Unit 4:
Communication
Contents (5 hours)
Meaning/definition, purpose and type of
communication
Communication process
Barriers and measures of overcoming them
Principles of effective communication
Interview: Aims, kinds and technique
Communication
Communication is derived from latin words communis,
which mean “to share” that is sharing of ideas,
concepts, feelings and emotion.
It is a process by which two or more persons exchange
ideas and reach common understanding.
It is the art of transmitting information, ideas and
attitudes from one person to another.
Communication is a process by which two or more
people exchange ideas, facts, feelings or impressions in
ways that each gains a “common understanding” of
meaning, intent and use of message. Paul Leagens
The Communication is a two-way process
wherein the information, ideas, opinions,
thoughts, feelings, etc. are transmitted between
the individuals through the use of mutually
understood symbols and semiotic rules (signs
and symbols).
Communication is the exchange and flow of information
and ideas from one person to another, it involves a sender
transmitting an ideas, information or feeling to a receiver.
Effective communication occur only if the receiver
understands the exact information or the ideas that the
sender intended to transmit.
It is a continuous process.
Purpose
To develop new attitude behavior and thoughts that are
likely to promote health and welfare and produce a
change.
To exchange new, ideas and informayion with each
other.
To provide information to community people or extend
the message.
To help to motivate people to accept ideas.
To simplify information or facts to another person.
It help to develop the trust and rapport between the
clients, family member and nurses.
Effective communication provide professional
satisfaction, job satisfaction, motivation towards the
work
It helps to established and maintain the relationship
between other health personal as doctor,
intradepartmental staff.
Types of communiation
On the basis of expression
◦ Verbal communication
◦ Non verbal communication
On the basis of relationship
◦ Formal communication
◦ Informal communication
On the basis of flow
◦ Vertical communication(downward, upward)
◦ Horizontal communication
Verbal communication
It refers to a written and spoken message exchanged in
the form of words.
Verbal communication depends upon language so that
people can share information effectively.
It is the effective method of communication, there is
clarity, accuracy and certainty.
The device used are speech, telephone,
dictating message, lecture, instruction, order
counseling and group discussion.
There are two type of verbal communication:
One way communication: the flow of message is one
way from the communicator to the audience.
It is autocratic, rapid and transmission of message from
sender to receiver without return of feedback. E.g
lecture method in classroom, radio, announcement and
poster.
Two way communication: it is the process of
transmission of message from the sender to the
receiver and receiver to the sender in the interactive
way.
• Two way communication is that in which both the
audience and the communicator take place. The
audience may raise question and add their information,
ideas and opinion to the subject. For example
counseling, interview, group discussion.
Non verbal communication
It refers to the messages that don’t involve written or
spoken words.
The message is conveyed through the behaviors or
body language.
Non verbal communication includes a whole range of
bodily movement, postures, gestures, facial
expression, example, smile, raised eyebrows, staring
etc.
Formal communicaion
Formal communication is defined as the
communication in which the information is reached
through proper channels or routes. It is also called
official communication.
The communication in which the flow of information
is already defined is termed as formal communication.
The communication follows a hierarchical chain of
command which is established by the organization
itself.
This type of communication is used exclusively in the
workplace, and the employees are bound to follow it
while performing their duties.
The main aim of this communication is to
properly communicate and make sure that the
information has reached correctly.
This communication is considered as an
effective communication mode as it saves time
through its systematic flow of communication.
Informal communication
Any communication that takes place without following
the formal channels of communication is said to
be informal communication.
This is also known as ‘grapevine communication’ as it
spreads throughout the organization and in all
directions without any regard to the levels of authority.
Informal communication is the spontaneous kind of
communication.
The main aim of informal communication is to fulfill
personal interests and needs.
In this method, people communicate freely without any
rules and regulations. Informal communication is
spontaneous and flexible.
This process is speedy, but the information transmitted
is unreliable. There is no evidence of the messages
conveyed here because it is often oral
communication that occurs
Vertical communication
This kind of communication is held on various
organizational levels. In this, the message is
passed from juniors to team members to the
manager or vice-versa.
