Dynamics of communication

NTRODUCTION
Our knowledge about when and how communication developed is widely uncertain.
However the influence of communication on human history has always been
remarkable. The story of communication in human history developed with the
evolution of human. It began with simple signs and grunts of our ancestors and as
the time passed we developed sophisticated communication. We painted the wall of
the caves, lettered the stones and rocks, pressed signs and letters on clay tablet,
inscribed on metal sheet, wrote on the bark of trees and today we write on paper. In
all these techniques information was saved for a long period of time so that other
people can use information to make their life better. Communication not only passes
information to other people but also across the generations.
Today whatever knowledge or information

we possess is actually we have received through communication in our life. Human
communication, compare to animals, is so sophisticated that it can easily share
abstract concepts and ideas among people. This remarkable ability of humans has
always been shaping our life and gives meaning to it. in today`s world our life is
replete with information, knowledge, ideas, concepts and from day to night we all
share them with one another through various means of communication. In this way
sharing of information (Communication) has always been a significant chapter of
human history.
CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is basically a process of sending and receiving information between
two or more people. It is a systematic effort/ attempt to share human experiences,
thoughts, ideas, information and knowledge with other people. It includes activities
such as listening, reading, writing, understanding, chatting, reporting, narrating,
telling etc. The term “communication” is derived from the Latin
word “communis” which means “common”. In this way communication refers to
“make something common” or “share information and knowledge”.
DEFINITION OF COMMUNICATION

 “Communication can be defined as the exchange of information, ideas and
knowledge between sender and receiver through an accepted code of language.”
 "Communication is the activity or process of expressing ideas and feeling or giving
people information.
 "Communication is a two-way process wherein the message in the form of ideas,
thoughts, feelings, opinions is transmitted between two or more persons with the
intent of creating a shared understanding.
PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
These definitions of communications mainly reveals following characteristics of
communication process.
 Communication takes place between sender and receiver.
 There is an exchange of information between them through medium.
 This exchange is only possible through accepted codes of language.
 Communication is a two way process.

The following figure shows how communication takes place between sender
and receiver.
Sender: Sender is considered as the origin of communication. The sender has
ideas, knowledge, information and thoughts to share with the receiver. These ideas
are in abstract form in the minds of the sender. In order to share these ideas the
sender has to give a physical or concrete shape in the form of commonly accepted
codes i.e language.
Encoding: Sender, before sending the message, convert the message (ideas) into
commonly accepted language. This conversion is called encoding. Through this
process sender gives a concrete shape to his/her abstract ideas. This encoded idea is
called message.
Message Sending: Once sender`s idea is encoded, it is ready to move toward the
receiver. In order to transmit the message the sender select an appropriate way.
Medium/Channel: In communication process Medium/Channel is like a bridge
between sender and receiver. Through the medium message is transmitted and
reaches to the receiver. The medium varies in different communication environment
e.g. in telephonic conversation electronic network is medium, in oral communication
air is a medium, in whatsapp chatting internet is a medium. The process of
communication is largely affected when the medium is disturbed by external factors
such as noise.
Medium/Channel: Sender In communication process selects an appropriate medium
or channel in order to transmit the message. The medium can be anything that
carries message. The process of communication is largely affected when the medium

or channel is disturbed by several factors like noise and barrier
Receiver: The recipient of the message is called Receiver. When message is sent
using an appropriate medium, it is received by the receiver. Receiving of the
message involves sensory and cognitive process which finally leads to
understanding.
Decoding: Decoding plays a significant role in the process of
communication. In this stage the message gets its original form i.e. ideas.
Our human mind holds only abstract thoughts and ideas that is why
encoded message is converted again into ideas. This process also involve
cognitive aspect which finally leads to the understanding of the Sender`s
message.
Feedback: Feedback is the last stage in which the receiver responds to the
Sender`s message. This response by the receiver makes the whole process
complete. Through feedback the Sender can judge whether the receiver has
understood the message correctly. In the absence of feedback
communication eventually withers.
Thus, for successful communication all these components are very essential
and should work in coordination. Any defect or disturbance (Noise) in these
components may result in miscommunication.
VERBAL & NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Communication is a systematic exchange of information between sender and
receiver. Basically, there are two types of communication that we use in our day-to-
day life namely; Verbal and Non Verbal Communication. Both types of
communication serve the same purpose i.e. exchanging information through
communication process. Let’s see what is verbal and non verbal communication and
how do they differ from each other.

