The definition of the word communication

Communication is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term can also refer to the message itself, or the field of inquiry studying these transmissions, also known as communication studies. There are some disagreements about the precise definition of communication — for example, whether unintentional or failed transmissions are also included and whether communication does not just transmit meaning but also create it. Models of communication aim to provide a simplified overview of its main components and their interaction. Many models include the idea that a source uses a coding system to express information in the form of a message. The source uses a channel to send the message to a receiver who has to decode it in order to understand its meaning. Channels are usually discussed in terms of the senses used to perceive the message, like hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste.

Communication can be classified based on whether information is exchanged between humans, members of other species, or non-living entities such as computers. For human communication, a central distinction is between verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication involves the exchange of messages in linguistic form. This can happen through natural languages, like English or Japanese, or through artificial languages, like Esperanto. Verbal communication includes spoken and written messages as well as the use of sign language. Non-verbal communication happens without the use of a linguistic system. There are many forms of non-verbal communication, for example, using body language, body position, touch, and intonation. Another distinction is between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. Interpersonal communication happens between distinct individuals, such as greeting someone on the street or making a phone call. Intrapersonal communication, on the other hand, is communication with oneself. This can happen internally, as a form of inner dialog or daydreaming, or externally, for example, when writing down a shopping list or engaging in a monologue.

Non-human forms of communication include animal and plant communication. Researchers in this field often formulate additional criteria for their definition of communicative behavior, like the requirement that the behavior serves a beneficial function for natural selection or that a response to the message is observed. Animal communication plays important roles for various species in the areas of courtship and mating, parent-offspring relations, social relations, navigation, self-defense, and territoriality. In the area of courtship and mating, for example, communication is used to identify and attract potential mates. An often-discussed example concerning navigational communication is the waggle dance used by bees to indicate to other bees where flowers are located. Due to the rigid cell walls of plants, their communication often happens through chemical means rather than movement. For example, various plants, like maple trees, release so-called volatile organic compounds into the air to warn other plants of a herbivore attack. Most communication takes place between members of the same species since its purpose is usually some form of cooperation, which is not as common between species. However, there are also forms of interspecies communication, mainly in cases of symbiotic relationships. For example, many flowers use symmetrical shapes and colors that stand out from their surroundings in order to communicate to insects where nectar is located to attract them. Humans also practice interspecies communication, for example, when interacting with pets.

The field of communication includes various other issues, like communicative competence and the history of communication. Communicative competence is the ability to communicate well and applies both to the capability to formulate messages and to understand them. Two central aspects are that the communicative behavior is effective, i.e. that it achieves the individual’s goal, and that it is appropriate, i.e. that it follows social standards and expectations. Human communication has a long history and how people exchange information has changed over time. These changes were usually triggered by the development of new communication technologies, such as the invention of writing systems (first pictographic and later alphabetic), the development of mass printing, the use of radio and television, and the invention of the internet.

Definitions[edit]

The word «communication» has its root in the Latin verb «communicare», which means «to share» or «to make common».^[1] Communication is usually understood as the transmission of information.^[2][3][4] In this regard, a message is conveyed from a sender to a receiver using some form of medium, such as sound, paper, bodily movements, or electricity.^[5][6][7] In a different sense, the term «communication» can also refer just to the message that is being communicated or to the field of inquiry studying such transmissions.^[2][4] There is a lot of disagreement concerning the precise characterization of communication and various scholars have raised doubts that any single definition can capture the term accurately. These difficulties come from the fact that the term is applied to diverse phenomena in different contexts, often with slightly different meanings.^[8][9] The issue of the right definition affects the research process on many levels. This includes issues like which empirical phenomena are observed, how they are categorized, which hypotheses and laws are formulated as well as how systematic theories based on these steps are articulated.^[8]

Some theorists, like Frank E. X. Dance, consider very broad definitions of communication that encompass unconscious and non-human behavior.^[8] In this regard, many animals communicate within their own species and even plants like flowers may be said to communicate by attracting bees.^[5] Other researchers restrict communication to conscious interactions among human beings.^[8][5] Some definitions focus on the use of symbols and signs while others emphasize the role of understanding, interaction, power, or transmission of ideas. Various characterizations see the communicator’s intent to send a message as a central component. On this view, the transmission of information is not sufficient for communication if it happens unintentionally.^[8][10] One version of this view is given by Paul Grice, who identifies communication with actions that aim to make the recipient aware of the communicator’s intention.^[11] One question in this regard is whether only the successful transmission of information should be regarded as communication.^[8] For example, distortion may interfere and change the actual message from what was originally intended.^[6] A closely related problem is whether acts of deliberate deception constitute communication.^[8]

According to an influential and broad definition by I. A. Richards, communication happens when one mind acts upon its environment in order to transmit its own experience to another mind.^[12][13][14] Another characterization is due to Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver. On their view, communication involves the interaction of several components, such as a source, a message, an encoder, a channel, a decoder, and a receiver.^[15][16] Various contemporary scholars hold that communication is not just about the transmission of information but also about creating meaning. This way, communication shapes the participant’s experience by conceptualizing the world, and making sense of their environment and themselves.^[17] In regard to animal and plant communication, researchers focus less on meaning-making but often include additional requirements in their definition, for example, that the communicative behavior plays a beneficial role in natural selection or that some kind of response to the message is observed.^[18][19][20] The paradigmatic form of communication happens between two or several individuals. However, it can also take place on a larger level, for example, between organizations, social classes, or nations.^[5] Niklas Luhmann rejects the view that communication is, on its most fundamental level, an interaction between two distinct parties. Instead, he holds that «only communication can communicate» and tries to provide a conceptualization in terms of autopoietic systems without any reference to consciousness or life.^[21]

Models of communication[edit]

Models of communication are conceptual representations of the process of communication.^[22] Their goal is to provide a simplified overview of its main components. This makes it easier for researchers to formulate hypotheses, apply communication-related concepts to real-world cases, and test predictions.^[23][24] However, it is often argued that many models lack the conceptual complexity needed for a comprehensive understanding of all the essential aspects of communication. They are usually presented visually in the form of diagrams showing various basic components and their interaction.^[25][23][26]

Models of communication are often categorized based on their intended applications and how they conceptualize communication. Some models are general in the sense that they are intended for all forms of communication. They contrast with specialized models, which aim to describe only certain forms of communication, like models of mass communication.^[27] An influential classification distinguishes between linear transmission models, interaction models, and transaction models.^[24][28][23] Linear transmission models focus on how a sender transmits information to a receiver. They are linear because this flow of information only goes in one direction.^[25][29] This view is rejected by interaction models, which include a feedback loop. Feedback is required to describe many forms of communication, such as a regular conversation, where the listener may respond by expressing their opinion on the issue or by asking for clarification. For interaction models, communication is a two-way-process in which the communicators take turns in sending and receiving messages.^[25][29][30] Transaction models further refine this picture by allowing sending and responding to happen at the same time. This modification is needed, for example, to describe how the listener in a face-to-face conversation gives non-verbal feedback through their body posture and their facial expressions while the other person is talking. Transaction models also hold that meaning is produced during communication and does not exist independent of it.^[30][25][31]

All the early models, developed in the middle of the 20th century, are linear transmission models. Lasswell’s model, for example, is based on five fundamental questions: «Who?», «Says What?», «In What Channel?», «To Whom?», and «With What Effect?».^[27][32][33] The goal of these questions is to identify the basic components involved in the communicative process: the sender, the message, the channel, the receiver, and the effect.^[34][35][36] Lasswell’s model was initially only conceived as a model of mass communication, but it has been applied to various other fields as well. Some theorists, like Richard Braddock, have expanded it by including additional questions, like «Under What Circumstances?» and «For What Purpose?».^[37][38][39]

The Shannon–Weaver model is another influential linear transmission model.^[40][23][41] It is based on the idea that a source creates a message, which is then translated into a signal by a transmitter. Noise may interfere and distort the signal. Once the signal reaches the receiver, it is translated back into a message and made available to the destination. For a landline telephone call, the person calling is the source and their telephone is the transmitter. It translates the message into an electrical signal that travels through the wire, which acts as the channel. The person taking the call is the destination and their telephone is the receiver.^[42][40][43] The Shannon–Weaver model includes an in-depth discussion of how noise can distort the signal and how successful communication can be achieved despite noise. This can happen, for example, by making the message partially redundant so that decoding is possible nonetheless.^[42][44][45] Other influential linear transmission models include Gerbner’s model and Berlo’s model.^[46][47][48]

The earliest interaction model is due to Wilbur Schramm.^[30][49][50] For him, communication starts when a source has an idea and expresses it in the form of a message. This process is called encoding and happens using a code, i.e. a sign system that is able to express the idea, for example, through visual or auditory signs.^[51][30][52] The message is sent to a destination, who has to decode and interpret it in order to understand it.^[53][52] In response, they formulate their own idea, encode it into a message and send it back as a form of feedback. Another innovation of Schramm’s model is that previous experience is necessary to be able to encode and decode messages. For communication to be successful, the fields of experience of source and destination have to overlap.^[51][54][52]

The first transactional model was proposed by Dean Barnlund. He understands communication as «the production of meaning, rather than the production of messages».^[31] Its goal is to decrease uncertainty and arrive at a shared understanding.^[55][56][57] This happens in response to external and internal cues. Decoding is the process of ascribing meaning to them and encoding consists in producing new behavioral cues as a response.^[56][58][59]

Human[edit]

There are many forms of human communication. Often discussed distinctions concern whether language is used, as in the contrast between verbal and non-verbal communication, and whether one communicates with others or with oneself, as in the contrast between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication.^[60][61] The field studying human communication is known as anthroposemiotics.^[62]

Mediums[edit]

Verbal[edit]

Verbal communication is the exchange of messages in linguistic form or by means of language.^[63][64] Some of the difficulties in distinguishing verbal from non-verbal communication come from the difficulties in defining what exactly language means. Language is usually understood as a conventional system of symbols and rules used for communication. Such systems are based on a set of simple units of meaning that can be combined with each other to express more complex ideas. The rules for combining the units into compound expressions are called grammar. This way, words are combined to form sentences.^[65][66] One hallmark of human language, in contrast to animal communication, lies in its complexity and expressive power. For example, it can be used to refer not just to concrete objects in the here-and-now but also to spatially and temporally distant objects and to abstract ideas.^[67][68] The academic discipline studying language is called linguistics. Significant subfields include semantics (the study of meaning), morphology (the study of word formation), syntax (the study of sentence structure), pragmatics (the study of language use), and phonetics (the study of basic sounds).^[66]

A central distinction among languages is between natural and artificial or constructed languages. Natural languages, like English, Spanish, and Japanese, developed naturally and for the most part unplanned in the course of history. Artificial languages, like Esperanto, the language of first-order logic, C++, and Quenya, are purposefully designed from the ground up.^[69] Most everyday verbal communication happens using natural languages. Central forms of verbal communication are speech and writing together with their counterparts of listening and reading.^[70][71] Spoken languages use sounds to produce signs and transmit meaning while for writing, the signs are physically inscribed on a surface.^[70][72][73] Sign languages, like American Sign Language, are another form of verbal communication. They rely on visual means, mostly by using gestures with hands and arms, to form sentences and convey meaning.^[70][73] In colloquial usage, verbal communication is sometimes restricted to oral communication and may exclude writing and sign languages. However, in the academic sense, the term is usually used in a wider sense and encompasses any form of linguistic communication, independent of whether the language is expressed through speech, writing, or gestures.^[63][73][74] Humans have a natural tendency to acquire their native language in childhood. They are also able to learn other languages later in life, so-called second languages. But this process is less intuitive and often does not result in the same level of linguistic competence.^[75][76]

