Communication: Meaning, Scope and Types

 

                          Communication can broadly be defined as exchange of ideas, messages and information between two or more persons, through a medium, in a manner that the sender and the receiver understand the message in the common sense, that is, they develop common understanding of the message. The word communication is derived from the Latin word ‘communicatee’, which means to share, impart, participate, exchange, transmit or to make common. It emphasizes on sharing common information, ideas and messages. It is not merely issuing orders and instructions. Communication is a two-way process of exchanging ideas or information. One person alone cannot carry out communication. When you communicate, there has to be a receiver or an audience that would reciprocate. Only then can your communication be complete. Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and non-verbal messages. It is considered effective only when it achieves the desired reaction or response from the receiver. The response may be positive or negative. In case of absence of any response, communication is incomplete.

Definitions

 

                         “Communication is the transfer of information from a sender to a receiver, with the information being understood by the receiver”. — Koontz and Weinrich.

                          The Oxford dictionary defines communication as ‘the imparting or exchange of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.

                                     According to Newman and Summer, ‘Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more people.’

Objectives of Communication 

                         Communication is carried out with some purpose or objective. The communication activity of an organization falls into three broad categories:

1. Interorganizational Communication: This takes place within an organization. It takes place in the form of orders, circulars, notices, emails, etc.

2. Interorganizational communication: This takes place between a business organization and people outside the organization. It can take place in the form of company presentations, advertisements, displays, project reports, etc.

3. Personal communication: This communication is undertaken without a specific  objective. Personal conversations, gossip, grapevine communication are examples of  personal communication. 

Importance of Communication

 1. Basis for planning: Planning is the basic function of management. If plans are well designed and communicated for their implementation, it leads to organizational success. Planning requires extensive environmental scanning and information about internal and external organization elements. An effective system of communication helps in obtaining this information. Implementing the plans requires communicating them to everybody in the organization. Communication is, thus, the basis of planning.

2. Motivation to work: Employees are motivated to work if their needs are satisfied. Communication helps managers know needs of their employees so that they can adopt suitable motivators and inspire them to develop positive attitude towards the work environment.

3. Job satisfaction: Exchange of information develops trust, confidence and faith amongst managers and subordinates. They understand their job positions better and, thus, perform better. People are committed to organizational objectives which promotes job satisfaction.

Scope of Communication

1.Communication in personal life: Communication is closely related with every sphere of human life. From dawn to sleep at night, a person communicates with others. This reveals that communication is the part and parcel of human life.

2.Communication in social life: Now we are on the verge of human civilization and living in an integrated society. In social life, people need to develop social bondage. Communication helps us in creating and strengthening this social bondage.

3.Communication in the state affairs: Communication is also pervaded in all areas of state affairs. Without communication, state neither can administer its various wings nor can maintain relationships with the other part of the world. Due to revolutionary change in communication technologies, the whole world has turned into a global village.

4.Communication in business: In this post-modern age, we cannot think of business without communication. Communication is the lifeblood of business as it provides necessary information in formulating business plans and policies.

Types of Communications

1. Non-verbal communication: It is interesting to note that non-verbal communication is used both intentionally and unintentionally. Most people do not have perfect control over their facial expressions - we all have heard an unprofessional comment and raised our eyebrows in response, regardless of whether or not it was wise to do so.

Facial expressions

               We often use facial expressions as a way to communicate that we are listening and engaged with the person speaking. A smile, furrowed eyebrows, or a quizzical expression all convey information to the speaker about how you are responding to their conversation. 

Posture

          How you position yourself during a conversation is important. If you angle your towards the person, with a relaxed and open posture, you invite them to engage with you more fully. Leaning back, crossing arms, or turning away from the speaker conveys a very different message - and not a positive one. 

Gestures and physical touch

         Depending on the person, and their country of origin, they may use gestures and physical touch a lot, or almost never. However, there is a lot of information conveyed in these actions. A gentle touch on the arm can signal encouragement, while an overly strong handshake can be an act of dominance. 

Eye contact

            We all know the importance of eye contact. When someone is unable to maintain eye contact, we take this to mean that they are being untruthful, shifty, or not paying attention. Being able to maintain eye contact while listening will ensure that the speaker knows that you are present and engaged. While speaking, it shows that you are connecting with the listener, and in cases where you are delivering unpleasant news, is doubly important. 

2. Verbal communication: When we speak, we are communicating much more than just the content of our words. We are also using pitch and tone, as well as the level of formality we use to convey important subtext to the person we are speaking with.

 Pitch

     When speaking, our emotions can often come into play. If we are angry, upset, or frustrated, our pitch might raise, conveying to the listener that we are experiencing a strong emotion. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but being able to control it allows you to make sure that you are effectively communicating.

Tone

       We all encounter situations that are frustrating or upsetting. Allowing that to change our tone from calm and professional to curt, short, or rude is always a mistake. Tone conveys a lot of information to the listener about how the speaker views them. To build positive interpersonal relationships in an office environment, we should all endeavor to speak in a professional and respectful tone.

Content

      Of course, content is the most important part of verbal communication. What we say, and the words we choose to use, are crucial.

3. Written communication: Effective communication by writing is a massively important skill, especially as more people are working remotely and keep in touch throughout the workday through Skype, Slack, or other digital mediums. From a Slack message to an email to a customer to a new employee’s training guide, we write every day and it is crucial that we understand how to do so effectively. In fact, as we increasingly rely on written communication, we are all faced with just how easy it is to create misunderstandings when using this medium. Unclear messages, the information gone missing, or an incorrect understanding of tone or content are all problems that happen with written communication every day. Sometimes the reader will misread the tone of a message because they are having a bad day, or just had a run-in with an unpleasant person. No matter what, one important skill to have when relying on written communication is knowing when you need to stop using it. A simple call, in almost all cases, can solve these communication problems. If you sense that there is a miscommunication happening, or just starting, nip it in the bud with a quick verbal chat and you’ll save a lot of time and frustration for all parties.

4. Visual communication: Visual has become the most used type of communication, driven by social media, YouTube, and other platforms of the digital era. As more and more people and organizations use these channels of communication, the more we are used to, and even dependent upon, using visual communication to stand out in a crowded platform. Understanding that your visual communication must be in line with your brand and marketing, and knowing that there must be a developed and cohesive strategy for that, is crucial. We rely heavily on visual communication. There are many ways that visual communication, like charts, photographs, sketches, video, graphs, and even emojis and GIFs, can help improve the understanding of your message.