NOTES ON MODULE I

What is Communication

Communication is fundamental to the existence and

survival of humans as well as to an organization. It is

a process of creating and sharing ideas, information,

views, facts, feelings from one place, person or group

to another. Communication is the key to the

Directing function of management.

A manager may be highly qualified and skilled but if

he does not possess good communication skills, all his

ability becomes irrelevant. A manager must

communicate his directions effectively to the

subordinates to get the work done from them

properly.
Process of Communication

Communications is a continuous process that mainly

involves three elements viz. sender, message, and

receiver. The elements involved in the communication

process are explained below in detail:

1. Sender

The sender or the communicator generates the

message and conveys it to the receiver. He is the

source and the one who starts the communication

2. Message
It is the idea, information, view, fact, feeling, etc. that

is generated by the sender and is then intended to be

communicated further.

3. Encoding

The message generated by the sender is encoded

symbolically such as in the form of words, pictures,

gestures, etc. before it is being conveyed.

4. Media

It is the manner in which the encoded message is

transmitted. The message may be transmitted orally

or in writing. The medium of communication includes

telephone, internet, post, fax, e-mail, etc. The choice

of medium is decided by the sender.

5. Decoding

It is the process of converting the symbols encoded by

the sender. After decoding the message is received by

the receiver.

6. Receiver

He is the person who is last in the chain and for whom

the message was sent by the sender. Once the receiver

receives the message and understands it in proper

perspective and acts according to the message, only

then the purpose of communication is successful.

7. Feedback
Once the receiver confirms to the sender that he has

received the message and understood it, the process of

communication is complete.

8. Noise

It refers to any obstruction that is caused by the

sender, message or receiver during the process of

communication. For example, bad telephone

connection, faulty encoding, faulty decoding,

inattentive receiver, poor understanding of message

due to prejudice or inappropriate gestures, etc.

Levels of Communication
Basically human communication takes place at five

levels:

1. Extrapersonal communication

2. Interpersonal communication

3. Intrapersonal communication

4. Organizational communication

5. Mass communication

1. Extrapersonal Communication: Communication is

a process that takes place with human . entities and

non-human entities as well. When communication is

done with non-human entities it is called to be extra

personal communication.
The perfect coordination and understanding between

human and non—human entities results to extra

personal communication. In this communication one

participant of the communication process uses sign

language and the other is verbal.

For example, the bark of a pet dog when something

happens to the master, wagging of the tail when

master shows bone to the pet dog, licking of cheek at

the returning of master from the work field, chirping

of birds when a stranger is at the door, Parrot calling

the name of the master in the morning, etc.

2. Interpersonal Communication: It involves two

parties-a sender and a receiver who use common

language to transit message either through oral

communication or written communication.

3. lntrapersonal Communication: Intrapersonal

communication is all about talking to ourselves. We

use phrase like, ‘telling ourselves the truth’ or

‘admitting the truth to ourselves” reflects human self-

awareness.

Prefix ‘intra’ means ‘within’ hence intrapersonal

communication is ‘self talk’.

It is the active internal involvement of the individual

in symbolic progressing of messages. The internal

thought process keeps on working even at the sleeping

hour.

There are various example in our day-to-day life

related to intrapersonal communication.

Like asking the solution for the problem,

introspecting about any episode in which you should

not have done that particular act, if you are .

overweight you see and admit it and then decide to

plan a diet for you, if you need to forgive someone,

you’ll have to talk to yourself about it first, etc.

4. Organizational Communication: In a team-based

business organization, communication becomes its

lifeblood where people communicate with one

another. The flow of communication inside an

organization may filter in up, down and horizontal

directions. Besides internal communication.

companies depend on external communication also.

Companies exchange messages with people outside

the organization through external communication.

5. Mass Communication: Newspapers, magazines

and periodicals, the means of mass conununication.

are frequently used for oral or written

communication. Besides, technologies such as the

intemet, e-mail. voicemail, faxes, audiotape,

teleconferencing,videoconferencing and closed

circuit televisions have increased options for internal

and external communication. These fast means help

people from all parts of the world to work together.