Verbal communication serves various functions. One key function is to exchange information, i.e. an attempt by the speaker to make the audience aware of something, usually of an external event. But language can also be used to express the speaker’s feelings and attitudes. A closely related role is to establish and maintain social relations with other people. Verbal communication is also utilized to coordinate one’s behavior with others and influence them. In some cases, language is not employed for an external purpose but only for entertainment or because it is enjoyable.^[64][77][78] One aspect of verbal communication that stands out in comparison to non-verbal communication is that it helps the communicators conceptualize the world around them and themselves. This affects how perceptions of external events are interpreted, how things are categorized, and how ideas are organized and related to each other.^[79][80]

Non-verbal[edit]

Non-verbal communication is the exchange of information through non-linguistic modes, like facial expressions, gestures, and postures.^[81] However, not every form of non-verbal behavior constitutes non-verbal communication and some theorists, like Judee Burgoon, hold that the existence of a socially shared coding system for interpreting the meaning of the behavior is relevant for whether it should be regarded as non-verbal communication.^[82] A lot of non-verbal communication happens unintentionally and unconsciously, like sweating or blushing. But there are also conscious intentional forms, like shaking hands or raising a thumb.^[83][82][84] Traditionally, most research focused on verbal communication. However, this paradigm has shifted and a lot of importance is given to non-verbal communication in contemporary research.^[85][86] For example, many judgments about the nature and behavior of other people are based on non-verbal cues, like their facial expressions and tone of voice.^[82] Some theorists claim that the majority of the ideas and information conveyed happens this way.^[87][88] According to Ray Birdwhistell, for example, 65% of communication happens non-verbally.^[82] Other reasons for its significance are that it is present in almost every communicative act to some extent, that it is able to fulfill many different functions, and that certain parts of it are universally understood.^[89] It has also been suggested that human communication is at its core non-verbal and that words can only acquire meaning because of non-verbal communication.^[88] The earliest forms of human communication are non-verbal, like crying to indicate distress and later also babbling, which conveys information about the infant’s health and well-being.^[90][91] Non-verbal communication is studied in various fields besides communication studies, like linguistics, semiotics, anthropology, and social psychology.^[82]

Non-verbal communication has many functions. It frequently contains information about emotions, attitudes, personality, interpersonal relationships, and private thoughts.^[92][82][83] It often happens simultaneously with verbal communication and helps optimize the exchange through emphasis and illustration or by adding additional information. Non-verbal cues can also clarify the intent behind a verbal message.^[92] Communication is usually more effective if several modalities are used and their messages are consistent.^[88][93] But in some cases, the different modalities contain conflicting messages, for example, when a person verbally agrees with a statement but presses their lips together, thereby indicating disagreement non-verbally.^[84]

There are many forms of non-verbal communication. They include kinesics, proxemics, haptics, paralanguage, chronemics, and physical appearance.^[94][83] Kinesics investigates the role of bodily behavior in conveying information. It is commonly referred to as body language, even though it is, strictly speaking, not a language but belongs to non-verbal communication. It includes many forms, like gestures, postures, walking styles, and dance.^[82][83][95] Facial expressions, like laughing, smiling, and frowning, all belong to kinesics and are expressive and flexible forms of communication.^[96] Oculesics is another subcategory of kinesics in regard to the eyes. It covers questions like how eye contact, gaze, blink rate, and pupil dilation form part of communication.^[97] Some kinesic patterns are inborn and involuntary, like blinking, while others are learned and voluntary, like giving a military salute.^[84] Proxemics studies how personal space is used in communication. For example, the distance between the speakers reflects their degree of familiarity and intimacy with each other as well as their social status.^[97] Haptics investigates how information is conveyed using touching behavior, like handshakes, holding hands, kissing, or slapping. Many of the meanings associated with haptics reflect care, concern, anger, and violence. For example, handshaking is often seen as a symbol of equality and fairness, while refusing to shake hands can indicate aggressiveness. Kissing is another form often used to show affection and erotic closeness.^[97][98]

Paralanguage, also known as vocalics, concerns the use of voice in communication. It depends on verbal communication in the form of speech but studies how something is said instead of what is said. It includes factors like articulation, lip control, rhythm, intensity, pitch, fluency, and loudness.^[99][83] In this regard, saying something loudly and in high pitch may convey a very different meaning than whispering the same words. Paralanguage is mainly concerned with spoken language but also includes aspects of written language, like the use of colors and fonts as well as the spatial arrangement in paragraphs and tables.^[100] Chronemics concerns the use of time, for example, what messages are sent by being on time or being late for a meeting.^[101] The physical appearance of the communicator also carries a lot of information, like height, weight, hair, skin color, gender, odors, clothing, tattooing, and piercing.^[102][81] It is an important factor for first impressions but is more limited as a mode of communication since it is less changeable.^[102] Some forms of non-verbal communication happen using artifacts, such as drums, smoke, batons, or traffic lights.^[103]

Channels[edit]

For communication to be successful, the message has to travel from the sender to the receiver. The channel is the way this is accomplished. In this regard, the channel is not concerned with the meaning of the message but only with the technical means of how the meaning is conveyed.^[104][42] Channels are often understood in terms of the senses used to perceive the message, i.e. hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, and tasting.^{[104][105][106]} But in the widest sense, channels encompass any form of transmission, including technological means like books, cables, radio waves, telephones, or television.^[104][107] Naturally transmitted messages usually fade rapidly whereas many messages using artificial channels have a much longer lifespan, like books or sculptures.^[107]

The physical characteristics of a channel have an impact on the code and cues that can be used to express the information. For example, telephone calls are restricted to the use of verbal language and paralanguage but exclude facial expressions. It is often possible to translate messages from one code into another to make them available to a different channel, for example, by writing down words instead of speaking them or by using sign language.^[108] For many technical purposes, the choice of channels matters regarding the amount of information that can be transmitted. For example, a wired Ethernet connection may have a higher capacity for data transfer than a wireless WiFi connection, making it more suitable for transferring large amounts of data. The same is true for fiber optic cables in contrast to copper cables.^{[106][109][110]}

The transmission of information can occur through multiple channels at once. For example, regular face-to-face communication combines the auditory channel to convey verbal information with the visual channel transmitting non-verbal information using gestures and facial expressions. Employing multiple channels can enhance the effectiveness of communication by helping the audience better understand the subject matter.^[93][111] The choice of channels often matters since the receiver’s ability to understand may vary depending on the chosen channel. For example, a teacher may decide to present some information orally and other information visually, depending on the content and the student’s preferred learning style.^[112][111]

Interpersonal[edit]

Interpersonal communication is communication between distinct individuals. Its typical form is dyadic communication between two people but it can also refer to communication within groups.^{[113][114][115]} It can be planned or unplanned and occurs in many different forms, like when greeting someone, during salary negotiations, or when making a phone call.^[114][116] Some theorists, like Virginia M. McDermott, understand interpersonal communication as a fuzzy concept that manifests in degrees.^[117] On this view, an exchange is more or less interpersonal depending on how many people are present, whether it happens face-to-face rather than through telephone or email, and whether it focuses on the relationship between the communicators.^[118] In this regard, group communication and mass communication are less typical forms of interpersonal communication and some theorists treat them as distinct types.^{[107][114][118]}

Various theories of the function of interpersonal communication have been proposed. Some focus on how it helps people make sense of their world and create society while others hold that its primary purpose is to understand why other people act the way they do and to adjust one’s behavior accordingly.^[119] A closely related approach is to focus on information and see interpersonal communication as an attempt to reduce uncertainty about others and external events.^[120] Other explanations understand it in terms of the needs it satisfies. This includes the needs of belonging somewhere, being included, being liked, maintaining relationships, and influencing the behavior of others.^[120][121] On a practical level, interpersonal communication is used to coordinate one’s actions with the actions of others in order to get things done.^[122] Research on interpersonal communication concerns such topics as how people build, maintain, and dissolve relationships through communication, why they choose one message rather than another, what effects these messages have on the relationship and on the individual, and how to predict whether two people would like each other.^[123]

Interpersonal communication can be synchronous or asynchronous. For asynchronous communication, the different parties take turns in sending and receiving messages. An example would be the exchange of letters or emails. For synchronous communication, both parties send messages at the same time.^[113] This happens, for example, when one person is talking while the other person sends non-verbal messages in response signaling whether they agree with what is being said.^[25] Some theorists, like Sarah Trenholm and Arthur Jensen, distinguish between content messages and relational messages. Content messages express the speaker’s feelings toward the topic of discussion. Relational messages, on the other hand, demonstrate the speaker’s feelings toward their relationship with the other participants.^[124]

Intrapersonal[edit]

Intrapersonal communication is communication with oneself.^{[125][116][126]} In some cases this manifests externally, like when engaged in a monologue, taking notes, highlighting a passage, and writing a diary or a shopping list. But many forms of intrapersonal communication happen internally in the form of inner dialog, like when thinking about something or daydreaming.^[125]

Intrapersonal communication serves various functions. As a form of inner dialog, it is usually triggered by external events and may happen in the form of articulating a phrase before expressing it externally, planning for the future, or as an attempt to process emotions when trying to calm oneself down in stressful situations.^[114][127] It can help regulate one’s own mental activity and outward behavior as well as internalize cultural norms and ways of thinking.^[128] External forms of intrapersonal communication can aid one’s memory, like when making a shopping list, help unravel difficult problems, as when solving a complex mathematical equation line by line, and internalize new knowledge, like when repeating new vocabulary to oneself. Because of these functions, intrapersonal communication can be understood as «an exceptionally powerful and pervasive tool for thinking.»^[129]

Based on its role in self-regulation, some theorists have suggested that intrapersonal communication is more fundamental than interpersonal communication. This is based on the observation that young children sometimes use egocentric speech while playing in an attempt to direct their own behavior. On this view, interpersonal communication only develops later when the child moves from their early egocentric perspective to a more social perspective.^[130][131] Other theorists contend that interpersonal communication is more basic. They explain this by arguing that language is used first by parents to regulate what their child does. Once the child has learned this, it can apply the same technique on itself to get more control over its own behavior.^[128][132]

Contexts and purposes[edit]

There are countless other categorizations of communication besides the types discussed so far. They often focus on the context, purpose, and topic of communication. For example, organizational communication concerns communication between members of organizations such as corporations, nonprofits, or small businesses. Central in this regard is the coordination of the behavior of the different members as well as the interaction with customers and the general public.^[133][134] Closely related terms are business communication, corporate communication, professional communication, and workspace communication.^[135][136] Political communication is communication in relation to politics. It covers topics like electoral campaigns to influence the voters and legislative communication, like letters to a congress or committee documents. Specific emphasis is often given to propaganda and the role of mass media.^[137] Intercultural communication is relevant to both organizational and political communication since they often involve attempts to exchange messages between communicators from different cultural backgrounds.^[138] In this context, it is crucial to avoid misunderstandings since the cultural background affects how messages are formulated and interpreted.^[139][54] This is also relevant for development communication, which is concerned with the use of communication for assisting in development, specifically concerning aid given by first-world countries to third-world countries.^[140][141] Another significant field is health communication, which is about communication in the field of healthcare and health promotion efforts. A central topic in this field is how healthcare providers, like doctors and nurses, should communicate with their patients.^[142][143]

