How Communication Theory Would Help Students in Their Respective Future Professional Fields - Coursework Example

Part A - Essay Plan Contents Introduction 2 Discussion 3 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction Communication theory is an approach that takes intoconsideration human communication process and technical information process. The fundamental aspect of communication is to generate right point in relation to message selected at another point. Communication plays a significant role in developing interpretations. The communication model comprises of sender, channel, message and a receiver. Sender basically frames a message which is communicated through a selected channel to the receiver. Communication model is highly beneficial for students who are opting for different professions. In professional world it is essential to communicate message properly so as to ensure that proper decisions are framed. Students have to develop communication skills in order to express their view point and contribute effectively towards their professional field. The thesis statement for this study is – “knowledge about communication theory would help students in their respective future professional fields.” This study shall highlight various aspects of communication theory and its implications on real time profession. Communication model even helps to determine barriers while communicating message between receiver and sender. Discussion The roots of communication theory are associated with information theory development way back in 1920s. This theory even encompasses a term known as transmission of information where information is regarded as a measurable quantity. It even outlines capability of receiver to distinguish one symbol from another. Communication as a concept is deeply rooted within societies and human behaviors. It is not possible to identify behavioral or social events which do not have presence of effective communication. This concept is broadly applied to shared properties and behaviors. In previous days communication mainly referred to sharing of objects, food, etc., but today it is all about information transmission. The communication theory encompasses communication types and optimization of communication in order to facilitate overall benefit. Communication scholars have defined the concept as a process by which individuals interactively manage, create and sustain meaning. This approach not only highlights incidents taking place in professional and personal life but even enhance professional and personal experiences. A competent communication is one that is able to achieve a balance between appropriateness and effectiveness. Effectiveness can also be determined by degree to which goals of an interaction would be accomplished. On the other hand, appropriateness refers to social expectations fulfillment for a specific situation. Communication theory is also at times considered to be an appropriate field. This is because it expands on the conversation in context of disciplinary identity (Kossen, Kiernan and Lawrence, 2013). The theory is based on certain elements of communication such as source, sender, channel, receiver, destination, message and feedback. Source is often regarded as an information source that produces sequence or single message to be transmitted to receiver. Sender is also termed as transmitter since it operates on a specific message in order to develop a signal most appropriate for channel transmission. On the other hand, channel is considered to be a medium that can transmit signal from sender to receiver. Receiver performs an operation that is opposite to transmitter and reconstructs message from signal. Destination is the thing or person for who message is dispatched. The message is statement, concept, information or communication that is send visually, verbally, in recorded or written format. Feedback plays a critical role in judging efficiency of communication. This element is essential to understand whether message communicated by sender is understood appropriately by receiver or not. The overall process is important for any form of professional field. There are certain negative aspects of communication that should be totally avoided as it enhances negative image. I would prefer to make my career in corporate world as a marketing manager. Marketing as a field is complex and can only be handled appropriately when message is communicated properly. I feel that communication theory shall support me in terms of establishing strong professional relationships. In marketing field it is necessary to interact properly with team members as well as with customers. This is only possible when we are able to understand human psychology and pay more attention on ways message is communicated to receiver. The entire process of communication can be well explained with the help of a diagram given in figure1. Figure 1: Communication Model (Source: Miller, 2005) Figure1 represents the most common model of communication that was proposed by Shannon and Weaver. It is a simple transmission model where message is transmitted to a receiver on basis of communication channel. Feedback which is acquired helps the sender to improve upon one’s communication skills. They even argued that there are certain problems related to communication and this plays an important role in my future professional field. Firstly, technical problem and it determines message accuracy which is transmitted. Semantic problem is linked with whether message meaning is being precisely conveyed or not. Effectiveness problem is the degree to which meaning being received affects behavior. All these factors enable building interpersonal relationships and can even give rise to conflicting ideas. I should take into consideration these elements when I am communicating a particular message to my team members or customers. Effectiveness of transmitted message can only be evaluated if receiver’s end draws upon similar perception as that of sender. On the other hand, semantic problem can be avoided by focusing on main content of a message and eliminating other factors. This model gives a basic understanding about different dimensions of communication. As a student I feel that semantic or technical problems are not of much importance during communication but this theoretical base helps me to analyze various aspects (Littlejohn and Foss, 2008). These elements highlighted by communication theory needs to be thoroughly analyzed since it affects behaviors in professional field. Shannon and Weaver’s model of communication was later expanded by David Berlo and he named it as SMCR communication model. This clearly reflects different factors encompassed in communication stages which holds significance in real world scenario. The model is elaborated in figure 2 and it represents sender (S), message (M), channel (C) and receiver (R). Figure 2: SMCR model (Source: Berlo, 2006) As per figure2, our culture, knowledge and attitude are greatly reflected on our message being communicated. While communicating a message we should take into consideration similar characteristics of receiver. This in turn increases efficiency of message being communicated since all such factors are taken into consideration. I strongly agree that communication theory proposed by wide array of scholars helps a student to identify hidden aspects of communication. For instance a person who is not aware about communication theory intricacies might fail to determine effectiveness of communicated message. Schramm another scholar highlighted three semiotic rules of information transmission process. The first rule is stated as syntactic that deals with formal properties of symbols and signs. Pragmatic rule is focused on relationships between expressions or signs and their respective users. Semantic is the third rule and represents a study of relationships amongst symbols and signs with their significant meanings. Every communication according to me is a form of social interaction where two agents are sharing on common set of objectives or goals. This aspect is important in my future professional field since I need to communicate with others in such manner that we build desirable interpersonal relationships. I feel that communication theory teaches students how feelings or opinions can be well expressed through a communication medium. In competitive scenario of professional field there would be least second chances obtained and hence it becomes essential to correctly deliver specific message to receiver. Communication theory even provides a framework through which effectiveness of delivered message can be evaluated and feedback can be incorporated while communicating message next time (Griffin, 2006). I practically have witnessed students not being able to communicate efficiently due to lack of skills or knowledge. Though my future profession would be in marketing field where communication skills should be appropriate but in other professions such as teaching, entrepreneurship, etc., communication is equally important. Communication theory not only outlines various problems related to communication but even provide solutions to mitigate identified issues. This in turn shall prove to be highly beneficial for students in their future professional fields. Successful communication between sender and receiver is possible only when all barriers are effectively eliminated. Conclusion As per this study communication process is a complicated approach and there are wide ranges of barriers that can exploit message being transmitted. It can be stated that different theories proposed by scholars on communication takes into consideration different elements. A sender needs to develop a precise message that can be transmitted efficiently without being altered. Receivers and senders to some extent need to possess similar set of attitudes and behaviors. This is a vital factor in professional field since communication lays the platform for establishing professional along with interpersonal relationships. I believe that message can only be transmitted properly when appropriate communication channel is chosen by sender. Communication theory even reflects upon wide set of barriers that prevent a message from being transmitted. These barriers can only be eliminated when students possess knowledge about theoretical background related to communication. In professional field students would be able to set their position if they are well aware about pros and cons of communication. References Berlo, D. K., 2006. The process of communication. New York, New York: Holt. Griffin, E. A., 2006. A first look at communication theory. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Kossen, C., Kiernan, E. F., and Lawrence, J. E., 2013. Communicating for success. Australia: Pearson. Littlejohn, S.W., and Foss, K.A., 2008. Theories of human communication. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Miller, K., 2005. Communication theories: perspectives, processes, and contexts. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Read More