Communication in simple terms is a transfer of information between people, resulting in common understanding between them.
Communication has been defined differently by different writers and behavioral theorists.
Some popular definitions are –
According to Newman and summer, “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
According to Allen Louis, “It is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create an understanding in the mind of another.”
Bellows, Gilson and Odirone define communication as “ A communion by words, letters, symbols or messages, and as a way that one organization member shares meaning with the other.”
Hoben defines communication as “ The verbal interchange of thoughts or ideas.”
In the words of Anderson, “Communication is the process by which we understand others and in turn endeavor to be understood by them. It is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting in response to the total situation.”
According to Berelson and Steiner, communication is “the transmission of information, ideas, emotions, skills, etc., by the use of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs, etc.” It is the act or process of transmission that is usually called communication.”
In the words of Fotheringham, “Communication is a process involving the selection, production and transmission of signs in such a way as to help a receiver perceive a meaning similar to that in the mind of the communicator.”
From the above definitions, it is clear that communication has the following characteristics –
It is Unavoidable – It is impossible to not communicate, since we communicate unintentionally all the time, even without the use of words. Our body language, the way we dress, the importance we give to arriving on time, our behavior and the physical environment in which we work, all convey certain messages to others.
It is a Two-way Exchange of Information – Communication is sharing of information between two or more persons, with continuous feedback.
It is a Process – Each message is part of a process and does not occur in isolation. This means that the meaning attached to a message depends on what has happened before and on the present context. For example, your boss’s response to your request for a promotion will depend on your past relationship with him, as well as his mood at that particular moment.
It involves a Sender and a Receiver of Information – Any communication starts with a sender of a message and requires a receiver to attach some meaning to that message.
It could be Verbal or Non-verbal – Communication could be through the use of words in spoken or written form, or through the use of body language such as gestures and facial expressions.
It is successful when the Receiver Interprets the Meaning in the Same Way as that intended by the Sender The receiver does not always attach the same meaning to a message as the sender. When the message is wrongly interpreted, the communication is a failure. This may be due to several reasons, which we will examine later in this unit.
Communication has been defined differently by different writers and behavioral theorists.
Some popular definitions are –
According to Newman and summer, “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
According to Allen Louis, “It is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create an understanding in the mind of another.”
Bellows, Gilson and Odirone define communication as “ A communion by words, letters, symbols or messages, and as a way that one organization member shares meaning with the other.”
Hoben defines communication as “ The verbal interchange of thoughts or ideas.”
In the words of Anderson, “Communication is the process by which we understand others and in turn endeavor to be understood by them. It is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting in response to the total situation.”
According to Berelson and Steiner, communication is “the transmission of information, ideas, emotions, skills, etc., by the use of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs, etc.” It is the act or process of transmission that is usually called communication.”
In the words of Fotheringham, “Communication is a process involving the selection, production and transmission of signs in such a way as to help a receiver perceive a meaning similar to that in the mind of the communicator.”
From the above definitions, it is clear that communication has the following characteristics –
It is Unavoidable – It is impossible to not communicate, since we communicate unintentionally all the time, even without the use of words. Our body language, the way we dress, the importance we give to arriving on time, our behavior and the physical environment in which we work, all convey certain messages to others.
It is a Two-way Exchange of Information – Communication is sharing of information between two or more persons, with continuous feedback.
It is a Process – Each message is part of a process and does not occur in isolation. This means that the meaning attached to a message depends on what has happened before and on the present context. For example, your boss’s response to your request for a promotion will depend on your past relationship with him, as well as his mood at that particular moment.
It involves a Sender and a Receiver of Information – Any communication starts with a sender of a message and requires a receiver to attach some meaning to that message.
It could be Verbal or Non-verbal – Communication could be through the use of words in spoken or written form, or through the use of body language such as gestures and facial expressions.
It is successful when the Receiver Interprets the Meaning in the Same Way as that intended by the Sender The receiver does not always attach the same meaning to a message as the sender. When the message is wrongly interpreted, the communication is a failure. This may be due to several reasons, which we will examine later in this unit.
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