Effect of Workplace Noise in the Communication Process - Essay Example

Effect of Workplace Noise in the Communication Process Introduction We are living in a noisy world. The sound of traffic, construction, phones ringing, air conditioners humming, and even people talking are just some of the sounds that affect our daily lives. Noise is “any physical, semantic or contextual action that detracts from or distorts the receipt of the message” (Stuart & Sarow, p. 83). In the workplace, noise disrupts the smooth and comprehensible flow of communication between and among the different employees and their managers. It potentially causes messages to be distorted, misheard, miscommunicated, and even entirely missed. As a result, various work disasters, accidents, and other disastrous incidents can occur in the workplace. This paper shall discuss how communication in an organization can be misunderstood because of too much noise. It will cite an actual incident of how noise caused a message to be misinterpreted by recipients and the potential effects of such misinterpretation. Byford Dolphin Accident The Byford Dolphin accident is an example of a disaster at sea which can be attributed to noise and miscommunication. The Byford Dolphin is a Norwegian semi-submersible oil drilling rig. On November of 1983, four divers were in the rig’s decompression chamber attached to the diving bell. The diving bell is a cable-suspended airtight chamber which functions to transport divers underwater. One of the divers was about to close the door between the chamber system and the trunk when the chamber was decompressed. This caused the speedy drop in the pressure of the chamber. As a result, five of the men in the chamber were killed while one was severely injured. Investigators of the incident concluded that the incident was due to human error of the diver opening the clamp. The only means for the divers from inside the chamber to communicate with those who were outside the chamber system was through a bullhorn. However, with the heavy noise from the rig and from the sea, it was difficult to listen to what was being said and what was going on in the chamber. Investigators also concluded that fatigue and exhaustion affected the concentration of the divers (Absolute Astronomy “Topics Home”). The noise and fatigue were crucial factors in this incident. They resulted to an unfortunate incident that could have been prevented with proper communication among the parties involved. Noise and Communication Noise can severely affect the lines of communication. It can compromise messages resulting to miscommunication and misunderstanding between and among parties involved. As was illustrated in the Byford Dolphin case, the noise of the rig and the sea interfered in the proper transmission of messages between the divers. As a result, the accident occurred. In the transmission of messages from the sender to the recipient, noise disrupts the line of communication. The noise that was seen in the above case is primarily due to external factors. External noises are activities outside the source which affect the communication process. These noises may be of traffic, train whistles, airline runway sound, and sounds created by nature and by man (Stuart & Sarow, p. 84). Noises may also come from internal sources. Internal noise comes from a person’s personal interpretation of a message. This is when culture, religion, class, and other characteristics may interfere with our interpretation of a message. Listening to a manager repeatedly mispronounce a word can sometimes lead us to think that he is uneducated and ill-equipped as a manager. And this perception will now affect the way we interpret his messages. Our respect and deference to him as our boss or our manager can sometimes be reduced or diminished by our perceptions (Stuart & Sarow, p. 85). In this sense, noise now becomes a subjective experience colored by the receiver’s interpretation of the message. In the workplace where we are most likely to communicate with work colleagues of different cultures, accents, religions, and class, internal noises can ultimately affect our interpretation of messages. Other authors discuss different forms of noise in the workplace – physical, psychological, physiological, and semantic. Physical noise is likened to external noises while psychological noises relate to internal noises, more specifically related to the receiver’s emotions, prejudices, and inaccurate expectations or exaggerated expressions (anger, hate, grief). Physiological noises relate to problems in the listener’s hearing, which may refer to hearing or memory loss or other forms of hearing impairment. Semantics refer to the different meanings that people attach to words based on the language, dialect, or the complexity in the interpretation of the words (Koreneff & Sims-McLean, p. 100). In the workplace, these different forms of noises interfere with smooth communication; they interfere with the accurate interpretation of messages transmitted from one employee to another or from a manager to an employee. The danger that noise can bring in the workplace is exemplified in the Byford Dolphin case. Noise can cause misinterpretation of messages which may have disastrous and dangerous consequences in the workplace. An excess of noise in the workplace is also considered an occupational hazard. “Exposure to excessive noise can cause hearing problems, stress, poor concentration, productivity losses in the workplace, communication difficulties, fatigue from lack of sleep, and loss of psychological well-being” (Enhesa “2004 Global Forecast”). Workers who are employed in construction work, factories, aviation, call-centers, and similar trades are most vulnerable to noise and its dangerous consequences. In order to set a standard for noise in the workplace, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration pegs the acceptable standard at 90 decibels (Møller, p. 295). In the management of noise in the workplace, managers have to adhere to these standards in order to protect their workers and the integrity of the workplace. Management of noise in the workplace can benefit the employee and the workplace in general. It causes less stress to the workers, and allows for the accurate transmission of messages. The manager can adapt protective measures in the workplace in order to ensure that noise does not interfere in the communication process. Hearing protectors like ear muffs can help muffle noise levels in order to prevent hearing loss or hearing impairment; regular checks by doctors can also ensure that the workers’ hearing is not impaired by noise; containment and sound proof rooms for noisy work equipment can also help confine noise to certain sections in the workplace (Enhesa “2004 Global Forecast”). In order to prevent miscommunication and misinterpretation due to noise, the manager can help adapt noise minimization measures. In the course of communication with the employees, vital orders have to be given out one-on-one in quiet rooms and not in the midst of the cacophony of sounds (Puckett, et.al., p. 177). In the aviation industry, in the communication between the pilot and the controller, experts suggest the use of clear language; messages poorly transmitted should be verified, challenged, or repeated; and one instruction at a time should be given out (Isaac, p. 34). These suggestions can be applied in most workplaces. One of the most important messages that managers can put across to their employees is continued vigilance in the workplace; listening to each other, and not just hearing what other people say; and when in doubt, to always check and verify orders. Correct messages, regardless of noise, can ultimately filter down to the receiver when the above points are applied vigilantly in the workplace. Works Cited Byford Dolphin. “Topics Home”. 2009. Absolute Astronomy. 29 June 2009 Isaac, A. July 2007. “Effective Communication in the Aviation Environment: Work in Progress”. Skybrary. 29 June 2009 Koreneff, I. & Sims-McLean, K. 2005. “Information Technology”. New South Wales: Pascal Press Møller, A. 2006. “Hearing”. Massachusetts: Academic Press. “Noise at work”. 2004. 2004 Global Forecast. Enhesa Environmental Trends. 29 June 2009 Puckett, R., et.al. 2004. “Food service manual for health care institutions”. Massachusetts: John Wiley & Sons Stuart, B. & Sarow, M. 2007. “Integrated business communication in a global marketplace”. Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons Read More