DIPLOMA IN STORES MANAGEMENT

MODULE: PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT

COMMUNICATION

Introduction
The success of an individual in a team depends greatly on the extent to which he can engage in
effective communication. Faulty communication in organizations can lead to lowered efficiency
and effectiveness at the organizational as well as individual level. Most of the interpersonal
friction can be traced to faculty communication.
Communication, derived from the Latin word 'Communicare' which means‚ to share; is the
process of transmitting information and understanding. It is the transference of meaning
between individuals and the means of reaching, understanding and influencing others.
In management, communication is a mixture of personal attributes and organizational aspects.
Good communication is necessary for all organizations as management functions in organizations
are carried out through communication. Effective management is a function of effective
communication. Failures in communication can be very costly for the organization by way of
reduced co-operation and subsequent ill feeling between employees.
Effective communication results in;
• Greater effectiveness
• Keeping people in picture
• Increasing motivation
• Building better relationship and understanding between:
 Boss and subordinates
 Colleagues
 People within and outside
• Helping to understand the need for change
• 1Aperson’s day is spent in the following manner regarding the communication function.
45% of a person’s day is spent listening, 30% of a person’s day is spent talking, 16% of a
person’s day is spent reading, 9% of a person’s day is spent writing.

1
University of Missouri, https://extension2.missouri.edu/
Communication process
Communication process consists of eights elements. These eight elements are:
1. Seneder
2. Encode
3. Message
4. Channel/Medium
5. Decode
6. Receiver
7. Noise
8. Feedback

This process is depicted in the following chart.

The chart displays the two-way communication process.

Sender (Encoder)

Sender is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic
or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance - a
training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. Sender may be an
individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills,
competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal
and non - verbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining interpretation of the message
by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender.

Message

Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the
response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be
conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear.
 Medium

Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an
appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed
to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential
for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of
communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication. For instance
- Written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people,
while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient
as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.

Recipient (Decoder)

Recipient is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to
which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as
knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on
decoder.

Feedback

Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to

analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct
interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-
verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in form of memos, reports,
etc.

Noise

It is the hindrance in the process of communication. It can take place at any step in the entire
process. It reduces the accuracy of communication. e.g. disturbance in the telephone lines,
an inattentive receiver, improper decoding of message etc.

Methods of communication
Methods of communication can be summarized as follows.
1. Verbal (Oral, written, electronic)
2. Non-verbal communication - Silent
Verbal communication
Verbal communication involves the usage of words while the delivery of the intended
message is being made. It can be one-on-one, over the phone or in group settings, etc. it
is a method of effective communication that is personal and has to be used more than
only phone calls and emails whenever possible. The medium of the message in case of
verbal communication is oral. Simple speaking is verbal communication. Seeing the person
with whom face-to-face communication is taking place helps in gauging the response of
that person by understanding their body language and also assists in active participation
of the dialogue. Thus, written as well as oral communication are the two main types of
verbal communication.
Written Communication
Written communication cannot be avoided in the workplace. It is present everywhere and
consists of traditional paper and pen documents and letters, text chats, emails, typed
electronic documents, reports, SMS and anything else that might be conveyed by the use
of written symbols like language which includes any documents that are a part of the day
to day business life. Such methods of communication is indispensable for any formal
business communication and also for the issue of legal instructions. The methods of
communication that mainly make use of written communication consist of formal
business proposals, press releases, memos, contracts, brochures, handbooks and the like.
How effective the written communication is will depend on the style of writing,
vocabulary, grammar along with clarity. Written communication is most suitable in cases
that require detailed instructions, when something has to be documented or in situations
where the person is too far away to speak in person or over the phone. Social media, emil
SMS too are verbal.

Oral Communication
The other type of verbal communication includes the spoken word, either over the phone
or face-to-face, videoconferencing, voice chat or any other medium. Different types of
informal communications like the informal rumour mill or grapevine and formal
communications such as conferences and lectures are the forms of effective oral
communication. The use of oral communications is made in discussions as well as
conversations that are informal and causal. How effective the oral communication is will
depend on the speed, volume, pitch, voice modulation, clarity of speech and also the non -
verbal communications like visual cues and body language.

Nonverbal Communication
A major role is played by the nonverbal communication in the way you communicate with
other people. It cannot be relied as a sole means of communication except in cases where
the person makes use of sign language. Physical Nonverbal Communication or the body
language consists of body posture, facial expressions, eye contact, gestures like a pointed
finger, wave and the like, touch, tone of voice, overall movements of the body and others.
You need to be aware of the nonverbal communication. Your movements, eye contact and
gestures, the way you sit and stand all help in conveying a message to the person with
whom you are communicating. Gestures should be used appropriately or the hands should
be left at your sides. You should avoid fidgeting as it is distracting and the arms should
not be crossed as it sends a signal of being closed off or angry. You should always look in
the eyes of the person to whom you are speaking and never stare or roll your eyes when
they are talking.

The most common among all the nonverbal communication are the facial expressions. For
example, a frown or a smile conveys emotions that are distinct and are difficult to express
by means of verbal communication. Research has shown that nonverbal cues or body
language along with facial expressions, tone of voice and body stance account for almost
55% of all the communication that takes place. As per the research, only 7% of the
message’s comprehension by the receiver is based on the actual words of the sender, 38%
is on the basis of para language (the volume, tone and pace of speech) while 55% is on
the basis of nonverbal cues (body language).

Research has also revealed that nonverbal cues may also have an effect on whether you
are successful in getting a job offer. Judges who examine the videotapes of the applicants
were able to make assessments of their social skills even when the sound was off. They
had a look at the gesturing rate, time that was spent on talking and the dress formality
for determining the candidates who would be most successful for the job socially. Thus,
it is essential to consider the way one appears in the business and also what one says. Ou r
emotions are conveyed by our facial muscles. A silent message can be sent without
uttering a word. A change in our emotional state is visible in the change of our facial
expression. For example, if we focus on being confident prior to an interview, the
confidence will be conveyed to the interviewer by our face. Putting up a smile even when
feeling stressed can reduce the stress levels of the body.

NVC has branched into several areas. These areas are:

 Kinesics
 Haptics
 Chronomics
 Iconics
Communication in organizations
In organizations, communication happens in two ways.
1. Formal communication
2. Informal communication

Formal communication

The formal communication is the exchange of official information that flows along the different
levels of the organizational hierarchy and conforms to the prescribed rules, policy, standards,
processes and regulations of the organization. The formal communication can take palce as
follows.
1. Downward
2. Upward
3. Horizontal
4. Diagonal
Barriers to effective communication

Barriers to effective communicating are summarized as follows.

• Filtering
• Selective perception
• Information overload
• Emotions
• Language
• Nonverbal cues
• Time pressure
• Distrust
• Status
• Noise
• Biases/prejudices

Overcoming Barriers

• Regulate information flow

• Use feeddback
• Simplify language
• Listen actively
• Constrain emotions
• Watch NVC

Prepared by: S. Medagama, Senior Management Consultant