Meaning of Communication

Communication is derived from the Latin word ‘Communico’ or ‘Communicare’ which means “to share”. As its meaning implies communication is the sharing of facts, figures, data, and information between two or more than two parties. Such sharing is done between persons or organizations to facilitate common interests or objectives. In other words, communication is the process of exchanging meaning and understanding through verbal or non-verbal means influencing the behavior and activities of the people. It is essential to ensure a complete understanding of the subject matter for all the related parties. It is an essential function of management performed by everyone at all levels of the organizational hierarchy. Generally, superiors communicate in the form of instruction, guidance, and order. Similarly, subordinates communicate in the form of problems, recommendations, advice, and suggestions in an organization. It ensures the efficiency, smoothness, and fluency of all managerial functions in an organization.

Key Definitions

Defined By	Definition
Keith Davis	“Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another”
Koontz and O’Donnell	“Communication is the way that one organization member shares meaning and understanding with another”
Newman and Summer	“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons”

From the above discussion and definitions:

• Communication is the process of transmitting information in a meaningful and understandable way between two or more than two parties.
• It is the means of performing different management functions in a harmonious and coordinated way.
• It is a two-way process pervasive at all levels in an organization that is performed continuously for the achievement of organizational goals and fulfillment of individual interests.
• Communication is the exchange of information between persons and organizations on any specific matter to ensure the accomplishment of the desired result or outcome.

Process of Communication

Communication is the process of exchanging information between two persons. The process of communication begins as the sender wants to send something and ends when the intended message of the sender is delivered to the receiver through a certain medium. The overall process of communication has been discussed as under:

1. Sender: A sender is someone who initiates the process of communication. The sender designs and develops the message to be communicated through his/her idea, need, and intention. In any communication process, the sender is the source of information in the form of manager, non-manager, department, or organization itself. The sender must conceptualize the message to be communicated properly before encoding.
2. Encoding: Encoding is the process of giving form to the concept, idea, and feeling of the message to be communicated. It is giving shape to the message which can be understood meaningfully by the receiver. Encoding could be in the form of words, symbols, images, gestures, etc. which make the concept communicable and understandable to the receiver.
3. Message: Message is the output of encoding which is the main subject matter of the communication. It is the translation of the sender’s idea, view, suggestion, request, order, etc. in a meaningful and understandable way to the receiver. Such a message is communicated either in written or verbal form to the receiver by the sender.
4. Medium: It is the chosen channel to communicate encoded messages to the receiver. The selection of channel of communication depends upon the need, urgency, importance, and nature of the message. Such medium could be in oral or written form. Oral communication can be done through telephone talk, group discussion, personal meet, online audio-video platforms, video conferencing, etc. Similarly, mediums like a letter, e-mail, circular, memo, report, quotation etc. are used while making written communication. It bridges the gap between the sender and the receiver.
5. Receiver: The receiver is the person or party who receives a message from the sender through a certain selected medium. The receiver is someone who understands the meaningof the message and takes necessary actions. Due to this reason, every message should be formed from the easy understanding perspective of the receiver, not the sender. No receiver can act or react to a message unless and until it is fully, meaningfully, logically, and purposefully understood.
6. Decoding: Decoding is the process by which the receiver translates the message of the sender. It is the way of interpreting the sender’s message in a meaningful way and as per the intention of the sender. If the receiver is not able to decode the message as intended by the sender, the communication becomes ineffective and a problem arises between sending and receiving parties. The decoding of the receiver should exactly comply with the purpose and intention with which the message is communicated to the receiver by the sender.
7. Feedback: Feedback is the final stage in the communication process. It is the response of the receiver to the message of the sender. If the response is prompt and in an exact manner as intended by the sender, it is positive feedback. Similarly, if the response is delayed and not inexact to the intention of the sender, it is negative feedback. It determines the effectiveness of the communication process as synchronization of the sender’s intention and receiver’s reaction can be measured through feedback. It is the point where the communication process ends.
8. Noise: Noise is the disturbance that hampers effective communication in an organization. To make communication effective, organizations use modern technologies during the communication process. This includes radio, loudspeaker, machine, vehicles, soft speech, slow voice, etc. for making undisturbed and effective communication.

Importance of Communication

No office can operate without facts, figures, data, and information. All such things are transmitted through communication. Communication is crucial in performing all managerial functions and office activities. Communication is regarded as running blood in office operations. The importance of communication in an office can be explained as below:

