University of Gondar

College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension

Communication and Group Dynamics

Target Department: Mid career professionals

By: Tigist Kindie(Msc.)

March, 2025
Session objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to;

 define communication

 explain the functions of communication

 conceptualize effective communication
 Analyze the role of communication in Agriculture and rural
development interventions.
 Brainstorming!!!

Q1. What is communication?

Q2. Components of communication?

(3 minutes)
 1. THE CONCEPT AND FUNCTION OF COMMUNICATION

 No single definition of communication.

 Originates from the Latin word ‘communis’; which
means common or shared.
 Communication is an act by which a person shares the
knowledge, feelings, ideas, information, etc. in ways
such that each gains a common
understanding of the meaning, intent and
use of the message
Cont…

 Sharing information or providing entertainment

through words or speech or other method.

 The transfer of information from one person to
another.
 The exchange of meanings between individuals using a
common symbol system.
 The process of transmitting a message through a
channel to another person, with some effect.
Cont…

 The aforementioned definition about communication

indicates the fact that;

- A world without communication is unthinkable

- Communication is a complex process

- Communication is essential for human relationships

and progress
 Cont…

- Human mind, body and physical conditions are vital

components of communication.

- A common symbol system is essential for communication

 Group Discussion (5min.)

 Why we need to communicate?

 What is effective communication?

 Discuss the implication of communication for rural development

and agricultural extension.

Functions of communication
 Instructional: Educating others or giving directions
 Integrative: Bringing people together by sharing of
ideas and feelings.
 Information: Inform people and share the information
inter or intra personal
 Persuasion(Influence): The capacity of an effect on
behavior of the minds of others.
Cont…

 Entertainment: Touching sensation through music, drama etc

and carry messages

 Preservation of culture: Communication helps to preserve the
culture and heritage of a nation and society.
 Motivation: A motivated individual plays a useful and active
role in a society.

- Communication motivates and persuades individuals to meet the

mutually agreed upon goals.
Cont…

 Socialization: For the well being of the society

To change in behavior
 Establish relationships
 Make orders
 Effective communication

How to communicate effectively?

General procedure that one can follow to help him improve

his communication skills:

 Know your goals

 Understand your audience

 Understand the ideas you are communicating

Cont…

 Organize the ideas as effectively as possible

 Choose appropriate media

 Present materials effectively to gain the audience

attention

 Evaluate each step of the process

Role of communication for extension and development

 To establish understanding between development

agent and farmers.

- farmers can acquire new knowledge and ways of doing

things easily.

- development agents can learn much from the wisdom of

the farmers.

- create shared understanding among two or more agents.

 Coordination within and between all the extensions

organization
 planning
 decision
 participatory extension service
 solve problems
 to link research, extension and farmers
 Summary of key points

 There is no single definition of communication

 communication has many functions

 effective communication
 role of communication for

- agriculture extension work

- development
 2. COMMUNICATION PROCESS AND COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Session objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to;

 define communication process
 list elements of communication
 discuss the barriers of communication
Communication process

Q1. what is communication process?

 Communication process refers to the creating, transmitting,

receiving and interpreting of messages between a source/sender and a

receiver.

Stages of communication

1. Sender: there should be a reason (stimulus) and interest

(motivation) to create a message and transmit it .

2. encoding: the sender incorporates the message into a signal

(spoken word, a drawing on the chalkboard, or printed materials)

. Encoding always done by or /the role of sender

Cont…

3. Communication medium: channel

4. Decoding: The receiver upon receiving the message

tries to make sense out of it Decoding is always the role
of receiver

5. Receiver

6. Feedback--- always done by receiver

 Elements of communication
1) The Communication context(situation)

- the context or situation that a specific communication event takes place

4 dimensions for communication context

o Physical dimension: physical environmental aspects of
communication
o Psychological dimension: condition of individuals towards the
message, sender or receiver/mind/
o Social dimension: For example the style of communication with
wife and child is different, communication with boss and
friends
o Temporal dimension: relevancy of message in relation to the
time
Cont…

2) Field of experience /sender and receiver/

3) The source/sender/

The source could be one person, a group of people or an institution

Factors affecting the effectiveness of the activity of the source/sender/

 Communication skills
 Attitudes
 Knowledge
 Socio-cultural context
 Resources
Cont…

4) The message: It is the transmission of coded

information, idea, knowledge or skill.
 Cont…

Three basic communication codes

1) Non-verbal - person sends a message through (body language)

such as facial expression, gestures,etc.