Flow of Communication

Formal communications are the one that flows

through the official channels designed in the

organizational chart. It may take place between a

superior and a subordinate, a subordinate and a

superior or among the same cadre employees or

managers. These communications can be oral or in

writing and are generally recorded and filed in the

office.

Formal communication may be further classified as

Vertical communication and Horizontal

communication.

i. Vertical Communication

Vertical Communications as the name suggests flows

vertically upwards or downwards through formal

channels. Upward communication refers to the flow

of communication from a subordinate to a superior

whereas downward communication flows from a

superior to a subordinate.

Application for grant of leave, submission of a

progress report, request for loans etc. are some of the

examples of upward communication. Sending notice

to employees to attend a meeting, delegating work to

the subordinates, informing them about the company

policies, etc. are some examples of downward

communication.

ii. Horizontal Communication

Horizontal or lateral communication takes place

between one division and another. For example, a

production manager may contact the finance

manager to discuss the delivery of raw material or its

purchase.

Barriers of Communication

The communication barriers may prevent

communication or carry incorrect meaning due to

which misunderstandings may be created. Therefore,

it is essential for a manager to identify such barriers

and take appropriate measures to overcome them.

The barriers to communication in organizations can

be broadly grouped as follows:

1. Semantic Barriers

These are concerned with the problems and

obstructions in the process of encoding and decoding

of a message into words or impressions. Normally,

such barriers result due to the use of wrong words,

faulty translations, different interpretations, etc.

For example, a manager has to communicate with

workers who have no knowledge of the English

language and on the other side, he is not well

conversant with the Hindi language. Here, language is

a barrier to communication as the manager may not

be able to communicate properly with the workers.

2. Psychological Barriers

Emotional or psychological factors also act as barriers

to communication. The state of mind of both sender

and receiver of communication reflects in the effective

communication. A worried person cannot

communicate properly and an angry recipient cannot

understand the message properly.

Thus, at the time of communication, both the sender

and the receiver need to be psychologically sound.

Also, they should trust each other. If they do not

believe each other, they cannot understand each

other’s message in its original sense.

3. Organizational Barriers
The factors related to organizational structure, rules

and regulations authority relationships, etc. may

sometimes act as barriers to effective communication.

In an organization with a highly centralized pattern,

people may not be encouraged to have free

communication. Also, rigid rules and regulations and

cumbersome procedures may also become a hurdle to

communication.

4. Personal Barriers

The personal factors of both sender and receiver may

act as a barrier to effective communication. If a

superior thinks that a particular communication may

adversely affect his authority, he may suppress such

communication.
Also, if the superiors do not have confidence in the

competency of their subordinates, they may not ask

for their advice. The subordinates may not be willing

to offer useful suggestions in the absence of any

reward or appreciation for a good suggestion.

Verbal Communication

Vocal communication is accompanied by auditory

signals produced by a vibrating organ, such as the

larynx in mammals’ throats. The vocal

communication is the process through which

speakers’ express emotions by changing the

nonverbal components of their speech, and listeners

use nonverbal aspects of speech to infer the speaker’s

emotional experience. This comprises aspects of the

voice such as intonation, stress, volume, speed, and

accent interference. We use vocal communication to

frame our message more effectively. This form of

communication, as well as voice features such as

pauses and focus stress, are used to build a structure

that allows the listener to follow your message.

• Intonation – Intonation defines how the pitch of

your voice increases and falls during a speech. A

shift or variation in pitch can have an impact on the

meaning of what we say.

• Stress – Stressing is the process of emphasizing a

word or statement in order to bring attention to it.

Stress syllables and words are said louder, for a

longer period of time, and with a higher pitch.

 When the speaker is monotone, these crucial cues

are missing, and the message becomes puzzling.

• Pauses – The pause allows the speaker to gather his

or her thoughts before making the final argument.

This allows the audience to stay up with you while

also giving them time to process what you just

stated.

• Focus Stress – The listener’s attention is drawn to

a certain word or phrase when there is focus

tension. The employment of focus stress is used to

clarify, emphasize, or demonstrate the difference.

