UNIT 1

Meaning of communication
The word communication has been derived from the Latin word 'communicare' that means
‘to share’. Communication may be defined as interchange of thought or information between
two or more persons to bring about mutual understanding and desired action. It is the
information exchange by words or symbols. It is the exchange of facts, ideas and viewpoints
which bring about commonness of interest, purpose and efforts.

Definitions

• "Communication is something so simple and difficult that we can never put it in simple
words," says T.S. Mathews.
• But we do need a definition to understand the term.
• Communication may be defined as interchange of thought or information between
two or more persons to bring about mutual understanding and desired action.
• According to Keith Davis, ‘The process of passing the information and understanding
from one person to another.
• Peter Little defines communication as follows: “Communication is the process by
which information is transmitted between individuals and / or organizations so that
an understanding response results.”
• Another very simple definition of 'communication' has been provided by W.H.
Newman and C.F. Summer Jr: “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions,
or emotions by two or more persons.”

Importance and purpose of communication

It is the ability of mankind to communicate across barriers and beyond boundaries that has
ushered the progress of mankind. It is the ability of fostering speedy and effective
communication around the world that has shrunk the world and made ‘globalization’ a reality.

Communication had a vital role to play in ensuring that people belonging to a particular
country or a culture or linguistic group interact with and relate to people belonging to other
countries or culture or linguistic group. Communication adds meaning to human life. It helps
to build relationship and fosters love and understanding. It enriches our knowledge of the
universe and makes living worthwhile.
However, communication incorporates, besides commonality, the concepts of transfer,
meaning and information. It implies that there must be a receiver if communication is to
occur. The sender of message must consider the receiver while structuring his message from
a technical standpoint as well as in delivering it. When the receiver is not considered, there is
either no response or there is wrong response. Sharing of understanding would be possible
only when the person, to whom the message is meant, understands it in the same sense in
which the sender of the message wants him to understand. Thus, communication involves
something more than mere transmission of the message or transmission and physical receipt
thereof. The correct interpretation of the message is important from the point of view of
organizational efficiency. As such, the greater the degree of understanding presents in the
communication, the more the likelihood that human action will proceed in the direction of
accomplishment of goals.
Just as communication is vital for our existence in civilizes society, so also it is essential for
functioning of organization. So without communication there would be no organization.
Needless to say, communication is the ingredient that makes organization possible. It is the
vehicle through which the basic management functions are carried out. Managers direct
through communication; they coordinate through communication; and they staff, plan, and
control through communication. Virtually all actions taken in an organization are preceded by
communication.

Purpose of Communication

For instruction: The instructive function unvarying and importantly deals with the
commanding nature. It is more or less of directive nature. Under this, the communicator
transmits with necessary directives and guidance to the next level, so as to enable them to
accomplish his particular tasks. In this, instructions basically flow from top to the lower
level.
For integration: It is consolidated function under which integration of activities is
endeavoured. The integration function of communication mainly involves to bring about
inter-relationship among the various functions of the business organization. It helps in the
unification of different management functions.
For information: The purposes or function of communication in an organization is to
inform the individual or group about the particular task or company policies and procedures
etc. Top management informs policies to the lower level through the middle level. In turn,
the lower level informs the top level the reaction through the middle level. Information can
flow vertically, horizontally and diagonally across the organization. Becoming informed or
inform others is the main purpose of communication.
For evaluation: Examination of activities to form an idea or judgement of the worth of
task is achieved through communication. Communication is a tool to appraise the individual
or team, their contribution to the organization. Evaluating one’s own inputs or other’s outputs
or some ideological scheme demands an adequate and effective communication process.
For direction: Communication is necessary to issue directions by the top management or
manager to the lower level. Employee can perform better when he is directed by his senior.
Directing others may be communicated either orally or in writing. An order may be common
order, request order or implied order.
For teaching: The importance of personal safety on the job has been greatly recognized. A
complete communication process is required to teach and educate workers about personal
safety on the jobs. This communication helps the workers to avert accidents, risk etc. and
avoid cost, procedures etc.
For influencing: A complete communication process is necessary in influencing others or
being influenced. The individual having potential to influence others can easily persuade
others. It implies the provision of feedback which tells the effect of communication.
For image building: A business enterprise cannot isolate from the rest of the society. There is
interrelationship and interdependence between the society and an enterprise operating in
the society. Goodwill and confidence are necessarily created among the public. It can be done
by the communication with the different media, which has to project the image of the firm in
the society. Through an effective external communication system, an enterprise has to inform
the society about its goals, activities, progress and social responsibility.
For employees orientation: When a new employee enter into the organization at that
time he or she will be unknown to the organization programs, policies, culture etc.
Communication helps to make people acquainted with the co-employees, superior and with
the policies, objectives, rules and regulations of the organization.

