Barriers To Communication 5w5l

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

CONTENTS-

SR. NO

TOPIC

PAGE NO.

1

INTRODUCTION

6

2

COMMUNICATION

7

3

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION

11

4

TYPES OF BARRIERS

12

5

CONCLUSION

21

6

BIBLIOGRAPHY

22

INTRODUCTIONMost people would agree that communication between two individuals should be simple. It’s important to that there are differences between talking and communicating. When you communicate, you are successful in getting your point across to the person you’re talking to. When we talk, we tend to erect barriers that hinder our ability to communicate.1 Communication is not a one-way street. To have others open up to you, you must be open yourself. By overcoming these barriers to communication, you can ensure that the statement you are making is not just heard, but also understood, by the person you are speaking with. In this way, you can be confident that your point has been expressed. Barriers to effective communication can retard or distort the message and intention of the message being conveyed which may result in failure of the communication process or an effect that is undesirable. These include filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotions, language, silence, communication apprehension, gender differences and political correctness. This also includes a lack of expressing "knowledge-appropriate" communication, which occurs when a person uses ambiguous or complex legal words, medical jargon, or descriptions of a situation or environment that is not understood by the recipient.

COMMUNICATION-2

1 http://opin.ca/article/seven-barriers-communication (11/05/2014, 3:43 pm)

Communication (from

Latin commūnicāre,

meaning

"to

share")

is

the

activity

of

conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, written, or behavior. It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more living creatures. One definition of communication is “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.” Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the receiver does not have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver understands the sender's message. Communicating with others involves three primary steps

Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept, idea, information, or feeling.



Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols.

2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication (11/05/2014, 5:02 pm)



Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or information that a person can understand.

There are a variety of verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. These include body language, eye , sign language and haptic communication. Other examples are media content such as pictures, graphics, sound, and writing. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also defines the communication to include the display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia, as well as written and plain language, human-reader, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, including accessible information and communication technology. is a critical component of effective communication.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION- Human spoken and pictorial languages can be described as a system of symbols (sometimes known as lexemes) and the grammars (rules) by which the symbols are manipulated. The word "language" also refers to common properties of languages. Language learning normally occurs most intensively during human childhood. Most of the thousands of human languages use patterns of sound or gesture for symbols which enable communication with others around them. Languages seem to share certain properties although many of these include exceptions. There is no defined line between a language and a dialect.

Constructed languages such as Esperanto, programming, and various mathematical formalisms are not necessarily restricted to the properties shared by human languages. Communication is the flow or exchange of information within people or a group of people.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION- Nonverbal communication describes the process of conveying meaning in the form of non-word messages. Some forms of non-verbal communication include haptic, gesture, body language or posture, facial expression and eye , object communication such as clothing, hairstyles, architecture, symbols, infographics, and tone of voice, as well as through an aggregate of the above. Speech also contains nonverbal elements known as paralanguage. This form of communication is the most known for interacting with people. These include voice lesson quality, emotion and speaking style as well as prosodic features such as rhythm, intonation and stress.

ORAL COMMUNICATION- Oral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to the conveyance of meaning. Oral communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and choice tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate .

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION- A business can flourish only when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the people of the organization must be able to convey their message properly.

NON-HUMAN COMMUNICATION- Every information exchange between living organisms — i.e. transmission of signals that involve a living sender and receiver can be considered a form of communication; and even primitive creatures such as corals are competent to communicate. Nonhuman communication also include cell signaling, cellular communication, and chemical transmissions

between

primitive

organisms

like bacteria and

within

the plant and fungal kingdoms.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION- Effective communication occurs when a desired effect is the result of intentional or unintentional information sharing, which is interpreted between multiple entities and acted on in a desired way. This effect also ensures that messages are not distorted during the communication process. Effective communication should generate the desired effect and maintain the effect, with the potential to increase the effect of the message. Therefore, effective communication serves the purpose for which it was planned or designed. Possible purposes might be to elicit change, generate action, create understanding, inform or communicate a certain idea or point of view. When the desired effect is not achieved, factors such as barriers to communication are explored, with the intention being to discover how the communication has been ineffective.