Many other types of communication are discussed in the academic literature. They include international communication, non-violent communication, strategic communication, military communication, aviation communication, risk communication, defensive communication, upward communication, interdepartmental communication, scientific communication, environmental communication, and agricultural communication.^{[144][145][146]}

Other species[edit]

Besides human communication, there are many other forms of communication found, for example, in the animal kingdom and among plants. The field of inquiry studying these forms of communication is called biosemiotics.^[147][114] There are additional difficulties in this field for judging whether communication has taken place between two individuals. For example, acoustic signals are often easy to notice and analyze for scientists but additional difficulties come when judging whether tactile or chemical changes should be understood as communicative signals rather than as other biological processes.^[148]

For this reason, researchers often use slightly altered definitions of communication in order to facilitate their work. A common assumption in this regard comes from evolutionary biology and holds that communication should somehow benefit the communicators in terms of natural selection.^[18][19] In this regard, «communication can be defined as the exchange of information between individuals, wherein both the signaller and receiver may expect to benefit from the exchange.»^[149] So the sender should benefit by influencing the receiver’s behavior and the receiver should benefit by responding to the signal. It is often held that these benefits should exist on average but not necessarily in every single case. This way, deceptive signaling can also be understood as a form of communication. One problem with the evolutionary approach is that it is often very difficult to assess the influence of such behavior on natural selection.^[150] Another common pragmatic constraint is to hold that it is necessary to observe a response by the receiver following the signal when judging whether communication has occurred.^[151]

Animals[edit]

Animal communication is the process of giving and taking information among animals.^[152] The field studying animal communication is called zoosemiotics.^[153] There are many parallels to human communication. For example, humans and many animals express sympathy by synchronizing their movements and postures.^[92] Nonetheless, there are also significant differences, like the fact that humans also engage in verbal communication while animal communication is restricted to non-verbal communication.^[153][154] Some theorists have tried to distinguish human from animal communication based on the claim that animal communication lacks a referential function and is thus not able to refer to external phenomena. However, this view is often rejected, especially for higher animals.^[155] A different approach is to draw the distinction based on the complexity of human language, especially its almost limitless ability to combine basic units of meaning into more complex meaning structures. For example, it has been argued that recursion is a property of human language that sets it apart from all non-human communicative systems.^[156] Another difference is that human communication is frequently associated with a conscious intention to send information, which is often not discernable for animal communication.^[157]

Animal communication can take a variety of forms, including visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory communication. Visual communication happens in the form of movements, gestures, facial expressions, and colors, like movements seen during mating rituals, the colors of birds, and the rhythmic light of fireflies. Auditory communication takes place through vocalizations by species like birds, primates, and dogs. It is frequently used to alert and warn. Lower animals often have very simple response patterns to auditory messages, reacting either by approach or avoidance.^[158][153] More complex response patterns are observed for higher species, which may use different signals for different types of predators and responses. For example, certain primates use different signals for airborne and land predators.^[64] Tactile communication occurs through touch, vibration, stroking, rubbing, and pressure. It is especially relevant for parent-young relations, courtship, social greetings, and defense. Olfactory and gustatory communication happens chemically through smells and tastes.
^[158][153]

There are huge differences between species concerning what functions communication plays, how much it is realized, and the behavior through which they communicate.^[159] Common functions include the fields of courtship and mating, parent-offspring relations, social relations, navigation, self-defense, and territoriality.^[160] One part of courtship and mating consists in identifying and attracting potential mates. This can happen through songs, like grasshoppers and crickets, chemically through pheromones, like moths, and through visual messages by flashing light, like fireflies.^[161][159] For many species, the offspring depends for its survival on the parent. One central function of parent-offspring communication is to recognize each other. In some cases, the parents are also able to guide the offspring’s behavior.^[162][163] Social animals, like chimpanzees, bonobos, wolves, and dogs, engage in various forms of communication to express their feelings and build relations.^[164] Navigation concerns the movement through space in a purposeful manner, e.g. to locate food, avoid enemies, and follow a colleague. In bats, this happens through echolocation, i.e. by sending auditory signals and processing the information from the echoes. Bees are another often-discussed case in this respect since they perform a dance to indicate to other bees where flowers are located.^[165] In regard to self-defense, communication is used to warn others and to assess whether a costly fight can be avoided.^[166][167] Another function of communication is to mark and claim certain territories used for food and mating. For example, some male birds claim a hedge or part of a meadow by using songs to keep other males away and attract females.^[168]

Two competing theories in the study of animal communication are nature theory and nurture theory. Their conflict concerns to what extent animal communication is programmed into the genes as a form of adaptation rather than learned from previous experience as a form of conditioning.^[64][19] To the degree that it is learned, it usually happens through imprinting, i.e. as a form of learning that only happens in a certain phase and is then mostly irreversible.^[169]

Plants, fungi, and bacteria[edit]

Plant communication refers to plant processes involving the sending and receiving of information.^[170] The field studying plant communication is called phytosemiotics.^[171] This field poses additional difficulties for researchers since plants are very different from humans and other animals: they lack a central nervous system and have rigid cell walls.^{[172][173][174]} These walls restrict movement and make it impossible for plants to send or receive signals that depend on rapid movement.^[151] However, there are various similarities as well since plants face many of the same challenges as other animals, like finding resources, avoiding predators and pathogens as well as finding mates and ensuring that their offspring survives.^[175] Many of the evolutionary responses to these challenges are analogous to those in animals but are implemented using different means.^[176] One crucial difference is that chemical communication is much more prominent for plant communication in contrast to the importance of visual and auditory communication for animals.^[177]

Communication is a form of behavior. In regard to plants, the term behavior is usually not defined in terms of physical movement, as is the case for animals, but as a biochemical response to a stimulus. This response has to be short relative to the plant’s lifespan. Communication is a special form of behavior that involves conveying information from a sender to a receiver and is distinguished from other types of behavior, like defensive reactions and mere sensing.^[178] Theorists usually include additional requirements, like that there is some form of response in the receiver and that the communicative behavior benefits both sender and receiver in terms of natural selection.^[20][179] Richard Karban distinguishes three steps of plant communication: the emission of a cue by a sender, the perception of the cue by a receiver, and their response.^[180] It is not relevant to what extent the emission of a cue is intentional but it should be possible for the receiver to ignore the signal.^[181]

Plant communication happens in various forms. It includes communication within plants, i.e. within plant cells and between plant cells, between plants of the same or related species, and between plants and non-plant organisms, especially in the root zone. Plant roots also communicate with rhizome bacteria, fungi, and insects within the soil.^[182] A prominent form of communication is airborne and happens through so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). For example, many plants, like maple trees, release VOCs when they are attacked by a herbivore to warn neighboring plants, which then react accordingly by adjusting their defenses.^{[183][184][185]} Another form of plant-to-plant communication happens through mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi form underground networks, sometimes referred to as the Wood-Wide Web, and connect the roots of different plants. The plants use the network to send messages to each other, specifically to warn other plants of a pest attack and to help prepare their defenses.^[186]

Communication can also be observed for fungi and bacteria. Some fungal species communicate by releasing pheromones into the external environment. For example, they are used to promote sexual interaction (mating) in several aquatic fungal species, like Allomyces macrogynus, the Mucorales fungus Mucor mucedo, Neurospora crassa and the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Rhodosporidium toruloides.^{[187][188][189]} One form of communication between bacteria is called quorum sensing. It happens by releasing hormone-like molecules, which other bacteria detect and respond to. This process is used to monitor the environment for other bacteria and to coordinate population-wide responses, for example, by sensing the density of bacteria and regulating gene expression accordingly. Other possible responses include the induction of bioluminescence and the formation of biofilms.^{[190][191][192]}

Interspecies[edit]

Most communication happens between members within a species as a form of intraspecies communication. This is because the purpose of communication is usually some form of cooperation, which happens mostly within a species while different species are often in conflict with each other in their competition over resources.^[193] However, there are also some forms of interspecies communication.^[194][193] This occurs especially when there are symbiotic relationships and significantly less for parasitic or predator-prey relationships.^[195][196]

Interspecies communication plays a key role for various plants that depend for their reproduction on external agents.^[197] For example, flowers need insects for pollination and provide resources like nectar and other rewards in return.^[198] They use various forms of communication to signal their benefits and attract visitors, for example, by using colors that stand out from their surroundings and by using symmetrical shapes.^[199][200] This form of advertisement is necessary since different flowers compete for potential visitors.^[201] Many fruit-bearing plants rely on plant-to-animal communication to disperse their seeds and move them to a favorable location.^[202] This happens by providing nutritious fruits to animals. The seeds are eaten together with the fruit and are later excreted at a different location.^[203] Communication is central to make the animals aware of where the fruits are and whether they are ripe. For many fruits, this happens through their color: they have an inconspicuous green color until they ripen and take on a new color that stands in visual contrast to the environment.^[204] Another example of interspecies communication is found in the ant-plant relationship.^[195][193] It concerns, for example, the selection of seeds by ants for their ant gardens and the pruning of exogenous vegetation as well as plant protection by ants.^[205]

Several animal species also engage in interspecies communication, like apes, whales, dolphins, elephants, and dogs.^[206] For example, different species of monkeys use common signals to cooperate when threatened by a common predator.^[196] An example of interspecies communication involving humans is found in their relation to pets.^[207][192] For example, acoustic signals play a central role in communication with dogs. Dogs are able to learn to respond to various commands, like «sit» and «come». They can even learn short syntactic combinations, like «bring X» or «put X in a box». They also react to the pitch and frequency of the human voice by reading off information about emotions, dominance, and uncertainty. Humans can understand dog signals in the form of interpreting and reacting to their emotions, such as aggressiveness, fearfulness, and playfulness.^[208][209]

Computer[edit]

Computer communication concerns the exchange of data between computers and similar devices.^[211][212] For this to be possible, the devices have to be connected through a transmission system that forms a network between them. To access the transmission system, a transmitter is required to send messages and a receiver is required to receive them. For example, a personal computer may use a modem as a transmitter to send information to a server through the public telephone network as the transmission system. The server may use a modem as its receiver.^[213][214] To transmit the data, it has to be converted into an electric signal.^[215] Communication channels used for transmission are either analog or digital and are characterized by features like bandwidth and latency.^{[216][217][218]}

There are many different forms of computer networks. The most commonly discussed ones are LANs and WANs. LAN stands for local area network, which are computer networks within a limited area, usually with a distance of less than one kilometer.^[219][220] For example, connecting two computers within a home or an office building is a form of LAN. This can happen using a wired connection, like Ethernet, or a wireless connection, like WiFi.^[221][222] WANs, on the other hand, are wide area networks that span large geographical regions, like the internet.^{[219][223][220]} They may use several intermediate connection nodes to link the different endpoints.^[224][225] Further types of computer networks include PANs (personal area networks), CANs (campus area networks), and MANs (Metropolitan area networks).^[226][227]