There are two types of vertical communication:
Upward communication: messages are transmitted
from lower to higher levels i.e from subordinates to
the superiors.
Downward communication – messages are
transmitted from higher to lower levels. From
superiors to the subordinates
Horizontal communication
Horizontal communication – communication
between employees of the same levels at
different departments and among peers
Elements of communication
1. Communicator(Sender): Communicator is a person
who conveys the message to others. To be effective
communicator, he or she must know
Objectives clearly defined
Need and interest of audience.
Message should be clear, concise and useful
Channel of communication
2. Message: The message is created by the sender to
convey the information, fact or opinion to the
receiver. Message is information, a good message
must be ：
Have line with objective
Clear and understandable
Specific, accurate, timely and appealing
Based on felt needs
3. Channel: Channels are the media of communication
through which the message is communication to the
receiver. A channel may be anything used by the sender
of the message to connect him with the receiver or
audience. Common channel of the communication are
television, radio, books, newspaper, personal contact
etc.
4. Receiver/audience: Receiver is a person who
receives message. It may be a mass of people
or a group or an individual in the community.
Message should be given according to the
level of understanding, age, interest,
education, culture, religious beliefs etc.
Communication Process
The communication process refers to a series of actions
or steps taken in order to successfully communicate.
It involves several components such as the sender of the
communication, the actual message being sent, the
encoding of the message, the receiver and the decoding
of the message.
There are also various channels of
communication to consider within the
communication process. This refers to the way
a message is sent.
Communication Process
1. Source/Sender:
The source/sender is the one who originates the
message. All communication requires a source, the point
where the communication process originates.
The factors in the internal climate like values,
temperament, feelings and attitudes, stress level and
the factors in the external climate like organizational
climate, timing, weather condition, status and power
and authority might affect the sender (Noise).
2. Encoding:
Encoding refers to the process of putting meaning into
the symbolic form. The source goes through the
encoding process to transmit thought.
Once the sender develops an idea, they translate it into a
form that can be transmitted to someone else.
This means the sender transform the thoughts of the
information he/she want to send into a certain format.
For example, if you are writing a letter, you'll
translate your idea into words. The message can also
be nonverbal, oral or symbolic.
3. Message:
• Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the
message that he intends to convey. The message can be
written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such as body
gestures, silence, sighs, sounds, etc. or any other signal
that triggers the response of a receiver.
• The message is the spoken words, printed words, a
graphic drawing, an expression of the face, a gesture of
the body.
4. Channel/transmitting device:
The channel is the medium used to transmit the
message from the source to the receiver.
The Sender chooses the medium through which
he/she wants to convey his/her message to the
recipient.
It must be selected carefully in order to make the
message effective and correctly interpreted by the
recipient.
The choice of medium depends on the
interpersonal relationships between the sender and
the receiver and also on the urgency of the message
being sent.
Most commonly used media used in organization
setup are face to face conversation, speech, letters,
telephone, computer and television.
5. Receiver:
The person who receives the message is the receiver.
Receiver receives the message by being selective in
attention and perception.
The degree to which the receiver decodes the message
depends on his knowledge of the subject matter,
experience, trust and relationship with the sender.
Receiver’s prejudice, disinterest, pre
occupation with other thing and impatience to
listen, and the language barrier are the major
barrier in receiving and decoding and the
understanding of the message
6. Decoding:
The receiver receives or decodes the message. The
decoding receiver interprets the perceived message
and gives some meaning to the words.
When the receiver’s understanding of the message
matches the sender’s intended message the
communication is said to be effective.
7. Feedback:
Feedback is the final and vital part of the
communication because it enables the original
source to evaluate how the receiver received
the message. It helps to assess the
effectiveness of Communication.
Barriers of Communication:
The aspects or conditions that interfere with effective
exchange of ideas or thoughts are the barriers of
communication.
The barriers can lie in the sender, in the transmission of
message, in the receiver, or in the feedback
Physiological/pathological barrier:
Physiological barrier to communication are related with
the limitations of human body and the human mind
(memory, attention and perception).
Physiological barrier may result from individual’s
personal discomfort caused by illness, poor eye sight or
hearing difficulties. Some people have physiological
problems like difficulties in hearing, talking, seeing and
expression.
