UNIT: 1 COMMUNICATION - INTRODUCTION,
MEANING & DEFINITION
Structure
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Objectives
1.3 Communication: Meaning and Concept
1.4 Historical Background of Communication
1.4.1 Fayol’s Contribution 1.4.2 Barnard‘s
Contribution
1.5 Definitions of Communication
1.6 Models of Communication
1.6.1 Shannon's Model of the Communication Process
1.6.2 Intermediary Models of the Communication Process
1.7 The Communication Process
1.8 Functions of Communication
1.9 Importance of Communication
1.10 Types of Communication
1.10 Summary
1.11 Glossary
1.12 Answers to Check your Progress
1.13 Bibliography
1.14 Suggested Readings
1.15 Terminal Questions
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we discussed about the word ‘communication’. The word "communicate" is derived
from the word "common" - to share, exchange, send along, transmit, talk, gesture, write, put in
use, relate.
So an investigation of this subject might begin with the question: What do all studies of
communication have in common? What are the shared concepts that make the study of
"communication" different from the study of subjects such as "thought" or "literature" or "life?"
When someone says, "This is a communication problem," what does that mean?
1.2 Objectives
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
• Understand the meaning and concept of Communication
, • Understand the Process of Communication
• Understand the importance of Communication
• Understand the functions of Communication
1.2 COMMUNICATION: MEANING AND CONCEPT
Communication establishes relationships and makes organizing possible. Every message
has a purpose or objective. The sender intends -- whether consciously or unconsciously -- to
accomplish something by communicating. In organizational contexts, messages typically have a
definite objective: to motivate, to inform, to teach, to persuade, to entertain, or to inspire. This
definite purpose is, in fact, one of the principal differences between casual conversation and
managerial communication. Effective communication in the organization centers on well-defined
objectives that support the organization's goals and mission.
Supervisors strive to achieve understanding among parties to their
communications.Organizational communication establishes a pattern of formal communication
channels to carry information vertically and horizontally. (The organization chart displays these
channels.)
To ensure efficient and effective accomplishment of objectives, information is exchanged.
Information is passed upward from employees to supervisors and laterally to adjacent
departments. Instructions relating to the performance of the department and policies for
conducting business are conveyed downward from supervisors to employees. The organization
carries information from within the department back up to top management. Management
furnishes information about how things are going, notifies the supervisor of what the problems
are, and provides requests for clarification and help. Supervisors, in turn, keep their employees
informed and render assistance. Supervisors continually facilitate the process of gaining necessary
clarification and problem solving; both up and down the organization. Also, supervisors
communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers.
Communication is the process by which a message or information is exchanged from a
sender to a receiver. For example a production manager (sender) may send a message to a sales
manager (receiver) asking for sales forecasts for the next 6 months so they can plan production
levels. The sales manager would then reply (feedback) to the production manager with the
appropriate figures.
This is an example of internal communication, i.e. when communications occur between
employees of a business. Communication therefore links together all the different activities
involved in a business and ensures all employees are working towards the same goal and know
exactly what they should be doing and by when. Effective communication is therefore
fundamental to the success of a business.
A business will of course need to communicate with people or organisations outside of the
business. This is known as external communication. For example a marketing manager will need
to tell customers of a new special pricing offers or the finance director may need to ask banks for
a loan.
, Receivers of Messages
Internal
External
• Workers • Customers
• Directors • Local community
• Managers • Suppliers
• Shareholders
• Government
• Banks
Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly and
unambiguously. It's also about receiving information that others are sending to you, with as little
distortion as possible. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the
receiver. And it's a process that can be fraught with error, with messages muddled by the sender,
or misinterpreted by the recipient. When this isn't detected, it can cause tremendous confusion,
wasted effort and missed opportunity.In fact, communication is only successful when both the
sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication.
1.4 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF COMMUNICATION
Early discussions of management gave very little emphasis to communication. Among the
pioneering management theorists, Henri Fayol was about the only one who gave a detailed
analysis of and supplied a meaningful solution to the problem of communication.
1.4.1 FAYOL‟S CONTRIBUTION
The diagram shows how Fayol presented a simplified version of the Formal organisation.
If the formal channels in this organisation were strictly followed and F wanted to
talk/communicate with P, the communication would have to go through E-D-C-B-A-L-M-N-O-P
and back again. In other words, F would have to go through a total of twenty positions. On the
other hand, if F could lay a gangplank, to P, it would allow the two employees F and P to deal at
one sitting, and in a few hours with some questions or other which via the scalar chain would pass
through twenty transmissions, inconvenience many people, involve masses of paper, lose weeks
or months to get to a conclusion less satisfactory generally than the one which could have been
obtained via direct contact as between F and P. This gangplank concept has direct implications
for horizontal communication systems in modern formal organisations.