Verbal Communication:
In Verbal communication we exchange information with the help of words. In our life
we use words of specific language to communicate. These words might be either in
oral form or written form. In oral form we use spoken words for example talking with
our friends, giving speech in function, scolding someone, delivering a lecture,
instructing someone etc. In all these instances we use words to convey our message
to others. In written communication we use words in written form for instance
writing a letter to someone, sending a job application, writing a paragraph, writing a
report, notice, memo, email, proposal etc. Since Verbal communication (oral and
written) uses words, it becomes very specific and to the point. In verbal
communication it is very essential that both the sender and the receiver must have
knowledge of the language that they use as a medium. Mainly verbal communication
is very helpful in exchanging abstract and complex ideas and giving information in
detail. It is said that humans learn from their past and they have tendency to record
the past or history in both oral and written which is very useful to us. Through verbal
communication it becomes very easy to pass on important information to the next
generation. In this way verbal communication plays a significant role in our life.

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION:
Contrary to verbal communication Non
Verbal communication does not use words. Instead of words we use the language
which has no words such as sign language, body language and posture, Paralinguistic,
facial expression, gesture, eye contact, personal appearance etc. Since Non Verbal
communication is wordless it is considered as ‘Unspoken Communication’. In fact
non verbal communication is auxiliary to verbal communication. Surprisingly
scientific studies say that Non Verbal communication carries 65 % of the social
meaning of the situation, while 35% is carried on Verbal Communication.
Normally non Verbal Communication normally fails in exchanging technical, specific
and detailed information. It is mostly used in face to face communication. Up to
some extent Non Verbal communication is universal and so the sender and the
receiver from the different cultures and countries can easily communicate with each

other. For example nodding one’s head has a positive (yes) meaning which can be
understood by any person in this world. Since it depends on physical movements, it
is ephemeral and this is why it fails in passing information to the next generation.
TYPES/COMPONENTS OF NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Non verbal communication does not use speech or words. Instead it simply uses the
language which has no speech and words. This is why it is considered as ‘Unspoken
Communication’. In day-to-day communication human body plays a vital role.
Through our body we express our thoughts without using word. This way of
communication is known as Non-verbal communication. There are several types of
Non-verbal communication which are as under.
1. Kinesics
2. Paralanguage
3. Proxemics
4. Chronemics
5. Haptics (Touch)
Kinesics:
Kinesics is the study of the body movements. In other words it can be said that it is
the way human body communicate without words. Kinesics includes following body
movements

1. Personal Appearance:
Personal appearance plays a key role in non-verbal communication. We can express
many things through our appearance or outlook. Appearance includes clothes, hair
style, jewelry, cosmetics, and so on. For example a person wearing an earring, heavy
chains and torn jeans will create bad impression among people. This is because his
appearance communicates the people and tells everything about the person.
2. Posture:
Posture generally refers to the way we hold ourselves when we stand, sit and walk. A
person`s posture tells many things. For example: slumped posture indicates low spirit
while erect or straight posture indicates high spirit, energy and confidence.
Study the following picture and find out which posture is good and which posture we
should avoid.

3. Gesture:
Gesture includes the movements of hands, arms, shoulder, head, torso and fingers.
Our gesture clarifies our ideas. During communication a person’s gesture tells what is
going on in his /her mind. We should avoid irritating gesture like playing with a ring,
twisting keychain, clasping hands tightly and cracking knuckles etc at the time of
communication.

In our day-to-day life we use gestures to reinforce verbal communication.
Sometimes people use gestures when verbal communication is not possible
e.g. in cricket umpire declares his decisions through hand gesture because
on the ground it is impossible to give decision verbally due to lots of noise.
4.FacialExpression:
Facial expression: Human face is considered as the best communicator. It is
the most expressive part of human body. Facial expression includes raised
eyebrows, forehead lines, smiles, movements of eye lid etc. for example
smile stands for friendliness while a frown for discontent, lines on forehead
for question, doubt etc.

5.EyeContact:
In our day-to-day life we express
our emotions and feeling through our eyes. Our eyes reflect our sincerity,
integrity, love and comfort when communicating with another person. It
determines how we present ourselves and communicate with others When
we are confident we firmly maintain eye contact but when we have to hide
something we cannot look into person`s eyes. Our parents can easily learn
through eye contact whether we lie to them. Two lovers can express many
things just through eye contact. Thus practicing good eye contact is a skill
for effective communication.

Paralanguage:
Paralanguage refers to the pitch, volume, rate, quality, tone, intonation
which conveys different meanings in persons` speech. Paralanguage always
runs along with words and it refers to how words are spoken. For example
when a person shouts a name of a person we can assume that the person is
angry. Here person`s intensity of voice conveys the meaning that he/she is
angry.
1. Voice:
Voice is the most important element of Para language. Voice tells us about
the speaker’s gender, age, background, education, temperament etc. Voice
conveys the message in a more effective way. For example we can easily
figure out whether the person is sick, unhappy or angry just studying his/her
voice. Usually angry person speaks louder and and his/her anger is clearly
reflected in his/her voice. A sick person speaks very slowly and his/her voice
is very low. Thus, how the person speaks tells a lot about that person.

