Interpersonal Communication Problems - Literature review Example

Interpersonal Communication Problems Introduction Interpersonal communication involves passing and receiving messages between two or more individuals (Beavin, 1990). It incorporates all aspects of communication such as persuading, asserting, non-verbal communication and listening. A key concept of interpersonal communication determines communicative acts when fewer individuals are involved unlike other communication areas like group interaction, where many individuals are involved in the communicative act. It is also important to note that interpersonal communication takes place at different levels depending on the people who are engaged in the communication process. For instance, when type of communication involved when taking to a family member totally differs from the type that is involved when communicating to other people such as friends, employers or fellow employees. However, successful interpersonal communication requires that both the sender and receiver of the message will interpret the message in the correct way to get the intended meaning. The basic requirement of effective communication is to develop an act of closeness with others, which is often, relies on mutual respect, open communication and trust (Beavin, 1990). This will ensure that effective communication takes place, and whenever barriers to effective interpersonal communication are encountered, problems arise such as poor organizational management. In this paper, we analyze interpersonal communication issues, in an organization that are characterized by problems with non-verbal, listening and assertion. Interpersonal communication in an organization Interpersonal communication plays a significant role when it comes to employer to employee relationships in the organization. Although this does not guarantee the effectiveness of an organization, its absence often results into numerous organizational problems. In the organizational context, interpersonal communication influences the training and hiring of employees, provision of routine instructions, performance evaluations, motivation of employees, and when dealing with discipline matters. It is also worth noting that interpersonal communication influences the willingness of employees to offer useful and effective suggestions since employees feeling as a significant component of an organization often requires effective communication (Beavin, 1990). To solve interpersonal communication problems in an organization, it is required that the barriers to effective communication are eliminated. Theories, Concepts and perspectives Understanding interpersonal communication is a key ingredient in maintaining good relationships. Interpersonal communication lies at the intersection of our cultural indulgent and construction and as a result, these components affect each other in different ways. In an organization, interpersonal communication takes place between the employees and their employers. Ineffective interpersonal communication, which is triggered by such problems as poor listening, non-verbal and assertion leads to various issues such as misunderstandings and conflicts (West & Turner, 2007). Therefore, it is essential to understand various theories, concepts and perspectives of interpersonal communication in order to come up with various recommendations for such issues. Listening, assertion, and conflict handling skills are key skill that can be adopted by individuals to ensure effective interpersonal communication. Theories of interpersonal communication Coordinated management of meaning This theory assumes that two individuals involved in an interaction have their own interpretations and perceptions as to what whatever they are conversing about really means. A key assumption in this theory is the belief that all people interact according to the rules they are required to follow while communicating (Baxter & Braithwaite, 2008). In any social situation, individuals’ first need is to understand whatever is going on before they apply rules to figure things out. The theory provides two different types of rules that can be applied in any communicative scenario. Constitutive rules, which are rules of meaning that, can be applied by communicators to understand or interpret a message or event. Regulative rules, which are rules of action, which determine how people behave or respond. In most cases, this theory can be applied in an almost instantaneous level since the interpretation rules are simple and immediate. The communicator’s previous perceptions and beliefs is a significant factor in this theory since they have an influence on how the individual will react to the contemporary communicative situation (Baxter & Braithwaite, 2008). It is worth noting that the rules of meaning are often chosen within the context of the communication topic. An example of this can be seen in an organizational context when it comes to certain aspects such as provision of routine job instructions. The role of the supervisors is to issue instructions to the employees, however, when the instructions are being issued, the employees are supposed to listen carefully so that they abide by these provisions. The employees on the other hand, have their own perceptions and understanding of what they are required to do. In this case, therefore, the employees first want to understand what they are supposed to do before applying their own previous perceptions and beliefs in order to figure things out. However, when the context of situation application is misinterpreted, problems often occur since every person has his own perception and understanding and therefore there is lack of coordination. Listening and assertion skills Poor assertion and listening skills causes misunderstandings and conflicts in an organization. For instance, if individuals do not listen carefully or various barriers interrupt them, it will be very hard for them to respond as required. This may lead to misunderstanding between the communicators resulting to conflicts. On the other hand, lack of required assertive behaviors such as respect for others and oneself during interpersonal communication