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATIONThere are many ways to explain what a communication barrier is. Some explanations are given below-3 

The barriers to communication are things or people that hinder effective interactions or relationships. Some of the barriers include physical barriers like the environment, cultural



barriers like the ethnicity and linguistic barriers like language. A communication barrier refers to something that hinders transmission of information from one place or person to another. An example is language barrier where the two



people cannot understand each other since they do not share a common language. A barrier to communication is an obstacle in a workplace that prevents effective exchange of ideas or thoughts. Such barriers include status differences, gender differences, cultural



differences, as well as the organizational environment. Communication barriers can be described as factors that hinder the age of a message from the sender to the receiver. They include physical barriers such as distance, language barriers, cultural barriers and emotional barriers among others. However, these barriers



can be overcome by use of various strategies. Communication barriers are things that affect the flow of communication. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the receiver. They include physical barriers, cultural barriers, and language barriers among others.

TYPES OF BARRIERS 

Process Semantic

3 http://www.ask.com/question/what-are-barriers-to-communication (11/ 05/2014, 8:29 pm)

      

Organizational Inter-personal Individual/ psychological Cross- cultural (Geographic) Physical / channel / and media Technological Gender

PROCESS BARRIERS-4 Every step in the communication process is necessary for effective and good communication.. Blocked steps become barriers. Consider the following situations: 

Sender barrier- A new with an innovative idea fails to speak up at a



meeting, chaired by the superintendent, for fear of criticism. Encoding barrier- A Spanish-speaking staff member cannot get an English-speaking



to understand a grievance about working conditions. Medium barrier- A very upset staff member sends an emotionally charged letter to the



leader instead of transmitting her feelings face-to-face. Decoding barrier- An older principal is not sure what a young department head means



when he refers to a teacher as "spaced out." Receiver barrier- A school who is preoccupied with the preparation of the annual budget asks a staff member to repeat a statement, because she was not listening



attentively to the conversation. barrier- During a meeting, the failure of school s to ask any questions causes the superintendent to wonder if any real understanding has taken place.

 4http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C, %20Communication%20Schooling%20V1%20N1%202010.pdf (11/05/2014, 9:37 pm)

SEMANTIC BARRIERS-5 Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication. However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). 6 Semantics means coding /decoding. It relates to the Phonetics science of sound. The words we choose, how we use them, and the meaning we attach to them cause many communication barriers. The same word may mean different things to different people. • Similar Pronunciation but multiple meaning. • Badly expressed message – incoherence, poor sentence structuring and jargons • Wrong interpretation - Pandit, raja / Rajah • Unqualified assumption by sender / receiver • Technical language / jargon

ORGANISATIONAL BARRIERS-7 Interference from relative status and power of participants, incompatible needs and expectations 

Organizational culture – impacts freedom and trust

5 http://cas.upes.ac.in/pdf/Barriers%20to%20Commn%203.pdf (11/05/2014, 9:56 pm) 6 http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html (11/05/2014, 10:03 pm) 7 Supra note 5

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Organizational rules and regulations Status relationship Complexity in organizational structure Inadequate facilities and opportunities Lack of cooperation between senior and subordinate.

INTER-PERSONAL BARRIERSInterpersonal barriers are what ultimately keep us from reaching out to each other and opening ourselves up, not just to be heard, but to hear others. Oddly enough, this can be the most difficult area to change. Some people spend their entire lives attempting to overcome a poor self-image or a series of deeply rooted prejudices about their place in the world.8 They are unable to form genuine connections with people because they have too many false perceptions blocking the way. Luckily, the cure for this is more communication. By engaging with others, we learn what our actual strengths and weaknesses are. This allows us to put forth our ideas in a clear, straightforward manner. Sender and receiver – different economic, educational and status level.9 Barrier from Superior-10   

Shortage of time for employee Lack of trust Lack of trust for employee’s needs and expectations

8 Supra note 1 9 Supra note 1 10 Supra note 5

   

Desire to capture authority by retaining information Fear of losing power of control Bying Information overload to employees – missing grain from chaff

Barrier from Subordinate-11      

Lack of proper channel No interest to communicate Lack of cooperation and mutual understanding Lack of trust and co-ordination Poor social relationship Fear of penalty

