Communication refers to the process by which information is exchanged between individuals. It operates on a sender-receiver model. The sender can transmit an idea, opinion, feeling, fact, news, or other forms of information to the receiver. The receiver then gives feedback on the content in communication and puts forward their own ideas and opinions.
The communication process is a vital part of business communication. It ensures coordination, teamwork, and building relationships. Elements in the communication cycle include a sender, a receiver, a message, a channel, encoding, and decoding along with feedback, response, and noise.
In a company, sender and receiver communication can occur in:
Oral form: business meetings, phone calls, face-to-face conversations, etc
Written form: formal and informal business reports, short reports, emails, etc.
The sender and receiver communication may not necessarily involve only two parties. Two or more groups of people can be parts of the communication process.
Example of the communication process
Elements of the Communication Process
The basic elements of the communication cycle are as follows:
1) Sender: The sender is also known as the source of the information. They come first on the list of elements in communication. They share information which can be in various forms such as opinions, ideas, news, etc. with a person or group of persons.
The sender may be an individual person (sales representative or executive) or a non-personal entity such as the organization itself.
2) Encoding: Encoding in the communication process refers to the means that the sender uses to communicate information. The sender uses words, pictures, symbols, etc. to put together thoughts and ideas in a way that would be easily understood by the receiver. The goal of the encoding process is to ensure a clear flow of information from sender to receiver.
3) Message: Once the encoding process is decided, the sender must develop the message that contains the information they wish to convey. The message may be written, symbolic, verbal, or non-verbal. It must be in a form that is transmittable for the appropriate channel in the communication process.
4) Channel: A channel is the means by which the sender communicates a message to the receiver. It is a form of communication that relies on a medium to deliver a message. For example, written communication is a channel of communication that relies on mediums such as letters, business reports, emails, etc. to convey information.
Channels in the communication process are divided into three broad categories:
Oral: In oral communication, the sender directly interacts with the receiver in a face-to-face conversation. For example, a sales executive directly deals with customers. This allows the sender greater control over the interaction. Check out our detailed article on the merits and demerits of oral communication.
Written: Messages are also transmitted in written format between sender and receiver. For example, letters, memos, business communication reports, emails, notices, manuals, etc. Check out our detailed article on the merits and demerits of written communication.
Audio/Video: The audio channel involves video tapes, video conferences, video chats, etc.
5) Receiver: The sender uses a channel to communicate the message to the receiver. The receiver is simply the party the message was intended for. The receiver may read, see or hear the message. They can also be active parts of the communication process if the sender contacts them directly.
6) Decoding: Same as a sender encoding a message, the receiver must decode the message received. Decoding in the communication process involves the receiver interpreting the message based on their individual backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints.
For effective communication, the encoding and decoding of the message must match. This refers to the receiver interpreting the message exactly how the sender intended.
7) Response: Once the receiver has seen, heard, or read the message, how they react to it makes up their response. The response of a receiver can vary from person to person.
A receiver may simply store the information in their memory or act immediately by replying or taking action. For example, a customer buys a product right after communicating with the salesperson.
8) Feedback: Feedback is part of various elements of communication. It is a form of reverse communication where the receiver encodes a message for the sender to decode.
In simple words, the receiver tells the sender how they interpreted the message and offer their own thoughts and ideas. Feedback in marketing can be in the form of personal communication, online customer reviews, ratings, etc.
Why is feedback important in communication?
Feedback allows the sender to collect information about the message from the receiver.
It completes the communication process as the sender and receiver interact with each other.
Depending on positive or negative feedback from the receiver, is a good way to measure the effectiveness of communication and make future improvements.
Feedback helps in improving employee and management relations as it creates a congenial atmosphere in the workspace.
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9) Noise: During the communication process, outside factors may distract or interfere with the reception of the message. This distortion of unplanned factors is referred to as noise.
Noise can disrupt any and all elements of communication. For example, ineffective communication by an inexperienced sender can cause the message to be poorly interpreted by the receiver.
There are two types of noise:
Channel Noise: This covers mechanical failures, static, and technical problems such as the legibility of text, volume, etc.
Semantic Noise: This type of noise is related to problems in the message. Examples are grammatical errors, wrong punctuation, spelling mistakes, etc.
Example of elements of the communication process
How elements of the communication process are used for the marketing communication process?
Businesses and organizations utilize communication processes to effectively convey their marketing messages to their intended audience. Subsequently, the consumer responds to these messages by providing feedback and expressing their likes or dislikes towards the products or services being offered.
The process begins with the organization, acting as the sender, formulating a marketing message specifically tailored for their target audience. This message is then converted into understandable symbols, a process known as encoding. These symbols are closely aligned with the marketing messages developed by the organization.
