1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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