2. Stress on Words:
When we speak we use stress to emphasize specific words in sentences.
Stress on words usually refers to the way speaker stretches words to
indicate their importance. For example when a teacher instructs that 75%
attendance is MUST. Here the teacher has put stress on a word 'MUST'
which indicates that it it mandatory. The following sentences are made up
of same words but their meanings are different. Here stress on different
words changes meaning of the same sentences.
 You should NOT go there.
 YOU should not go there.
 You should not GO there
 You should not go THERE.

3. Speed:
We all speak language at different speed rate. Usally men speak faster than
women. Different speed rate indicates different meaning. For example in
critical situation such as at the road accident people normally speak fast.
Where message accuracy is very important people speak very slowly. For
example while instructing someone people usually speak slowly. Rate or
speed of the word also sometimes determines messages` seriousness and
humor. For example in movie or drama character speaks very slowly which
indicates the seriousness of the message. While comic characters usually
speak fast to create humour among audience.
4. Volume:
Research indicates that confidence, assertiveness, and boldness are
reflected in louder speech. This doesn’t mean that you go around speaking
loudly but if you need to "raise the stakes" or occur more assertive, raising
your vocal volume will help you to do this. For example at public speaking it
is expected that the speaker should be louder and clear. Here speaker`s
clear and loud voice reflects the person`s confidence. On the other end a
person having low voice reflects lack of confidence and trust.

5. Pause:
Pause refers to a break in speech either between words or sentences. It
seems that pause is a moment of nothing but it has its own importance. The
use of pause in language gives an artistic touch especially in narration, story
telling and reciting a poem. It is used as a tool to build intellectual and
emotional connection with the audience. Pause allows the listener to think
over before the next sentence is spoken. For example late Atal Bihari
Vajpayee was well known for his pauses in speech and this made his
speches memorable and worth listening.
Proxemics:
Proxemics is the study of physical space that people maintain to
communicate Non Verbally. When we communicate with others we
maintain physical space. This distance influences our behavior and also tells
many things about us to other people. For example people maintain wide
space, tells us that they would be stranger or the people maintain little
distance suggest their intimacy. In our communication environment we use
types of zones to communicate non verbally.

Intimate Zone (From 6 to 18
inches): This is the zone a person guards as individual property. Only close
friends,family and relative are allowed to enter in this zone.
Personal Zone (From 18 to 48 inches): This is the distance we keep from
others during friendly interactions, social gatherings or parties.
Social Zone (From 4 to 12 feet): This is the distance we keep from strangers
or persons with little acquaintance.
Public Zone (Above 12 feet):This is the comfortable distance we maintain
while interacting or addressing to large group of people.

Chronemics:
Chronemics refers to the study of
how time affects communication. We all use time to manage different
activities but the manner in which we use time differs from person to
person. Some people gets up early and get ready on time while some people
always runs behind the time. Usually the way we use time in doing daily
activity communicates a lot about ourselves and also shapes our
personality. By observing someone`s routine we can easily assume person's
characteristics such as laziness, punctuality, trustfulness, accurate, distrust,
irresponsible. For example a person who always comes late communicates
his/her laziness, irresponsibility, distrust, tardy and sluggish. Thus, we also
learn many things about the person`s personality by observing his/her way
of using time.

Haptics:
Haptics is a form of non-verbal communication which refers to the way we
touch other people. In our day-today life we touch other persons and this
touch communicates different messages. For example handshaking
communicates healthy and friendly relationships, hugging a baby by a
mother expresses love, back-patting communicates congratulating and
complimenting, putting hands on someone`s shoulder is a sign of affection.
In our Indian culture our parents and elderly persons put their hands on our
head to express their love and affection. In almost all the culture haptics
(touch) is an important part of communication.

Inter-personal Communication
Interpersonal communication is all about the exchange of ideas, information
and knowledge between people. It includes both verbal and non verbal
communication which help us to shape our personality. Interpersonal
communication and skills are very essential at the workplace. In
organization people need to get across their ideas and thoughts and here
they need effective interpersonal communication. At the workplace
effective interpersonal communication helps us in
becoming extrovert, frank, open, active, confident and energetic. On the
other hand people who are poor in communication are shy, introvert and
lonely. In order to improve our communication we need to identify the
barriers in interpersonal communication.
Barriers in Interpersonal Communication:
Barrier refers to anything that disturbs the communication process. Here barrier
does not mean any physical sounds but any factor that causes a break in
communication process. In interpersonal communication either sender or receiver or
both can be responsible for barriers. Interpersonal barriers in communication are
categorized as 1. Semantic Barriers, 2. Psychological Barriers and 3. Organizational
Barriers. For any effective communication we need to identfy and overcome these
barriers.

