2 Process of Communication

T. Radha

Introduction

Communication may be defined as a process concerning exchange of facts or ideas between persons holding different positions in an organization to achieve mutual harmony. The communication process is dynamic in nature rather than a static phenomenon. Communication is very important for any developmental activity and more so for rural extension work.

Four levels of communication

To understand the relationship between people and communication, we need to look at that relationship from at least four different points of view. Thayer (1963) referred four levels of analysis of human communication which are (i.) intrapersonal, (ii.) Interpersonal, (iii.) Organizational and (IV.) Inter organizational communication.

(i). Intrapersonal communication

This means to communicate with one’s self. It means organizing and converting sensory data into meaningful messages having some relevance or value for an individual’s earlier period, current or upcoming behavior. Because the mental system of a human is continually busy in making sense of its environment in the service of that organism’s adaptive and goal seeking needs. The question is not whether communication is going to happen, but what communication and with what consequences. Communication is a constant process and is determined by an individual’s ability and susceptibility. However, these abilities are a function of the capacity of an individual’s conceptual system to ascribe meaning or significance to certain patterns and sequences of the events going on in his internal and external environment . It has been said that we comprehend nothing of our words , which is not a part of us.

The interpersonal communication mainly occurs in face-to face situations when the participants see, hear and even touch the other person. Thus it gives immediate feedback. As a result, the participants in a communication encounter have a chance to structure and restructure communication based on the response of the other. So , interpersonal communication is a co-function of the individual based on his immediate relevance from what is happening in his environment.

(ii). Interpersonal communication

Life of humans is largely a matter of communicating. Thus it would be difficult to make much sense of people and their behavior towards one another without taking communication into account. It would be difficult to talk about human communication without taking into account something about the nature of people. This implies that interpersonal communication should be understood as we understand interpersonal behavior. Inter-personal communication is thus not a different occurrence, but the same occurrence seen from different level of analysis. The basic functions and processes of communication at the level of interpersonal communicationare not different. The basic phenomena are the same. People are a part of our environment. However, people bring expectations to their interpersonal encounters. They also bring expectations about the others’ expectations. These expectations continuously influence their communication behavior towards each other and their response to each other .

Thus, interpersonal communication may be seen as a process of reciprocal regulation and control. Interpersonal communication is thus an attempt on the part of atleast one of the participants to establish, maintain, exploit, or alter some relationship with the other, either by adjusting himself to the other or by trying to adjust the others to him in some way. Thus, immediate and ultimate consequences are resulted by the communication processes, which occur within each participant.

(iii). Organizational communication

An organization is an established structure of individuals who work jointly to attain certain common goals and objectives. Similar to human beings, organization also establishes and maintains themselves through communication with their environments. So, organizational communication refers to all those data flows that subordinate the organization’s communication and interpersonal communication processes in some way. Organizational communication is different form of communication as it happens in a highly ordered setting. It is believed to be a two-way communication wherein ideas should travel to and fro, without distortion or bias. It determines the quality and climate of human relationship in an organization. Communication requirements and roles of an organization are fulfilled through minimum three systems.

a).The operational Communication system: In this structure, the information about duty related actions and operations are communicated within the organization from its different sources. Sometimes, mediators are involved for its gaining approval and final consumption to be made by the members of the organization.

b). The regulatory communication system :

This system conveys orders, rules and instructions that are intended to control material or information processing functions of the members of an organization. Such regulatory functions are initiated by organizational managers may be within or outside the organization. These regulatory messages are thus the natural consequences of the problem- definition behavior of the organisation’s managers.

c). The preservation and growth of communication system:

This system is providing feedback about the situation of the people or the communication channels upon which the organization is dependent. It is useful for the inflow of resources of information from the environment of organization and internal functioning and relationship with various components of the organization. Such a system is essential because it is the people in an organization who finally decide the working effectiveness and efficiency of any human organization. This system is useful for protective preservation or corrective information of one sort or the other .

(iv). Inter-organizational communication

Inter-organizational communication is a system developed by every organization to communicate with other organizations. Though, it should be set aside in mind that, organizations itself do not inter communicate but it is only people working in the organization who communicate.

KEY ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

There are many communication models, which serve a variety of purposes. They range from single event analyses which can be used to instruct beginners, to complex models which are usually understood only by specialists in the field of communication. The model which contains six important elements viz. ‘Communicator’, Message, Channel, Treatment of message, audience and audience response is explained here

1. Communicator

The communicator is the key person in the process of communication. He is the person responsible to organize and manage the whole process of communication. The main duty of the communicator is to create common understanding between himself and his audience by considering all other elements of communication through creating conducive situation for the whole process of communication.