• Pace – Pace is the rate at which you speak. The

pace might be rapid, slow, or moderate, and it can

fluctuate throughout. It is claimed to vary the

 tempo, quickening up at times and then slowing

down depending on the scenario and the

significance of the context, in order to keep the

audience’s attention.

Nonverbal Communication

Non-Vocal Communication is the technique of

transmitting meaning without the use of written or

spoken words. Non-verbal communication refers to

any communication between two or more people that

involves the use of facial expressions, hand motions,

body language, postures, and gestures. These non-

vocal cues can provide insights, supplementary

information, and significance in addition to spoken

communication.
Non-vocal elements such as unspoken symbols, signs,

and signals to express meaning are examples of verbal

communication. Non-vocal elements such as body

language, gestures, facial emotions, and eye contact

are examples of nonverbal communication.

• Signals

Signals are movements that are used to express to

others one’s wants, desires, and feelings. Signaling is

a type of expressive communication. The primary

goal of signals is to change a single environmental

aspect in order to attract attention and convey

meaning.

• Signs
Signs do not belong to any specific language, although

they are found in practically every region of the

world. The primary distinction between a sign and a

signal is that a sign (such as traffic lights or a police

officer’s badge) has inherent meanings, but a signal

(such as a scream for aid) is only a means through

which extrinsic meanings can be formulated.

• Symbols

The symbol has been defined as any device that can

be used to create an abstraction. Symbols are visual

representations of an event, activity, object, person, or

location that can be used to convey information about

that event, action, thing, person, or location. Symbols

can be used to communicate in both receptive and

expressive modes. The more closely a symbol

resembles what it represents, the more tangible it is.

• Icons

An icon is a visual representation of an application, a

capability, or another concept or distinct thing that

has meaning for the user. Icons are typically thought

to be dense collections of linked and unconnected

symbols.

• Gestures

A gesture is a movement of the hand, arms, or other

bodily part meant to express or accentuate something,

most often while speaking. Gestures can also develop

a communication lexicon that is more or less unique

to each culture.

• Proxemics

Proxemics is the study of how people from diverse

cultures use time and space, as well as body positions

and other elements, to communicate. The proxemics

is the study of what people express by standing closer

or farther apart. Standing very close to someone to

whom we are about to disclose something private is

one example. Another example is backing away from

someone when we feel our personal space is being

infringed upon.

Technology Enabled Communication

Modern business requires modern technology. Any

business that expects to thrive today must have at

least a basic understanding of the various

innovations, programs and devices as well as the

knowledge of how to apply these technologies. The

many tools and powers that technology makes

available to the business owner and employees can

help the business succeed in its goals after

understanding how to use them properly

Following are the most used communication tools

• Telephone

• Fax Machine
 • Computer

• Laptop

• Personal Digital Assistants

• Video Conferencing

• Audio Conferencing

• Email

• Voice Mail

Impact of Technology on Communication

Communication is a very important aspect in the

growth of the culture and human society. It involves

exchange of ideas, facts, opinions or emotions by two

or more persons. Technology has made

communicating between one another significantly

easier.
The development of technology has remarkably

improved our lifestyles and has made its impact felt

on each and every aspect of our life. It also has an

impact on the communication techniques and the

development of communication has resulted in huge

progress from the oldest means of communication to

the latest as of today. In today’s world, we have

immediate access to an incredible array of devices

and services that enable us to communicate with

almost anyone, anywhere, at any time. Before

internet and other data networks comes into light,

telecommunication has a clear meaning – the

telephone (earlier the telegraph), which allowed

people to communicate at a distance by voice and

telephone service.
Internet and mobiles are the basic necessities in

today’s world. When we talk of telecommunication

we largely focus on the usage of mobiles and internets

in our daily life and truly this has been in practice

almost for every one of us who are in need of modern

communication. Although the usage of technology

may have both positive and negative impact in our

life, but this also depends on how we use and

implement it. If we talk of positive impact, there are

many, out of which if discussed is the power of

communicating with our families, friends etc. when

we are present in remote areas from them and which

really stands true for its positivity. Now when we talk

of negative impact of it, although there might be few,

but this is negligible in comparison to its positive

impact.