Forms and Types of Communication

In an organization, communication flows in 4 main directions-

1. Downward
2. Upward
3. Horizontal /Lateral
4. Diagonal

1. Downward Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an

organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication
from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This
communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the
employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and
for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward communication is used by the
managers for the following purposes –
Providing feedback on employees’ performance.
Giving job instructions.
Providing a complete understanding of the employees’ job as well as to communicate them
how their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
 Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees.
Highlighting the areas of attention.

Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc. are all
examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward
communication, managers must:
Specify communication objective.
Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.
Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right
form

2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an

organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the
organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their
problems and performances to their superiors.
The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the
downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and
ideas and to participate in the decision-making process. Upward communication leads to a
more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a
chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know
about the employees’ feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in
general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things.
Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc. all
help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -
performance reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level
management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager
discussions etc.

3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of

hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication between
peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent
organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows:
It is time saving.
It facilitates co-ordination of the task.
It facilitates co-operation among team members.
It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members.
It helps in solving various organizational problems.
It is a means of information sharing.
It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts
within a department.
4. Diagonal Communication or crosswise communication: Communication that takes place
between a manager and employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It
generally does not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module
a training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they
perform their task. The Accounts people of an organization visiting different employees in
various departments for their IT calculation, bonus for workers etc. fall under diagonal
communication.

Channels of communication

A breakdown in the communication channel leads to an inefficient flow of information.

Employees are unaware of what the company expects of them. They are uninformed of what
is going on in the company. This will cause them to become suspicious of motives and any
changes in the company. Also without effective communication, employees become
department minded rather than company minded, and this affects their decision making and
productivity in the workplace.
Eventually, this harms the overall organizational objectives as well. Hence, in order for an
organization to be run effectively, a good manager should be able to communicate to his/her
employees what is expected of them, make sure they are fully aware of company policies and
any upcoming changes.
Therefore, an effective communication channel should be implemented by managers to
optimize worker productivity to ensure the smooth running of the organization.

Formal Channels of Communication

The messages which are circulating on regulated, preset channels, of an organization are
creating the formal communication. The content of the communication is related to the
organization’s activity, to the work and to anything which is related to those. The formal
communication can consist in verbal messages, nonverbal messages, written, under the
shape of letters, telephone messages, radio messages, printed, internal notes. Even some
gestures can consist in formal communication. The messages are transmitted by the
authorized ones: on official channels, these arrive to the ones who need to react, to people
or machines which need to know the content of these messages.
Usually, all formal communications are recorded and kept in the organization’s evidence. Are
retained copies of these by the transmitter, by the receiver, by all of the desks from the
organization which need to know and keep the information. Examples of formal
communications are given by work commands, reports and financial evidence, reports over
sells / inventory, statements referring to the company’s policies, post descriptions, etc.
The formal communication network is formed out of formal channels, created by setting a
formal system of responsibilities according to the hierarchical structure of the organization.
The perfect network is the one which contains communication channel from bottom up,
downwards and horizontally. Often the direction of horizontal communication is missing or it
is inefficient and in this way the accuracy of the information decreases. The situation is
appearing because of the lack of permanent circulation of the information between
departments, although this is vital for the organization in conditions of existent competition,
or the lack of specialists in organizational communication.
The number of communication channels available to a manager has increased over the last
20 odd years. Video conferencing, mobile technology, electronic bulletin boards and fax
machines are some of the new possibilities. As organizations grow in size, managers cannot
rely on face-to-face communication alone to get their message across. A challenge the
managers face today is to determine what type of communication channel should they opt
for in order to carryout effective communication.
In order to make a manager's task easier, the types of communication channels are grouped
into two main groups: formal and informal.
A formal communication channel transmits information such as the goals, policies and
procedures of an organization. Messages in this type of communication channel follow a chain
of command. This means information flows from a manager to his subordinates and they in
turn pass on the information to the next level of staff.
An example of a formal communication channel is a company's newsletter, which gives
employees as well as the clients a clear idea of a company's goals and vision. It also includes
the transfer of information with regard to memoranda, reports, directions, and scheduled
meetings in the chain of command.