For computer communication to be successful, the involved devices have to follow a common set of conventions governing their exchange. These conventions are known as the communication protocol and concern various aspects of the exchange, like the format of the data exchanged, how to respond to transmission errors, and how the two systems are synchronized, for example, how the receiver identifies the start and end of a signal.^[228][229] A significant distinction in this regard is between simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex systems. For simplex systems, signals flow only in one direction from the sender to the receiver, like in radio, television, or screens displaying arrivals and departures at airports.^[225] Half-duplex systems allow two-way exchanges but signals can only flow in one direction at a time, like walkie-talkies or police radios. In the case of full-duplex systems, signals can flow in both directions at the same time, like regular telephone and internet.^[230] In either case, it is often important that the connection is secure to ensure that the transmitted data reaches only the intended destination and not an unauthorized third party.^[231]

Human-computer communication is a closely related field that concerns the question of how humans interact with computers.^[232] This happens through a user interface, which includes the hardware used to interact with the computer, like mouse, keyboard, and monitor, as well as the software used in the process.^[233] On the software side, most early user interfaces were command-line interfaces in which the user has to type a command to interact with the computer.^[234] Most modern user interfaces are graphical user interfaces, like Microsoft Windows and macOS. They involve various graphical elements through which the user can interact with the computer, like icons representing files and folders as well as buttons used to trigger commands. They are usually much easier to use for non-experts.^[235] One aim when designing user interfaces is to simplify the interaction with computers. This helps make them more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience while also increasing productivity.^[236]

Communication studies[edit]

Communication studies, also referred to as communication science, is the academic discipline studying communication. It is closely related to semiotics, with one difference being that communication studies focuses more on technical questions of how messages are sent, received, and processed while semiotics tackles more abstract questions in relation to meaning and hows signs acquire meaning.^[64] Communication studies covers a wide area overlapping with many other disciplines, such as biology, anthropology, psychology, sociology, linguistics, media studies, and journalism.^[237]

Many contributions in the field of communication studies focus on developing models and theories of communication. Models of communication aim to give a simplified overview of the main components involved in communication. Theories of communication, on the other hand, try to provide conceptual frameworks to accurately present communication in all its complexity.^{[238][26][239]} Other topics in communication studies concern the function and effects of communication, like satisfying physiological and psychological needs and building relationships as well as gathering information about the environment, others, and oneself.^[240][121] A further issue concerns the question of how communication systems change over time and how these changes correlate with other societal changes.^[241] A related question focuses on psychological principles underlying those changes and the effects they have on how people exchange ideas.^[242]

Communication was already studied as early as Ancient Greece. Influential early theories are due to Plato and Aristotle, who emphasized public speaking and the understanding of rhetoric. For example, Aristotle held that the goal of communication is to persuade the audience.^[243] However, the field of communication studies only became a separate research discipline in the 20th century, especially starting in the 1940s.^[244][245] The development of new communication technologies, such as telephone, radio, newspapers, television, and the internet, has had a big impact on communication and communication studies.^{[244][246][247]} Today, communication studies is a wide discipline that includes many subfields dedicated to topics like interpersonal and intrapersonal communication, verbal and non-verbal communication, group communication, organizational communication, political communication, intercultural communication, mass communication, persuasive communication, and health communication.^{[244][144][248]} Some works in communications studies try to provide a very general characterization of communication in the widest sense while others attempt to give a precise analysis of a specific form of communication.^[144]

Communicative competence[edit]

Communicative competence is the ability to communicate effectively or to choose the appropriate communicative behavior in a given situation.^[249] It concerns several aspects, like what to say and how to say it as well as when to say it.^[250] It includes both the capability to send messages as well as to receive and understand them.^[251] Competence is often used as a synonym for ability^[252] and contrasted with performance: competence can be present even if it is not exercised while performance consists in the realization of this competence.^{[253][254][255]} However, some theorists reject this distinction and hold instead that whether the behavior is actually performed is highly relevant for whether the competence is possessed. On this view, performance is the observable part and is used to infer competence in relation to future performances.^[256] Some researchers define communicative competence subjectively as the individual’s perception of their performance, i.e. whether they managed to realize their own goals.^[257] A different approach is to understand it more objectively, judged from the perspective of an observer concerning whether a person meets certain social expectations. These two perspectives are not mutually exclusive and can be combined by achieving one’s personal goals while doing so in a socially appropriate manner.^[258]

In this regard, there are two central components to communicative competence: effectiveness and appropriateness.^[259][260] Effectiveness is the degree to which the speaker achieves their desired outcomes or the degree to which preferred alternatives are realized.^[261][251] This means that whether a communicative behavior is effective does not just depend on the actual outcome but also on the speaker’s intention, i.e. whether this outcome was what they intended to achieve. Because of this, some theorists additionally require that the speaker has a certain background knowledge of what they were doing and should therefore be able to give an explanation of why they engaged in one behavior rather than another.^[262] Effectiveness is closely related to efficiency but not identical to it. The difference is that effectiveness is about achieving goals while efficiency is about using few resources (such as time, effort, and money) in the process.^[252] Appropriateness means that the communicative behavior meets certain social standards and expectations.^[262][260] It is «the perceived legitimacy or acceptability of behavior or enactments in a given context».^[252] This means that the speaker is aware of the social and cultural context in order to adapt and express the message in a way that is considered acceptable in the given situation.^{[263][264][265]} For example, to bid farewell to their teacher, a student may use the expression «Goodbye, sir» but not the expression «I gotta split, man», which they may use when talking to a peer.^[266][267] To be both effective and appropriate means to achieve one’s preferred outcomes in a way that follows social standards and expectations.^[268]

Many additional components of communicative competence have been suggested, such as empathy, control, flexibility, sensitivity, and knowledge.^[269][270] It is often discussed in terms of the individual communications skills employed in the process, i.e. the specific behavioral components that make up communicative competence.^[271][272] They include nonverbal communication skills and conversation skills as well as message
production and reception skills.^[251] Examples of message production skills are speaking and writing while listening and reading are the corresponding reception skills.^[71] On a purely linguistic level, communicative competence involves a proper understanding of a language, including its phonology, orthography, syntax, lexicon, and semantics.^[267] It impacts many aspects of the individual’s life that depend on successful communication, like ensuring basic necessities of survival as well as building and maintaining relationships.^[273] Communicative competence is a key factor regarding whether a person is able to reach their goals in social life, like having a successful career or finding a suitable spouse.^[274] Because of this, it can have a big impact on the individual’s well-being.^[273][271] The lack of communicative competence, on the other hand, can cause various problems both on the individual and the societal level, including professional, academic, and health problems.^[271]

Barriers to effective communication[edit]

Barriers to effective communication can distort the message. This may result in failed communication and cause undesirable effects. Potential sources of distortion include filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotions, communication apprehension, and gender differences.^[275] Noise is another negative factor. It concerns influences that interfere with the message on its way to the receiver and distort it.^[25][276] For example, crackling sounds during a telephone call are one form of noise. Ambiguous expressions can also inhibit effective communication and make it necessary to disambiguate between the possible interpretation to discern the sender’s intention.^[277] These interpretations depend also on the cultural background of the participants. Significant cultural differences constitute additional difficulties and make it more likely that messages are misinterpreted.^{[53][54][278]}

History[edit]

The history of communication investigates how communicative processes evolved and interacted with society, culture, and technology.^[279][280] Human communication has a long history and the way people communicate has changed a lot in the process. Many of these changes were triggered by the development of new communication technology and had various effects on how people exchanged ideas.^{[281][282][283]} In the academic literature, the history of communication is usually divided into different ages based on the dominant form of communication in that age. There are some disagreements about the number of ages and the precise periodization but they usually include ages for speaking, writing, and print as well as electronic mass communication and the internet.^[284] According to Marshall Poe, the different dominant media for each age can be characterized in relation to accessibility (cost of using the medium), privacy (cost of hiding data from third parties), fidelity (degree to which the medium can express information), volume (amount of data that can be transmitted), velocity (the time it takes to transmit), range (the maximum distance between sender and receiver), persistence (the time the data remains intact), and searchability (how easy it is to find data). Poe argues that subsequent ages usually involve some form of improvement in regard to these characteristics.^[285][281]

In early societies, spoken language was the primary form of communication.^[107][282] Most knowledge was passed on through it, often in the form of stories or wise sayings. One problem with this form is that it does not produce stable knowledge since it depends on imperfect human memory. Because of this, many details differ from one telling to the next and are presented differently by distinct storytellers.^[107] As people started to settle and form agricultural communities, societies grew and there was an increased need for stable records of ownership of land and commercial transactions. This triggered the invention of writing, which is able to solve many of these problems of oral communication.^[286][282] It is much more efficient at preserving knowledge and passing it on between generations since it does not depend on human memory.^[287][282]

Most early written communication happened through pictograms. Pictograms are graphical symbols that convey meaning by visually resembling real world objects. The first complex pictographic writing system was developed around 3500 BCE by the Sumerians and is called cuneiform.^{[287][282][288]} Pictograms are still in use today, like no-smoking signs and the symbols of male and female figures on bathroom doors.^[287] A significant disadvantage of pictographic writing systems is that they require a huge amount of symbols to refer to all the objects one wants to talk about. This problem was solved by the development of alphabetic writing systems, which dominate to this day. Their symbols do not stand for regular objects but for the basic units of sound used in spoken language, so-called phonemes.^{[287][289][282]} Another drawback of early forms of writing, like the clay tablets used for cuneiform, was that they were not very portable. This made it difficult to transport the texts from one location to another to share the information. This changed with the invention of papyrus by the Egyptians around 2500 BCE and was further improved later by the development of parchment and paper.^[282][290]

Until the 1400s, almost all written communication was done by hand. Because of this, the spread of writing within society was still rather limited since the cost of copying books by hand was relatively high. The introduction and popularization of mass printing in the middle of the 15th century by Johann Gutenberg resulted in rapid changes in this regard. It quickly increased the circulation of written media and also led to the dissemination of new forms of written documents, like newspapers and pamphlets. One side effect was that the augmented availability of written documents significantly improved the general literacy of the population. This development served as the foundation for revolutions in various fields, including science, politics, and religion.^{[291][282][292]}

Scientific discoveries in the 19th and 20th centuries caused many further developments in the history of communication. They include the invention of telegraphs and telephones, which made it even easier and faster to transmit information from one location to another without the need to transport written documents.^[282][293] These communication forms were initially limited to cable connections, which had to be established first. Later developments found ways of wireless transmission using radio signals. They made it possible to reach wide audiences and radio soon became one of the central forms of mass communication.^[294][282] Various innovations in the field of photography enabled the recording of images on film, which led to the development of cinema and television.^[295][282] The reach of wireless communication was further enhanced with the development of satellites, which made it possible to broadcast radio and television signals to different stations all over the world. This way, information could be shared almost instantly everywhere around the globe.^[282] The development of the internet constitutes a further milestone in the history of communication. It made it easier than ever before for people to exchange ideas, collaborate, and access information from anywhere in the world by using a variety of means, such as websites, e-mail, social media, and video conferences.^[296][297]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Works cited[edit]

