Activity: Module 1 - Exercise 1

How do you define communication?

In this article, communication is seen as a form to get a message across. This is usually done by the interaction of two or more people. Just like the American Management Association defines it, any behavior that results in an exchange of meaning.

What is the role of communication in management of business?

All communication impacts a business day to day operations. This article talks about internal communication, which is all interaction with the organization’s personnel, while external communication is all interaction with the outside of the organization. Communication is key when managing a business. It is all based on how good the communication is, good communication is vital for management of a business. While on the contrary, bad communication can cause big problems in the organization.  

What are the different purposes of communication? Briefly explain any five of them

1.      For instruction: The instructive function unvarying and importantly deals with the commanding nature. It is more or less of directive nature. Under this, the communicator transmits with necessary directives and guidance to the nest level, to enable them to accomplish his task.

2.      For integration: It is consolidated function under which integration of activities is endeavored. The integration function of communication mainly involves bringing about inter-relationship among the various functions of the business organization. It helps in the unification of different management functions.

3.      For information: The purpose of function of communication is to inform the individual or group about the task or company policies and procedures etc. Top management informs policies to their lower level through the middle level. In turn, the lower level informs the top level the reaction through the middle level. Information can flow vertically, horizontally, and diagonally across the organization.

4.      For evaluation: Examination of activities to form an idea or judgement of the worth of task is achieved though communication. Communication is a tool to appraise the individual or team, their contribution to the organization. Evaluating one’s own input or other’s outputs or some ideological scheme demands an adequate and effective communication process.  

5.      For direction: Communication is necessary to issue directions by the top management or manager to the lower level. Employee can perform better when he is directed by his senior. Directing others may be communicated either orally or in writing. An order may be common order, request order or implied order.

6.      For teaching

7.      For influencing

8.      For image building

9.      For employee’s orientation

10.   Other

Discuss the difference situations when the communication exists.

The communication situation is said to exist when.

·        There is a person (sender/transmitter) who wants to pass some information.

·        There is another person (receiver) to whom the information is to be passed on

·        The receiver partly or wholly understands the message or information passed on to him.

·        The receiver responds to the message or gives feedback.

It all comes down to the interaction of two or more people that want to transmit a message or idea.

 

“Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions and emotions by two or more persons” Explain the statement and discuss the role of feedback in communication.

When in says “exchange” it means the way of getting message across to an individual or individuals. This phrase refers to facts, ideas, opinions, and emotions; this are all things that we make an emphasis on to make communication a lot simpler and easier.

“Communication is the two-way process” Explain.

Funny enough, to have a successful communication. There needs to be an involvement of two parties that agree or disagree with each other. Being dominant on one side can be taken as possessive or even rude without you even noticing.

Discuss the elements of communication process.

1.      Sender or transmitter: The person who desires to convey the message is known as sender. Sender initiates the message and changes the behavior of the receiver.

2.      Message: It is a subject matter of any communication. It may involve any fact, idea, opinion, or information. It must exist in the mind of the sender if communication is to take place.

3.      Encoding: The communicator of the information organizes his idea into series of symbols (words, signs, etc.) which, he feels will communicate to the intended receiver or receivers.

4.      Communication channel: The sender must select the channel for sending the information. Communication channel is the media through which the message passes. It is the link that connects the sender and the receiver.

5.      Receiver: The person who receives the message is called receiver or receiver is the person to whom the message is sent by the transmitter. The communication process is incomplete without the existence of receiver of the message. It is a receiver who receives and tries to understand the message.

6.      Decoding: Decoding is the process of interpretation of an encoded message into the understandable meaning. Decoding helps the receiver to drive meaning from the message.

7.      Feedback: Communication is an exchange process. For the exchange to be complete the information must go back to whom from where it started (or sender), so that he can know the reaction of the receiver. The reaction or response of the receiver is known as feedback.

8.      Brain drain: On whole process there is a possibility of misunderstandings at any level and is called brain drain. It may arise on sender side if they do not choose the adequate medium for delivery of message, by using default channel and it may also arise when receiver does not properly decode the message. In other words, we can say that it is breakdown of cycle at any level.

The communication process is a form of having an effective communication. There are certain elements that a person needs to take in order to have an effective communication. There is a total of 8 elements in which is explain every single aspect of a good communication.

 

Give 3 examples of brain drain in communication process.

·        When an important political figure addresses an issue and does not make it clear or uses the wrong words to get his message across.

·        When giving important information to the organization and accidentally information gets missed or confused.

·        When communication is given out more than once, the information begins to deteriorate or missed.