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Channel, medium of communication

communication skills

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19 views

Channel, medium of communication

communication skills

Uploaded by

engrsam254
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

Channels/medium/modes of communication
Channel is the medium that carries the message from the source to the target audience.
1. Face-to-Face
Face-to-face is still the preferred communication channel if clarity of message is of
primary importance.
Advantages
• Face to face communication allows you to interact with the listener in a
back-and-forth discussion.
• It also allows you to utilize nonverbal gestures, facial expressions and
personal charisma to enhance the message.
• Fast feedback.
Disadvantages
• A drawback is the potential that a conflict could become more heated or
emotional in a face-to-face channel.
• Tension or stress is also more likely if you have personal conflict with the
other person.
• No permanent record. Not admissible in court. Cannot be used as evidence.
• Frequent interruptions.
2. Telephone
Landlines or mobile telephones are useful communication tools in businesses
where distance and travel prevent face-to-face conversation.
Advantages
• The telephone still allows immediate interaction between two parties in the
communication.
• Mobile phones also expand your ability to communicate with distant
workers or offices.
Disadvantages
• There is lack of nonverbal or facial expressions. This can inhibit the ability
to interpret the context or emotion of a message sender.
• The phone is also less personal than a face-to-face meeting.
• No permanent record except in where there is the recording of the
conversation. Prone to disturbances such as static which hinder audibility.
3. E-mail
This is the use of computer hardware and associated software to transmit electronic
mail over a network.
Advantages
• E-mail is a vital communication channel in geographically dispersed
companies.
• E-mail allows for more flexible response times. You can send a message
one day and receive a response in a few hours or the next day. It allows for
conversation that isn't time pressured, but can serve for fast turnaround
times.
• It also allows for the inclusion of files, such as documents or images.
• Permanent record.
• Prior planning before prior.
Disadvantages
• E-mail is less personal than either face-to-face or phone.
• Lack of instant clarifications.
• Feedback can be slow.

4.Letters, memos, e-mail, notices, reports etc. (Written communication)


Written communication expresses facts and ideas in writing in a clear, convincing
and organized manner. Some of the various forms of written communication that
are used internally for business operations include memos, reports, e-mail, letter,
bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals.

5.TV and Radio

2. Factors to consider when selecting a channel of


communication

a) The type of audience you want to reach.


b) The speed with which the message should be conveyed: The pressure of time and the
distance between the sender and the receiver influence the choice of the medium. Some
media are faster and can travel distances rapidly, like the telephone, the fax and the email;
these media also have the advantage of being person to person.
c) Need for confidentiality of the message is an important consideration. The choice will
certainly be influenced by requirement of secrecy; all media do not ensure the same secrecy
of the message. Messages like warning memo, report on a customer's credit standing, demand
for overdue payment, and so on, are confidential. They cannot be sent by media like telegram
or telex or fax even if they are urgent.
d) Need for accuracy in transmission is not the same for all messages. If the content to be
transmitted is mainly data, you make the choice for accuracy and speed in transmitting.
e) Need for reliability of the medium is an important factor. Sending a message by hand
delivery is more reliable than ordinary mail; registered post is more reliable than ordinary
mail.
f) Cost of the medium and its relative importance and urgency.
g) Availability of a particular medium to the sender and to the receiver is obviously an
affecting factor. You can use only those media which both you and the intended receiver can
access. You may have a fax machine but if the receiver does not have one and has no
arrangements for receiving a fax message, you cannot use that medium.
h) Feedback capacity of the medium: For some messages, you need immediate feedback; you
have to use a medium which will enable you to get it at once, like the telephone.
i) Availability of hard copy for record.
j) Formality of the medium must be suitable to content of the message. A letter of
congratulation is more formal and has a different effect from conveying the same message
orally.
k) Intensity and complexity of the message is a major factor. Many messages in an
organisation have an emotional content, which influences the choice considerably; the
emotional content is not carried equally by all media.

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