A business plan, customer satisfaction survey, annual reports, employer's manual, review
meetings are all formal communication channels.

Informal Channels of Communication

Informal communication arises out of all those channels that fall outside the formal channels
and it is also known as grapevine. It is established around the societal affiliation of members
of the organization. Informal communication does not follow authority lines as in the case of
formal communication.
Informal communication takes place due to the individual needs of the members of an
organization and subsists in every organization. Normally, such communication is oral and
may be expressed even by simple glance, sign or silence. Informal communication, is implicit,
spontaneous multidimensional and diverse. It often works in group of people, i.e. when one
person has some information of interest; he passes it on to his informal group and so on.
An organization can make efficient use of informal channels to fortify the formal channels of
communication. It acts as a valuable purpose in expressing certain information that cannot
be channeled via the official channels. It satisfies the people desires to identify what is
happening in the organization and offers an opportunity to express dreads, worries and
complaints. Informal communication also facilitates to ameliorate managerial decisions as
more people are involved in the process of decision-making.
Inspite on many advantages, informal communication has certain disadvantages. Informal
communication contains facts, deceptions, rumors and unclear data. The informal channels
of communication may transmit completely imprecise information that may harm rather than
help an organization. In addition, it is impossible to fix the responsibility for its origin or flow
of information. However, for the efficient working of any organization both formal and
informal communications are required.
An example of an informal communication channel is lunchtime at the organization's
cafeteria/canteen. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, discussions among employees are
encouraged. Also managers walking around, adopting a hands-on approach to handling
employee queries is an example of an informal communication channel. Quality circles, team
work, different training programs are outside of the chain of command and so, fall under the
category of informal communication channels.

Grapevine Communication (Informal Communication)

Grapevine is an informal channel of business communication. It is called so because it

stretches throughout the organization in all directions irrespective of the authority levels.
Man as we know is a social animal. Despite existence of formal channels in an organization,
the informal channels tend to develop when he interacts with other people in organization.
It exists more at lower levels of organization. Grapevine generally develops due to various
reasons. One of them is that when an organization is facing recession, the employees sense
uncertainty. Also, at times employees do not have self-confidence due to which they form
unions. Sometimes the managers show preferential treatment and favour some employees
giving a segregated feeling to other employees. Thus, when employees sense a need to
exchange their views, they go for grapevine network as they cannot use the formal channel
of communication in that case. Generally during breaks in cafeteria, the subordinates talk
about their superior’s attitude and behaviour and exchange views with their peers. They
discuss rumours about promotion and transfer of other employees. Thus, grapevine spreads
like fire and it is not easy to trace the cause of such communication at times.
Example of Grapevine Network of Communication
1. Suppose the profit amount of a company is known. Rumour is spread that this much profit
is there and on that basis bonus is declared.
2. CEO may be in relation to the Production Manager. They may have friendly relations with
each other.

