A Precursor to Business Communication - Understanding the basic models of Communication

 

Communication includes both the transfer and understanding of the meaning of the message which the sender wants to convey to the receiver.

 ➢ In perfect communication, thought would be transmitted to the receiver understood the same mental picture the sender intended.

➢ Communication is an effective tool to achieve organizational goals. It is interrelated with concepts such as motivation, coordination, leadership, structure; and decision making in organizations.

➢ Communication Process: It refers to steps through which communication takes place between the sender and the receiver.

 

 

 The communication process consists of the following eight steps:

 

1. Developing idea by the sender: Conceptualization of the idea to be sent (also called the Planning stage)

2. Encoding: Translation of the idea into a perceivable form understandable to the receiver

3. Developing the message: The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such as body gestures, silence, signs, sounds, etc. or any other signal that triggers the response of a receiver

4. Selecting the medium: Medium is the way of transmitting the message to the receiver. It can be speaking, writing, signaling, etc

5. Transmission of the message: Sending of the message from the chosen medium

6. Receiving the message by the receiver: Reception of message by the receiver

7. Decoding: The message is decoded by the receiver to understand its meaning

8. Feedback: Receiver’s response to the sender.

 

➢ Claude Shannon & Warren Weaver Model of Communication

 

 

Consists of eight components which are most like the general steps of communication except Noise:

1. Source: Initiator of conversation

2. Encoder: Transmitter of the message into signals (ex. Thought in brain→ Mouth → Voice)

3. Message: Actual physical product which source wants to convey (ex. In speaking, speech is the message; when written, writing the message; when we gesture the movement of our arms and the expressions on our faces are the message

4. Channel: Medium of message transmission

5. Decoder: Reception of message. Converts signal into the message

6. Receiver: To whom message is sent

7. Feedback: Receiver’s response to the sender in the form of understanding of the message

8. Noise: Present in each of the above stages of communication. Reduces accuracy of the message