Psychological barrier:
Psychological barriers are emotional disturbances like
fear, anxiety, and nervousness. Individual difference is
found within person.
Some people get emotionally upset quickly and others
don’t, this also makes a difference in communication.
If an individual is emotionally or mentally disturbed,
it is more difficult to make people understand.
Mental situation, attitude and interest can affect the
effective communication.
Environmental barrier:
Environment like noise, bad smell, dark room etc. plays
an important role in communication.
If environment is pleasant that is silent well ventilated
good lighting, things can be understood clearly but if
the environment is nosy it is difficulty in
communication.
Distraction such as poor noise, poor lightening,
uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room or an
environment that is too hot or cold can affect people
morale and concentration, which in turn interfere
with effective communication.
Cultural barrier:
Diversity of culture within the country or between
the countries causes barrier in communication.
Different people have different language, believes,
attitudes, customs, religion etc. these are factors
which affect in communication.
Barriers caused by the wrong choice of method and media:
Media should be suitable/appropriate with message and
receiver level of understanding or age or individual
capabilities, an effective channel of communication could have
reduce the damage of communication.
For example if we use poster for blind people it will not be
effective channel of communication or if we use lecture
method to teach the technique of making sarbottom pitho in
community it is also not effective.
Semantic Barriers: Ambiguity of words/phrase:
Words sounding the same but having different meaning
can convey a different meaning altogether. Hence the
communicator must ensure that the receiver receives
the same meaning. It is better if such words are avoided
by using alternatives whenever possible.
Barrier caused by varying perception of reality.
Same message can be perceived differently by different
people. It may be influence of individual experience,
knowledge, level of understanding and comprehension.
Others:
◦ Presentation of the information
◦ Different perception influenced by experience,
level of education need etc.
◦ Neglect the non-verbal communication
◦ Questioning is not allowed.
◦ Lack of attention by the receiver/ no active
listening.
Ways to overcome he barrier of
communication
Simplify your message: In order to ensure that
message is properly understood, we should use
simple language and to the point.
Know your audience: It's also important to consider
the audience that will receive our message as well as
their needs and interests.
Be a good listener: As a communicator, it's
important to actively listen to what other around us
are saying. This will ensure that we are sending the
right message.
Ask questions: It's also important to ask good
questions to keep the communication flowing.
Make sure questions are insightful and engaging.
Take the time to respond: When communicating, it's
important to consider how one might reply to a person.
Consider body language: If we are communicating
through a different medium, it's important to be
mindful of body language. In addition, be aware of the
body language of the person we are communicating
with, as well.
Maintain eye contact: It's also important to make
contact with the person or group we are
communicating with. This will show that we are
actively listening to the person we are communicating
with.
Clarify the message if needed: If the recipient is
unclear about what we are trying to say, it's important
to clarify our message. This will help them to better
understanding.
Ways to overcome the barrier of
communication
Ideas should be accurate, systematic, powerful clear
and we should use the right word in right place to the
right person at the right time with the right manner.
Use simple, clear, concise, exact and familiar words,
avoid using technical words. Do not rush the client,
give adequate time to respond.
Use a combination of talk, demonstration and return
demonstration.
Communicate according to the need and interest of the
audience. Assume clients can understand you. Do not
discuss their cases or other inappropriate topics in front
of them.
The environment created by the communicator
influences the effectiveness of communication. Keep the
atmosphere quiet and relaxed. Reduce or eliminate
environmental noises.
Participation of audience in communication is the
effective way to communicate.
Audience must understand the given information, so
evaluation is necessary to improve communication.
Co-operation and good interpersonal relationship is
essential to make effective communication.
Repeat the delivered information especially main
points and always appreciate the audience for positive
change.
Listen to others with an open mind and not just hear.
Be a good listener follow LADDER pattern
L: look at other person- maintain eye to eye contact
A: ask appropriate question
D: don’t interrupt
D: don’t change the subject
E: express emotion with control
R: responsively listen
Demonstrate properly the activity relate to topic to
increase motivation( learning by doing)
Effective communication also depends upon voice of
the speaker; its tone, pitch, bodily movements etc.
speak in normal tone and do not raise voice or shout.
