Factors Affecting Communication, Loopholes in Medium of Communication - Coursework Example

Table of Contents Introduction 2 Communication 2 Listening 3 Factors affecting Communication 4 Benefits of Communication 5 Loopholes in medium of Communication 6 Role of non-verbal signs in communication 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction Communication defines a success for any organization, activity and any measure which involves two or more person. Every individual needs to consider the importance of communication by looking into different directions so that the communication process is clear. To ensure effective communication it is important that the process is complete which starts from the message being passed from the sender to the listener and the listener being able to decode the message and act correctly. Communication helps to shape the manner in which a process is carried out and determines the path of success. Communication This helps to define communication as a process where the message is passed on from the speaker to the listener and the listener is able to understand the complete message by using different signs, gestures and body language (Emmert, 1994). The communication process gets completed only when the listener is able to act in the manner the speaker of the message wanted to. Communication is thereby a more important process which involves different steps so that the benefits associated with communication can be retrieved. This brings forward the importance that the communicator should be en effective person who is able to decode the message and understand it in a better way. This is because of the fact that an effective communicator is able to understand the situation from the listener point of view and speak in a manner that will help the listener to understand the message easily (Nichols, 2003). This is because of the fact that the speaker who is an effective communicator is able to pass on the information by using inferences, shaking his head, having eye contacts and giving non verbal gestures” (Palmatier, 2004) which ensures that the listener is able to understand the message better. This helps to ensure that the entire message is passed on from the communicator in a better way thereby helping to improve the efficiency of the communication process. Listening This brings forward another important point which is listening. Listening is defined as process where the person is able to understand the message passed on from the speaker by decoding them and using different gestures to be able to garner maximum benefit from it (William & Stella, 1991). The process of communication requires that the listener is an active listener and is able to act in the desired manner which helps to build “trust, respect, reduces tension and creates conducive environment” (Nicholas, 2003) where the objectives of communication can be achieved. A finding in the direction to improve the communication process shows that a person who is learned and skilled have the required resources especially the reading skills is able to communicate better (Berger, 2008). This is because of the fact that the speaker is able to visualize things from the point of view of the listener and is able to communicate effectively. This brings forward the fact that concentration and interpretation helps to achieve the objectives of communication better as learned people are in a position to influence the process better. Factors affecting Communication Communication gets affected by different factors like the medium which is used to transmit information. An example in this direction is that a face to face communication involves better communication as both the listener and communicator comes in face to face contact which ensures that the doubts and problem gets solved at the same time. This helps to ensure that there is no discrepancy in the information that is passed thereby ensuring better communication. This is demonstrated by a finding which states that using better and developed form of communication media ensures that the information is transmitted in a better way (Anne & Bochner, 1977). The use of media gets enhanced in case of the privileged and higher status as they have the means to use different media which is more effective and ensures better communication. Communication also gets influenced by the process which gets involved in the communication. It is important that the communication should adopt a two way communication i.e. where the message is passed from the sender to the listener and from the listener to the sender (Allen, 2001). This process will ensure that the message passed is cleared and the doubts can be resolved on the spot. Communication also gets altered due to perception. Perception has a big role to play in the communication process as they are able to underestand and encodes the message better and influences the process of passing information in the correct manner (Maguire, 2002). This helps to ensure that perception develops the communication process and brings about the change in the thinking process so that passing of information is correct. This brings forward to the notion that non verbal communication has a much wider role to play as it facilitates the communication process and makes it easy for the listener to understand the message (Maguire, 2002). Non verbal communication ensures that the person is able to understand gestures, signs and body language which facilitate the communication process. This helps to enhance the communication process and ensures that there is effective communication which takes help of different factors to develop the communication process. Benefits of Communication Communication benefits the society and ensures that there is cultural integration. Since, communication involves the passing of information where different cultural integration as the process doesn’t look into caste or creed but ensures passing of information from one direction to another (Garner, 2006). Despite it there have been