2) Verbal (Language) - either written or spoken words

3) Paralanguage - spoken language, including such qualities of

the voice as tone, pitch, rate, volume and emphasis.

 Cont…

Treatment: This refers to the ways in which the message is handled

before it is placed on the channel.
5) The channel or medium

Common channels in learning include lectures, chalkboard, radio,

books, bulletins, charts, drawings, newspapers, organized

tour, handouts, television etc.
6) The Receiver or Audience

- the person on whom a behavioral change is required or expected

Cont…

Factors affecting the effectiveness of receiver

a) His communication skill

b) His attitude towards the source, the subject, himself etc.

c) His knowledge

d) The social situation

e) Resources
Cont…

7) Noise

- any destruction (disturbance) affecting the communication

process or the message.

- Perceptual differences, knowledge and skill discrepancies,

attitude, past experience, expectations etc,

- Semantic noise – is the difficulty in getting

the meaning or misunderstanding and distortion of
meaning
Cont…

8) Feedback: is the response a receiver gives to the message

received

Why feedback???

- it tells how their messages are being interpreted

- an error-correcting mechanism
- modifies his/her message
- to check whether the objective is met or not
- to reshape future message
 Cont…

9) Competence and performance

- Competence is the level of knowledge and skills for the

communication act, but

the performance is the actual doing/appling/ of it.

10) Communication effect

- What happens after communication?

Session objectives

At the end of this session you will be able to;

 Discuss different barriers of communication

 Compare and contrast various models of communication.

Barriers of communication—affect always negatively

 Communication plays a major role in developing a relationship.

 It can also affect the relationship among family members or
management in any institute
 Communication should be straightforward.
 What can make it complex, difficult, and frustrating are the
barriers.
 Some barriers of communication are the following;
Barrier cont…

i) Physiological Barrier

- related with the limitations of the human body and the human
mind (memory, attention, and perception)

- may result from individuals’ personal discomfort, caused by ill-

health, poor eye sight, or hearing difficulties. Such barriers include;

- Poor Listening Skills

- Information Overload

- Inattention

- Emotions

- Poor Retention
Barrier cont…

ii) Physical and Environmental Distractions

- Are the physical things that get in the way of
communication

- Distractions such as background noise, poor lighting,

uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room, or an
environment that is too hot or cold can affect people's
morale and concentration, which in turn interfere with
effective communication
Barrier cont…

iii) Psychological Barrier

- Psychological factors such as misperception, filtering, distrust,

unhappy emotions, and people's state of mind can jeopardize the
process of communication

- We all tend to feel happier and more receptive to information

when the sun shines.

- Similarly, if someone has personal problems such as worries and

stress about a chronic illness, it may impinge his/her communication
with others
Barrier cont…

iv) Social Barriers

- include the social psychological phenomenon of
conformity, a process in which the norms, values, and
behaviors of an individual begin to follow those of the
wider group.

- Social factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic

status, and marital status may act as a barrier to
communication in certain situations
Barrier cont…

V) Cultural Barriers

- Culture shapes the way we think and behave

- often arises when individuals in one social group have

developed different norms, values, or behaviors to
individuals associated with another group.

- Cultural difference leads to difference in interest,

knowledge, value, and tradition
vi) Linguistic Barriers

- Individual linguistic ability may sometimes become a

barrier to communication.

- The use of difficult or inappropriate words in

communication can prevent the people from understanding
the message.

- Poorly explained or misunderstood messages can also

result in confusion