BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

CBU 1102
MRS T. RONNEY
[email protected]
0773532957/0712326721
Standard format of presenting assignments

• Font: size 12
• Times New Roman
• Spacing: 1.5
• Referencing: Harvard style
 Introduction
• The word communication is derived from the Latin word
communicare, meaning to share, and from the Latin word
communis, meaning common
• When we communicate with others we need to have something in
common to share.
• In its simplest form, communication can thus be defined as the
transmission of messages from the sender to the receiver.
• Ideas, orders, reports, explanations are all examples of the kind of
materials that flow though the communication system of an
organisation.
 Cont.
• Communication in organisations occurs in:
 One-to-one
 Small groups and large groups
• Organisations also have to communicate with customers, suppliers
and the general public
• Businesses are concerned with a range of communication activities
• Communication within the company has to be effective
 Cont.
• Communication activities ensure good
upward, downward and lateral (sideways)
communication.
• The most important activity of all is to
communicate with customers, without them
no businesses exists.
 Cont.
• Communication begins with the language.
• Language is the only distinctive ability which has made possible the
evolution of human society.
• With language any message, no matter how complex, can be
conveyed between people, societies and organisations.
• Business communication skills are critical to the success of any
organization despite its size, geographical location, and its mission.
• Business communication is interlinked with internal culture and the
external image of any organization. So it is the determining factor to
communication inside the organization.
• Good Business communication practices assist the organization in
achieving its goal of informing, persuading, favourable relationship,
and organizational goodwill
 Cont….
• Organizations can only survive if they accept the rapidly
changing global challenges and the communication processes
that are structured and delivered.
• The present workforce is dynamic in nature hence
communication is a challenge when executed against the
backdrop of culture, technology and competition.
• The success of any business to a large extent depends on
efficient and effective communication.
 Cont….
• Communication takes place among business entities, in market and
market places, within organizations and between various groups of
employees, owners and employees, buyers and sellers, service
providers and customers, sales persons and prospects and also
between people within the organization and the press persons.
• All such communication impacts business. Done with care, such
communication can promote business interests. Otherwise, it will
portray the organization in poor light and may adversely affect the
business interest.
• Communication is the life blood of any organization and its main
purpose is to effect change to influence action.
 Cont….
• In any organization the main problem is of maintaining
effective communication process.
• The management problem generally results in poor
communication.
• Serious mistakes are made because orders are misunderstood.
• The basic problem in communication is that the meaning
which is actually understood may not be what the other
intended to send.
• It must be realised that the speaker and the listener are two
separate individuals having their own limitations and a number
of things may happen to distort the message that pass
between them.
 Cont….
• When people within the organization communicate with each
other, it is internal communication.
• They do so to work as a team and realise the face-to-face and
written communication. Memos, reports, office order,
circular, fax, video conferencing, meeting etc. are the
examples of internal communication.
• When people in the organization communicate with anyone
outside the organization it is called external communication.
• Examples of external communication may be,
communication with: clients or customers, dealers or
distributors, media, government, general public etc.
 Cont……
• The management problem generally results in poor
communication. Serious mistakes are made because orders are
misunderstood.
• The basic problem in communication is that the meaning
which is actually understood may not be what the other
intended to send. It must be realised that the speaker and the
listener are two separate individuals having their own
limitations and number of things may happen to distort the
message that pass between them.
• When people within the organization communicate with each
other, it is internal communication. They do so to work as a
team and realise the common goals.
 Cont….
• Organizations can only survive if they accept the rapidly
changing global challenges and the communication processes
are structured and delivered.
• The present workforce is dynamic in nature so
communication is a challenge when executed against the
backdrop of culture, technology and competition.
• The success of any business to a large extent depends on
efficient and effective communication.
• Communication is the life blood of any organization and its
main purpose is to effect change to influence action. In any
organization the main problem is of maintaining effective
communication process.
 Definitions
Def. 1
• Theodorson and Theordoson as quoted in Mcquail and Windal (1993)
define communication as; the transmission of information, ideas,
attitudes or emotions from one person or group to another(or others)
primarily though symbols.
Def. 2
• Michael Fielding in ‘Effective Communication in organisation’ defines
communication as a transaction whereby participants together create
meaning through the exchange of symbols.
Implications of definition on the communication process
• Fielding’s definition stresses four major points, viz:
1. Communication as a transaction – a transaction involves people
who have to take one another into account, and these people have
to talk together according to a set of rules.
2. People working together – people have to pay attention to each
other at the same time.
 Cont…..
They have to learn to develop mutual expressions. If mutual
awareness exists then mutual influence becomes possible.