• Baluška, František; Ninkovic, Velemir (5 August 2010). Plant Communication from an Ecological Perspective. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783642121623.
• Barnlund, Dean C. (5 July 2013). «A Transactional Model of Communication». In Akin, Johnnye; Goldberg, Alvin; Myers, Gail; Stewart, Joseph (eds.). Language Behavior. De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 43–61. doi:10.1515/9783110878752.43. ISBN 9783110878752.
• Becard, Guillaume (17 March 2017). How Plants Communicate with their Biotic Environment. Academic Press. ISBN 9780128016206.
• Berea, Anamaria (16 December 2017). Emergence of Communication in Socio-Biological Networks. Springer. ISBN 9783319645650.
• Berlo, David K. (1960). The Process of Communication: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 41-2. ISBN 9780030556869.
• Chandler, Daniel; Munday, Rod (10 February 2011a). A Dictionary of Media and Communication. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780199568758.
• Danesi, Marcel (2009). Dictionary of Media and Communications. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9780765639387.
• Danesi, Marcel (1 January 2000). Encyclopedic Dictionary of Semiotics, Media, and Communications. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802083296.
• Danesi, Marcel (17 June 2013). Encyclopedia of Media and Communication. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442695535.
• Demuth, Donald R.; Lamont, Richard (23 February 2006). Bacterial Cell-to-Cell Communication: Role in Virulence and Pathogenesis. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139447973.
• Hannawa, Annegret F.; Spitzberg, Brian H. (16 October 2015). Communication Competence. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 9783110317459.
• Hura, Gurdeep S.; Singhal, Mukesh (28 March 2001). Data and Computer Communications: Networking and Internetworking. CRC Press. ISBN 9780849309281.
• Håkansson, Gisela; Westander, Jennie (2013). Communication in Humans and Other Animals. John Benjamins Publishing Company. ISBN 9789027204585.
• Innis, Harold Adams (2009). Empire and Communications. Project Gutenberg. p. 6. ISBN 9780742555082.
• Karban, Richard (18 June 2015). Plant Sensing and Communication. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226264844.
• Littlejohn, Stephen W.; Foss, Karen A. (18 August 2009). Encyclopedia of Communication Theory. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781412959377.
• Poe, Marshall (2011). A history of communications: media and society from the evolution of speech to the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780511976919.
• Rickheit, Gert; Strohner, Hans (2008). Handbook of Communication Competence. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110188295.
• Schement, Jorge Reina (2002). Encyclopedia of Communication and Information. Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 9780028653853.
• Simonson, Peter; Peck, Janice; Craig, Robert T.; Jackson, John (2013). The Handbook of Communication History. Routledge. ISBN 9780415892599.
• Stallings, William (2014). Data and Computer Communications. Pearson. ISBN 9780133506488.
• Steinberg, Sheila (2007). An Introduction to Communication Studies. Juta and Company Ltd. ISBN 9780702172618.

External links[edit]

Communication is the process of passing information (sending) and understanding (receiving) the same from one person to another through verbal and non-verbal means. Thus, communication means to understand information, facts or opinions of someone.

Communication is the giving and receiving of feedback between individuals and/or groups for the purpose of exchanging information.

Communication Meaning

The word communication originates from the Latin word “communis” which means “Common”. This means that we try to establish “commonness” with someone in communication.

Literally, communication means to inform, to tell, to show, or to spread information. Thus, it may be interpreted as an interchange of thought or information to bring about understanding and confidence for good industrial relations.

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Communication Definition

The word “Communication” has been defined differently by different management thinkers and experts. Some of these definitions of communication are given below:

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Need for Communication

What is communication Need? Today every organization small or multinational needs an effective communication.

According to Koontz and Weihrich, communication is needed to:

• Increase employees job performance and effectiveness by updating their knowledge
• Promote employees sense of belonging and commitment
• Effect changes smoothly
• Motivate and create a sense of identification with organization and its goals
• Inform and convince employees about decisions and the reasons behind those decisions
• Develop employees clear understanding of future growth opportunities in the organization
• Empower employees with information on development and relevant activities

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Purpose of Communication

What is communication Process? Communication could have many purposes depending on the context and person involved. Communication within a family, seminar, theatre, office has different purposes that have to be achieved.

Purpose of Communication are:

1. To inform
2. To persuade
3. To educate
4. To train
5. To motivate
6. To integrate
7. To relate
8. To entertain

Purpose To inform

The basic purpose of Communication is to keep the people informed. Various important facts and information are required to be given on time.

Peter F. Drucker has stated,” “The manager has a specific tool: Information ……….”.

Thus, communication may be to inform the people about ideas, views, suggestion etc. Managers need complete, accurate and precise information to plan and organise. Employees need it to translate planning into reality.

To persuade

Persuasion may be defined as an effort to influence the attitudes, feelings or beliefs of others.

Persuasion consists of four important steps:

• Analysis of situation
• Preparing the receiver
• Delivering the message and
• Prompting action

All these depend on effective communication. It is not enough to inform the people, along with it they need persuasion to attain common goals. Thus, communication is to pursue people so that they ensure their efforts in right direction.

To educate

Communication may have a purpose to educate the people. It is very conscious process of communication. It involves both teaching and learning with an object to widen knowledge as well as improve skills.

For the purpose knowledge, skills and attitude are developed among the people by communication.

To train

Training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skill for a particular task, communication is an integral part of training. To achieve proficiency in a particular field instructions, lectures, demonstrations, practices and discussion are required which are part of communication.

To motivate

To integrate

where large number of people working altogether, communication helps them to work in an integrated manner. Exchange of views, problems and other information can create better understanding among them, which is resulted into integrated efforts by them.

To relate

As human being is a social creature. They require good relationship. Communication is not only building relation but also nurturing mutually beneficial relationship.

communication may have a purpose to entertain. Communication also facilitates social bonding. It also helps in creating pleasure events which entertain the human being and relive them from tension.

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Importance of Communication

What is communication Importance? Communication is a vital force, it is an important aspect of effective business organization

Importance of Communication are:

1. Efficient functioning of the undertaking
2. Facilitates decision making
3. Proper planning
4. Minimize organisational conflicts
5. Job satisfaction and higher productivity
6. Democratic management
7. To establish better labour relations
8. Effective organizing
9. Enhance motivation and morale
10. Sound human and industrial relation

1. Efficient functioning of the undertaking: The efficient performance of employees of an organization depends on effective communication within the organization.
2. Facilitates decision making: Desired results of an organization largely depends on the right decision at the right time. A communication system is a prerequisite for making a sound decision.
3. Proper planning: Communication is required not only for effective planning but also to ensure its better implementation.
4. Minimize organisational conflicts: Proper communication reduces conflicts by developing understanding. Communication helps them to know the views, problems, and thoughts of others.
5. Job satisfaction and higher productivity: Effective communication promotes better performance as people are able to understand their jobs and roles in a better manner.
6. Democratic management: Modern business organization are following democratic system of management. It requires good channels of communication so that employees, consumers and other stakeholders share information and participate in the discussion, consultation and decision making.
7. To establish better labour relations: Effective communication creates better management and labour relationship.
8. Effective organizing: Organizing involves delegation of authority, assigning liability, decentralization and establishes the relationship between the members which cannot be done in the absence of communication.
9. Enhance motivation and morale: Communication helps in enhancing the morale of the employees because they are aware of their role in the business firm.
10. Sound human and industrial relation: The basic reason for disputes between labour and management is a communication gap. With the help of effective communication, sound relations can be maintained as it promotes mutual understanding, cooperation and goodwill.

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Forms of Communication

Communication implies an exchange of information. It may be in various forms, it may be classified on the following basis:

3 Forms of Communications are:

1. On the basis of Organisational Structure
2. On the basis of Direction
3. On the basis of Mode of Expression

1. Organisational Structure
   • Formal Communication
   • Informal Communication
2. Direction
   • Downward Communication
   • Upward Communication
   • Horizontal Communication
   • Diagonal Communication
3. Mode of Expression
   • Non-Verbal Communication
   • Verbal Communication
     1. Oral Communication
     2. Written Communication

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Process of Communication

What is communication Process? Communication is a process, generally a two-way process. The process is a concept that is dynamic and ever-changing.

The process, in fact, is both times dimensional as well as space dimensional in which action unfolds in a continual manner towards some goal.

In other words, communication being a process attempts to provide information to the receiver and also to persuade the concerned person according to the sender of the message.

The two-way communication process is superior to one-way communication in the following respects:

• Two-way communication is more effective than one-way communication. The feedback allows the sender to refine his communication so that it becomes more precise and accurate.
• Receivers self-confidence is higher in case of two-way communication as they are permitted to ask questions and seek clarification from the senders.

Sequencing of Communication Process

• Ideation: Conceiving of the idea by the sender or source
• Encoding: Encoding the message
• Transmission: Transmission of message
• Receiving: Receiving of the message by receiver
• Decoding: decoding the message
• Action: Behavior or action on the message

The process of communication is further refined as

Figure shows that there are six phases in the entire communication process. At phase I, the sender has an idea or information. At phase II, the sender encodes the idea for transmission and at phase III, the encoded idea is transmitted by the sender through the strategically selected channel or medium of transmission.

At phase IV, the receiver gets the message, at phase V, the receiver decodes the message and finally at phase VI, the feedback is sent by the receiver.

Mary Ellen Guffey says that, “we cannot just glance at another person and transfer meaning directly from mind to mind, we engage in a sensitive process of communication that involves five steps”. These steps are depicted in Figure.

Elements of Communication Process

The main elements that are also human as the concepts or the components of the process of communication are discussed to draw the basic understanding of the communication process.

Elements of Communication Process are:

1. Message
2. Sender
3. Encoding
4. Medium and Channel
5. Receiver
6. Decoding
7. Feedback

• Message: It is information, written or spoken, which is to be sent from one person to another. Here, the word person stands for the two ends of a system and may represent an individual, or a group of individuals, or even electronic machines.

  The most important characteristic of a message as an element of communication is that it is organized, structured, shaped and selective. It exists in the mind of the sender (communicator).

• Sender: The person who transmits, spreads, or communicates a message or operates an electronic device is the sender i.e., one who conceives and initiates the message. The sender transmits the message with the purpose of informing/persuading/influencing/ changing the attitude, opinion, or behaviour of the receiver (audience/listener).
• Encoding: The method by which a message is expressed is called encoding. Message arises in the mind in the form of Idea. That idea is transmitted by the sender to receiver in the form of words, symbols, pictures, day-to-day language, etc. Otherwise, it may not be possible for the receiver to understand it.

  Keeping in view, the purpose of communication, selection of words or symbols for encoding should be such as make the receiver understand the communication correctly.

• Medium and Channel: The method or channel means by which a message is transmitted by a sender to a receiver called medium or channel. For instance, a letter is a medium and postal or couriers service a channel. If a message is communicated by telephone, then an oral message is a medium and the telephone a channel.
• Receiver: The receiver of communication is a person or a group or an organization that receives the message. He is the destination of the message. In its absence, the process of communication is incomplete.

  He not only receives the messages but also understands what is implied in it. He is a decoder of the message responds to it or gives necessary feedback.

• Decoding: Decoding is a mental process by which the receiver draws meanings, from the words, symbols or pictures of the message. The receiver does decoding or understands it. That is the reason he is also called a decoder. If the receiver understands the meanings of the words or the symbols correctly, then his decoding is perfect.
• Feedback: Feedback is the receiver’s response to the message. Feedback is the final link in the communication process. On its receipt, the receiver expresses his response by way of acknowledgement to the sender.

  Feedback is the key element in the communication process because it enables the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of the message.

