The Communication Process

The Communication Process Context

 • Physical – where communication takes place, the environment, the distance between participants, seating, time of day
• Social – the nature of the relationship
• Historical – the background of previous
communication
• Psychological – the moods and feelings
• Cultural – the set ofbeliefs, values, and norms that are shared by a large group of people

Participants

Sender: the individual, group, or organization that needs or wants to share information with another
individual, group, or organization to communicate
Receiver: the individual, group, or organization for which the information is intended
A sender might be a supervisor with instructions about performing a task and a receiver might be a new
worker.

Messages

The information the sender needs or wants to share with other people. Effective messages are clear and
complete. A message is clear if it is easily interpreted or understood. A message is complete if it contains the
information to achieve a common understanding between the sender and the receiver. If a sender is vague or
unsure about the message, communication is ineffective.

Encoding

“Translating the message into symbols or language that the receiver can understand”A supervisor sends a message about policy changes to subordinates by encoding it in a memo.
Senders must have basic writing and oral communication skills, which many employees lack. A sender must
use words the receiver understands. Jargon, specialized language of members of a profession or occupation,
affects good communication. Although jargon facilitates communication because a single term describes a
complex idea, it leads to ineffective communication when receivers are outside the occupation or profession.
Channels
Formal vs. Informal Communication
• Formal communication refers to messages that use formally established channels. Follows the
chain of authority and command.
• Informal communication is more spontaneous communication occurring without regard for the
formal channels of communication. (The ‘grapevine’)

Noise

“Interferes with the communication process”
Managers should decrease noise by increasing the readability and clarity of written communication or fixing
broken answering machines and problematic e-mail systems.
There are four communications problems in organizations: filtering and information distortion, poor listening,
lack of or inappropriate feedback, and rumors.
• External noise – the sights, sounds, and other stimuli that draw people’s attention away from intended
message
• Internal noise – the thoughts and feelings that interfere with meaning
• Semantic noise – alternate meanings
aroused by a speaker’s symbols
Feedback
The Medium“The pathway through which an
encoded message is transmitted to a
receiver”