Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO
THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Elements of the Communication
Process
1.Sender (communicator): is the source of the
message who initiates the communication process.
2.Encoding: is the process of selecting and
organizing bits of information into transmissible
message language.
3.Message: the result of encoding is the message-
either verbal or non verbal.
4. Channel: is the formal medium of transmission of
the message. (verbal, written and non-verbale)

5.Receiver: It is the one to whom the message is
intended to reach.
6.Decoding: It is the process by which the receiver
interprets the message and translates it into
meaningful information.
7.Feed back: It is a response from the receiver.
8.Noise: is any interfering factor that, if present, can
distort the intended message.
The Process of Communication
• The transmission of sender’s ideas to the receiver
and the receiver’s feedback or reaction to the
sender constitute the communication cycle.
• Communication is a two-way process; the process
is effective when the sender sends their message,
the receiver receives it, and the message is
understood by both parties.
• It is the responsibility of the sender to make sure
that the receiver gets the message and that the
message received is the one that was sent.
Barriers to Communication
Socio-cultural Barriers
Psychological Barriers and
Organizational Barriers
1.Socio-Cultural Barriers
 The key socio-cultural elements that may be barriers are;
1. Group thinking
2. Confliction values and beliefs

3. Stereotyping and ethnocentrism
4. Language and jargon
1. Group thinking
 It occurs when group behavior dominates and stifles the decision
making process.
 It occurs when social norms or a group’s desire for consensus
overwhelms its desire to reach decisions that are in its best interest.
2. Confliction of values and beliefs
 When communication occurs across cultural

boundaries, the potential for misunderstanding
magnified.
 Knowing the values, beliefs and norms of the
others culture can avoid communication
problems.
3. Stereotyping and Ethnocentrism
Stereotyping is the attempt to predict people’s

behaviors based on their membership of a particular
group.
Stereotyping is a barrier to communication because it
prevents people from being seen as individuals and
their messages being heard.
Ethnocentrism is related to stereotyping.
Ethnocentric people see their own culture as the only
valid one and find all other lacking by comparison.
 They measure all others by the standards of their own
cultures, which they believe to be superior.
 Like stereotyping, ethnocentrism is a breeding/background
ground for prejudice and discrimination.
4. Language and Jargon
 Language can create barrier to communication in several ways.
 The most obvious is trying to communicate when there is a
major language difference between the receiver and the
transmitter of the message.
 Idiomatic expressions in a language do not easily translate and
often led to miscommunication.
 It is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative
meaning conventionally understood by native speakers.
 This meaning is different from the literal meaning of the idiom's
individual elements. In other words, idioms don't mean exactly
what the words say.
 Jargon can serve the same purpose. Many professions such as
engineering& medicine, fore example, have their own jargon which
serves to mark the boundary between professionals and their clients.
2.Psychological Barriers
Psychological barriers are those relations to the
individual and the individual’s mental and
emotional state,
 Key psychological barriers are;
A. Filtering : People tend to hear what they want to

hear and see what they want to see.
 People have differing degrees of attention.

B. Perceptions : We have perceptions of reality that
we trust and we behave according to those beliefs,
which in turn, influence our behavior.
C. Faulty memory: If you do not remember what has
been communicated to you, the communication is
incomplete or ineffective.
D. Poor Listening Skills: Inadequate memory skills can
also be attributed to poor listening.
• Some listening problems are fairly obvious-problems
caused by external distractions or lack of interest.
• Other listening problems are because of
• Verbal Battling: focused on coming up with counter
argument or criticisms than on what is being said.
• Fact Hunting occurs when, instead of listening for the
main theme, people concentrate on the detailed facts
and lose sight of the overall message.
 There are recognizable types of listeners
1.Feigning listeners
2.Limiting listeners
3.Self-centered listeners
4.Positive or active listeners
1. Feigning listeners are people who appear to be
attentive and are making some appropriate non-
verbal signals but their minds are elsewhere.
2. Limiting listeners are focusing on specific topics
or comments and may distort or misinterpret other
things you say.
3. Self-centered listeners may appear to be listening to
what is being said but rather than actually hearing
what is said they are selecting only those elements of
the communication that they can use to support their
own views.
4.Positive or active listeners are those who internally
absorb and process the information they receive but
also encourage the other person to talk and
demonstrate clearly that they are paying attention.
• To be a positive listener you need to develop three
skills
Attending Skills: engaging with the speaker, being
alert and appearing to take in what is being said.
Following Skills: physically indication that you
are following.(head nodding and your verbal
response)
Reflecting Skills: you need to reflect on the
material so that it can go from your sensory to
your short-term to long-term memory
E. Emotional Interference
 When people are angry, fearful or sad their communication