3. The creation of meaning – people need to ensure that others
understand what they are saying. Words do not have meaning in
themselves. People give meaning to the words. The same words
may have a different meaning from different people. Effective
communication demands that people work together to ensure that
the meaning created is the same for all. There must be sharing of
meaning.
 Cont….
4. The exchange of symbols – exchanging symbols enables
people to create meanings. Symbols may take many forms.
They may be verbal, non verbal or graphic. It is clear from the
above definitions of the many more not provided here that
whatever words maybe used, communication is a process which
two parties, the sender who sends a message through a channel
to a receiver, the aim being to be understood.
The communication process
 The communication process
• Sender: The initiator/source a message. A sender is a person,
group organisation that starts off with a message.
• Encoding: Refers to the translation of information into a
series of symbols for communication. Translating thoughts
and feelings into messages. The sender must use symbols he
believes to have the same meaning for the receiver. There
must be mutuality of meaning. Use of symbols with different
meanings may lead to misunderstandings.
• Message: Is the encoded information sent by the sender to a
receiver. A message can also be defined as any structured of
unstructured information that passes from the sender to the
receiver. A structured message such as a report will be aimed
at a specific receiver. An unstructured message, such as Non-
Verbal Communication (NVC) will not be necessarily aimed at
a specific receiver.
 Cont…
• Channel: A medium by which a message travels. A channel is a pathway
by which messages are sent. It refers to the medium of communication
between sender and receiver. For example, Telephone and Radio messages
pass along specific wave bands. A speaker might depend on non-verbal
communication channels of communication. The channels in this case
would be a sense of hearing, sight and touch.
• Receiver: Is any peerson, group or organisation that receives a message
from a sender. This message will generally take the needs of the receivers
into account.
• Decoding: The process by which the receiver interprets the message and
translates it into meaningful information. Decoding is affected by the
receiver’s past experiences, personal assessments of symbols, mutuality of
meaning with the sender, intelligence, personality, cultural background,
and expectations about the sender.
• Feedback: Reaction to sender’s message by the receiver.
 ACTIVE LISTENING
• The words ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’ are often used as though they had the same meaning.
Hearing is a passive process in which we receive the sounds in a conversation. Active
listening, on the other hand, is a process whereby we are deeply involved with the speaker.
We pay attention to both facts and opinions expressed, as well as to the speaker’s feelings.
We remain alert and offer helpful feedback, the feedback takes the form of:
1. Summaries and paraphrases of what is being said
2. Statement about what we think the speaker feels
3. Questions to clarify what is being said
4. Non-verbal signs that we are listening
Importance of active listening
Active listening is very important in interpersonal communications because:
5. People are more easily persuaded by spoken communication, than by written
communication.
6. In spoken communication we have less time to evaluate what is being said.
7. We are less inclined to be critical of spoken communication.
8. Poor listening stops the flow of conversation because speakers quickly become aware that
they are not being listened to.
9. Poor listening results in poor understanding both of the facts and of the speaker’s attitudes
and emotions.
 Barriers to effective listening
The following barriers stop effective listening. Speakers and listeners should
analyse their bad listening habits and eliminate them. The following factors can
cause poor listening unless people become aware of them.
1. Cultural differences
2. The speakers’ and listeners’ roles in the organisation
3. The perceived credibility of the speaker or listener
4. Insensitive language
5. Selective perception
6. The place where listening occurs
Techniques for effective listening
7. Decide exactly why you are listening.
8. Motivate yourself to listen actively.
9. Regard listening as physical and mental process.
10. Ask questions to clarify points.
What can speakers do to ensure that they are
listened to?
In Two-Way communication, both the sender and the receiver are responsible
for the negotiation. As speakers, you could do some of the following things to
help the listener.
1. Prepare the listener for your message
2. Time the message properly. Ask yourself how long the listener will take
to absorb the strange material.
3. Make the plan for your message clear.
4. Always give facts. Try not to be vague. Your listener should not be left
to guess what your message is.
5. Attract and re-attract the listener’s attention.
 One way vs Two way Communication
• One-way communication – Sender communicate without expecting or
getting feedback from the receiver. Policy statements from top managers
are usually examples of one way communication.
• Messages are passed from sender to receiver. Receiver is a passive
recipient. Sender is not expected to provide feedback (autocratic)
• Two-way communication – Exists when the receiver provides feedback to
the sender making suggestions to a subordinate and receiving a question or
counter-suggestion is an example of two-way communication.
• Messages are passed from sender to receiver who must react to the
message. It takes an active participant be supplying the feedback.
• Sender becomes a listener/answer when he reacts to the feedback from
receiver.