More recently, communication at a distance, of

course, has expanded to include data transport, video

conferencing, email, Web browsing, and various

forms of distributed collaboration, enabled by

transmission media that have also expanded to

include microwave, terrestrial wireless, satellite and

broadband fiber transport. The technologies used for

telecommunications have changed greatly over the

last 50 years. Study about telecommunications have

started ever since with the emergence of information

and communication technologies (ICT) where many

industries and organizations widely adopted in

utilizing it at a global scale. The biggest consequence

has been that all types of media can be represented in

the same basic form and therefore handled uniformly

within a common infrastructure. The most

fundamental change, both in terms of technology and

its implications, has occurred in the functional

description of the general structure of the

telecommunications system and how the different

parts of the system relate to each other.

Communication for Social

Change involves communication for sustainability

and development of the society which involves the use

of variety of communication techniques to address

inefficient systems and processes with the

technological advances. Different mediums and

approaches are used to help individuals among the

targeted society to acquire new knowledge and skills

and this allows communities and societies not only to

experience change but to guide it as well. Different

types of mediums can be used in achieving health and

sustainable development where old media can be

combined with new media to educate specific

populations. Information and communication

technologies (ICT’s) are able to address visual,

auditory and multi-sensory learners and prove to be

an important contribution to economic growth.

Information technology and advanced

telecommunications have a major impaction the

economic vitality of the nation as a whole. Telecom

also plays a vital role in improving both the subject

coverage and delivery and expands access to

education in even the most remote areas.

Opportunities to learn are provided to children,

women and men over the internet, computers, e-mail,

audio and video teleconferencing or television

broadcasts and radio. Students and other learners

can access the content directly. Teachers can develop

their skills and knowledge, especially the skills needed

to help their students learn and to find the particular

content and curriculum they require. To extend the

reach and delivery of education to people who wish to

learn, particularly in rural areas, radio and

broadcast television have been used for years .This

one way technology can now be combined with two-

way, interactive, multimedia systems that bring to

learners, on demand, voice, video and data in text and

graphics. These computer and network-based

systems bring significant differences in both the

application and the cost of technologies available for

education.

The societal importance of telecommunications is

widely accepted and the areas of impact are mainly-

Telecommunication enables participation and

development of people in communities and nations

whether in rural and urban areas. It also involve in

technological implementation for societal usage to

improve the percentage of the users so that with a

huge user population, better will be the awareness

among people.

The ten main factors to be considered while selecting

the means of communication: 1. Nature of Message 2.

Cost 3. Record 4. Distance 5. Scale of Organisation 6.

Supporting Technology 7. Urgency 8. Secrecy 9.

Safety 10. Relationship.

Factor # 1. Nature of Message:

The means of communication depends upon the

nature of the message. Urgent, confidential, private

and important messages should be distinguished

from ordinary, routine, open and less important

messages and the means of communication are to be

chosen accordingly.

Factor # 2. Cost:

The cost of sending a message is also to be considered

while selecting a mode of communication. The result

obtained should justify the expenditure.

Factor # 3. Record:

If the record of the communication is important it

should be written, otherwise oral communication is

sufficient.

Factor # 4. Distance:

Distance is another factor for consideration. The

mode of communication to be chosen depends on

whether the message is to be sent to a nearby place or

somewhere at a long distance.

Factor # 5. Scale of Organisation:

Means of communication in large-scale business is

different from that in the small-scale. In small

business most communication is oral while in large

business it is written.
Factor # 6. Supporting Technology:

Both the sender and the receiver must have

supporting technological communication tool to

make communication through a particular medium.

Suppose, A sends an e-mail to B. To get the e-mail B

should have a personal computer.

Again, to get a fax message one should possess a fax

machine. Therefore, while selecting a means of

communication one has to consider whether

supporting technological tool is available at the other

end.