may lead to unrealistic conflicts in an organization. It is vital for individuals in an organization to initiate good listening and assertion skills. These will help in eliminating any communication issues as a result of poor communication. Assertion is a technique to conflict resolution that uses best communication skills. People with assertive behaviours communicate to others in a way that shows respect to others and this facilitates communication between individuals (Floyd, 2009). Lack of these behaviours leads to dysfunctional organizational behaviours which results to both unrealistic and realistic conflicts. On the other hand, listening is a very important skill and how well people listen impacts the quality of their relationships with others. Therefore, people should learn to be better and active listeners as these improve their relationships with other people. Principles of interpersonal communication In real life interpersonal communication, there are four basic principles that cannot be ignored. They include: Interpersonal communication is inescapable: Communication takes place every time, everywhere, through not only words but also through gesture, tone of voice, posture, and facial expression. Individuals always communicate to those around them, but it is essential to consider the basic communication principle that ‘people are not mind readers’. Interpersonal communication is irreversible: It is essential for people to think before communicating as the saying goes ‘we cannot take something back once it has gone out of our mouth’. The impact of this inevitably remains. Interpersonal communication is contextual: This means that, communication is accompanied by other factors such as relational context, psychological context, situational context, environmental context and cultural context. These contexts dictate how interpersonal communication will be carried out. Interpersonal communication is complicated: It is certain that, even in interpersonal communication where less people are involved is not simple. Due to the number of variables engaged, even simple requests are seen to be very complex. Additionally, in non-verbal communication where symbols stand for ideas, also complicates communication. People use symbol in certain ways and different people use different symbols differently. This can be a basis of misunderstanding if not evaluated effectively. Functions of interpersonal communication In an organization, there are various functions of interpersonal communication which include establishing id entity, emotional needs, gaining information, and gaining a background of understanding (Floyd, 2009). Gaining information: individuals engage in interpersonal communication in order to gain knowledge of the other individual. According to Social Penetration Theory, gaining information about others ensures effective interaction. Sufficient information about others ensures that we predict better how they feel, think, and act, thus enhancing effective communication. This is very applicable especially in an organization where there exist people from different cultural backgrounds and where ineffective communication may lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. Building a background of understanding: engaging in interpersonal communication assist individuals to better understand what others say in a certain context. Words may have different meanings in various contexts therefore, it is important to understand which words to use in what contexts and the effects they will have to the listener. Establishing identity: interpersonal communication assists us in establishing our identity. How we interact with other people determines our roles and our face. Emotional needs: communication that occurs between persons acts as a stepping stone for individuals to express their frustrations and feelings. Some of these needs include control, inclusion and affection. Thus, communication offers a discharge for emotional needs. Interpersonal communication problems with non-verbal Non-verbal communication is often understood as a process of communication that applies to the sending and receiving wordless messages. Communication does not only encompass use of language, but there are many other means such as gestures and even touch. Meaning can also be passed on through artifact or objects, symbols, and icons like graphics. However, most non-verbal communication studies focus on face-to-face interactions, where it can be categorized into the physical features of the communicators, the environmental condition in which the communication is taking place and the communicator’s behaviour during the interaction process. Non-verbal messages often communicate attitudes, emotions, usually considered ambiguous, continuous, and culture blind. However, it is important to note that individuals differ in their ability to send and receive non-verbal communication, and those considered to have large difficulties using non-verbal communication have difficulty in getting the meaning. Some of the interpersonal communication problems that may arise from non-verbal communication include misinterpretation of the gestures and lack of understanding. This ends up distorting the whole intent of the information. Non-verbal communication is just like any other communication, only that it does not make use of words. The significant factor to understanding non-verbal communication is to analyze its roots because significant communication takes place even if words are not used. Looking at the symbolic interaction theory for example, the constructs for this theory believe that social reality and meaning are often shaped from the interactions we have with others and that some form of shared meaning is reached. This theory includes creation of meaning, human interactions, social norms, signs and symbols since the world is believed is made up of objects that have socially determined meanings. Therefore, when people interact for some time, they come up with some common meanings for certain actions and terms and thus come to conceptualize certain events in various particular ways. In the same way, this theory can be applied to solve interpersonal