Advantages of Grapevine Communication

1. Grapevine channels carry information rapidly. As soon as an employee gets to know some
confidential information, he becomes inquisitive and passes the details then to his closest
friend who in turn passes it to other. Thus, it spreads hastily.
2. The managers get to know the reactions of their subordinates on their policies. Thus, the
feedback obtained is quick compared to formal channel of communication.
3. The grapevine creates a sense of unity among the employees who share and discuss their
views with each other. Thus, grapevine helps in developing group cohesiveness.
4. The grapevine serves as an emotional supportive value.
5. The grapevine is a supplement in those cases where formal communication does not work.

Disadvantages of Grapevine Communication

1. The grapevine carries partial information at times as it is more based on rumours. Thus, it
does not clearly depicts the complete state of affairs.
2. The grapevine is not trustworthy always as it does not follows official path of
communication and is spread more by gossips and unconfirmed report.
3. The productivity of employees may be hampered as they spend more time talking rather
than working.
4. The grapevine leads to making hostility against the executives.
5. The grapevine may hamper the goodwill of the organization as it may carry false negative
information about the high level people of the organization.
A smart manager should take care of all the disadvantages of the grapevine and try to
minimize them. At the same time, he should make best possible use of advantages of
grapevine.

The Communication Process

• The linear concept.

The communication Process…

• Sender: The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the conversation
and has conceptualized the idea that he intends to convey it to others.
• Encoding: The sender begins with the encoding process wherein he uses certain words
or non-verbal methods such as symbols, signs, body gestures, etc. to translate the
information into a message. The sender’s knowledge, skills, perception, background,
competencies, etc. has a great impact on the success of the message.
• Message: Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the message that he intends
to convey. The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such as body
 gestures, silence, signs, sounds, etc. or any other signal that triggers the response of a
receiver.
• Communication Channel: The Sender chooses the medium through which he wants to
convey his message to the recipient. It must be selected carefully in order to make the
message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. The choice of medium
depends on the interpersonal relationships between the sender and the receiver and
also on the urgency of the message being sent. Oral, virtual, written, sound, gesture,
etc. are some of the commonly used communication mediums.
• Receiver: The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended or targeted.
He tries to comprehend it in the best possible manner such that the communication
objective is attained. The degree to which the receiver decodes the message depends
on his knowledge of the subject matter, experience, trust and relationship with the
sender.
• Decoding: Here, the receiver interprets the sender’s message and tries to understand
it in the best possible manner. An effective communication occurs only if the receiver
understands the message in exactly the same way as it was intended by the sender.
• Feedback: The Feedback is the final step of the process that ensures the receiver has
received the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the sender. It
increases the effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender to know the
efficacy of his message. The response of the receiver can be verbal or non-verbal.
• Noise/Interference: Interference, also called noise, can come from any source.
“Interference is anything that blocks or changes the source’s intended meaning of the
message.” For example, if you drove a car to work or school, chances are you were
surrounded by noise. Car horns, billboards, or perhaps the radio in your car
interrupted your thoughts, or your conversation with a passenger.

Barriers to Business Communication

For any kind of communication to be successful, it is essential that the receiver attributes the
same meaning to the message as intended by the sender of the message. But all acts of
communication are not perfect or successful. At times, some meaning is lost as the message
encounters various barriers along its passage between the sender and the receiver. Such
barriers may arise at any of the stages through which a message passes during the process of
communication. This is also called miscommunication.
Some of the common problems that lead to the failure of communication are: noise, cultural
differences, complexity of subject matter, personal biases, semantic problems, socio-
psychological barriers, filtering, information overload, poor retention, poor listening, goal
conflicts, slanting, inferring, etc.

Types of barriers
Barriers to communication can be classified into the following broad categories: 1) Physical
or environmental barriers, 2) Physiological or biological barriers, 3) Semantic or language
barriers, 4) Personal barriers, 5) Emotional or perceptional barriers, 6) Socio-psychological
barriers, 7) Cultural barriers, and 8) Organizational barriers.

