COMPETENCIES

1. explain the principles and process of communication

2. identify the kinds of interference in given situations
3. state the importance of ethics in communication
4. Create a concept map showing the process, ethics and principles of communication
through different platforms .

GPCOM L1: Communication Processes,

Principles and Ethics
Purposive Communication
Purposive Communication is a course that develops students’ communicative
competence and enhances their cultural and intercultural awareness through multimodalGPCOM
tasks that provide them opportunities for communicating effectively and appropriately to
a multi-cultural audience in a local or global context. It equips students with tools for
critical evaluation of a variety of texts and focuses on the power of language and the
impact of images to emphasize the importance of conveying messages responsibly. The
knowledge, skills, and insights that students gain from this course may be used in their
other academic endeavors, their chosen disciplines, and their future careers as they
compose and produce relevant oral, written, audio-visual and/or web-based output for
various purposes.

Communication

Communication is generally defined as the exchange of thoughts, ideas, concepts,

and views between or among two or more people. Communication may be done verbally
or nonverbally.
Communication is understood as the process of meaning-making through a
channel or a medium. It comes from the Latin “communicare” meaning to share or to

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make ideas common. The connection that encompasses interaction among partakers is at
the center of your learning of communication.

What then is purposive communication?

Purposive communication is an intentional communication that happens within the

bounds of specific contexts. It is a communication applied in a specific setting,
environment, scene,social relations and culture.

Contexts affects the process of sending and receiving of messages; semantics or

meanings, choice of channels, words and methods of delivery.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

1. Verbal communication - It is a form of transmitting messages using word symbols in

representing ideas and objects which comes in two forms – oral and written. It includes a
face to face interaction with another person, speaking to someone on the phone,
participating in meetings, delivering speeches in programs and giving lectures or
presentations in conferences.

2. Non – Verbal Communication - It is a form of communication which refers to the

sending of messages to another person using signs, gestures, facial expressions and
means other than the spoken and written language.

Two Categories of Non-Verbal Communication

a. Non-verbal messages produced by the body
b. Non-verbal messages produced by the broad setting such as time, space and
silence

Functions of Non-Verbal Communication

a. It is used to repeat the verbal message. (Point in an object while saying it.)
b. It is often used to accent a verbal message. (verbal tone indicates the actual
meaning of the words.)
c. It often complements the verbal message but also may contradict. (A nod
reinforces a positive message among Americans and Filipinos. A wink or a frown
may contradict a positive message)
d. It regulates interactions (Hand gestures may signal a person to speak or not.)
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 e. It may substitute for the verbal message, especially if it is blocked by noise or
interruption. (Touch to mean comfort or encouragement A thumbs-up gesture
indicating approval)

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS :

The process of communication refers to the transmission or passage of information or

message from the sender through a selected channel to the receiver overcoming barriers
that affect its pace.

The process of communication is a cyclic one as it begins with the sender and ends with
the sender in the form of feedback. It takes place upward, downward and laterally
throughout the organization.

The process of communication as such must be a continuous and dynamic interaction,

both affecting and being affected by many variables. GPCOM

Communication process consists of certain steps where each step constitutes the
essential of an effective communication.

ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

1. Sender
The very foundation of communication process is laid by the person who transmits or
sends the message. He is the sender of the message which may be a thought, idea, a
picture, symbol, report or an order and postures and gestures, even a momentary smile.
The sender is therefore the initiator of the message that need to be transmitted. After
having generated the idea, information etc. the sender encodes it in such a manner that
can be well-understood by the receiver.

2. Message
Message is referred to as the information conveyed by words as in speech and write-ups,
signs, pictures or symbols depending upon the situation and the nature and importance of
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information desired to be sent. Message is the heart of communication. It is the content
the sender wants to covey to the receiver. It can be verbal both written and spoken; or
non-verbal i.e. pictorial or symbolic, etc.

3. Encoding
Encoding is putting the targeted message into appropriate medium which may be verbal
or non-verbal depending upon the situation, time, space and nature of the message to be
sent. The sender puts the message into a series of symbols, pictures or words which will
be communicated to the intended receiver. Encoding is an important step in the
communication process as wrong and inappropriate encoding may defeat the true intent
of the communication process.

4. Channel
Channel(s) refers to the way or mode the message flows or is transmitted through. The
message is transmitted over a channel that links the sender with the receiver. The
message may be oral or written and it may be transmitted through a memorandum, a
computer, telephone, cell phone, apps or televisions.

5. Receiver
Receiver is the person or group who the message is meant for. He may be a listener, a
reader or a viewer. Any negligence on the part of the receiver may make the
communication ineffective. The receiver needs to comprehend the message sent in the
best possible manner such that the true intent of the communication is attained. The
extent to which the receiver decodes the message depends on his/her knowledge of the
subject matter of the message, experience, trust and relationship with the sender.
The receiver is as significant a factor in communication process as the sender is. It is the
other end of the process. The receiver should be in fit condition to receive the message,
that is, he/she should have channel of communication active and should not be
preoccupied with other thoughts that might cause him/her to pay insufficient attention to
the message.

6. Decoding -
Decoding refers to interpreting or converting the sent message into intelligible language.
It simply means comprehending the message. The receiver after receiving the message
interprets it and tries to understand it in the best possible manner.

7. Feedback
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Feedback is the ultimate aspect of communication process. It refers to the response of
the receiver as to the message sent to him/her by the sender. Feedback is necessary to
ensure that the message has been effectively encoded, sent, decoded and
comprehended.