• Receiver has opportunity to question/answer to a message and thereby
verifies his own perception of the meaning of the message –highly accurate
Two way Communication
 Organisational Communication
• It describes the flow of messages in an organisation such as a
school, a university, or a government department.
• The flow of information is either upwards, downwards and
sideways.
Vertical communication
• This is the flow of information between levels of authority
within an organisation. It consists of communication up and
down the organisation’s chain of command. Vertical
communication encompasses downward and upwards
communications.
• Downward communication - Messages are sent from manager
to subordinates.
 Cont.
Major purposes of Downward communication
• Describes the company’s goals, philosophy, mission, ethical
standpoint, policies and procedures
• Instruct people on how to do a job.
• Give departments and individuals feedback on their general
performance.
Types of messages in downward communication
• Oral and written instructions, memoranda, reports and notices.
• Policy manuals, in-house magazines or news papers.
• Specifications and inserts in pay packets, etc.
 Cont.
Upward communication - Messages are sent from subordinates
to managers
• Major purposes of Upward communication
• To receive feedback on how well their messages have been
received.
• Receive feedback on the progress of tasks, on employees’
attitudes, motivation and perceptions and receive suggestions
from staff.
• To check on individuals performance and receive proposals
from staff.
 Cont.
• Types of messages in Upward communication
• Oral and written reports
• Memoranda, proposals, spoken and written suggestions.
• Horizontal/Lateral communication
• It is when two managers or departments at the same level in a
company communicate.
• Involves communication of messages such as:
• reports on the activities of departments to keep other
departments informed.
• Information to managers on company policies and progress for
decision making.
 Barriers to effective Communication
A barrier is an obstacle or anything that hinders information from flowing smoothly around an
organisation. Major barriers are:
• Failure to analyse the needs of the receiver
• Poor listening
• Different cultural backgrounds
• Poor feedback, with filtering, omissions and errors as messages are passed on
• Insensitive or poor choice of language by sender or receiver.
• Poor encoding and decoding of a message.
• The wrong channel of communication maybe used.
• Irritating mannerisms that stop people listening.
• Different perceptions of situations and meanings of message.
 Types of barriers

1) Physical/environmental barriers,
2) Physiological/biological barriers,
3) Semantic or language barriers,
4) Personal barriers,
5) Emotional/ perceptional barriers,
6) Socio-psychological barriers
7)Cultural barriers,
8) Organizational barriers.
 Barriers to Communication
1. 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.
i. 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.
 Cont…..
• In Physics, noise refers to “a disturbance, especially a random
and persistent disturbance, which obscures or reduces the
clarity of a signal
ii. 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.
 CONT….
iii. Wrong Choice of Communication Channel
• 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.
iv. 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.
 CONT…..
• For example when two people have to communicate with
each other under extreme weather conditions, whether too
hot or too cold, their surroundings do 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.
 Cont…..
• 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.
 Cont….
3. 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:
 Cont….
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.
 CONT….
2. 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 .
 Cont….
• 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.
 Cont….
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.
4. 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.
• For example differences in age, education, interests and needs or
intentions
• 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.
 Cont….
• 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.
 Cont….
5. 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 coloured 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.
6.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.
 Socio-Psychological Barriers
a. Attitude and opinions:
• The personal attitude and opinions of the receiver often
interfere with communication. If the message is consistent
with the receiver’s attitude and opinion they receive it
favourably. When the message is inconsistent with the
receivers attitude and opinions, they are not likely to be
received favourably.
 Socio-Psychological Barriers
b. Differences in Perception
• 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.
 Socio-Psychological Barriers
• 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.
 Socio-Psychological Barriers
c. Prejudice
• 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.
 Socio-Psychological Barriers
d. Information Overload
• 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.
 7.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, behavioural 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.
 8. Organizational Barriers
• The 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.
 Organizational Barriers
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.
 Organizational Policies Cont…

• 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.
 Organizational Barriers
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.
 9.Filtering
• Filtering is altering the interpretation of the message by
applying certain influences or biases.
• The receiver will filter the message according to their
experience and as a result the interpretation of the message
can be very different from what was intended.
• The consequence of filtering is that there can be
misunderstanding which can lead to an unexpected response.
For example, the project manager may ask a team member if
the document has been completed.
The team member may interpret this as asking whether it has
been written, and not whether it has also been reviewed and
signed off.
 Cont….
• Causes of Filtering
• Some of the common areas that cause filtering are:
• Language: the receiver interprets the message based on their translation of the
language to thoughts and ideas.
• Culture: of the recipient and their understanding of the culture of the
environment they are in (the workplace, the organisation, the industry, the local
area and country).