INDIVIDUAL/ PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERSThe psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed.12 Filtering means that more often than not we see and hear what we are emotionally tuned in to see and hear. Filtering is caused by our own needs and interests, which guide our listening. Psychosocial barriers often involve a psychological distance between people that is similar to actual physical distance.13 11 Supra note 5 12 Supra note 6 13http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred%20C, %20Communication%20Schooling%20V1%20N1%202010.pdf (12/05/2014, 5:27 pm)

               

Linguistic accent The form of expression Level of drama / gestures Humour Brevity Choice of discriminatory or non- discriminatory communication Quality of credibility and charisma Selective Perception – ‘I know it syndrome’, ‘waste of time’ Status relationship - – monologues by seniors Inattention Poor retention Undue importance of written words Defensiveness to a unpleasant message Closed minds – lack of background knowledge State of health – lack of alertness Filtering

CROSS CULTURAL/GEOGRAPHIC BARRIERS-14 Cultural barriers are a result of living in an ever shrinking world. Different cultures, whether they be a societal culture of a race or simply the work culture of a company, can hinder developed communication if two different cultures clash. In these cases, it is important to find a common ground to work from. In work situations, identifying a problem and coming up with a highly efficient way to solve it can quickly topple any cultural or institutional barriers. Quite simply, people like results.15      

Language Values and norms of behaviour Social relationship Concept of time Concept of space Non-verbal communication

14 Supra note 5 15 Supra note 1





Perceptions National character / basic personality



PHYSICAL BARRIERSPhysical barriers are easy to spot – doors that are closed, walls that are erected, and distance between people all work against the goal of effective communication. While most agree that people need their own personal areas in the workplace, setting up an office to remove physical barriers is the first step towards opening communication. 16 Many professionals who work in industries that thrive on collaborative communication, such as architecture, purposefully design their workspaces around an “open office” plan. This layout eschews cubicles in favor of desks grouped around a central meeting space. While each individual has their own dedicated work space, there are no visible barriers to prevent collaboration with their co-workers. This encourages greater openness and frequently creates closer working bonds.17

TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS-18

16 Supra note 1 17 Supra note 1 18 Supra note 5

  Lack of knowledge of technology   Advancement in technology   Noise   Fear of lack of security

GENDER BARRIERSGender barriers have become less of an issue in recent years, but there is still the possibility for a man to misconstrue the words of a woman, or vice versa. Men and women tend to form their thoughts differently, and this must be taken into when communicating. This difference has to do with how the brain of each sex is formed during gestation.19 In general, men are better at spatial visualization and abstract concepts such as math, while women excel at language-based thinking and emotional identification. However, successful professionals in highly competitive fields tend to have similar thought processes regardless of their gender. 20

OVERCOMING BARRIERS-21  

Fostering good relationships Purposeful and well directed /focused

19 Supra note 1 20 Supra note 1 21 Supra note 1

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Co-ordination between superior and subordinate Avoid technical language Feed back to avoid selective perception Accuracy Clarity in message Communication of organizational philosophy Flat organizational structure Division of labour Organizational policies Reduction of semantic problems Proper communication channels Right feed back

CONCLUSIONCommunication is the process of transmitting information and common understanding from one person to another. The elements of the communication process are the sender, encoding the message, transmitting the message through a medium, receiving the message, decoding the message, , and noise. A number of barriers retard effective communication. There are many barriers that hinder communication. In order to ensure effective communication, these barriers have to be overcome. If the meaning of the message is not understood, the purpose of communication is lost. These barriers hinder the transfer of the message. So they need to be removed. The means to overcome the barriers to communication has been mentioned in the project. Communication is very essential in daily life. Anything that comes in the way of it, that is, the barriers to communication, has to be got rid of. Ensuring that there are no barriers to communication is the key to effective communication.

BIBLIOGRAPHY   

http://opin.ca/article/seven-barriers-communication http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication http://www.ask.com/question/what-are-barriers-to-communication http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Lunenburg,%20Fred

%20C,%20Communication%20Schooling%20V1%20N1%202010.pdf  http://cas.upes.ac.in/pdf/Barriers%20to%20Commn%203.pdf

 http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html