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Objectives of Communication

John G. Glover in his book on “Fundamentals of Top Management’ has given the following objectives of communication in an organisation:

1. To keep the employees acquainted with the company’s progress and development programmes.
2. To provide employees with necessary orders and instructions in connections with their rights, duties and responsibilities.
3. To solicit information from the employees which may help the management in decision making.
4. To express the interest of management to its personnel.
5. To minimize labour turnover.
6. To motivate the employees towards his job and to create interest in the work of the company.
7. To indoctrinate employees with the will to work and the benefits from their association with the company.
8. To instil each employee with personal prestige and pride in being a member of the corporate body.

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Nature of Communication

1. Communication is a process of encoding, sending and decoding.
2. It is the essence of leading, it is the basis for action and cooperation.
3. It is a two way process, there must be at least two people i.e. sender and receiver.
4. Communication is not a constant as it is dynamic in nature and ever changes as per the circumstances.
5. It is a universal activity which is equally useful and necessary in politics, religion and economy.
6. It may be verbal or non-verbal
7. It is an exchange of facts and opinion
8. It means, not an end as its primary purpose is to motivate response and the end results are understanding.
9. It is a continuous process as it does not finish after one message.
10. It may be formal or informal.
11. It may be oral, written or even gestural.
12. It is an interactive process.

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7 C of Communication

There are 7 C of effective communication which are relevant to both written as well as oral communication.

7 C of Communication are as follows:

1. Completeness
2. Conciseness
3. Consideration
4. Clarity
5. Concreteness
6. Courtesy
7. Correctness

• Completeness: The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required by the audience.
• Conciseness: means communicating what you want to express in the least possible words without forgoing the other C’s of communication.
• Consideration: implies “stepping into the shoes of others”. Effective communication must take the audience into consideration.
• Clarity: implies stressing on a particular message or goal at a time, rather than trying to achieve too much at once.
• Concreteness: Concrete communication means being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general. Concreteness strengthens confidence.
• Courtesy: in message entails the message should show the sender’s expression as well as should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and keen.
• Correctness: in communication means that there are no grammatical errors in communication.

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Barriers To Communication

What is communication barriers? The barriers to business communication are anything that interferes in the communication process

• Noise as a Barrier: “Noise” is the disruption or hindrance in communication process anywhere along the way
• Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is in general how each individual interprets the world around him. People generally want to receive messages which are significant to them.
• Information Overload: Managers are bordered with a pool of information. It is necessary to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a consequence, communication is less effective.
• Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear
• Time Pressures: Frequently in an organization, the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences.
• Emotions: Emotional state at a peculiar point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he understands that the information being sent is very bad.
• Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the power structure in an organization, more are the chances of communication getting lost.
• Poor Retention: Human memory cannot function outside a limit. One can’t always retain what is being told especially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication collapse.

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Business Communication Notes

(Click on Topic to Read)

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Reference

1. Business Communication: “ K.K. Sinha, Golgotia Publishing Company.
2. Business Communication: “M.K. Sehgal, Vandana Khetrapal, Excel Books.
3. Essentials of Business Communication: Rajendra Pal, J.S Korlahalli, Sultan Chand & Sons.

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What is Communication?

Simply defined, communication is the act of transmitting information, ideas, and attitudes from one person to another. It is the process of transmitting a message from a source to an audience through a channel. For example, in a conversation, which is the most common type of communication, the person who speaks is the source and the person who listens is the audience. What is transmitted by the person who speaks is the message and the spoken voice carried through the air is the channel.

In other words, The word communication is derived from the Latin word ‘communicate, which means to share, impart, Ban and Hawkins define communication as the process of sending and receiving messages through channels that establish common meaning between a source and receiver. According to Joseph A. Devito, communication refers to “the act by one or more persons, of sending and receiving messages, distorted by noise, within a context, with some effect and with some opportunity for feedback.

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These are some definitions of communication given by the authors:

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Functions of Communication

These are the following functions of communication

1. Informing
2. Persuading
3. Integrating
4. Creating Relationships
5. Help in Making Selections between Alternatives
6. Improving Connections
7. Reducing Misunderstandings
8. Solving Problems
9. Evaluating
10. Making Decisions

Information Function

Informing messages to others is regarded as the principal function of communication. It is done verbally or non-verbally. Verbal messages can be oral or written. Whereas, non-verbal messages are conveyed through the use of body language, gestures, postures, and so forth.

Persuading

Persuading is referred to making someone do or believe something, by giving them a valid and genuine reason to do it. Persuading can be encouraged through effective communication. It is implemented among individuals within homes, educational institutions, and employment settings.

Integrating

It is comprehensively understood that individuals cannot work in seclusion. In order to carry out one’s job duties in a well-organized manner and achieve the desired goals and objectives, individuals need to work in integration with each other. When they work in integration, they are able to benefit in a number of ways.

Creating Relationships

Creating relationships is regarded as the key that would facilitate the achievement of desired goals and objectives. Effective communication is regarded as the foundation for the creation of relationships. When the individuals will communicate with each other in a respectful and polite manner, they will be able to render a significant contribution to creating relationships.

Help in Making Selections between Alternatives

In some cases, the individuals have more than one alternative available and they need to make a selection of one. When the alternatives are selected, it needs to be ensured that they prove to be beneficial to the individuals. When individuals need help in making selections between alternatives, they usually are required to obtain help from others.

Improving Connections

Through communication, individuals contribute to improving connections with others. Improving connections is vital not only with family members but also with other individuals, within educational institutions, employment settings, and the community.

Reducing Misunderstandings

In some cases, misunderstandings take place among individuals, and they are required to solve them. These are regarded as major impediments within the course of the formation of sociable relationships. Effective communication is regarded as one of the indispensable aspects that are used to cause a reduction in misunderstandings.

Solving Problems

Problems are regarded as an integral part of the lives of individuals, irrespective of their occupations, status, categories, and backgrounds. In some cases, they are minor, which one is able to solve on their own.

Evaluating

Evaluating is referred to the implementation of measures and strategies, which are necessary to assess the performance of the individuals. In educational institutions as well as within employment settings, the teachers, instructors, and supervisors put into operation the methods to evaluate the performance of the students and employees.

Making Decisions

The individuals, who are in leadership positions are vested with the authority to make decisions. When they need to make decisions, which prove to be meaningful and advantageous to organizations, on the whole, they need to seek ideas and suggestions from others as well.

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Importance of Communication

The following points highlight the importance of communication:

1. Basis of Decision-Making and Planning
2. Smooth and Efficient Working
3. Motivation to Work
4. Job Satisfaction
5. Commitment to Organisational Objectives
6. Coordination
7. Adaptability to External Environment
8. Internal Functioning of an Enterprise
9. Healthy Industrial Relations
10. Helps in Performing Managerial Roles
11. Facilitates Leadership
12. Facilitates control
13. Training and Development
14. Substance to Organisational Existence

Basis of Decision-Making and Planning

Communication is essential for decision-making and planning. It enables the management to secure information without which it may be possible to take any decision. The quality of managerial decisions depends upon the quality of communication. Further, the decisions and plans of the management need to be communicated to the subordinates.

Without effective communication, it may not be possible to issue instructions and orders. Effective communication helps in the proper implementation of plans and policies of the management.

Smooth and Efficient Working

Communication makes possible the smooth and efficient working of an enterprise. It is only through communication that the management changes and regulates the actions of the subordinates in the desired direction.

Motivation to Work

Employees are motivated to work if their needs are satisfied. Communication helps managers know the needs of their employees so that they can adopt suitable motivators and inspire them to develop a positive attitude towards the work environment.

Job Satisfaction

The exchange of information develops trust, confidence, and faith amongst managers and subordinates. They understand their job positions better and, thus, perform better. People are committed to organizational objectives which promote job satisfaction.

Commitment to Organizational Objectives

Managers who follow an effective system of communication understand employees’ needs, adopt suitable motivators to satisfy them, appraise their performance, and provide them regular feedback. The employees also work with a commitment toward organizational objectives.

Coordination

Communication coordinates organizational resources (human and non-human), individual goals with organizational goals, and the internal environment with the external environment. Coordination is the key to organizational success and communication is an active contributor to coordination.

Adaptability to External Environment

In order to survive in the changing, dynamic environment, managers continuously interact with external parties like government, suppliers, customers, etc. This requires an effective communication system in the organization.

Internal Functioning of an Enterprise

Managers interact with parties internal to business enterprises. They constantly obtain and provide information to them. The more effective the communication system, the more accurate will be the information.

Healthy Industrial Relations

Satisfied workers contribute to healthy organizations. Communication brings managers and trade unions closer, develops mutual understanding, and promotes industrial peace and harmony. This increases industrial production.

Helps in Performing Managerial Roles

According to Henry Mintzberg, managers perform three major roles – interpersonal, informational, and decisional. Communication helps managers in performing these roles effectively.

In interpersonal roles, managers interact with superiors, peers, and subordinates; in informational roles, they receive and give information to people inside and outside the organization and in decisional roles, they take important decisions and communicate them to organizational members for their effective implementation.

Facilitates Leadership

Effective leaders interact with followers and guide and inspire them to perform their individual and organizational goals. Effective communication process facilitates leaders to carry out their leadership functions.

Facilitates control

Planning is effective if accompanied by an effective control system. Control is possible when managers assess subordinates’ performance, correct and prevent deviations and provide them regular feedback on performance. Control function largely depends upon the communication system of the organization.

How effectively managers control organizational activities depends upon how effective is the communication system.

Training and Development

Imparting training and development facilities to employees depends upon how well their superiors communicate with them. Trainers with good communication skills are better than those who have poor communication skills.

Substance to Organizational Existence

The substance of Organizational Obtaining information to make plans, making members aware of the authority-responsibility structure, position in the organizational hierarchy, and coordinating their activities.

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Principles of Communication

The 7 Cs provide a checklist for making sure that your meetings, emails, conference calls, reports, and presentations are well constructed and clear – so your audience gets your message.

These are the principles of communication and according to the 7 Cs, communication needs to be

1. Clarity
2. Completeness
3. Coherence
4. Conciseness
5. Credibility
6. Correctness
7. Continuity

Clarity

The writing should be correctly planned and expressed in a logical way, and the writer should make sure that the ideas flow smoothly from beginning to end. The message must be so clear that even the dullest man in the world should readily understand it.

Completeness

Completeness is an essential factor for effective communication. A message must be organized appropriately in the sense that it must include all the important ideas and their details. The contents of the message must be checked in order to verify that there is no omission of the relevant details. An incomplete message can do little to convey the information and persuade the receiver.

Coherence

Coherency is equally essential for good written communication. Clear communication in simple sentences helps the reader to understand. Facts and figures must be stated plainly and in an intelligent manner. Relation and clarity are the two important aspects of coherence. Coherence means, tying together several ideas, under one main topic in any paragraph.

Conciseness

Conciseness is an important factor in effective communication. It means saying all that needs to be said and no more. The aimless verbiage, unnecessary details, and heavy paragraphs make our communication ridiculous and ineffective. We must omit those words and sentences from our message, which are not likely to bring about results.

Credibility

Good writing is always forceful and direct and has the power and capacity to produce a reaction or desired effect. The clarity in writing brings about credibility because it ensures that others understand the message easily and quickly.

Correctness

Without correctness, readers may refuse your write-up. Communication must be correct in tone and style of expression, spelling, grammar, format, contents, statistical information; stress-unstressed, etc. there should not be any inaccurate statements in the message.