The encoded message is transmitted to the target consumer through a channel or medium. This enables organizations to effectively deliver their marketing message to potential customers. The medium used can be direct, such as sales executives making phone calls to prospects, or indirect, utilizing various forms of media like newspapers, magazines, brochures, television, and radio.
The next stage involves the consumer’s response to the organization’s message. This feedback stage provides the organization with valuable insights regarding the perception of its product or service directly from consumers. Feedback can be positive or negative, depending on how the consumers perceive the product.
The process concludes with the element of “Noise.” In this context, noise refers to cultural differences that exist between the targeted region and the organization’s marketing message. Such differences can hinder the acceptance of the product in the market, leading to lower levels of success.
Defining Communication Cycle
The communication cycle refers to the different elements in communication interacting together to successfully transmit a message from the sender to its receiver.
The correct sequence of communication begins with a sender who acts as the source of the information. The sender encodes information and puts together their ideas in the form of words (oral or written), pictures, etc.
The encoded information is used to form a message which requires a channel (personal or non-personal) to be transmitted to the receiver.
After receiving the message, the receiver starts the process of decoding the information according to their needs and understanding.
Once this is done, the receiver responds in the form of a reply, action, or simply inaction. The receiver may also offer the sender feedback on how they interpreted the message.
Components of the Communication Process
The major components of a communication process are:
Thoughts and ideas of the sender
Encoding the idea into a message using a channel
The receiver decodes the message they received
The response of the receiver to the message
Feedback provided to the sender by the receiver
The sender decoding the feedback received
7 C’s of Communication
The 7 C’s of communication apply to both oral and written forms of communication. They are:
1) Completeness: The information communicated should be complete and mention all facts required by the receiver.
2) Conciseness: The communicated message should be concise and use as few words and technical jargon as possible.
3) Consideration: The sender should be unbiased and try to take the audience’s viewpoints, backgrounds, mindsets, etc. into consideration.
4) Clarity: The message should convey the information clearly and be easily understood by the receiver.
5) Concreteness: A concrete message focuses on the particulars and clear information rather than being confusing and generic.
6) Courtesy: The sender should respect the receiver and convey their message in a polite and courteous manner.
7) Correctness: Correctness in communication refers to the message having no grammatical errors.
Must Read: Principles of Effective Business Communication
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1) What is communication?
Ans: Communication refers to the transmission of thoughts, ideas, and messages between a sender and a receiver. This is done through a channel of communication which can be oral, written, symbolic, picturized, etc. For communication to be effective, certain principles of effective communication should be followed by the sender and receiver.
Q2) What is the importance of communication for an organization?
Ans: Communication is the backbone of any organization. It helps in planning, motivation among employees, coordination, and maintaining healthy industrial relations. A well-organized communication system enables subordinates to understand instructions easily and improve the quality of work.
Q3) What are the factors affecting communication?
Ans: The factors which may serve as a communication barrier include:
Providing too much information
Delay in response from the receiver
Providing unclear information
Using weak language
Selecting the wrong delivery channel
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Q4) What are the major elements of a communication process?
Ans: The major elements of a communication process are:
Sender
Encoding
Message
Channel
Receiver
Decoding
Response
Feedback
Noise
Q5)What is the difference between the communication process and the elements of communication?
Ans: The communication process refers to the exchange of information between a sender and receiver. The elements of communication include 9 essential elements: sender, encoding, message, channel, receiver, decoding, response, feedback, and noise.
The communication process is made up of four key components. Those components include encoding, medium of transmission, decoding, and feedback. There are also two other factors in the process, and those two factors are present in the form of the sender and the receiver.
For example, you may realize you're hungry and encode the following message to send to your roommate: “I'm hungry.Do you want to get pizza tonight?” As your roommate receives the message, he decodes your communication and turns it back into thoughts in order to make meaning out of it.
In the above diagram of elements of the communication process, the communicator is the encoder, the message is symbol (verbal or non-verbal), the channel is one of the transmission medium, the receiver is the decoder, feedback is the response to the message, and noise is any interruption that breaks down the ...
Key Takeaway. The communication process involves understanding, sharing, and meaning, and it consists of eight essential elements: source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and interference.
Channels of communication include speaking, writing, video transmission, audio transmission, electronic transmission through emails, text messages and faxes and even nonverbal communication, such as body language.
Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media. Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others.
Some of the top communication examples including face-to-face discussion, text message, and body language. Having the ability to communicate effectively is often referred to communication skills.
This model has been built up upon ten clearly explained elements that are as follows: 1) Sender; 2) Objective; 3) Message; 4) Dispatching; 5) Time-Place Factor; 6) Medium; 7) Reception; 8) Receiver; 9) Understanding; and 10) Response.