2. Message or Content

The message is what the sender attempts to transmit to his specified receivers. The content of the message includes any data, information, pictures, figures, dissertation, declaration, statements, claims, arguments, appeals, and themes, which the sender transmits to the receivers. Thus, a message may consist of a statement of scientific facts about agriculture, sanitation and nutrition or any subjects.

A message is the information, a communicator wishes his audience to receive, understand, accept and act upon.

Characteristics of ideal or effective message

Following are some of the characteristics, which make the message more effective and acceptable:

Accurate – Scientifically sound, factual and correct
Adequate – Theory and practical should have a relation
Applicable in real life situation
Appropriate to the channel selected
Attractive – According to the urgent need, interest and problems of the audience
Clear- it should be easy to understand
According to the mental ability of the learner
According to the objective of the extension work
According to the social , economical and physical capability of the audience
Manageable- it should be able to be handled by the communicato
Significant- socially, economically and aesthetically to the needs and interests of the audience
Simply stated– covering one point at a time
Specific- no irrelevant materials
Supporting both sides– positive and negative sides
Timely- According to season
It should be in local language
Message must contain something worth saying

Message Distortion

The distortion of message is any kind of loss, deformation, or misrepresentation taken place in original message while sending it to audience. There are three types of distortions of message viz., systematic or stretch distortion, fog distortion and mirage distortion.

1. Systematic or sketch distortion : in case of systematic distortion, no information is lost but it is changed or recorded in an orderly or systematic way. Thus in this case the information is purposely changed in a systematic way to serve some specific objective. This type of distortion may be useful for extension workers for effective treatment of the message.

2. Fog distortion: in fog distortion, information is lost, masked or fogged over, because of the inability of communicator to encode or communicate and or the inability of the receiver to interpret message with complete fidelity.

3. Mirage distortion: In mirage distortion, audience receives something that ‘which is not there actually’. Mirage distortion gives extra, unwanted information. It is unwanted because it is likely to result in mistaking the distorted message as relevant information, thus it introduces errors into insight. Extension workers, while painting a shining picture with regard to new ideas, may create a mirage- type distortion in the mind of the farmers.

Explanation of ineffective communication caused by message :

In the process of communication, content of message and other qualities of the message are the key factors to attract the attention of audience. Some of the following inaccuracies in the component of message can produce unproductive communication:

Fail to convert your message into easy to understand form
Fail to explain advantages of the message
Fail to prepare and organize message properly
Fail to present the message in a proper way
Fail to select the message as per the need of the audience
Fail to separate key message from the set of the content
Fail to time the message
Fail to view the message from the point of view of audience
Use of inaccurate symbols may be words, visuals or models

3. CHANNELS

Social scientists recognize two types of channels , first type contain sensory channels based on the five senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste and second type includes institutionalized means such as face- to-face conversation, printed materials, and the electronic media.

We use the institutionalized means to transmit most of our messages. Each institutionalized medium requires one or more of the sensory channels to carry the message from the sender to the receiver. For instance, when we use face-to- face conversation, we make use of sight, gestures, expressions, sound or voice and possibly touch, smell or taste.

Social Scientists have generally found that the receiver’s attention is more likely to be gained if the sender uses a combination of institutionalized means using two or more sensory channels. When applying the multi-channel concept to real situations, you need to consider the three basic institutionalized means and a minimum of two of the sensory channels, specifically sight and sound. Face- to- face conversation has the greatest potential for getting the receiver’s attention.

Definition of channel

A channe is anything used by a sender of a message to connect him with audience.
A channel is a physical bridge between sender and receiver of the message.
A channel is the avenue between a communicator and audience on which messages travel to and fro.
A channel is a transmission line used for carrying messages to their destination.

As result of research carried out on the effectiveness of channels by social scientists, the following overviews have been stated:

A variety of methods is more effective than a single method.

Different media attract different types of audiences.
Effective films are approximately equal to an instructor for the presentation of facts and the demonstration of concepts.
Face to face communication is the most effective form to improve skill of the audience.
In other conditions are kept constant, the mental functions of recognition, verbatim recall and suggestibility seem more effectively aroused in listening.
The critical attitudes and discriminative comprehension are favored by reading.
New communication devices generally help to put across the message.
No single device is always the best in all the situations.
Non-printed devices are often very effective.
Oral argument is more effective in producing changes in opinion than printed argument.
The use of devices must be organized and planned.
Old aged persons and children prefer traditional channels to learn information.
Bringing change in the attitude of audience can be done effectively by using channel, which includes principle.

Treatment of message

The treatment of the message is the arrangement or ordering of the content by the sender. In order to make the message more attractive and receptive, the communicator should arrange the effectively content. The treatment of the message plays an important role in communication.