1. Facilitates Planning: Planning is deciding the right course of action for an organization. It is deciding in advance what is to be done, how it is to be done, who to do it, when to do it, and what is the end result of what is being done. For planning, different information like vision, mission, objectives, goals, strategies, and policies are to be communicated to the concerned person. All such information can be provided to the planner through the proper communication system of the organization.
2. Effective Organizing: Organizing cannot be done without communication. Organizing is concerned with decentralization, delegation of authority, assignment of responsibilities, allocation of resources, etc. All these activities cannot be performed without communication. Therefore, an effective and proper communication system is required for better organizing.
3. Essential for Leading: The effectiveness of leadership is dependent on a proper communication system in an organization. Communication is the way of bringing leaders and followers close. It ensures timely, adequate, and proper interaction between leader and follower. A leader can pass his guidance, direction, and order to the followers through communication. Similarly, followers can provide their advice, suggestion, opinion, view, etc. through communication. That’s why effective leading is ensured through well developed and designed communication system in an organization.
4. Efficient Functioning of Enterprise: Communication is needed in performing all functions and activities of an office. Communication is the lubricant that fosters better coordination, efficiency, and effectiveness in an organization. Without communication, nothing can be planned, implemented, controlled, and decided in an organization. Hence, communication is essentially crucial for the efficient functioning of enterprises.
5. Enhancing Goodwill: Communication plays a vital role in building and enhancing organizational goodwill. Through communication, better relation with internal and external stakeholders can be maintained. This brings trust, loyalty, acknowledgment, and belongingness of the stakeholders to the organization. This adds value to the name, fame, and image of the organization. For these organizations, timely publish notices, circulars, announcements, and press releases. Such efforts through such means of communication increase the goodwill of the organization.
6. Facilitates Change: Change is the most permanent thing in an organization. Change is required to adapt and adjust to new internal and external scenarios. Communication is the way of telling why change is needed and getting people in the organization ready to accept change. General resistance to change can be reduced or eliminated through proper communication. This means communication facilitates change in an organization.
7. Increases Motivation and Morale: It is to be understood that happy workers are productive workers. For making employees happy and satisfied, they are to be motivated and their morale should be uplifted. Employee motivation and high morale are possible through proper praise, guidance, suggestion, providinga solution to a problem, recommendation, positive criticism, etc. All such means of motivation and morale can be conveyed through an effective communication system.
8. Effective Control: Controlling is key in setting the right direction of work in an organization. Without communication, no exchange of information regarding standard and actual performance is possible. For control in an organization, right, accurate and actual information should be exchanged between managers and subordinates. This can be facilitated only through an effective communication system in an organization.

Barriers to Effective Communication

The communication between different parties has to be effective. Only effective communication can ensure the accomplishment of desired outcomes. Communication can be effective only when the intention of the sender is exactly delivered through the action or reaction of the receiver. There could be different barriers that can hamper the effectiveness of the communication. Such barriers to effective communication have been explained below:

1. Organizational Barriers: These are the factors within the organization hindering the free flow of information. These are the obstacles creating difficulty in conveying necessary information to the concerned person. Such obstacles ensure no proper information reaches a related person either in time or in the way it should reach. Organizational barriers include organizational policies, organizational rules and regulations, lengthy scalar chain, one-way communication system, and lack of confidence in subordinates.
2. Physical Barriers: This includes difficulty in the transformation of information due to internal structure, office layout, machines, and equipment. These acting as barriers create difficulty in transferring a clear and smooth flow of information. Some common types of physical barriers are physical distance, a hierarchy of structure, office design, and noise.
3. Physiological Barriers: These are the barriers created due to the perception, attitude, value, belief, and negative mindset of top-level managers. Such barriers also create difficulty in a free flow of information and create problems in achieving defined objectives. Physiological barriers could be in the form of distrust of communicator, individual perception and attitude, superiority complex, premature evaluation, no attention, etc.
4. Semantic Barriers: The barriers created due to the use of difficult and intensive language by the sender. Due to this, the receiver of the message cannot perceive the meaning of the message completely and the objective of communication cannot be met. Some common types of semantic barriers are the use of harsh language, vague language, misleading translation, and technical language, etc.
5. Technological Barriers: Such barriers are formed due to defects in technology or overuse or overload in information. Due to this, the receiver cannot receive exact information and respond in time. This means low effectiveness of communication and no accomplishment of intended objectives of communication. Some common technological barriers involve mechanical barriers, loss of transmission, information overload and insufficient period allowed, etc.

Ways of Making Communication Effective

Communication is key in performing different functions and activities in an organization. It has to be meaningful and purposeful. It determines the level of ease and efficiency with which the intended results can be accomplished. That’s why communication has to be effective and barrierless. Some ways of making communication effective in an organization are:

• The manager should listen to the matter being communicated with attention, concern, and care ensuring everything is understood logically and meaningfully
• There should be two-way communication as one way communication cannot guarantee understanding and explanation of subject matter in a rational way
• The feedback of the receiver, either positive or negative, should be observed and utilized to improve communication content and system in the organization
• The flow of information should be regulated to make sure optimum, accurate, and actual information reaches the manager or receiver
• Language of communication should be simple with no use of harsh, complex, and dual meaning words or phrases or sentences
• Overload of information to the manager from multiple sources should be discouraged by prioritizing important and discarding useless information
• More promotion of environment of trust and confidence should be encouraged between sender and receiver
• Physiological barriers like a superiority complex, premature evaluation, individual perception, and denial mentality should be avoided and discouraged
• Use of right medium to transmit message considering urgency of the message, proximity of receiver and availability of transmission medium