situations where similar culture finds easy to integrate during the communication process as understanding the body language, gestures and signs becomes easy. This is supported by a study which brings forward the fact that similar culture ensures better communication as there is little cultural differences which ensures clarity in information (Rank, 2010) and the value of this process develops when cultural integration takes place as it helps to provide new direction and development to the communication process (Rank, 2010). Communication thereby improves cultural integration and helps to make the entire process more effective. The environment has also shaped the communication process. To ensure that the communication process is clear it is important that surrounding environment is looked into. Having proper ventilation, lighting and proper sitting facility ensures that the communication is better as it provides the required comfort which will help the process to bet better (Nelson, 2010). Having proper comfort level which facilitates the communication process ensure that the mistakes committed are few and passing on the information is better. Loopholes in medium of Communication Despite the manner in which communication helped has developed due the development of media it has also been adversely affected due to it. For example it is seen in case of a conversation which takes place over a telephone. There are situations where the listener finds it difficult to understand the complete message and not having the facility of understanding the message through body language affects the communication process. It is also seen that the development of internet has helped to develop communication but has also ensured that the chances of leakage increases. A study highlights that “internet usage in the field of communication has increased the risk of confidentiality, privacy, information accuracy and credibility” (Bernhardt, Lariscy, Parrott, Silk & Felter, 2002). This thereby makes the communication to pass through different risks which can reduce the efficiency of the process and the system needs to be developed which will ensure that the communication process passes in a faster and better way. Another direction which shows that the communication process gets delayed and the information is lost at all levels is in organizations that have a hierarchy level (Garner, 2006). The communication process in this system looses relevance as when the information is transmitted over different hierarchy some information is wrongly interpreted resulting in loss of valuable data at the same time delaying the entire process of passing the information to the concerned body. Communication helps to develop a team which ensures that the passing of information is easy as it helps to develop the required interpersonal skills which will ensure effective team communication process (Hick & Andrew, 1995). This process also ensures that the listener is able to mould himself based on the surrounding environment and ensures that the communication process is better (Palmatier, 2004). Role of non-verbal signs in communication An effective communication process makes it a point to see the non verbal message communicated from the speaker as when the speaker smiles or frowns, his change in pitch of tone, his eyes movement and hands movement and areas where is body language suggest to put stress (Joans, 2010). This also ensures that the communicator is able to give up his ego and ensure that the surrounding areas are developed in a manner which facilitates passing of information in a better way (Staufer, 2008). This will ensure that the communicator is open to new ideas and will be able to develop the mechanism which will ensure better communication. Conclusion Communication thus has an important role to play in organization and the ability of the organization to shape the manner in which communication takes place ensures effective communication. This makes it important that organizations are able understand the communication process better and mould the organization working environment in a better which will ensure that the organization is able to take fullest advantage of the communication process. References Anne & Bochner, Beyond integration: factor effecting the communication of interpersonal evaluations, Communication Quarterly, Volume 25, Issue 2, page 11-17, 1977 Allen M, Positive influence by effective listening, Innovative Leader, Volume 10, Number 2, page 515, 2001 Berger N, Why Can’t John read? Perhaps he is not a good communicator, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Volume 11, Number 10, page 633-638, 2008 Bernhardt J, Lariscy R, Parrott R, Silk K & Felter E, Perceived barriers to internet based health care communication on human genetic, Journal of Health Communication, Volume 7, Issue 4, page 325-340, 2002 Emmert, A definition of listening, The Listening Post, Volume 51, Issue 6, 1994 Garner E, Seven barriers to great communication, Manage Trade Learn, 2006 Hicks R & Andrew J, developing teamwork skills inside and outside the classroom, Social science monograph, Volume 1, Smartsearch, 1995 Joans, 2010, Active Listening Skills, retrieved on August 25, 2011 from http://www.joansvoboda.com/listening_skills.htm Maguire T, Barrier to communication: how things go wrong, Continuing professional development, 2002 Nicholas R, Factors in listening comprehensions, Speech Monograms, Volume 15, Issue 3, page 435-441, 2003 Nelson L, Factors effecting effective communication, The New York Times Company, 2010 Palmatier R, A note taking system of learning, Journal of Reading, Volume 17, issue 1, page 43-48, 2004 Rank J, Cross Cultural Interpersonal Communication, Encyclopaedia of Business Communication, 2nd edition, 2010 Staufer G, The language experienced approach t the teaching of reading, revised edition New York, Harper & Row, 2008 William B & Stella T, Culture & Interpersonal Communication, Canadian Journal of Communication, Volume 16, Number 1, page 35-38, 1991 Read More