It is the final step of the communication process and establishes that the receiver has
received the message in its letter and spirit. In other words, the receiver has correctly
interpreted the message as it was intended by the sender. It is instrumental to make
communication effective and purposeful.

Communication Model

The sender decides the The sender encodes The sender selects
message to be transmitted the message the channel

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The receiver provides The receiver decodes The receiver receives
feedback the message the message

The process of communication, however, is not as smooth or barrier-free as it

seems. From its transmission to receipt, the message may get interfered or
disturbed with at any stage by many factors which are known as barriers to
effective communication.

a.Psychological barriers are thoughts that hamper the message to be

interpreted correctly by the receiver.
b.Physical barriers include competing stimulus, weather and climate,
health and ignorance of the medium.

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 c.Linguistic and cultural barriers pertain to the language and its cultural
environment. Words may mean another in different cultures.
d.Mechanical barriers are those raised by the channels employed for
interpersonal, group or mass communication. These include cellphones,
laptops and other gadgets used in communication.

THE NINE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Michael Osborn (2009) claims that communication must meet certain

standards for effective communication to take place.
1. Clarity - Clarity makes speeches understandable. Fuzzy language is
absolutely forbidden, as are jargons, cliché expressions, euphemisms and
doublespeak language.
2. Concreteness - Concreteness reduces misunderstandings. Messages must
be supported by facts such as research data, statistics or figures. To achieve
concreteness, abstract words must be avoided.
3. Courtesy- Courtesy builds goodwill. It involves being polite in terms of
approach and manner of addressing an individual.
4. Correctness- Glaring mistakes in grammar obscures the meaning of a
sentence. Also, the misuse of language can damage your credibility.
5. Consideration- Messages must be geared towards the audience. The sender
of a message must consider the recipient’s profession, level of education, race,
ethnicity, hobbies, interests, passions, advocacies and age when drafting or
delivering a message.
6. Creativity- Creativity in communication means having the ability to craft
interesting messages in terms of sentence structure and word choice.
7. Conciseness- Simplicity and directness help you to be concise. Avoid using
lengthy expressions and words that may confuse the recipient.
8. Cultural Sensitivity - Today, with the increasing emphasis on empowering
diverse cultures, lifestyles, and races and the pursuit for gender equality,

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 cultural sensitivity becomes an important standard for effective
communication.
9. Captivating-power- You must strive to make messages interesting to
command more attention and better responses.

COMMUNICATION ETHICS

Communication Ethics refer to the principle governing communication, the right

and wrong aspects of it, the moral- immoral dimensions relevant to Interpersonal
communication are called the ethics of Interpersonal communication.

When we communicate, we do not simply choose words; we choose words for the
effect they will have on our audiences, on ourselves, and ultimately, on society.
Also, we choose the manner of communication because sometimes “what matters
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is not what you say, but how you say things.” Thus, when we communicate, we
ask ourselves how harmful or helpful our words and our ways are.

Principles of Ethical Communication

1. Ethical Communicators are respectful of their audience.

Communication is a two-way process. The communicator must consider
the audience ideas and feelings during the interaction.
2. Ethical communicators consider the consequences of their communication.
Every communicator must bear in mind that the ultimate aim of
communication is to promote the common good. Communication must be
set in a way that conflict is reduced or eliminated.
3.Ethical communicators respect the truth.
A great deal of the ethics of communication involves a respect for truth.
Indeed, as one has put it, the assumption of truth undergirds the very
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 concept of communication itself: "an inherent end of speech is the
communication of belief" (Kupfer 118). If we cannot trust the other party,
we cannot accurately judge how to respond. If we cannot accurately judge
how to respond, then our communication becomes increasingly
ineffective.
4. Ethical communicators use information properly.
Communicators have the responsibility to give and acquire adequate and
accurate information. As an ethical communicator, a respect for truth
means being informed on a topic before posing as any kind of authority on
the subject. We also need to consider the accuracy of the information and
the accuracy with which we use it. When we communicate, we expect
people to react in some way to what we say and do. When we use
inaccurate information to influence others, we cause difficulty for them
and for ourselves.
5. Ethical communicators do not falsify information.
Worse than the distortion of information is falsifying information. Failing to
find information useful to our goals, we make it up. This is a form of
cheating; therefore, it should by all means be avoided.
6. Ethical communicators respect the rights of others to information.
A respect for truth and an ethical consideration of others also means
respecting the rights of others in regard to information and access to
information. Collecting information is an integral part of the research
process, but stealing information is theft, taking something that does not
belong to us. Beyond the personal act of theft, stealing information is
unethical because it prevents other people from securing information and
unnecessarily makes their lives more difficult.

ACTIVITY :
I. Create a concept map or infographic of your chosen subtopic from the lesson :

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 a. Communication Process
b. Effective communication
c. Communication ethics
You may create the concept map in either of these two ways :
A. On a short bondaper, to be submitted in school during the scheduled
submission day or
B. through digital apps (e.g. powerpoint, canva) , to be submitted in MS
Teams.

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REFERENCES :

Madrunio, Marilu Rañosa and Isabel Pefianco Martin (2018). Quezon City: C & E
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 Publishing
Uychoco, Marikit Tara and Maria Lorena Santos (2018). Manila Rex Bookstore
Wakat, Geraldine (2018). Purposive Communication. (OBE & PPST-Based). Metro
Manila. Lorimar Publishing Inc.

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