1.4.2 BARNARD‟S CONTRIBUTION
It was largely Chester Barnard in the late 1930‘s who meaningfully developed
communication as a vital dynamic of Organisational behaviour. He was convinced that
MEANING & DEFINITION
Structure
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Objectives
1.3 Communication: Meaning and Concept
1.4 Historical Background of Communication
1.4.1 Fayol’s Contribution 1.4.2 Barnard‘s
Contribution
1.5 Definitions of Communication
1.6 Models of Communication
1.6.1 Shannon's Model of the Communication Process
1.6.2 Intermediary Models of the Communication Process
1.7 The Communication Process
1.8 Functions of Communication
1.9 Importance of Communication
1.10 Types of Communication
1.10 Summary
1.11 Glossary
1.12 Answers to Check your Progress
1.13 Bibliography
1.14 Suggested Readings
1.15 Terminal Questions
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we discussed about the word ‘communication’. The word "communicate" is derived
from the word "common" - to share, exchange, send along, transmit, talk, gesture, write, put in
use, relate.
So an investigation of this subject might begin with the question: What do all studies of
communication have in common? What are the shared concepts that make the study of
"communication" different from the study of subjects such as "thought" or "literature" or "life?"
When someone says, "This is a communication problem," what does that mean?
1.2 Objectives
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
• Understand the meaning and concept of Communication
, • Understand the Process of Communication
• Understand the importance of Communication
• Understand the functions of Communication
1.2 COMMUNICATION: MEANING AND CONCEPT
Communication establishes relationships and makes organizing possible. Every message
has a purpose or objective. The sender intends -- whether consciously or unconsciously -- to
accomplish something by communicating. In organizational contexts, messages typically have a
definite objective: to motivate, to inform, to teach, to persuade, to entertain, or to inspire. This
definite purpose is, in fact, one of the principal differences between casual conversation and
managerial communication. Effective communication in the organization centers on well-defined
objectives that support the organization's goals and mission.
Supervisors strive to achieve understanding among parties to their
communications.Organizational communication establishes a pattern of formal communication
channels to carry information vertically and horizontally. (The organization chart displays these
channels.)
To ensure efficient and effective accomplishment of objectives, information is exchanged.
Information is passed upward from employees to supervisors and laterally to adjacent
departments. Instructions relating to the performance of the department and policies for
conducting business are conveyed downward from supervisors to employees. The organization
carries information from within the department back up to top management. Management
furnishes information about how things are going, notifies the supervisor of what the problems
are, and provides requests for clarification and help. Supervisors, in turn, keep their employees
informed and render assistance. Supervisors continually facilitate the process of gaining necessary
clarification and problem solving; both up and down the organization. Also, supervisors
communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers.
Communication is the process by which a message or information is exchanged from a
sender to a receiver. For example a production manager (sender) may send a message to a sales
manager (receiver) asking for sales forecasts for the next 6 months so they can plan production
levels. The sales manager would then reply (feedback) to the production manager with the
appropriate figures.
This is an example of internal communication, i.e. when communications occur between
employees of a business. Communication therefore links together all the different activities
involved in a business and ensures all employees are working towards the same goal and know
exactly what they should be doing and by when. Effective communication is therefore
fundamental to the success of a business.
A business will of course need to communicate with people or organisations outside of the
business. This is known as external communication. For example a marketing manager will need
to tell customers of a new special pricing offers or the finance director may need to ask banks for
a loan.
, Receivers of Messages
Internal
External
• Workers • Customers
• Directors • Local community
• Managers • Suppliers
• Shareholders
• Government
• Banks
Effective communication is all about conveying your messages to other people clearly and
unambiguously. It's also about receiving information that others are sending to you, with as little
distortion as possible. Doing this involves effort from both the sender of the message and the
receiver. And it's a process that can be fraught with error, with messages muddled by the sender,
or misinterpreted by the recipient. When this isn't detected, it can cause tremendous confusion,
wasted effort and missed opportunity.In fact, communication is only successful when both the
sender and the receiver understand the same information as a result of the communication.
1.4 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF COMMUNICATION
Early discussions of management gave very little emphasis to communication. Among the
pioneering management theorists, Henri Fayol was about the only one who gave a detailed
analysis of and supplied a meaningful solution to the problem of communication.
1.4.1 FAYOL‟S CONTRIBUTION
The diagram shows how Fayol presented a simplified version of the Formal organisation.
If the formal channels in this organisation were strictly followed and F wanted to
talk/communicate with P, the communication would have to go through E-D-C-B-A-L-M-N-O-P
and back again. In other words, F would have to go through a total of twenty positions. On the
other hand, if F could lay a gangplank, to P, it would allow the two employees F and P to deal at
one sitting, and in a few hours with some questions or other which via the scalar chain would pass
through twenty transmissions, inconvenience many people, involve masses of paper, lose weeks
or months to get to a conclusion less satisfactory generally than the one which could have been
obtained via direct contact as between F and P. This gangplank concept has direct implications
for horizontal communication systems in modern formal organisations.
1.4.2 BARNARD‟S CONTRIBUTION
It was largely Chester Barnard in the late 1930‘s who meaningfully developed
communication as a vital dynamic of Organisational behaviour. He was convinced that