Factor # 7. Urgency:

Selection of the means of communication is to be

made keeping in view the urgency of the

communication. Time available is the main factor

here. Higher cost may be justified for sending the

message in time.

Factor # 8. Secrecy:

If the message to be communicated is secret or

confidential, such means are required to be adopted

that can maintain secrecy. A telephone call can be

overheard, an e-mail or fax may not be appropriate,

and an office memo may be less confidential. In such

cases, face-to-face talking may solve the problem.

Factor # 9. Safety:

The sender has to be careful about the safety of the

message. He/She has to decide whether the message

would be sent by ordinary post or by registered post;

through courier or messenger, etc.

Factor # 10. Relationship:

The relationship between the sender and recipient

may be a decisive factor in the choice of the means of

communication. Message of private nature may

require personal contact whereas formal relationship

demands official and conventional mode of

communication.

Importance of Technical Communication

In the workplace, there is a variety of situations you

need to write workplace documents such as progress

reports, letters and directive memos. You may need

to create more complex forms of communication such

as oral and video presentations, proposals,

instruction manuals, technical descriptions and Web

pages. You may also need to research effectively,

discuss about a technological innovation, negotiate in

a global marketplace and consider the implications of

the documents you or your employees produce.

I. COMMUNICATION

Technical communication facilitates the

communication of concepts to workers or customers,

but may sometimes help you direct your employees in

a particular course of action. You may want to have

your workers understand the details of some

technological system, or to take a particular action

using that system. For example, if the workers in your

bank are not properly posting deposits to accounts,

you would instruct them on the correct practice by

writing all the proper instructions.

 II. COST

It is important to understand technical

communication because it can cost you a lot of money

that may go to waste if not properly used. According

to a study by Dartnell’s Institute of Business

Research, it may cost you almost $20 to produce and

mail a letter considering the time it takes a worker to

write the letter and the cost of the paper, printing and

stamp. The total cost of your company’s

correspondence, such as e-mail, letters, memos, and

reports is an expensive but necessary exercise.

III. INCOME GENERATION

Your communication skills may cost the company

money but they can as well earn money since a well-

drafted brochure, Web site, sales letter, flier, or

proposal, can generate corporate income. A well-

written newsletter or a thorough presentation to

clients and stakeholders can keep customers happy

and bring in new clients. In essence, good

communication may help pay you or your workers’

wages.

IV. INSTRUCTION

Technical communication helps in research and

creation of information about technical processes or

products targeting your workers through various

forms of media, such as the Internet. For example, it

may give instructions about computer applications,

medical procedures, or environmental regulations

aiming at reaching your employees depending on the

business you are dealing with. It uses technology, such

as Web pages or social media sites and they provide

instructions for products and services.

V. CUSTOMER-CLIENT RELATIONS

A successful business depends on how it builds up the

ambiance, the attitude it expresses and the

atmosphere it creates. When you communicate in a

manner that enables people to understand you

clearly, it produces a better place of work and

encourages customers to enjoy doing more business

with you and employees to work for you. Your

technical communication indicates that you can think

logically and communicate your thoughts clearly thus

co-workers or customers will judge your proficiency

according to what you say and how you say it.

VI. TIME

According to a survey by the National Commission on

Writing, technical communication is important as it

requires your attention, regardless of your

profession. Some workers spend up to 30 percent of

their time writing documents such as progress

reports. Normally, you may spend more time

directing your subordinates through written

messages, in addition to communicating orally, while

your new employees might spend less time writing as

part of their work.

Difference between General Communication (GC)

and Technical Communication (TC)

1) It consists of general messages. (GC)

1) It consists of technical messages. (TC)

2) This way of communication is informal in style and

approach. (GC)

2) This way of communication is mostly formal in

style and approach. (TC)

3) There is no set pattern in it. (GC)

3) It follows a set pattern. (TC)

4) This type of communication is not always for a

specific audience. (GC)

4)This type of communication is always for a specific

audience. (TC)

5) There is no use of technical terms or graphics. (GC)

5) It frequently involves jargons , graphics , etc. (TC)

6) It is mostly oral. (GC)

6)It is both oral and written. (TC)