Seek not only to be understood but try understanding
others.
The symbols used to represent ideas, objectives or
concepts must be accurate and skillfully used.
We have to understand our own ideas before trying to pass
them out.
Avoid carrying a more than one conversation at a time. Do
not try to give too much information at a time.
Avoid any sharp criticism or making fun of any one or of
their traditional beliefs and customs.
Do not make presentation too long. After 45 minutes to an
hour people tend to become restless.
Observe nonverbal behavior of the client.
Principles of communication:
Clarity of message
Completeness of the message
Medium of communication
Consistency of message
Proper timings
Objectives should be clear
Credibility
Follow up
Economy
Interview
Interview is the method of data collection in which
there is interaction between two people and exchange
of ideas and expression“
"Interview is defined as a conversation with a
purpose and exchange of ideas between two people.
It is a process of giving and receiving information"
An interview is a conversation between two or
more people where question are asked by the
interviewer to elicit facts or statement from the
interviewee.
Aim/Purposes
To secure information by face to face contact
To collect personal data
To collect data from persons who are primary
source of information.
To identify attitude, personality and behavior
of interviewee
To find out various view related to topic and
solve the problem.
Types of interview
Formal/Structured Interview:
Interview is taken with fixed or predetermined set of
questions and the response is recorded. The
researcher (interviewer) gets answer to these
questions only. Generally, the interviewer does not
add anything to what has been stated by the
interviewee. He does not even alter the language.
Informal/Unstructured Interview: Here, no
predetermined questions are asked. The researcher
collects information by free discussion. Questions
are not predetermined or fixed here. The
interviewee is asked to narrate in his own words, his
experiences, opinions or reaction about the
particular subject.
Techniques for successful interview in
community situation
Conducting an interview is an art. So it is necessary to
know the techniques of interview, which are as
follows:
Establishing Contact: Before conducting interview, it
is necessary to establish contact with the interviewee. It
is important to inform about the date, time and place
for the interview to the interviewee. It gives a feeling
of importance to the interviewee.
Starting an Interview: Start with a general
discussion at the beginning. The interviewer should
create a pleasant atmosphere so that the interviewee
can give answer freely. The interviewer should let
him or her talk without interruption in between.
Interviewer should be good listener but s/he has to
direct or help when necessary.
Securing Rapport: A good rapport must be
established between the interviewer and the
interviewee. Any person or individual cannot tell
personal information to a stranger at first meeting. So,
it requires a friendly environment otherwise the
person may hesitate to tell the history. The
interviewer should have good attitude/ manner so that
the interviewee can respond to you properly.
Recall: At times during the course of an interview,
the interviewee may be so full of emotion that he may
move away from the main subject and even go silent.
At such times, the interviewer should give enough
time to get back to the main subject by recalling.
Probe Questions: The interviewer has to be careful
about the side tracks in between conversation. Great
care should be taken in putting probe questions.
Encouragement: It is necessary to give
encouragement to the interviewee from time to time
to make him or her fully confident enough to tell
more information to the interviewer.
Guiding the Interview: Sometimes the interviewee
moves to less important topic and may be more
defensive without proper reason due
misunderstanding the conversation. At that time,
interviewer should guide the person in the right
Recording: recording is one of the important points
while conducting the interview. Minimal recording
should be done between conversation otherwise the
flow of conversation will slow down or diversity of
thinking may happen to interviewee. So, write down
only important points during interview.
Closing the Interview: An interview should
not be closed abruptly (suddenly). The
interview should be closed naturally by giving
thanks and greetings so that interviewee feels
relax and comfortable.
Report: After interview is over, as soon as
possible, report should be compiled when
mind is still fresh about the narration
(interview). Report should be kept in
confidential file and in up to date manner.
Advantage
Helps to know individual’s knowledge, attitude and
practice.
Helps to exchange ideas and felling
Helps to reach a better conclusion for solution of a
problem.
Easy to conduct with less cost and limited facilities.
Even illiterate person can be interviewed and taught.
The expression and gesture can be observed.
Disadvantage
Time consuming
Difficult to cover wide range to target people
with limited man power.