skills can be impaired.
 If you are fearful or anxious, for example, in giving an
oral presentation, your nervousness can affect your
audience receives your message.
 Your anxiety will be communicated to them and they will
not be able give full attention to what you are saying.
 Positive emotion can be barriers to communication. Too
much exuberance/excitement or overusing humor/comedy
can detract from the seriousness of your message.
3. Organizational Barriers
Organizational barriers are primarily related to the

organizations structure, culture, pattern of work and
communication flows.
The most common organizational barriers:
 Information overload : is a common compliant in
our ”information”, society we are bombarded with
information from directions; letters, phone calls, e-
mail, text messaging on mobile phones, radio, film,
television and newspapers.
 Message competition: The amount of information
we deal with every day force us to make choice about
what is important and what can be ignored.
 Information distortion: Taller organizations mean
that information has to pass through more departments
and people before getting its destination.
 This may cause the information to be distorted due to
misunderstanding.
 Message filtering
 Conflicting messages: Leaders and mangers should
ensure that their messages are consistent.
 Communication climate: In many ways, good
communication dependent up on a management style
or organizational climate that is relatively free and
open to communication.
 Status difference: managers may listen less carefully to
subordinates.
 Subordinates tend to read more in to messages from
superiors than is perhaps intended.
 Structural problems: The more hierarchical levels
through which information must pass the longer it will
take to do so.
 Tall (hierarchical) organization at a competitive
disadvantage compared to those with flatter structures.
Overcoming Organizational Barrier
A key way to overcome organizational barrier is to

have people in the organization who are effective
communicators.
Effective communication requires:
1.Perceptiveness: Perceptive/aware people seem to
be able to predict how a message will be interpreted.
• They anticipate a reaction and shape the message
accordingly.
• Respond appropriately and correct any
misunderstanding.
2.Precision:Precise people are able to communicate
in away that provide the receiver with a clear
understanding of the message.
3.Crediblility: create shared mental pictures because
they communicate in such a way as to be understood.
4.Control: Effective communicator shape and
control what they say. Their communication gets
result
5.Congeniality:They also are generally friendly
people in organizations.
Interpersonal Communication and Teamwork
Interpersonal communication includes message
sending and message reception between two or
more individuals.
Interpersonal communication is also referred to as
dyadic communication, or communication between
two individuals. This type of communication can
occur in both a one-on-one and a group setting.
A team is a group of individuals so that without
effective interpersonal communication team work
will never be successful.

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CHAPTER TWO

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

either verbal or non verbal.

4. Channel: is the formal medium of transmission of

the message. (verbal, written and non-verbale)

 The key socio-cultural elements that may be barriers are;

2. Confliction values and beliefs

4. Language and jargon

 When communication occurs across cultural

Stereotyping is the attempt to predict people’s

Psychological barriers are those relations to the

individual and the individual’s mental and

 Key psychological barriers are;

A. Filtering : People tend to hear what they want to

 People have differing degrees of attention.

which in turn, influence our behavior.

C. Faulty memory: If you do not remember what has

been communicated to you, the communication is

 When people are angry, fearful or sad their communication

Organizational barriers are primarily related to the

A key way to overcome organizational barrier is to

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