to administrators many levels up.

• They are encouraged to talk with immediate supervisors first to eliminate resentment among administrators who are bypassed.

• Some barriers exist such as subordinates who do not want to be identified as having a problem.

OPEN DOOR POLICY

• Subordinates can submit letters to administrators or suggestions.

• All letters are anonymous.• All submissions must be answered

without delay.• Replies can be delivered to the

appropriate lower level administrator in cases where the communicator is anonymous.

EMPLOYEE LETTERS

Act as unplanned upward commnication . Examples are. Parties, Picnics, golf outings, cookouts,

retreats, and other employer sponsored events.

Main barrier can sometimes be a lack of attendance

Participation in social groups

• Occur between people at the same level.

• When communication takes place between two or more persons who are subordinates working under the same person, or those who are working under the same person.

• e.g. this variety of communication mostly takes place during committee meetings or conferences.

Lateral or Horizontal Communication

It is carried on through:-• Face to face discussion• Telephonic talk• Periodical meetings• Memos.• Important for promoting-Understanding &

coordination among various people or department.

HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

FACULTY MEMBER

FACULTY MEMBER

OFTEN OVERLOOKED AS UNIMPORTANT

FACILLITATE COORDINATION BETWEEN UNITS

ACHIEVED THROUGH CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEES

FURNISHES EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AMONGPEERS

• Includes the horizontal flow of information.

• It is also among persons at different levels

• who have no direct reporting relationships

• Oral e.g. Informal meetings, lunch hours meeting

• Written e.g. Magazines, Journals, Company newspapers

• This Kind of communication is used to speed information flow to improve understanding.

Diagonal or Crosswise Communication

DIAGIONAL COMMUNICATION

Superintendent

Asst.Supt.For Personnel

Director of Personnel

Chief Negotiator

Asst. Supt. ForInstruction

ELEM. Ed. Coordinator

Elementary Principal

Secondary Ed. Coordinator

Secondary Principal

Asst. Supt. For Business

Accountants

• Used when employees feel the organizational forms of communication have failed.

• Exists in all organizations.• Nearly five out of six messages are carried

this way rather than formal methods of communication.

• This form of communication is very rapid.• It has both positive and negative features.• Positive features include.

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

Keeps subordinates informed about important organizational matters.

Gives administrators insight about subordinates attitudes.

Provides subordinates a relief valve to vent emotions.

Provides a test of subordinates feelings about a new procedure or Policy without making formal commitments.

Helps build moral by passing positive comments regarding the organisation.

Rumor is the one item that gives the grapevine its bad reputation.

Grapevine

• An informal channel of communication.• Can flow vertically,horizontally,diagonally.

Types of grapevine

• (1) Single strand:flows like a chain• (2) Gossip :one person tells everybody else• (3) Probability(random) :information may

move from anybody to anybody• (4) cluster :moves through selected groups.

Importance of grapevine• Emotional relief

• Harmony & Cohesiveness in the organisation

• Supplement to other channels

• A fast channel

• Provides feedback

Demits of grapevine• Distortion of information• May transmit incomplete information• Travels with destructive swiftness

To use it effectivelyThe manager should-• Keep an eye on rumor-mongers

• Primarily for feedback

• Contradict rumours promptly

• Involve the workers in the decision making process.