What are the three main objectives of business communication?
The purpose of communication can be summarized in three ways.
First, the exercise of influence can be seen as the main purpose.
The exercise of influence is done by the messenger to the recipient. Among the roles of managers, managers try to exert influence on employees in order to ensure that employees achieve their organizational goals. At this time, communication is mobilized as a major means of exerting influence.
The second purpose of communication is information exchange.
Information exchange is an essential activity in decision-making. For example, managers provide information that employees need, and employees provide information that managers need. Through this exchanged information, both managers and employees can obtain synergy effects of information and efficiently perform organizational decision-making.
The third purpose of communication is emotional expression.
Emotional expression is made to obtain a stronger human relationship by expressing my feelings and emotions to the other person in human relationships. Expressing emotions through communication within an organization is essential for the smooth and flexible operation of the organization.
Each of the three communication objectives listed above is not separate. These are all achieved simultaneously when the message is delivered.
What are the barriers to communication?
Communication barriers, also known as interference, consist of obstacles that make it difficult for messages to arrive in the communication process.
Therefore, messages may be distorted or misrepresented through these barriers, which may not be delivered properly to the recipient. These barriers lie between the sender and recipient of the message.
On the other hand, communication barriers can be of various types as shown below. But they have different characteristics, but what they all share is that they interfere with the correct transmission or arrival of the message.
The result is a fragmentation (partially or entirely), distortion, dissonance, meaningless, altered, or distorted message, as we have seen.
Depending on the characteristics, there are various types of communication barriers as follows.
- Meaning barrier.
It is related to the meaning of the meaning barrier word. In this way, this type of barrier explains that we don’t understand words, phrases, or speeches. In other words, it makes it difficult to understand or give meaning to the message. Therefore, it works, for example, when the recipient fails to interpret the message sent by the sender correctly.
On the other hand, using words that actually have inconsistent meanings as recipients creates semantic barriers. This particular case is called an “importance change.”
- Psychological barrier.
Communication barriers can also be psychological. This is related to the specific psychological situation of the sender or recipient of the message. Therefore, this type of barrier is also related to the sender and/or recipient’s emotional state, and the message can be changed.
On the other hand, they are also related to our sympathy or rejection of the sender or recipient, which can affect how we receive or interpret messages.
Finally, prejudice plays a causal role in this type of communication barrier because it affects the way we see others and the way their messages are delivered to us.
- Physiological barrier.
Another type of communication barrier is physiological barriers. This, like all communication barriers, makes it difficult or hinders the message from being clearly and accurately transmitted, but in this case, specific physiological changes on the part of the sender or receiver.
That is, if one (or both) of them is in a changed state at a physiological level (e.g., drunk, angry, confused, drowsy, etc.), the emission and/or reception of the message is changed. It’s distorted.
- Physical barriers.
The physical barrier is probably the most obvious. It is the situation or every situation in the environment that hinders fluid and clear communication. For example, we are talking about noise, lack of light, excessive distance between bolders, problems with means used for communication (television, phone, mobile…).
- Administrative barriers.
The management barrier is related to the channel through which messages are sent in the communication process. Organizational structure or plan of communication behavior.
Examples of providing clearer ideas include information overload, information loss, lack of planning, semantic distortion, and impersonal communication.
How can we overcome written or non-verbal forms of communication barriers?
Listening is the ability to develop. Davis and Newstrom proposed 10 guidelines to improve listening skills.
- Don’t talk.
- Comfort the person who talks comfortably.
- Show it to the person who says they really want to hear it.
- Exclude factors that can be distracted.
- What will be assimilated to the speaker?
- Be soft.
- Don’t argue or criticize.
- Ask questions.
- And I will never try to talk and listen, of which the first and last are the most important. In other words, you should never talk until you hear it
How can we overcome the communication barrier caused by messages?
There are also several techniques to improve written communication.
- Use simple words and sentences.
- Use short and familiar words.
- Use personal pronouns like yours where appropriate.
- Listen to visible examples and examples.
- Use a short sentence.
- Use active rather than passive sentences.
- Avoid unnecessary words.
How can organizational communication models affect organizations?
The types of communication in the group are divided into five shapes as shown in the following figure according to the flow of information exchange between group members.
- Star Network
Information delivery and decision-making are quick and suitable for real life, but not for decision-making that is complex and requires a lot of information. This is because if the leader makes a wrong decision, an error occurs. The wheel type is not right for careful decision-making. It is a type of communication made in a working group in which a member reports only to one supervisor. The person in the middle is the central person in communication, and other members can only communicate with the central person. This occurs when there is a specific leader within the group. Since all information is delivered by a specific leader, information is concentrated on a specific leader. This includes the form of factory workers reporting to a supervisor and receiving technology from him. This method has the disadvantage of not being able to share information among members because the power is concentrated in one place.
- Chain Network
In the chain type, communication consists only of up and down, and this is generally the case with a formal command system in tall organization. This is a form of communication (information) through formal systems and vertical channels. Therefore, it is a communication network used in formal organizations with a clear system of commands and authority. The line of organization is the most representative example. Through a unified system, the CEO’s intention is delivered to the terminal front-line workers, and vice versa, it goes through the same command chain. Instructions are delivered in a series, such as executives in charge, managers, managers, employees, etc., rather than directly instructing the manager. This type of network can be easily found in bureaucratic or formalized organizations, and the possibility of information distortion increases as the chain progresses. Today, teams, group systems, etc. are widely used to break through the inefficiency of this type of network.
- Y Network
Type Y is a network that combines chain and wheel types. Like the serial type, continuous communication and communication are centered on the central figure of the wheel type. Unlike the cart wheel type, this form does not have a specific leader within the group, but appears when there is a person who can represent the group relatively. In particular, it can be found in a mixed group of lines and steps, and the accuracy in solving simple problems is relatively high. As can be seen in the figure above, the entire communication is achieved only through the central point, which is the adjustment station. In other words, it can be used when coordination roles are required in communication between people belonging to different groups (lines and steps).
- Circle Network
It is a communication network in which interactions between members are not concentrated and are widely distributed. Therefore, communication communication is slow. Satisfaction is high because all of your information is delivered and even some feedback is received. It forms a horizontal network with types that appear in organizations such as task forces and committee organizations. The above type appears to solve specific problems in organizations with no concentration of power and no high or low status. Of course, in this method, the problem-solving process can be said to be quite democratic, but there is a problem of group thinking or a risk of making a next-best decision.
- ComCon Network
It corresponds to an informal communication network such as grape vines. Information delivery is slower than chain type, but faster than circle or wheel type. In this type, all members can communicate without formal and informal leaders. This is an informal communication method mentioned above, in which members exchange opinions or information with each other according to their free will. This form is a form that appears a lot in today’s organizations. If opinions are freely exchanged without certain rules, creative and novel ideas can be produced. It is used in the brainstorming process when creating advertisement texts or trying to find new alternatives.
Reference
Wikipedia Foundation (2021). Mass media [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media [Accessed 11. 19 2021].
Wikipedia Foundation (2021). Models of communication [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_communication [Accessed 11. 19 2021].
