COMMUNICATION

CHAPTER 6

PRESENTED BY: KIMBERLY B. GUANGCO

TRISHA MAE RAÑUA
LIZA LAROGA
MICHELLE BUENAVISTA
John Dave Puliran
Loverin Bandoy
 WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

 Communication may be defined as the transfer of information

including feelings, and ideas, from one person to another.

 The goal of communication is to have the receiver understand the

message as it was intended. The transfer process, however, is
affected by several factors that either help or hinder the message.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATION
 Without communication, organizations cannot exist. It is through
communication that the individual members of the organization will know
important concerns such as:
1. what their organization is
2. what objectives their organization wants to achieve
3. what their roles are in achieving the organization's objectives
4. how they will achieve those objectives
5. who the individual members of the organization are
 THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication is a two-way process in which a sender

reaches a receiver with a message. There is a need for
people in organizations to know the communication
process, and it is the first step to make it effective.
There are six components of effective
communication. They are the following:
1. a communication source or sender
2. a message
3. a channel
4. a receiver
5. Feedback
6. the environment
 ENVIRONMENT

NOISE

ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENT

SENDE CHANNEL RECEIV

R ER
MESSAGE

FEEDBAC
K

NOISE

ENVIRONMENT
THE COMMUNICATION
PROCESS FIGURE 22
 The Sender
A communication source or sender is a person who
attempts to send a message which could be spoken,
written, in sign language, or nonverbal to another
person or a group of persons.
The Message

The message is a purpose or an idea to be conveyed

in a communication event. The message is the
actual physical product as a result of encoding.
 How the message is received is influenced by
the following factors:

clarityof the message

alertness of the receiver
complexity and length of the message
how the information is organized
The message has two components:

1. The thought or conceptual component of the message

2. The feeling or emotional component of the message

 The Channel

 The channel is the medium through which the message travels.

 It consists of various types which are as follows:

1. face-to-face 2. telephone and cell phones
3. e-mail 4. written memos and letters
5. posted notices 6. bulletins
Communication channels may be
classified also as:

Formal
Informal.
The Receiver

 The person receiving a message is the receiver. He must interpret

and understand the message. In doing so, however, he will be
influenced by factors like his age, gender, beliefs, past
experiences, cultural influences, and his individual needs.
The Feedback

 Feedback refers to the process of communicating how one feels

about something another person has done or said.
The Environment

The environment refers to the circumstances in which

messages are transmitted and received. In an environment
of trust and confidence, messages are easily transmitted
even if these messages are controversial.
The Noise

Noise refers to anything that disrupts communication,

including the attitude and emotions of the receiver. Noise
includes loud music, the feeling of about a sick relative,
children playing in the background, and many others.
 BASIC METHODS OF INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
 People in organizations transfer meaning between and among
each other using any or all of the three basic methods which
consist of the following:
1. Verbal
2. Written
3. nonverbal communication
Verbal communication is a major means of
sending messages. It includes one-on-one
meetings, speeches, grapevine, telephone,
departmental or interdepartmental meetings,
presentations, and the like.

.
 Verbal communication is the appropriate
method if the sender:
1. wants to appear informal;
2. wants to invite suggestions and ideas which are more likely to spark off a
discussion;
3. is explaining something complex and people might need to ask for
clarification as he goes along;
4. has important news to impact, such as retrenchment;
5. needs to be very diplomatic and feels he will be more effective face-to-face
than in writing; and
6. Best is something highly confidential to say and putting it in writing is risky.
Verbal communication is not appropriate
when the sender:

1. wants to maintain formality or distance from the other person or a

group of people;
2. wants a permanent record of what has been said;
3. needs the receiver's comments to be in writing for legal reasons
and
4. wants to avoid further discussion of the subject by signaling that
the matter is closed.
 Written Communication

Written communication includes memos, notice boards, and letters to staff, emails, faxes, internal
newspapers, and instant messaging.
The advantages of written communication are the following:
1. it is formal and authoritative;
2. it provides a permanent record of what have been said;
3. it provides a document useful for legal purposes;
4. several people will receive the same information;
5. it is useful in communicating something complicated;
6. it is sometimes quicker (e.g., fax is faster than a phone call);
7. it avoids a lengthy discussion; and
8. words can be chosen carefully.
Written communication is not appropriate when:

1. the receiver needs to ask questions or seek clarification;

2. more discussion is needed before facts are established;
3. a friendly and informal atmosphere is needed;
4. the message is very important;
5. the message is confidential; and
6. the information may be upsetting to the receiver.
Nonverbal Communication

Communication that takes place through facial

expressions, body movements, eye contact, and other
physical gestures is referred to as nonverbal
communication.

 This type of communication reveals what the sender mean

or thinks.
COMMONLY ACCEPTED INTERPRETATIONS OF VARIOUS FORMS OF
BODY LANGUAGE
BODY LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
 Frown displeasure, unhappiness
 Smile Friendliness, Happiness
 Raised eyebrows and narrowed eyes, pursued lips Disbelief, amazement and anger
EYE CONTACT
 Glancing Interest
 Steady Active listening, interest, seduction

GESTURE
 Pointing fingers Authority, displeasure, lecturing
 Folded arms Not open to change, preparing to speak
 Arms at side Open to suggestions, relaxed
 Hands uplifted outward Disbelief, puzzlement, uncertainty