For example, Paige asks Bill a question verbally. The message travels through the air, the "channel," to Bill's ears. He responds. Paige is the sender, the question is the message, and Bill is the receiver and gives Paige feedback by answering the question.
Sender: The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the conversation and has conceptualized the idea that he intends to convey it to others.
The communication process refers to a series of actions or steps taken in order to successfully communicate. It involves several components such as the sender of the communication, the actual message being sent, the encoding of the message, the receiver and the decoding of the message.
Chez Misko, the COO of Wisconsin Athletic Club, shares the “Nine C's” of effective communication. To be a successful leader, it is imperative to have good communication skills.
Most importantly, these axioms help you design effective messages, so that you better understand what you should say and how you should say it. Just as importantly, the Axioms tell you what you should not say and what you should avoid when designing and delivering a message.
Different components of communication influence the interaction between two or more people. Once you understand these components of communication, you'll be able to communicate effectively. You can master effective communication by understanding the different elements of the communication cycle.
Intent is the most basic. The underlying force behind every communication. Of the three elements of communication, we argue that intent is the most important.
Seven major elements of communication process are: (1) sender (2) ideas (3) encoding (4) communication channel (5) receiver (6) decoding and (7) feedback.
There are eight main elements of a communication process diagram: the sender, encoding, the message, the channel, the receiver, decoding, noise, and feedback.
The basic communication model consists of five elements of communication: the sender, the receiver, the message, the channel and feedback. Sender The sender plays the specific role of initiating communication. To communicate effectively, the sender must use effective verbal as well as nonverbal techniques.
There are 7 essential steps to complete the communication process, which are sender or source, encoding, message, medium or channel, decoding, receiver, feedback, and noise.
As you can see, there are at least six distinct types of communication: non-verbal, verbal-oral-face-to-face, verbal-oral-distance, verbal-written, formal, and informal.
For example, if your friend (sender) sends you a wedding invitation (message) via the postal service (channel), it is your responsibility to receive the invitation card from the postman, and read it and understand (decode) that your friend wants you to attend the wedding celebrations.
Communication can be categorized into three basic types: (1) verbal communication, in which you listen to a person to understand their meaning; (2) written communication, in which you read their meaning; and (3) nonverbal communication, in which you observe a person and infer meaning.
Some of the most common examples of two-way communication systems are the radio, telephone, and computer-aided dispatch systems used by police, fire, and emergency response personnel.
Once receiving the message, the receiver sends a response back. For example, Person A sends an email to Person B --> Person B responds with their own email back to Person A. The cycle then continues. This chart demonstrates two-way communication and feedback.
INTERPERSONAL: This is communication between two people—just two people. It can be like a conversation with your best friend, a text you send your mom, a meeting with you and a teacher, etc.
Effective communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose. When we communicate effectively, both the sender and receiver feel satisfied.
The sender is the radio announcer who encodes a verbal message that is transmitted by a radio tower through electromagnetic waves (the channel) and eventually reaches your (the receiver's) ears via an antenna and speakers in order to be decoded.
In other words, it can be anything causing a noisy environment in communication. Examples of physical noise can include static on a call, the noise of an airplane flying over the building and people talking during a meeting or presentation, among many others. Physical noise can also be non-auditory.
In a nutshell, communication channels are mediums through which you can convey a message to its intended audience. For example, phone calls, text messages, emails, video, radio, and social media are all types of communication channels. In a company, communication channels keep information flowing efficiently.
What is Verbal Communication? Verbal communication is any communication that uses words to share information with others. These words may be both spoken and written. Communication is about passing information from one person to another.
Communication Strengths: Receptive, nonjudgmental, gentle, supportive, good listener. Communication Weaknesses: Avoidant, passive, not forthcoming, indecisive, passive-aggressive. Common Words/Sayings: “peace”, “conflict”, “Sure.”, “It's up to you.”, “get along”.
Spoken or Verbal Communication, which includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other media. Non-Verbal Communication, covering body language, gestures, how we dress or act, where we stand, and even our scent. There are many subtle ways that we communicate (perhaps even unintentionally) with others.
Answer: (a) Clear Communication means – Be clear about what you want to say. Example: Ramesh bring your maths fair notebook tomorrow. (b) Complete Communication means – Your message should have all the needed information.
The communication process isn't always so simple or smooth, of course. These elements can affect how information is transmitted, received, and interpreted: Noise: This can be any sort of interference that affects the message being sent, received, or understood.
The communication process involves understanding, sharing, and meaning, and it consists of eight essential elements: source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and interference.
Co-ordination in work is not one of the seven C's of effective communication. The seven C's of communication involves: clarity, completeness, conciseness, concreteness, courtesy, correctness and consider. these seven C's of communication is of utmost necessary to facilitate an effective communication process.
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