The Communication Process: Unit 3 Section

LABOUR LAWS AND THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
UNIT 3 SECTION
INDUSTRIAL 2
RELATIONS Unit 3, section 2: The communication process
This section seeks to discuss the basic elements in the linear model of the
communication process. The basic elements in the linear model of the
communication includes the sender, the encoding process; the message; the
medium of transmission; the receiver; the decoding process; and the
feedback. The student will be taken through interpersonal communication in
order to prepare him or her for a discussion on the model of communication
process.
By successfully following a learning programme of this session, the student

will able to explain the basic elements in the communication process. The
student will also be able to differentiate interpersonal communication from
other forms of communications, list and explain the methods of
interpersonal communication, and provide reasons why interpersonal
communication is important.
Meaning of interpersonal communication

Within an organization, communication may occur between two or more
people. This is interpersonal communication. On a typical working day,
managers and subordinates use several different types of interpersonal
communication. Interpersonal communication can take the form of oral,
written or nonverbal communication.
Methods of interpersonal communication

Managers have a wide variety of methods of communicating with people in
and outside the organization. The most common of these methods include
Oral, Written, Visual and Electronic.
 Oral Method
The spoken word or oral communication consists of all forms of spoken
information and is by far the most preferred method of communication used
by managers in our organizations today. Usually expressed by the word of
mouth, the oral communication is preferable for prompt, emotive, and
persuasion reasons. Oral communication includes the face-to-face
discussion, telephone conversations, speech and tape recordings.
 Written methods
The written method is the method of communication in which the message
or feedback is expressed in the form of letters, memos, policy manuals,
bulletins, circulars, reports, forms and other documentation used to share
information in the organization.
 Visual method
The visual method of communication pertains to the sight, and occurs by
studying the message contained in what we see. Visual communication is
most preferable where it is necessary for the eye to assist the ear or where
the message can be made more vivid. Examples includes: films, videos,
graphs, traffic signals and sign language. In view of illiteracy and the
multiciplicity of language among employees, managers can resort to the
visual method.
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 Electronic method
It is a method of communication where senders and receivers of a message
rely on electronic communication equipment such as the computer. For
example the fax machine can transmit messages in seconds through
telephone lines all over the world.
Why study interpersonal communication

On the individual perspective, a person’s ability to communicate with
himself and with others within institutions and across cultures is what makes
him human. Of course, the drive to survive, to destroy, to move from place
to place, to nourish oneself and to breed new generations are things people
and animals share in common, but to communicate; which involves given
meaning to events, objects and behaviors; are what make a person different
from any other living thing. The study of interpersonal communication is
important for two basic reasons:
 To understand oneself as a “Social being”
To begin with, communication is a significant social experience; it occurs in
all human relationships. Through communication, we get to know others,
and we let others know us. Communication moves people from the stage of
acquaintance to friendship and from stranger to a lover. Human
communication provides you with the capability not only to create
relationships but also to develop or destroy those relationships.
Communication helps one to work better with others and to make mutually
beneficial compromise, which are usually helpful to all involved. It helps
one to understand or possibly change the attitudes of others by analyzing the
basic reasons for which people hold certain attitudes.
 To understand oneself as a person
For personal reasons, the study of interpersonal communication helps one to
know oneself better. Communication points out, and draws one’s attention
to the positive or negative attitudes one holds toward particular subjects,
topics, events, issues or persons. It reveals or gives an insight into the
effects of our communication on others. It also helps us to become aware of
possible motives, purposes and goals of others in their communication with
us. In summary, the study of communication helps us to understand and
improve our day to day behaviors towards friends, groups, and individuals
we work with.
Model of the Communication Process

The ancient Greeks were the first to present findings on how the process of
communication works. According to these early writers, there are four
elements in the communication process: logic, persuasion, diction and
speaking. In recent times however, the model has been modified to include
findings of behaviorists and psychologists. The most widely used model of
the general communication has seven distinct stages: the communicator; the
encoding process; the message; the medium of transmission; the receiver;
the decoding process; and a feedback. The basic elements are
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 The sender/communicator
The communication process begins with a communicator who intends to
convey an opinion, an idea or some fact to others. The sender may be an
individual such as managers and non-managers, a group of persons such as
departments and divisions or the organization itself. The sender conceives
an idea or a thought that is communicated in a form of a message. This stage
is often called the ideation phase of the communication process.
 The encoding process