Physical or Environmental Barriers

Physical barriers are those barriers which are caused due to some technical defects in the
media used for communication and/or due to certain disturbances in the surrounding
environment.
Often, the term ‘noise’ is used as a blanket term to refer to the physical barriers in general.
But noise, in its literal sense, is also one of the factors that give rise to the physical barriers
during the process of communication.
Besides noise, wrong selection of medium, lack of acoustics, poor lighting, frequent
movements of hands, fiddling with a pen, or even serving of tea during an important
conversation- all of these are also responsible for creating physical barriers in the
communication process.
Noise
Noise is the first major barrier to communication. Communication is distorted by noise that
crops up at the transmission level.
The meaning attributed to the word ‘noise’ in the field of Communication is derived from the
realm of Physics. In Physics, noise refers to “a disturbance, especially a random and persistent
disturbance, which obscures or reduces the clarity of a signal”.
The modern-day connotation of the word ‘noise’ is “irrelevant or meaningless data” as is
apparent from its usage in the field of Computer Science.
For example, the noise of the traffic around a school obstructs the smooth flow of information
between the teacher and the students. It makes oral communication difficult. Similarly, poor
signal or static while talking over the cell phone or while using the public address system or
while watching TV also distorts the sound signals and disrupts communication. Bad weather
conditions may also sometimes interfere with the transmission of signals and may lead to
breakdown of the communication channels.
As discussed above, noise is not only the disruption of sound signals, but it also includes all
the barriers that may arise at any of the various stages of communication. In a broad sense,
it denotes semantic barriers, perceptional barriers as well as psychological barriers.

Time and Distance

Time and distance may also obstruct the smooth flow of information. Today, because of
technological advancements, we have faster means of communication available to us and this
in turn has made the world a smaller place. But at times, these means of communication may
not be easily accessible because of unavailability or due to technical/technological problems.
This may lead not only to a physical but also a communication gap between the transmitter
and the receiver.
Time differences between people living in two different countries may affect communication
between them. Even people working in different shifts in the same organization may also face
problems in communicating effectively.
Improper seating arrangement in a classroom or in a conference hall may also act as a barrier
to effective communication as it is difficult to maintain eye contact with one’s audience.
Wrong Choice of Medium
This can also create a barrier to effective communication. For example, if an expert uses charts
or graphs or PowerPoint presentations to orient the illiterate workers or volunteers to a new
method of working, they are bound to be ill-equipped to infer any information or instructions
from such sophisticated presentations.
Surroundings
Adverse weather conditions affect not only the means of communication, but also have an
impact on the sender and the receiver of the message. When two people have to
communicate with each other under extreme weather conditions, whether too hot or too
cold, their surroundings does have a direct repercussion on the effectiveness of the exchange
that takes place between them.
Thus, environmental factors determine people’s mood and also influence their mental agility
and thereby their capacity to communicate effectively. Extreme heat and humidity make
people either hyper or listless and thus cause immense stress which in turn affects clear
thinking and the attitude of the communicator; whereas, extreme cold weather induces
laziness and also impedes the ability to think clearly and respond sharply, thereby causing
communication failure.

Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers are related to a person’s health and fitness. These may arise due to
disabilities that may affect the physical capability of the sender or the receiver. For example,
poor eyesight, deafness, uncontrolled body movements, etc.
Physical defects in one’s body may also disrupt communication. While communicating, a
person uses–
his vocal (speech) organs to produce sound/speech
his hand and fingers to write
his ears to take in the spoken words
his eyes to absorb the written words
Flawless functioning of these body organs is inevitable for effective communication to take
place. In case of any defect in any of these organs, the successful completion of
communication will be difficult to accomplish.
Speaking can be adversely affected by stammering, fumbling, utterance of improper sounds
due to defective vocal organ/s, etc.

