Chapter 1

COMMUNICATION PROCESSES, PRINCIPLES, AND ETHICS

RATIONALE:
It is not possible to go through a day without the use of communication. The types of
communication vary, and you are almost certainly familiar with all of them. This chapter will
enable the students to understand more of what communication is – its aspects, types,
elements, and its process. Also, this chapter will help students achieve the goal of
communication through gaining knowledge regarding its issues, principles, and ethics.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this chapter, you must be able to:
1. describe communication and its process;
2. explain the issues, principles, and ethics in communication.

PRETEST:
Complete the tables on page 33.

CONTENT:

COMMUNICATION
– derived from the Latin words con (with), munus (a business), communis (common),
communico (to confer or relate with one another.)
– the process of accomplishing a goal, “with a business to confer or relatewith one
another.

ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION

The importance of communication is related to various aspects:

1. Communication is integrated in all parts of our lives.

Communication is valued in the real world and it is integrated in all episodes of our lives.
Our lives consist of four domains:

a. Academics
Communication skills are tied to academic success. Students who are good at writing and
speaking perform better not only in the English classroom but also in the content areas
and all other areas of learning. Students who can effectively communicate in English have
more confidence in their communication tasks. They undoubtedly receive high grades and
are less likely to drop out of school. Students are required to enroll a general education
course in English in order to develop their English language skill. This soft skill can help
them succeed in the academe and set them for more success in the workplace.

b. Professional
Desired communication skills vary from one career to another. However, English
courses provide important skills essential for functioning in entry-level jobs. Despite
the well-documented need for communication skills in the professional world, many
students still resist taking communication courses. In such a competitive job market,
being able to demonstrate that you have received communication instruction and
training from communication professionals can give you the edge needed to stand
out from other applicants or employees.

c. Personal
Having a vocabulary to name the communication phenomena in our lives increases
our ability to alter consciously our communication. This is activated in order to
achieve our goals, avoid miscommunication, and analyze and learn from our
inevitable mistakes. Communication is crucial for a person’s success. The skill to
talk with fluency and write with efficiency may lead to a person’s fortune. Hence,
communication has its daily relevance.

d. Civic
There is a connection between communication and a person’s civic engagement.
We are engaged with the world around us, participate in our society, and become a
virtuous citizen. Civic engagement refers to working to make a difference in our
communities by improving the quality of life of community members; raising
awareness about social, cultural, or political issues; or participating in a wide variety
of political and nonpolitical processes (Ehrlich, 2000). The civic part of our lives is
developed through engagement with the decision making that goes on in our society
at the small-group, local, state, regional, national, or international level.

2. Communication meets needs.

Communication helps us achieve certain physical and instrumental needs, and feeds into
our identities and relationships.

a. Physical needs – affects well-being

b. Instrumental needs – helps us achieve long-term and short-term goals
c. Relational needs – maintains social bonds and interpersonal relationships
d. Identity needs – allows us to present ourselves in a distinct manner

3. Communication is guided by culture and context.

O’Neil (2006) defines culture is a full range of learned human behavioral patterns which
includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, capabilities, and habits acquired by
man as a member of the society. Conversely, context is the circumstances that form the
setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood
(Oxford Dictionary, 2018).
Culture and context also influence how we perceive and define communication. Cultures
vary in terms of having a more individualistic or more collectivistic cultural orientation.

4. Communication is learned.
Humans are born with the capacity to learn a language and the ability to communicate.
Communication is learned rather that innate. It is learned through human contact.
However, our manner of communication varies from one person to another based on
culture and context.

5. Communication has ethical implications.

Communication is more concerned with the decisions people make about what is right
 and wrong. Communication ethics deals with the process of negotiating and reflecting on
our actions and communication regarding what we believe to be right and wrong.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
When people speak to people in other cultures, sometimes language is one of the barriers to
communicating. However, even when people are speaking the same language, cultural
differences may affect the way they communicate. These differences may be seen in people’s
verbal and non-verbal communication styles— the two forms of communication (Cox, 2018).

1. VERBAL COMMUNICATION – a form of transmitting messages using word symbols

representing ideas and objects. It comes in two forms:

• ORAL COMMUNICATION – includes face-to-face interaction, speaking to someone

on the phone, participating in meetings, delivering speeches in programs, giving
lectures or discussions
• WRITTEN COMMUNICATION – uses symbols that are hand- written or printed with
an electronic device

Factors that affect verbal communication:

• Tone of voice
• Use of descriptive words
• Emphasis on certain phrases
• Volume of voice

2. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION – a form of communication which refers to the

sending of messages to another person using methods or means other than the spoken
language. Basically, it is communication without the use of words.

• NON-VERBAL CUES – may both be intentional and unintentional and is categorized

in two (2) categories:
• Non-verbal cues produced by the body
• Non-verbal messages produced by the broad setting such as time, space, and
silence.

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
The elements of the communication process involve a sender, receiver, message, channel,
and feedback. In the process, however, one may encounter other factors such as an
interference or “noise’ that may distort the message or fail the process and an “adjustment”
that is required to perform to solve or remove the barrier for effective communication. Below
are the elements of the communication process:

1. SENDER – a person, group, or organization who initiates the communication. The

sender may also be called the source, encoder, speaker, writer, or communicator. The
sender is initially responsible for the success of the message. Her/his experiences,
attitudes, knowledge, skills, perceptions, and culture influence the message.