The encoding process involves the translation of mental thoughts or ideas
into codes or a language that can be understood by others. Such a translation
must occur because we cannot transmit our intended meanings directly to
another individual without the use of verbal or nonverbal symbols. For
instance, if an individual has a problem and decides not to tell anyone or
behave in a way that can make people know it, no one can directly tell what
problem the individual has. In such a case, the individual has a thought, but
has not encoded the thought into a message. The essence of encoding is to
transform thoughts into symbols that others will understand. In an attempt to
encode a thought, one must establish “mutuality” of meaning with the
receiver. To ensure mutuality of meaning, a communicator must choose
symbols which have the same meaning to him and the receiver of the
message.
 The message
The message is an outcome obtained when our thoughts are encoded into a
form that our receivers can understand. It consists of the verbal (oral and
written) and nonverbal symbols that have been developed to convey
meaning to the receiver. The message is what the sender hopes to
communicate or the information he wants to share with a receiver. It relates
to the thoughts and feelings that the communicator is attempting to elicit in
the receiver.
 The medium of transmission

The medium of transmission is the conduit, the pathway or the method used
to convey the message to the intended receiver. Managers can communicate
through a variety of media. The sender’s message may be transmitted
through a face to face conversation; telephone calls; electronic mails;
written memos or letters, photographs, bulletin boards and charts.
Nonverbal media such as touch, gestures, noding of heads, facial expression
(including smiling, raising an eyebrow or frowning) are also important.
 The receiver
The receiver is a person or group of persons to whom a message is intended.
He is the person whose senses perceive the senders message. There may be
one receiver of the message as in a conversation between two individuals or
many receivers, as in the case of a report sent to various members of the
organization. Unintended receivers can also emerge if they overhear our
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private conversation or read our mails. If the message does not reach a
receiver or if it is not understood, the communication cycle is not complete
and the entire process is a failure. Effective communication requires the
sender to anticipate the receiver’s level of intelligence and his decoding
ability.
 The decoding process

Receivers have to reconstruct the signs, the symbols or the language
received into a form that makes sense to them. The reconstructed message
must have the same meaning as the intentions of the sender. Receivers
interpret the message in the light of their own past experiences or on the
bases of their personal frames of reference, vocabulary and culture. The
most important condition however is that, for effective communication, the
‘meaning’ of the message sent by must be identical to the message received.
 Feedback
Feedback refers to a receivers response to the message received. In some
cases the response may involve a direct action. In others, it may be a matter
of giving information at a later date which may or may not involve an
action. It can take the form of a verbal expression, a simple nod of the head,
or a question directed at clarifying the original message received. In addition
to giving a confirmation that the message has gotten through, feedback also
enables the parties to take corrective action in the event of some erroneous
breakdown in the communication process.
Noise in communication
Noise in communication represents anything that interferes with the
transmission or the understanding of a message. Noise can occur during any
stage of the communication process, and it has the effect of reducing the
probability of achieving common understanding between senders and
receivers of a message. The sender may write a confusing memo or may
speak indirectly to a receiver. On the other hand, or the receiver may not be
paying attention as a result of fatigue. One common example of noise is
when a manager attempts to conduct a meeting with a work group but
consistently and simultaneously takes telephone calls.
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any enterprise; large or small.

The best business plan is meaningless unless it is successfully
communicated to those who must implement it. It is important therefore, to
understand the basic elements in the communication process in order to be
able to interpret what exactly is communicated. Interpersonal
communication takes a greater part of the total communication at the
worksite.
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Self-assessment questions
(1) What is feedback? Why may you encourage management to provide
feedback to employees?
(2) What is interpersonal communication? Why is it important to study
interpersonal communication?
(3) Identify and explain any four methods of interpersonal communication.
(4) Explain the first four elements of the communication process
(5) What is noise in communication? What happens if parties to a
communication process fail to agree on the meaning of symbols and
signs used?
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LABOUR LAWS AND THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

By successfully following a learning programme of this session, the student

Meaning of interpersonal communication

Methods of interpersonal communication

Why study interpersonal communication

Model of the Communication Process

 The encoding process

 The medium of transmission

 The decoding process

Effective communication is the lifeblood of any enterprise; large or small.

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