problems that come along with non-vernal mode of communication. The organizational staff and employees can come up with shared meanings for particular terms and actions in the organization. Barriers to effective interpersonal communication Effective interpersonal communications are both essential and enriching. Interpersonal communications influences an individual success in all corners of life. However, various barriers exist that distort messages thus, preventing effective communication and as a result, it is essential to be aware of these barriers, consider how they can be eliminated to enhance effective communication (Floyd, 2009). Some of these barriers include: Psychological Barriers: These include embarrassment or shyness. Sometimes, individuals present themselves as difficult or abrupt when they are actually nervous. Another barrier may result when individuals are prejudiced. Cultural barriers: Every culture has its own styles of communication. In some cultures, non-verbal communications which include physical gestures are profligate. Touching or hugging people while talking to them is acceptable in some societies while in others it is unacceptable. It is also a taboo for some religions concerning members of the opposite sex communicating using signals. As a result, whenever such a communication takes place in an organization, some people may feel offended and this can result to conflicts. Language barriers: This is a major barrier to interpersonal communication. Language differences, deafness, visual impairment presents a barrier that requires to be addressed. Failure to this, misunderstandings which result to ineffective communication may result and may lead to major conflicts. It is clear that, an organization contains people from different cultures, thus, in order to avoid conflicts, members should understand each other very well and chose appropriate means of communication. Environmental barriers: These include lack of privacy and noise. Some organizations are very busy with various distractions for instance, frequently ringing telephones among other messaging systems. These mostly distract an individual’s level of listening and we know that, poor listening can result to poor understanding, thus, poor response leading to conflicts between the communicators. Overcoming barriers Individuals should find ways of overcoming interpersonal communication barriers to enhance communication flow (Pearce, 2008). Listed below are some instructions that every person should follow. Selecting the right communication channel: there exists many channels and as a result, individuals should know the appropriate channels to use while engaging in communication While sending text messages, individuals should use the right language. Engaging in active listening as this will assist the communicator in formulating a response. Avoiding confusing nonverbal communication: these include physical reactions which may confuse the other parties when such reactions suggest that, the listener does not care concerning the message. Lastly, individuals should always seek feedback. This allows for elucidation of messages as required. In addition, seeking feedback also assists in improving future communication. Recommendations for solving interpersonal problems Communication proves to be an unpredictable business and almost all of us come up barriers that deter effective communication from taking place (Beavin, 1990). It is normal and natural for all human beings to be less perfect when it comes to communication, but the good news is that while interpersonal communication is often taken as problematic, we can always improve it by working on the barriers we always create that impede effective communication from taking place. In addition to the mitigation of the specific barriers to effective interpersonal communication, the following recommendations could b applied to improve communication: Work on the improvement of the communication skills. This often requires knowledge and work that can be identified from the barriers to communication. This increased awareness will work towards better communication. Make the communication process goal oriented since relational goals always come first while other goals then follow. This is because when both the sender and the receiver have a good relationship, they are much more likely to achieve their communication goals, and looking at the organizational context, when both the instructors and the employees have a good relationship, then it is likely that attainment of the organizational goals would be reached at. Accept the reality of communication. It is apparent that the best communicators often fail to attain perfect communication, but will instead work on the miscommunication to minimize the negative impacts. People should approach communication with a positive attitude since defensiveness often interferes with communication. Conclusion Effective interpersonal communication in an organization helps to resolve conflicts which results from misunderstanding. Conflicts and misunderstandings are some of the interpersonal communication issues which result from problems of non-verbal, listening and assertion. It is clear that, in order to overcome such issues, people should learn to be active listeners, adopt assertion behaviours and understand each other well (Floyd, 2009). Additionally, barriers to effective interpersonal communication should also be eliminated. Thus, interpersonal communication in an organization can be improved based on these factors. References Baxter, L., and Braithwaite, D. (2008). Engaging theories in interpersonal communication: Multiple perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Beavin, J. (1990). Behaving and communicating: a reply to Motley. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 54, 593 – 602. Floyd, K. (2009). Interpersonal Communication: The Whole Story. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pearce, B. (2008). Making Social Worlds: A Communication Perspective. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. West, R., and Turner, L.H. (2007). Introducing Communication Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More