This process depends upon communicator’s communication skills, attitudes, knowledge level, position in social system and culture. Emotional appeal has relatively more effect than rational appeal. However, research evidence is not very consistent on this point. The impact of a communication is also influenced by order in which the various points are presented.

There are four methods of giving treatment to the message. These ways are methods of general organization, methods of attracting attention, methods of talking and methods of symbol variation and device for presentation of idea.

1. Methods of general organization: it is how effectively you present the message.

Replicate key ideas or key concepts.
Try to compare and dissimilarity of important ideas.
Present the thoughts in sequential, logical or mental sequence.
Try to illustrate one side or both sides of an idea based on situation and audience.
Try to begin with powerful argument.
Present message with reasoning.
Describe clear end product or give that chance to audience to decide.

2. Methods of attracting attention: It is how effectively you attract attention of audience

Intensity: use loud noise, a flash of light to attract attention of audience.
Extensity: use of large stimulus to attract attention.
Movement: present message with unusual movement, gestures to attract attention
Change and contrast: change in rate of movement, loudness to attract the attention.

3. Methods of talking: It is how efficiently you present ideas by way of effective speech.

Try to cover only one idea.
Try to present idea in your own natural style, never try to act.
Present timely idea in a specific manner with accurate and the latest background
If possible do not read your speech always.
After knowing the audience, try to speak their language to make them realized that you know them and take care of them.
Never try to criticize audience and their views
Try to speak in local language and use proverbs, stories, humour with personal touch.

4. Methods of using symbols: It is how efficiently you select methods of presentation. Looking to the situation, try to use different symbols or methods to bring novelty while communicating message. One can use word symbol- speech, real object, model, specimen, graphs, film, slides, picture to make message understandable and acceptable.

5. Audience

The audience or receiver is an important element of the communication process. The audience must be present to interpret and respond to the conveyed message. The goal of communication is reached when the audience or receiver accepts the sender’s message. Attention and comprehension are the means the receiver uses to attain the goal of acceptance of the message.

Attention is the process by which the receiver tunes in to a message and listens to it, watches it, or reads it. The sender must consider his receiver and treat the message in such a way that the receiver’s attention is more easily gained and retained.

Comprehension implies understanding of the message by the receiver. Here again, the sender must consider his intended receiver and use message content and treatment that will enable the receiver to understand the message.

Once the receiver has attended to the message and comprehended or understood the content, his next task is to accept the message on at least one of three levels: the cognitive, that is, the receiver accepts the message content as true; the affective, the receiver believes that the message is not only true but good; overt action, where the receiver believes that message is true, believes it is good, takes the appropriate action. One consideration required at this point is to note that receivers are more inclined to accept message contents, which agree with their previous attitudes. The sender has a less difficult task if his message agrees with the receiver’s attitudes. If the receives disagrees with the sender’s message, acceptance is less likely.

In short an audience is intended receiver of the message or the consumer of the message. In other words it can also be said that audience means those individuals or people to whom the communicator desires to convey the message to act upon.

Types of audience

Classification of audience is a lengthy process because many factors, characters and situations can be considered to classify the audience. They can be classified in many ways and some of them are as follows:

1.According to the occupation: farmers, artisans, etc

2.According to the profession: Engineers, Educators, Administrators, etc

3. According to various characteristics: like need, interest, social status, education level, economic status, knowledge, adoption, level of modernization, scientific orientation, risk orientation, etc.

4.According to availability: like possible audience, available audience and active audience in terms of physically and psychologically active.

5.According to estimation: like intended audience means they may be either listeners, who act on the message or listeners who do not act on the message, while unintended audience is other than intended audience of geographical area.

6. Audience response/feedback

Audience response or feedback is the sender’s way of determining the effectiveness of the message. It is a mental or physical reaction, response, reply or behavioral changes taken place in audience as a result of the communication process. At this stage, to receive results of the communication process, original communicator becomes audience and original audience becomes communicator. Thus, during feedback, the communication process occurs in reverse direction.

In case of possibility of two-way communication there are more chances of speedy and easy feedback. If the sender sees furrowed brows or questioning facial expression in his receivers, he knows that they did not comprehend his message. However, the overt action taken by the receiver is the feedback that the sender uses to determine the amount of influence he has with the receiver. Thus, feedback measures influence. We know that democratic leadership involves influencing others. Feedback provides a method of eliminating miscommunication. It is most effective in face- to- face conversation where feedback is instant.

Conclusion

Communication is an integral part interlinking various subsystems, such as political, economic, cultural and technological, in order to achieve a rapid and balanced form of development.

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References and Web links

Sharma V P. 2009. Cyber Extension: connecting Farmer’s in India- some experience, MANAGE, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad.
Sadanandah Nair. K and White A Shirley. 1993. Perspectives in development communication. Sage publications, New Delhi: 207- 219.
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