Semantic or Language Barriers

Semantics is the systematic study of the meaning of words. Thus, the semantic barriers are
barriers related to language. Such barriers are problems that arise during the process of
encoding and/or decoding the message into words and ideas respectively.
Both the oral and the written communication are based on words/symbols which are
ambiguous in nature. Words/symbols may be used in several ways and may have several
meanings. Unless the receiver knows the context, he may interpret the words/symbols
according to his own level of understanding and may thus misinterpret the message.
The most common semantic barriers are listed as under:
a. Misinterpretation of Words
Semantic problems often arise because of the gap between the meaning as intended by the
sender and that as understood by the receiver. This happens when the receiver does not
assign the same meaning to the word/symbol as the transmitter had intended.
Words are capable of expressing a variety of meanings depending upon their usage, i.e. in the
context in which they are used. The association between the word/symbol and the meaning
assigned to it is of arbitrary nature.
For example, the word 'yellow' when used as an adjective can have multiple connotations
depending upon its usage. Words have two levels of meaning- literal (descriptive) and
metaphorical (qualitative). ‘Yellow’, besides being a primary colour, also stands for
‘freshness’, ‘beauty’, ‘sickness’, ‘decay’, etc. Hence, the receiver is free to interpret it in any
of these ways based on his own imagination and experience.
But for communication to be perfect, it is essential that the receiver must assign to it the same
meaning which the sender had in his mind while encoding the message. Therefore, there is
always a possibility of misinterpretation of the messages. Mostly, such problems arise when
the sender does not use simple and clear words that can convey the exact meaning to the
receiver.
b. Use of Technical Language
Technical or specialized language which is used by people or professionals who work in the
same field is known as jargon. Such technical language can be a barrier to communication if
the receiver of the message is not familiar with it. For example, in the computer jargon, 'to
burn a CD' means 'to copy the data on a CD'. To a layman, the word 'burn' may have a very
different connotation.
c. Ambiguity
Ambiguity arises when the sender and the receiver of the message attribute different
meanings to the same words or use different words to convey the same meaning. Sometimes,
wrong and speculative assumptions also lead to ambiguity. A sender often assumes that his
audience would perceive the situation as he does or have the same opinion about an issue or
understand the message as he understands it, and so on. All such assumptions may turn out
to be wrong and cause communication failure.

Personal Barriers
Communication is interpersonal in nature. Thus, there are certain barriers that are directly
linked to the persons involved in the communication process, i.e. the sender and the receiver,
which influence the accurate transfer of the message. These are called personal barriers.
Personal barriers have to do with the age, education, interests and needs or intentions that
differ from person to person.
In any business organization, the attitude of the superiors and the subordinates play a vital
role in determining the success of communication. If the superiors have a hostile attitude,
then there are chances that they may filter the information or manipulate the message,
sometimes intentionally, in order to achieve certain selfish motives.Many superiors are not
open to suggestions and feedback as they presume that their subordinates are not capable of
advising them. Also, they often tend to keep too busy with work and do not pay much
attention to communication. Due to this, the downward flow of information within the
organization is badly affected and this in turn leads to poor performance.

Emotional or Perceptional Barriers

Emotional or perceptional barriers are closely associated with personal barriers. Personal
barriers arise from motives and attitudes whereas emotional or perceptional barriers have an
added dimension that includes sentiments and emotions as well.
If the receiver does not evaluate the information with an open mind, i.e. objectively, his
judgment/evaluation would be colored with his biases and/or his emotions, thus inducing him
to read too much into a message. This would interfere with the exact transfer of information
and cause misinterpretation.
Such a barrier may also emerge at the time of encoding the message. Over enthusiasm on the
part of the sender may lead him to invest his message with meaning/s which he may actually
not have intended to. Indolence, apathy, or the tendency to procrastinate, either on the part
of the sender or the receiver, also lead to withholding of important information thus creating
a barrier. Extreme emotions like euphoria, excitement, anger, stress, depression, etc. also get
in the way of effective communication. All these factors may create biases in the mind of the
sender or the receiver.