2. MESSAGE – an element transmitted in communication consists of the idea, opinion,

information, feeling, or attitude of the sender. Before encoding the message, the sender
must consider the receiver’s knowledge and assumptions, along with what additional
information the sender wants the receiver to take. More importantly, the sender should
use a language that is understood by the sender and mentally visualize communication
from the receiver’s point of view.
 3. CHANNEL – a pathway or medium through which the message travels to reach its
destination. It may be oral, written, visual. The channel may vary depending on the
characteristics of communication.
• Oral – more effective when an immediate feedback is needed
• Written – more effective when the message must be delivered to many people
• Visual/Electronic – used for distant communication

4. RECEIVER – a person who receives, analyzes, understands, and interprets the

message. The receiver can also be called the decoder, reader, or listener. The
message is examined by the receiver assigning some type of meaning to it. The
receiver’s knowledge, experiences, beliefs, among others may influence her/his
interpretation of the message.

5. FEEDBACK – the receiver’s response that provides information to the sender. It is the
return process in which the receiver provides both verbal and non-verbal signals to
show whether the message is understood or not. Verbal signals may take the form of a
spoken comment or a written message while the non-verbal signal may be a long sigh,
a smile, or some other actions.

Bovee and Thill (1992) said that even a lack of response, is in a sense, a form of response. Without feedback,
however, the sender cannot confirm that the receiver has interpreted the message correctly. It is a very
important element in the oral communication process because it makes the whole process a dynamic,
two-way interactive event.

6. ADJUSTMENT – done if the message is distorted or is not clearly understood by the

receiver. The feedback provides the sender to adjust her/his message or send the same
message but adjust her/his means of transmission or language to get a better response
or a positive feedback.

7. NOISE – a form of distortion, barrier, or obstacle that occurs in any of the phases of
oral communication process. It may be visual, aural, physical, or psychological in forms
may interfere with or break the whole communication process which may distort hearing
and may distract the receiver’s attention.

Examples: inappropriate channel, incorrect grammar, inflammatory words, words that conflict with body
language, technical jargons

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

COMMUNICATION – is a process of mutual interaction of people through sensory stimuli; a

two-way process which occurs in an orderly and systematic sequence.
The communication process begins with the formulation of an idea by the sender who may be a
speaker or writer depending on the communication form. S/he then encodes the message into a
language to be transmitted through audible, visible, or comprehensible symbols to the receiver,
listener, or reader.

The goal of communication between a sender and a receiver is understanding of the message
being sent. Anything that interferes to the process can be referred to as noise. Communication
noise can influence the receiver’s interpretation of the message and significantly affects her/his
perception of interacting with the sender. As the receiver receives the message, s/he decodes
them and may verbally, mentally, or physically respond to the Sender.

The response made by the receiver of the message is the feedback which may be negative or
positive. The positive feedback is accepted while the negative feedback is provided with an
adjustment. Therefore, the receiver of the original message changes its function— from the
receiver of the original message to the sender of the response to the original message. On the
other hand, the adjustment made by the sender of the original message should be incorporated
in the original message and should reach the sender of the feedback. Finally, the communication
process ends or temporarily stops when both participants have reached their goal or are satisfied
with their transaction.

ISSUES IN COMMUNICATION

Essential issues to be aware of in any communication situation are:

1. CONTENT refers to the information and experiences that are provided to the receiver of the
communication process. It is what the receiver derives value from. It is expressed in a medium
like speech, writing, or visuals which may be delivered in various media.

Content must be presented in a language that makes a grammatical sense. Words have different
meanings and may be used or interpreted differently, so even simple words and messages can
be misunderstood. Therefore, content should be tailored or edited for the public to ensure
effective communication.

2. PROCESS refers to the way the message is presented or delivered. The content of the
message should not contradict with the non-verbal cues

3. CONTEXT is the situation or environment in which your message is delivered. It is when and
where communication happens.

PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION

These principles will help you to make your communication more informative and will aid you
to gain positive effects:

1. Principle of Clarity – the information or message should be coded or worded clearly.

2. Principle of Attention – the receiver’s attention should be drawn to the message to make
the communication effective.

3. Principle of Feedback – there should be feedback information from the receiver to know
whether s/he understood the message in the same sense in which the sender has meant
It.
4.Principle of Informality – informal communication may prove effective in situations when
formal communication may not achieve its desired results

5.Principle of Consistency – consistency avoids conflict in an organization; inconsistency

leads to confusion

6.Principle of Timeliness – communication should be done in real time so that it helps, and
it is relevant in implementing plans; delayed communication may not serve any purpose

7.Principle of Adequacy – information should be complete; is essential to take proper

decisions and make action plans; inadequate information may delay action and create
confusion.

COMMUNICATION ETHICS

COMMUNICATION ETHICS – deals with the behavior of an individual or a group which is

governed by their morals and in turn affects communication

ETHICAL COMMUNICATION – enhances human worth and dignity

UNETHICAL COMMUNICATION – causes threats to the quality of communication

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATION (NCA) - developed the Credo for Ethical

Communication which reminds that communication ethics is relevant across contexts and
applies to every channel of communication.

NCA stipulates that “ethical communication is fundamental to responsible thinking, decision

making, and the development of relationships and communities within and across contexts,
cultures, channels, and media.

CREDO FOR ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

by the National Communication Association (NCA)

1. Advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the integrity of

communication.

2. Endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent to

achieve the informed and responsible decision making fundamental to a civil society.

3. Strive to understand and respect other communicators before evaluating and

responding to their messages.

4. Promote access to communication resources and opportunities as necessary to fulfill

human potential and contribute to the well- being of families, communities, and society.

5. Promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding that respect the
unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators.

6. Condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortion,

intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred.

7. Commit to the courageous expression of personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice.
8. Advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings when facing significant choices
while also respecting privacy and confidentiality.

9. Accept responsibility for the short-term and long-term consequences of our own
communication and expect the same of others.