• Semantics: the receiver interprets the message based on their understanding of
the meaning of the words used.
• Knowledge base: the receiver utilises a different knowledge base on which to
interpret the message.
• Implication: the interpretation of the message may be based on assumptions. An
extreme example of implication is sarcasm, where the opposite of what is meant to
be
interpreted is said
 5 types of filters:

1. Distractions.
2. Emotional states.
3. Beliefs and expectations.
4. Differences in style.
5. Self-protection.
 Cont…
• Distractions:
• When you say something to your partner do you have his/her
attention?
• External things like noisy kids, a hearing problem, or
background noise can be a problem.
• Internal factors are such things as preoccupation, feeling
tired, planning what else is to be
done that day, etc.
• Make it easier to pay attention to your partner. Ask for their
attention.
 Cont…
• Emotional states:
• Moods greatly affect communication.
• Studies have shown that we tend to give people more benefit
of the doubt when we’re in a good mood and less when we’re
in a bad mood.
• When we’re in a bad mood we are more likely to perceive
whatever our partner says or does more negatively no matter
how positive he/she is trying to be.
• Don’t use a filter such as a bad mood as a reason to treat
your partner badly.
• Talking about how you feel may be the best first step in
starting a conversation, especially if is about important
matters.
 Cont…
• Beliefs and expectations:
• Many studies have shown that we tend to see what we expect to see in
others and in situations.
• It takes humility to recognize and admit that you do this.
• It has been shown that expectations not only affect what we perceive
but can influence the actual behaviour of those around us. For example, if
you believe that someone is an extrovert, he is more likely to sound like
an extrovert when talking with you, even if that person is normally
introverted. We “pull” behaviour from others consistent with what we
expect.
• This is one reason why old habits and feelings and patterns of
communication come back with full force during holidays when we are
with the family we grew up in.
• We can easily get into “mind reading”, thinking that we know what
someone else means or wants.
Differences in style:
• One person may be more expressive and one more reserved.
• Styles are determined by many influences including culture, gender,
and upbringing. For example, in one family it may be very normal to raise
one’s voice when making a point
and in another raising one’s voice was never done.
When people from these two varied backgrounds marry, for one to raise
his/her voice may be perceived by the other as
threatening.
• In other families there may have been many conversations going on at
once around the dinner table while in other families to talk while
someone else is talking is considered
rude.
 Cont…
• All families develop spoken as well as unspoken rules for
conversing, caring, making decisions, and otherwise relating
to each other. The key is to become aware of the unspoken
and therefore assumed rules that you have grown up with and
learn to adapt them to living in your current family.
 Cont…
• All families develop spoken as well as unspoken rules for conversing, caring,
making decisions, and otherwise relating to each other. The key is to
become aware of the unspoken and therefore assumed rules that you
have grown up with and learn to adapt them to living in your current
family.
Self-protection:
• This filter comes from the fear of rejection we struggle with in marriage.
• Fear is the big enemy of secure and warm attachment. It will stop us
from saying what we truly feel or want. Even simple statements such as,
“Would you like to go see that new movie?” can reflect a fear of rejection.
Instead of saying it directly, “I want to go see that new movie; want to
go?” we often hide our desire because speaking of it reveals more of
who we are and increases the risk of rejection.
• Movies may not matter so much as do feelings, desires, expectations.
 Cont…
Self-protection:
• This filter comes from the fear of rejection we struggle with
in marriage.
• Fear is the big enemy of secure and warm attachment. It will
stop us from saying what we truly feel or want. Even simple
statements such as, “Would you like to go see that new
movie?” can reflect a fear of rejection. Instead of saying it
directly, “I want to go see that new movie; want to go?” we
often hide our desire because speaking of it reveals more of
who we are and increases the risk of rejection.
• Movies may not matter so much as do feelings, desires,
expectations.
 Overcoming Communication Barriers
Discussion point:
How can barriers to effective communication be minimised?
 Types of Communication
• Oral Communication: A discussion through spoken language
and words on a particular issue for an exchange of views.
• Written Communication: Any type of message that makes
use of the written word. Written communication is the most
important and the most effective of any mode of business
communication.
• Non Verbal Communication: anything besides words, such
as gestures, actions, facial expressions, body language and
other aspects of your physical appearance, that, when seen,
communicate something.
 Organisational Communication
Factors affecting the effectiveness of communication in
organisations:
i. Formal Communication channels
ii. The organisational authority structure
iii. Job specialisation
iv. Information ownership
 Communication Systems
Types of communication systems:
1. Vertical Communication
2. Horizontal Communication
3. Diagonal Communication
4. The Grapevine