Socio-Psychological Barriers
Socio-psychological barriers can also be considered as one of the offshoots of the personal
barriers, akin to the perceptional barriers. We need to study it as a subcategory of personal
barriers because a person’s attitude is shaped not only by his instincts and emotions, but also
by his approach towards and his interaction with the people around him, and hence the need
for this fine distinction between the personal, the perceptional and the socio-psychological
barriers.
Difference in Perception
Moreover, in a communication situation, the communicators have to deal with two aspects
of the reality- the one as they see it and the other as they perceive it. The mind filters the
message i.e. the words/symbols/ signs and attributes meaning to them, according to
individual perception.
Each individual has his own distinctive filter, formed by his/her experiences, emotional
makeup, knowledge, and mindset which s/he has attained over a period of time. Because of
this difference in perceptions, different individuals respond to the same word/symbol/sign
based on their own understanding of the situation and ascribe meaning to it on the basis of
their unique filter.
At times, this difference in perception causes communication gap, i.e. distortion, in the
message. In face-to-face communication, this gap can be easily eliminated as there is
immediate feedback. But in written communication, the semantic gap between the intended
meaning and the interpreted meaning remains unidentified, as the feedback is delayed or
sometimes there is no feedback at all.
Prejudices
Besides, a person with deeply ingrained prejudices is very difficult to communicate with. He
is not responsive to discussion or to new ideas, information, viewpoints and opinions. He has
a closed mind and tends to react antagonistically, thus ruling out all possibilities of
communication. An unreceptive mind can, hence, be a great barrier in communication. To
overcome this barrier, people should be receptive of new ideas and must learn to listen
considerately with an open mind.
Information Overload
Furthermore, information overload leads to poor retention and causes information loss. So,
whenever there is some important information to be conveyed, the communicators must use
the written channel of communication. On the basis of the above discussion, we may thus
conclude that the socio-psychological factors do have a profound impact on the effectiveness
of communication.
Cultural Barriers
Cultural differences give rise to a great deal of complexity in the encoding and the decoding
of messages not only because of the difference in languages, but also because of plenty of
culture-specific assumptions at work in the mind of the sender as well as the receiver. People
belonging to different cultures may attach different meanings to words, symbols, gestures,
and behaviour or they may perceive each others’ social values, body language, attitude to
space distancing and time, social behaviour and manners, etc., i.e. the entire culture in
general, very differently depending upon their own standards, attitudes, customs, prejudices,
opinions, behavioral norms, etc., i.e. their own distinct culture.
Thus, cultural barriers arise when people belonging to different cultures insist on preserving
their cultural identities and at times, judge the other cultures as inferior to their own.

Organizational Barriers
Organizational structure greatly influences the flow of information within an organization.
Some major organizational barriers are as follows:
a. Goal Conflicts
There may be goal conflicts within the organization between the superiors and the
subordinates, among people working in the different departments, among the colleagues,
etc. This may create a hostile atmosphere within the organization and can lead to serious
communication breakdown.
b. Organizational Policies
These are also to a great extent responsible for determining the kind of rapport that people
working in the same organization share with each other. If the organizational policy is such
that it restricts the free flow of information in all directions then communication would not
be successful. In some organizations, there may be rules to restrict the flow of certain
messages and this may deter employees from conveying those messages, however important
they may be.
If an organization favours the open door policy, the subordinates would not feel shy or
reluctant to approach their superiors directly. But in the organizations where the formal
channels of communication have to be strictly adhered to, the superiors and the subordinates
share an awkward relationship. They experience a lot of discomfiture while interacting with
each other. Because of this, the objective of communication may never be accomplished.
c. Organizational Hierarchy
The hierarchical structure of the organization may also impede the flow of information and
this can cause delay in taking decisions. When the message passes along the chain of command
in an organization, there are chances of filtering and distortion of the message at almost every
level before it reaches the intended receiver. Thus, the hierarchical structure of the
organization is also one of the important factors that may create a barrier to effective
communication.