1. Semantic Barrier:
Semantic barrier refers to any
misunderstanding that is caused by words and their meaning. Semantic
barriers include words with different meaning, faulty translation, unclarified
assumption, denotation and connotation, technical jargons and bad
expression. In verbal commmunication we use words with same
pronuciaion but different meanings such as: by; bye; buy, principle;principal,
right; wright, weak; weak etc, Use of such words may change the meaning
of the message if it is not properly clearified. Sometimes literal and poor
translation also distorts the message in communication. Connotative
meanings are good in literary language but in technical communication
connotative language can mislead the whole communication. For technical
communication the use of denotative language and technical jargons makes
communicaion clear and unambiguous. Sometime we use wrong words to
convey our message which badly express our message and creates
confusions in communication process.

2. Psychological Barriers:
Psychological barriers are the barriers which arises due to person`s
psychological state. Our psychological state forms our opinion,
consciouness, attitude and our emotions which directly influence our
communication. Lack of attention is a psychological state which does not
allow us to grasp information. For an effective communication we should
attentively receive information. Many people have a habit to form an
immediate judgments without considering all the aspects of information.
This is generally done by the people who are impatient and resort to a
selective listening. This premature evaluation of the information acts as a
barrier to the effective communication and lowers the morale of the
sender. Poor Retention is a psychological barrier which refers to the
capacity of a brain to retain or store things in the memory. The brain does
not store all the information came across but in fact, retain only those which
deems to be helpful in the future. Therefore, much of the information gets
lost during the retention process, and this acts as a barrier to the effective
communication. While communication some imformation is lost during
transmission. It is most observed in oral communication that message gets
distorted when it is transmitted from person to person. This loss by
transmission acts as a hinderence in communication process. To have an

effective communication, it is must that both the communicators (sender
and receiver) trust each other.
In case there is a lack of trust between both the parties, then they will tend
to derive negative meaning out of the message and often ignore what has
been communicated. If the receiver has no trust, then he will not listen to
whatever is being said by the sender and this will result in a meaningless
communication. The communication is greatly influenced by the emotions
of a person. If a person is not in a good temperament, then he would not
listen properly to whatever is said and might say things offending the
sender. Several other emotions such as anger, nervousness, confusion,
restlessness, etc. affects the communication process.
Thus, every human being has a unique mind which is composed of varied
emotions, beliefs, perceptions, opinions, and thoughts that facilitate
different forms of communication.

3. Organizational Barriers:
Organizational communication simply refers to communication that takes
place in business environments. Organizational communication
encompasses everything from individual to mass communication, it is an
extensive field. In any organization the positions of the people are fixed in
certain hierarchichal structure. In an organization people communicate at
various levels and because of this there are greater chances of message
being distorted. As there many levels of communication in an organization,
message has to be sent using an appropriate channels or links. But these
channels or links should be limited because in using too many links, there is
a threat of message being distorted. In an organization we find that because
of the fear superior, the employees are not able to communicate properly
or articulate their problems. And due to this the functioning of an
organization is affected. An open or friendly environment is required for
better communication among the people in an organization.

In organization people have their different attitudes or tendencies as they
are coming from different social backgrounds. Their nature, beliefs and
opinions are different and because of this there are conflicts among the
people in the group. This occurs because of negative tendencies of the
people. People have the negative tendency of unnecessarily opposing the
views of the other people. This can create a big communication gap among
the people in an organization. Use of inappropriate media to send the
message also affects communication. The media which we choose for
communication in an organization has to be according to the demands of
the time, cost, type of message and intended audience. In an organization
communication is done with the help of some effective media such as
charts, telephone, graphs, e-mail, slides, computer presentations etc. In the
present time one of the major problems that the organizations are facing is
that of information overload. The availability of the information is so much
that the receiver is not able to handle it effectively. This can create
disinterest, fatigue and boredom which makes further communication
impossible. Due to this, vital information gets mixed up with irrelevant one.
Here one should remember the fact that the quality of the information is
more important than its quantity.
Intercultural Communication:
Intercultural communication refers to communication between people from different cultural and social
backgrounds. It is also known as cross-cultural communication. In the present era of globalization,
people work in different multinational companies where they come across people from different
countries. In such environment, people usually have to deal with others who have different social and
cultural believes. People who are stubborn and conservatives about their cultures often find difficulties
in maintaining relationship with their colleagues. And such attitude ultimately affects their
communication at the workplace. In order to establish a good relationship with their colleagues ,
people have to learn some basics of intercultural communication.

Dynamics of communication

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