Continuity

As far as possible the writer should avoid jargon. Jargon is a language that is special to science, commerce, technology, trade, and profession. In writing, the jargon should not be incorporated as this could make the writing confusing and unclear. Brevity or the use of fewer words brings about continuity and grace in your writing

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Process of Communication

Communication consists of the following eight components which are interrelated to the process of communication

1. Idea
2. Sender or Encoder
3. Encoding
4. Message
5. Channel and medium
6. Receiver or Decoder
7. Decoding
8. Feedback

Idea

Every message, whether oral or written, has its origin in an idea that germinates in the mind of the sender of the message. Every idea refers to some context. Thus the idea or information that the sender wants to convey to the receiver is the source of the message in the communication process.

Sender or Encoder

The person who initiates the communication process is referred to as the encoder. The process of communication begins with the sender who identifies the need to communicate. The sender must have a clear picture in his mind about what he wants to communicate and should accordingly select symbols, words, images, etc.

The sender must identify his audience and formulate the message in such a way that the receiver understands fully what he intends to convey and interprets it within the same context.

Encoding

Encoding takes place when the sender formulates his idea into a message to be transmitted to the receiver, using a series of symbols- verbal/ or non-verbal, written or oral. The sender should encode the message keeping in mind the purpose of communication and should select words or symbols that help the receiver understand the communication correctly and achieve the expected feedback.

Encoding is the process of creating a message for transmission by an addresser to an addressee. A way that an individual puts his thought together with the way he is going to communicate. Eg: using a speech by thinking of another language and the way he is going to put it in a sentence and also if he is going to use sign language.

The sender, as well as the receiver, should attach the same meaning to the symbols or words, otherwise, communication will fail. Thus proper encoding is essential for successful communication.

Message

A message is an idea transformed into words. It can be expressed in different ways depending upon the subject matter, purpose, audience personal style, and cultural background of the sender.

Channel and medium

An appropriate medium chosen to send the message is known as a channel. It is the vehicle that facilitates the sender to convey the message to the receiver. Channel is a system used to transmit a message, whereas medium is one of the forms/ types used under that system. For example, oral communication is a channel and telephone conversation is a medium. There are three broad channels of communication and there are several media under each.

Receiver or Decoder

The person who receives the encoded message is referred to as the receiver. The receiver may be an individual or a group of individuals. As communication is a two-way process, the receiver is as important as the sender of the message. A receiver may be a listener or a reader or a viewer of the message.

He not only receives the message but also tries to understand, interpret and perceive the total meaning of the message.

Decoding

Decoding is a process by which the receiver interprets the message and translates it into meaningful information. The meaning of the message is the sum total of the meanings of the words ( symbols) together with the tone and the attitude of the sender as reflected by his choice of words and the structure of the message.

Feedback

Feedback is the response given by the receiver of the message to the sender of the message. When the encoder receives feedback, he gets to know that communication has been accomplished. Feedback can be immediate, later, and can be positive or negative. It can be verbal or non-verbal.

In communication, feedback plays an important role. It ensures that the receiver has received the message and understood it just as it was intended by the sender. Feedback is the most important component of communication. Without feedback, the communication process is incomplete.

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Types of Communication

These are types of Communication.

1. Verbal Communication
2. Non-Verbal Communication
3. Written Communication
4. Visual Communication
5. Feedback Communication
6. Public Communication
7. Mass Communication
8. Group Communication

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication can be done with the use of language to transfer information with help of sign language or speaking. It is considered the most common type. It is used during presentations, video conferences, meetings, one-on-one conversations as well as a phone calls. Verbal communication is important because it is an efficient way of communication.

It can be helpful to support both non-verbal and written communication. Steps include in verbal communication are the use of a strong, confident speaking voice, using the active listing, and avoiding filler words.

There are four types of communication: 1. Intrapersonal Communication, 2. Interpersonal Communication, 3. Oral Communication, 4. Public Communication

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-Verbal communication includes the use of body language, facial expression, and gestures to convey information to others. It can be used both unintentionally and intentionally, you might smile unintentionally when you are pleasing or enjoying a piece of information or idea. Non-Verbal communication is useful for understanding the thoughts and feelings of others.

Written Communication

Written communication includes acts of writing, typing, and printing symbols like numbers and letters to convey information. It is helpful; because this communication provides a record of information for future reference. Writing is generally used to share information through pamphlets, books, letters, blocks, memos, etc. Emails and chats are common forms of written communication at the workplace.

Visual Communication

This is the act of using photographs, sketches, drawings, arts, graphs, and charts to convey information. Visuals are often used as an aid during presentations to provide helpful context along with written and/or verbal communication. Because people may have different learning styles, visual communication might be considered more helpful for some to consume information and idea.

Feedback Communication

When the individuals, who are in leadership positions in educational institutions and in various forms of organizations, such as instructors, supervisors, heads, directors, employers, and so forth, put into operation various types of assessment methods to evaluate the performance of the individuals. After evaluating the performance, they provide their feedback in terms of their performance.

Public Communication

Public communication occurs when a group becomes too large for all members to contribute. One characteristic of public communication is an unequal amount of speaking.

Mass Communication

Mass Communication is the process of delivering information, ideas, and attitudes to a sizeable and diversified audience. This is done through the use of media developed for that purpose namely newspapers, magazines, radio, television, websites, and social media networks.

Group Communication

Communication by many persons in a face-to-face situation is described as group communication. Here, as the group grows in size communication tends to become more and more of a monologue reducing participation.

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Elements of Communication

Let us analyze Joseph A Devito’s definition that ‘communication refers to the act by one or more persons, of sending and receiving messages distorted by noise, within a context, with some effect and with some opportunity for feedback’ to find out the essential elements of communication.

According to his definition, communication has the following elements

• Sender or Decoder: A person who sends a message or a signal is the source of communication. Communication by definition demands that someone send signals and someone receive them.
• Message: Message is anything that is sent and received. Generally, we think of communication messages as being verbal (oral or written). We can also communicate nonverbally.
• channel: It is the route or vehicle along which the message is transmitted from a sender to a receiver. When you talk to a friend, the sound waves that carry your words constitute the channel. When you write something, the piece of paper becomes the channel. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the internet become the channels of mass communication.
• Receiver or Decoder A person who receives the message or signal is the receiver in a communication process.
• Noise: Noise in communication refers to anything that distorts or interferes with the message. The screeching of a passing car, sunglasses a person wears, prejudices, bias, poor grammar etc. interfere with the effective and efficient transmission of messages from the sender to the receiver.
• Feedback: The information that is fed back to the source is known as feedback. Feedback, in general, refers to any process by which the communicator obtains information as to whether and how his/her intended receiver has received the message.
• Context: Communication always takes place within a context. It can either restrict or stimulate the communication process. Communication in a funeral home, a public park, a cricket stadium, and a church will be entirely different.
• Effect: The consequences of communication are referred to as effects. Communication has always some effect on one or more persons. The effect could be on the source or on the receiver or on both of them.

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Read More Related Articles

Communication Definition

The word “Communication” is derived from the Latin word “communis” which means commonness. Communication is the process of transmitting information, thoughts, opinions, messages, facts, ideas, emotions and understanding from one person / place / thing to another person / place / thing. 

“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons”. – Newman and Summer 

“Communication means the imparting, conveying or exchange of ideas, knowledge, whether by speech, writing or signs”. – Oxford English Dictionary 

Communication Definition

Communication is the process of exchanging information. The word “Communication” is derived from the Latin word “communis” which means commonness. Communication is the process of transmitting information, thoughts, opinions, messages, facts, ideas, emotions and understanding from one person / place / thing to another person / place / thing. 

Communication has become an essence of management. The manager spends 80% of his total time on communicating. He communicates with the superiors, subordinates, peers and other parties dealing with the organization such as customers, trade union leaders and government officials. 

It is an important element of directing function. But the manager has to communicate with regard to his other managerial functions. Effective Communication is a flash of lightning and even more illuminating. It enables us to understand others and make ourselves understand. It is an established fact that managers spend 75 to 90% of their working time communicating with others. 

Many research studies have concluded that individual and organizational performance can be improved by effective communication. Not only this but how effective and efficient the manager is on his job depends on his communication skills and abilities. To secure better results, effective communication seems to be more important than exercising control and using formal authority. 

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What is the Best Definition of Communication?

M. T. Myers and G. E. Myers, “Communication refers to a special kind of patterning; patterning which is expressed in symbolic form. For communication to take place between or among people two requirements must be met- (1) a symbolic system must be shared by the people involved (we need to speak the same language or jargon or dialects) and (2) the associations between the symbols and their referents must be shared.

Meaning and Definition of Communication 

Communication is the process of sharing information. It means exchange of ideas between two or more people. The interactions which are involved in the communication process are governed by three levels of semiotic rules i.e. syntactic, pragmatic and semantic. 

It is a kind of social interaction where at least two interacting agents share their views, feelings, and thoughts within the framework of a common set up. In other words we can say it is the interaction between a sender and a receiver of certain information. 

Therefore “Communication” is defined as an exchange of facts, ideas, opinion or emotions and as a way that individuals or organizations share meaning and understanding with one another. In a specific manner, communication may be viewed as the transfer of information of one entity to another, no matter the entity being individual or a body corporate. 

In the simplest form, communication is the means by which organizations’ mission is activated and achieved. In a civilized society communication is the most important media through which we all are guided. In this connection John Adour wrote “Communication is essentially the ability of one person to make contact with another and to make him/her understood”. 

The word communication comes from the Latin verb “communicare” which means to participate, to share in common. It implies a common view and common feeling that cannot be kept inside rather it is to be shared by all. Therefore, the sense of “sharing” is very vital in the communication process. 

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Communication Definition by Different Authors 

1. “Communication is an intercourse by words, letter symbols or messages and is a way that one organization member shares meaning and understanding with another”. – Koontz and ‘O’ Donnell 

2. “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons”. – Newman and Summer 

3. “Communication means the imparting, conveying or exchange of ideas, knowledge, whether by speech, writing or signs”. – Oxford English Dictionary 

4. “Communication is the sum of all things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another”. – Louise A. Allen 

5. Comstock Glaser – “Such is the life of any executive reading or writing letters, memoranda and reports constantly conferring and telephoning – such is administration in general – continuous round of written and verbal contract between workers and with outsiders”. 

6. W. H. Newman and C.E. Summer – “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more people”. 

7. Theo Haimann – “It is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another”. 

8. Terry – “Communication is the means by which the act of delegation is accomplished”. 

9. American Society of Training Directors, “The interchange of thoughts or information to bring about mutual understanding and confidence or good human relation”. 

10. Leland Brown, “Communication is the transmission and interchange of facts, ideas, feelings, or course of action”. 

11. Ordway Tead, “Communicating is a composite of information given and received, of a learning experience in which certain attitudes, knowledge, and skills change, carving with them alternations of behaviour, of listening effort by all involved, of a sympathetic fresh examination of issues by the communicator himself, of a sensitive interacting points of view, leading to a higher level of shared understanding and common intention.” 

12. Theo Haiemann, “Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. It is the process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood by others.” 

13. Chester Barnard, “In exhaustive theory of organisation, communication would occupy a central place because the structure, extensiveness, and scope of organisation are almost entirely determined by communication techniques.” 

14. Simon, “The question to be asked of any administrative process is – How does it influence the decisions of the individuals without communication, the answer must always be – It does not influence them at all.” 

