Exploring Communication as a Behavioural Process Chapter 11: Exploring Communication as a Behavioural Process Learning Objectives: Appreciate Communication as a key human, social process in organisations Understand the factors affecting communication process Understand how communication can be made more accurate Discuss various measures contributing to effective communication Explore the Johari framework supporting effective communication

Meaning and Functions of Communication Communication is - The transmission and reception of ideas, feelings and attitudes--verbally and non-verbally--which produce a response Communication is “a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding At work, the process of communication is Instrumental in achieving desired results Helping expression of social and emotional matters

Communication Process has the following Elements At least Two Parties Communication requires the sender and the receiver of a message and they are known as the “Who” of communication Communication Context Communication context is created by time (the “when” of communication), physical setting (“Where”), as well as the social, situational, environmental and cultural (“How”) factors Message and Barriers Communication occurs through words, sounds, message structure, gestures, eye contact, posture, voice characteristics and even personal grooming and choice of dress, hair style and accessories (“What”) Feedback Receiver responds to the message from the sender

Measures of Accuracy of Communication Sender Sender’s level of development affects how the message is encoded Receiver Attributes These are similar to the sender’s attributes explained above, but encoding is replaced by decoding at the side of the recipient Channel Attributes (1) Number of channels available for conveying the meaning (2) Possibility of modification, revision and correction of the message (3) Possibility of feedback

Measuring Accuracy of Communication Message Attributes The degree to which several components of communication convey the same message: while communicating face to face, the speaker has the verbal and nonverbal channels available for conveying the meaning Message structure: this refers to the degree to which the arrangement of message components helps the receiver in predicting what might come next Degree of objectivity: if the meaning of the message is well defined, it becomes freer of the situation or context in which it happened Topic Attributes The degree to which the topic of communication itself is ambiguous The degree of complexity of the topic reflected in the number of parts within the message and their interrelationship

Messages intended to mislead: Understanding Misrepresentation and Deceit Communication may be a deceitful where the sender deliberately lied or distorted the facts with covert intensions to manipulate the decision or the action of the receiver in sender’s favor Such motivation and efforts to lie increase especially when stakes are high – that is, when consequences of not being caught or the consequences of being ‘successful’ are significant We can perhaps understand deceit as a stronger and more serious version of misrepresentation Deceit is a misrepresentation with an intention to control other party’s interpretation and subsequent action based on the sender’s message, by controlling one’s own display of verbal and nonverbal cues so that the receiver judges the message as authentic

Towards Effective communication: Discerning the meaning that matters Reading” both, the verbal and nonverbal messages from the sender Segregating communication problems from other problems Listening for effective interpersonal communication Questioning, probing Giving and receiving Feedback