BODY POSTURES
 Fidgeting, doodling Boredom
 hands on hips Anger, defensiveness
 Shrugging shoulders Indifference
 Squared stance of shoulders Problem-solving, concerned, listening
 Biting lips, shifting and jingling money Nervousness
 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
 Communication serves four major functions within a group or organization.
These functions consist of the following:
1. Information function - communication provides information needed in
decision-making.
2. Motivation function - communication is a means used to encourage
commitment to organizational objectives. Commitment will not be possible if
the worker concerned does not have full appreciation of the advantages of the
organization that achieves its goals. The right communication efforts will be
very useful in this instance.
3. Control function - communication clarifies duties, authority, and
responsibilities, thereby permitting control. If, through effective
communication, the worker is informed of what exactly he is expected to
do, that information alone is enough for the worker to check if he is
performing as expected. This will also make it easy for management to
pinpoint deviations from what is expected from the worker.
4. Emotive function -communication permits the expression of feelings
and the satisfaction of social needs. Workers are human beings and they
have a need to express their feelings one way or another. Communication
can help them fulfill this need.
 BASIC GOALS OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
Effective communication is really a way to achieve certain goals
which consist of the following:
 to gain goodwill
 to inquire
 to inform
 to persuade
 BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION
There are times when the receiver cannot properly receive or understand the message as intended
by the sender. This is due to a variety of barriers that may impede the communication effort.
These barriers consist of the following:
1. Filtering
2. selective perception
3. information overload
4. emotions5.
5. language
6. communication apprehension
7. absence of feedback
8. physical separation
9. lack of credibility of the sender
• Filtering refers to the manipulation of information so that is will be seen more favorably
by the receiver. Telling what the boss wants to hear is filtering.

• Selective Perception - Receivers selectively see and hear messages based on their needs,
motivations, experience, background, and other personal characteristics. For instance, a
person who has limited exposure to recruitment will find it difficult to actively listen to a
lecture on current hiring practices.

• Information overload refers to the condition in which information inflow exceeds an

individual's processing capacity. When this happens, the person is no longer able to
understand clearly whatever information is sent to him.
• Emotions - The receiver's feelings affect his ability to understand any message sent to
him. He cannot receive a message as clearly as when he is not angry, excited, or afraid.
For instance, when a person is stricken with grief, it cannot be expected that he will be
able to absorb the details of a project presented to him.
• Language - Words do not always mean the same thing to different people. This poses a
barrier to communication. Although the words “ lavatory”, “john”, and restroom” mean
the same, the word comfort room or CR is the one more readily understood by many
Filipinos.
• Communication apprehension refers to the undue tension and anxiety about oral
communication, written communication, or both. Some people find it extremely difficult
to talk with others face-to-face or even carry a telephone conversation.
• Absence of Feedback – Feedback is an essential component of effective communication.
When feedback is received by the sender, he can make some clarification if he thinks the
receiver did not clearly understand what the sender means.
The absence of feedback does not provide the sender the opportunity to correct
misimpressions about the message sent. Also, without feedback, the sender will not know if
the message was received at all.
• Physical separation refers to interferences to effective communication occurring in the
environment where the communication is undertaken. These are actually physical barriers
which include the following:
1. distance between people;
2. walls;
3. an office that is not conducive to communication;
4. an intimidating person posted near the door;
5. wrong timing.
Lack of Credibility of the Sender

The credibility of the sender affects message reception. Low

credibility may result in ignored messages, posing a barrier for
leaders. It's not just the leader who needs credibility, but also their
team. The leader must ensure their team is credible in the eyes of the
organization. Any action that undermines the team's credibility also
undermines the leader's credibility.
KINDS OF COMMUNICATION
FLOW
The flow of communication in an organization takes different directions.
It consists of the following:
 Downward communication refers to message flows from higher levels
to lower levels. Their purposes are:
1. to give instructions;
2. to provide information about policies and procedures;
3. to give feedback about performances; and
4. to indoctrinate or motivate.
The various techniques used in downward communication are:
1. letter, meetings, and the telephone or cell phone;
2. manuals;
3. handbooks; and
4. newsletters.

 Upward communication refers to messages from persons in lower level positions to persons
in higher positions. Its purposes are:
1. to provide feedback to higher-ups;
2. to inform higher-ups of progress towards goals; and
3. to relay current problems.

The techniques used in upward communication are:

1. performance reports;
2. suggestion systems;
3. informal gripe sessions;
4. open-door policy; and
5. exit interviews.
 Horizontal communication refers to messages sent to individuals or groups from
another of the same organizational level or position. Its purposes are:
1. to coordinate activities between departments;
2. to persuade others at the same level of organization; and
3. to pass on information about activities or feelings.

The techniques appropriate for horizontal communication are:

4. memos;
5. telephones or cell phones; picnics; and
6. dinners and other social affairs.
 DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
• implementation of goals, strategies,
objectives
• job instructions and rationale INTERNE
• procedures, and practices T
• Indoctrination

UPWARD COMMUNICATION
• problems and exception
suggestions for improvement
• performance report grievance
and disputes financial and
INFLUEN accounting information
CE

COORDINATION
HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
• intradepartmental problem-solving
• interdepartmental coordination FIGURE 23
• staff advice to the departments
THE AREAS OF CONCERN IN MESSAGE
 IMPROVING
COMMUNICATION IN
ORGANIZATIONS
Ineffective communication can affect people involved in it negatively. It
can cause hurt feelings, and waste of time and valuable resources. To avoid
such unwanted effects, the following tips could be useful:
 The message should be improved so it can be easily understood; and
 The receiver must improve his skill in understanding the messages sent
to him.
SUMMARY
 SUMMARY
 The basic goals of communication are: (1) to gain goodwill; (2) to
inquire; (3) to inform; and (4) to persuade.
 Communication barriers include filtering, selective perception.
information overload, emotions, language, and communication
apprehension, absence of feedback, physical separation, and lack of
credibility of the sender,
 According to flow, communication may be classified as downward,
upward, or horizontal.
 To improve communication, the message must be improved and the