15. “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.” — W.H. Norman and Summer 

16. Communication is defined as “the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. It is essentially a bridge of meaning between the people. By using the bridge a person can safely cross the river of misunderstanding.” —Keith Davis 

17. “Communication is the sum total of all the things that a person does, when he wants to create an understanding in the mind of another. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding.” —Louis A. Allen 

18. “Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically it is the process by which meanings are perceived and understanding is reached among human beings.” —D.E. Mc Farland 

19. George Vardman in his book ‘Effective Communication of Ideas’ defines effective communication as “purposive interchange, resulting in workable understanding and agreement between the sender and receiver of a message”. 

20. Robert Anderson, in his concept of communication, adds the element of medium also. In Professional Selling, he observes, “Communication is the interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information, by speech, writing, or signs”. 

21. Emphasising the various processes of communication, Allen Louis says, “Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another; it involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening, and understanding.” 

22. “Communication is the process by which information is transmitted between individuals and /or organisations so that an understanding response results.” — Peter Little 

23.  “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.” — George Terry 

24. Communication has been defined “as the transfer of information from one person to another whether or not it elicits confidence.” — Koontz and O’Donnell .

25. According to Theo Haimann, “Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another….It is the process of imparting ideas and making oneself understood by others.”

26. Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. — Keith Davis 

27. Communication is any behaviour that results in an exchange of meaning. — The American Management Association 

28. Communication may be broadly defined as the process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically, it is the process by which meanings are perceived and understandings are reached among human beings. — D.E. McFarland 

29. Communication is the process by which information is passed between individuals and/or organisations by means of previously agreed symbols. – Peter Little 

30. A wider and more comprehensive definition is given by National Joint Committee for the Communicative Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities: 

 Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non- linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes. — Julia Scherba de Valenzuela, Ph.D. 

These definitions show that communication involves exchange of thoughts between two parties. Communication is the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another. The crucial element is meaning. 

Communication is successful only when the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it. Both parties must agree not only on the information transmitted but also on the meaning of that information. 

In order to transfer an idea, we must use symbols (words, signs, pictures, sounds) which stand for the idea. The symbols must be understood by the person or persons with whom we intend to communicate. Both must assign the same meaning to the symbols used; otherwise, there is miscommunication. Unless there is a common understanding of the symbols, it is not possible to communicate.

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Communication Definition – by Keith Davis

Analysing some of the definitions of communication, we notice a gradual change in its meaning over the years. Keith Davis (1972) defined it as- … the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another, one business organisation to another. It is a way of reaching others with facts, ideas, thoughts and values. It is a bridge of meaning among people so that they can share what they feel and know. By using this bridge a person can safely cross the river of misunderstanding that sometimes separates people.

This definition makes some important observations which have been listed below:

a. Communication involves a minimum of two people, the sender and the receiver.

b. The sender transmits/conveys/sends the message to establish common and shared knowledge.

c. Knowledge can be shared only if the receiver understands the meaning of the message, which means that understanding the meaning of the message is as crucial as its transference.

d. While communicating, there are chances of misunderstandings that may occur due to misinterpretation of the message.

Communication thus builds a bridge of understanding between the sender and the receiver of the message. This definition does not talk about the role that ‘attitude’ plays in the process of sending and receiving messages.

The American Management Association defines communication as any behaviour which results in an exchange of meaning. As this is a very broad definition, some social scientists are of the opinion that communication is mutual exchange of facts, thoughts, and perceptions, resulting in common understanding between the sender and the receiver.

This definition, as you can see, is an improvement on Keith Davis’s definition because here:

a. Communication is considered a two-way process;

b. It is purposeful, and

c. It involves thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

This, however, does not cover all the components of the complexity of communicating in today’s world.

Let us now look at a comprehensive definition given by Vardaman and Halterman in Managerial Control through Communication (1968).

By communication we mean the flow of material, information, perception and understanding between various parts and members of an organisation…all the methods and means and media of communication (communication technology), all the channels, network and systems of communication (organisational structure) all the person-to-person interchange (interpersonal communication)…it includes all aspects of communication – up, down, lateral, speaking, writing, listening, reading, methods, media, modes, channels, networks, flow, interpersonal, inter-organisational.

This definition highlights all the three important aspects of effective communication: mode, channel and means of communication. When all these aspects are given due importance, the ensuing communication produces the desired results.

It can thus be surmised that the meaning of ‘communication’ has changed from mere oratory or rhetoric to making meaning of what is being said or conveyed. It has become a complex phenomenon in today’s world in which English is used as lingua franca (a common language used by speakers of different languages) whereby it is shared among many groups of native speakers and is used as a common language by non-native speakers of different languages.

In this article, we have explained what is communication?, with Its Concept, Process, and Types also definitions by various scholars. We have explained it in 1400 Words for Students.

So, lets start this article on Communication and Its Definition, Concept, Process, Types…

Communication is the activities of sending information or ideas through speech, visualization, writing or other means.  It is a dynamic process of exchange of ideas between sender and receivers that takes place around us all the time. It is a fundamental process for living being for exchange of feeling.

We spend 75% of our time involvement in
communication in receiving and sending the messages. In the meantime, speech or
ideas must be simple enough to be decoded and understood by the recipient. If
ideas do not correctly present, decoding is inappropriate, and the recipient
does not understand.

Definition of Communication

The source of the word ‘communication,’ derived from
‘communism,’ that means ‘to communicate,’ ‘to share’ ‘to take part in decode
and encode the information,” is the meaning of “communication.”

Definitions by Various famous scholars:

1. John Adair

Communication is the ability of one person to get in touch with each other and understand each other.

 2. Keith Davis

Communication is the process of transferring information and understanding from one person to another.

 3. William Newman and Charles Sumner

Communication is the exchange of ideas, facts, opinions, or emotions of two or more people.

4. Peter Little

Communication is the process by which it sends information between sender and receivers to get an understanding of the communication.

 5. Louis Allen

Communication is a bridge. It includes a systematic and continuous process of speaking, listening, and understanding.

6. Murphy, Hildebrandt, Thomas

Communication is the process of sending and receiving verbal and non-verbal messages. It considers complete while it achieves the desired reaction from the recipient.

Process of Communication

It is a two-way process that includes the following elements: sender, message, carrier, channel, receiver, response, and feedback. However, it is not enough to have all these elements always.

There should be an understanding of and cooperation between the two parties involved. It is essential to have a typical frame of reference or context for successful and meaningful communication, e.g., a common language or a conventional interpretation of the gesture.

It concerns the sender, messenger, and recipient. Both should share a commonly accepted code, e.g., a universal language.

We know the context in contact as the “environment.” in which the code of the communication sends in a specific medium (oral, written or non-verbal) using channels (air, microphones, body images, text, etc.) In the form of encoded messages.

The “code” is not limited to language; It can also include the use of costumes, gestures, colors, and others.

The communication process describes-

The sender sends a “message” using “medium” or “channel” to the “recipient.” The message reaches the sensual world of the recipient.

The recipient’s brain filters the message based on his knowledge, emotions, attitudes, prejudices and understands there is a unique meaning. This meaning can trigger the response that the recipient’s mind creates.

The recipient encodes his answer and sends it as “feedback” to the sentient world of the sender. This completes one communication cycle, and the process is continued cyclically, cycle after cycle, as long as it involves people in it.

It explains the elements of the communication process-

1. Idea or impulse appears in the sender’s mind
2. The formal expression of the idea or impulse using medium or channel- coding
3. Interpretation of the message by the recipient- decoding
4. Reaction or feedback of the recipient
5. Passing reaction/response in feedback using medium or channel
6. Decoding received feedback

The essence of effective communication are-

1. Common communication environment
2. Cooperation between the sender and the recipient
3. Choosing the right channel
4. Correct coding and decoding of the message
5. Getting the desired response and feedback

Types of Communication

There are various types of communications, as
described below:

1. Verbal

Verbal communication can also be called oral communication. Talk by mouth that takes place between people is called verbal communication.

This makes sure that people understand everything you want to convey. Because of its nature, verbal communication is faster and more precise than e-mail or written communication. There is an essential aspect of verbal communication because it sees as a valid result in it.

The manager or team leader must have excellent verbal communication skills. The manager must support a team of people and be qualified to convince the team of people to do what they want. 

The higher the organization, the better verbal skills should be. This is because it needs to ensure that the speech is accurate and leaves no room for any misunderstandings.

2. Non-verbal

How do you show while you make entry there in the room? Is your body language strong, do you stand straight or dull? Are you looking healthy or tired? Are you clean-shaven? When you shake hands, do you do it hard, or do you wash your hand against others?

The above were examples of non-verbal communication
or interpersonal communication. One of the HR requirements for new employees in
the organization is to have excellent interpersonal skills. This means that
employees should refresh their non-verbal skills.

If you were at a sales meeting and you have not
achieved your target, then how do you react? Will you be calm? Will you panic
and stutter? These are the essential role of non-verbal skills, and your growth
may depend on them.

3. Written

There are many ways to use written communication. This is doing by the use of technology smartphones and the Internet. Most common forms of written communication today is e-mail, WhatsApp, message, social media and other applications for online messaging using.

4. Visual

There are many elements of visual communication
marketers or companies use as advertisements, presentations, Colours,
animations, design (logo and brand design), illustrations, etc.

Disturbances in Communications

Noise: In some cases, the message may not give the desired response because of a semantic interruption or barrier between the sender and the recipient. It refers this to as “noise”; refers to any unplanned interference in contact that causes an obstacle in the transmission of messages.

There are two types of “noise”-

1. Channel noise: refers to static, mechanical
failures, volume problems, altitude, readability of text, etc.

2. Semantic: Here “noise” is generated internally
because of errors in the message itself: ambiguity, grammatical mistakes,
incorrect spelling, incorrect punctuation, etc.

Feedback in Communication

The delivery of the recipient’s reply to the sender is called “feedback.” It is one of the essential factors in the communication process. This is necessary because it is a barometer of effective communication.

The sender should know if the recipient of the message has received it intended and whether he responds desirably. Off course, even if someone receives an answer, it may be the answer you expected.

However, when you receive a reply, you know that the message has been forwarded, e.g., a meeting notice. This message can be both positive and negative.

Some may appear at the meeting, and others may not. It is said that communication is only complete when senders receive the desired response from receivers.

Feedback helps to improve communication because it allows the sender to understand defects in the transmission of messages. A nimble messenger always looks for warning signs that communication is not going well and adapts messages accordingly.

Receiving feedback helps the sender know if he is on the right track. In the long run, it helps to understand the strengths and weaknesses in communication.

In the business world, managers should provide facilities and opportunities to get feedback. It can be done by creating internal systems and forums that allow employees to express their views and communicate decisions.

Market research is another way to get feedback and information from employees, and external target groups.

Types of Feedback-

The feedback may be positive or negative, depending
on the receiver receives the information based on a clear understanding of the
symbols used in the message.

Negative feedback occurs when an unwanted reaction occurs because of misunderstandings. Sometimes, the lack of feedback is also a kind of feedback.

For example, the total silence by the receiver is also an indicator of effective communication (agreement) or communicator failure (inability to understand, incompatibility).

Observation of changes in the recipient’s reaction indirect interaction is a source of valuable feedback where the recipient does not express his reaction.

For example, if the counselor gives a speech to a depressive student and notes that he is more relaxed, cheerful, and willing to talk during the next visit.  He interprets this change as a definite answer.

 Feedback happens immediate or delayed depending upon types of it. For example, oral answers mostly immediately transmit, whereas the written communication’s feedback may take some time.