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Communication: An Overview
Introduction and Origin
• Communication is deeply intertwined with the development of
human civilization.
• Its origin can be traced back to the growth of human society.
• In the primitive stage, human life was isolated with limited communication
as people focused on satisfying basic needs individually.
• The common need for protection and security from wild animals led to
group life.
• This shift to group life prompted the evolution of communication in forms
like sounds, indications, signals, and expressions.
• As group life developed and human wants increased, communication forms
also developed.
• The emergence of division of labor, specialization, and an exchange economy
necessitated constant communication among people.
• Eventually, signs and symbols developed into language.
• With the growth of business, industry, and commerce, ways of expressing
ideas through language further developed.
• Communication played a role in shaping attitudes, norms, values, culture,
and religion.
• Science contributed to the development of new forms of oral, written, and
audiovisual communication.
• In the modern world of mass production, complex organizations, and
diverse personnel, communication is vital at every step of industrial and
commercial activities.
Meaning and Definitions of Communication
• The term "communication" originates from the Latin word “Communis”,
meaning common.
• Literally, "to communicate" means to tell, show, spread, and inform.
• Different writers define communication in various ways.
• Defining communication merely as "the process of transferring ideas from
one person to another" is considered incorrect.
• This simple definition is seen as inaccurate because words like "transferring"
and "from one person to another" imply communication is like pouring
liquid, which doesn't capture its complexity.
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• Hamilton and Parker (1987) define communication as "the process of
people sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings with each other in
commonly understandable ways".
• Bovee and Thill (2000) defined communication as "the process of sending
and receiving messages".
• Bovee and Thill also distinguished between communication and effective
communication.
• According to Bovee and Thill, effective communication occurs when
individuals achieve a shared understanding, stimulate others to
take actions, and encourage people to think in new ways.
• Defining communication as a subject of study is increasingly difficult due
to its complexity in the present world.
• For the purposes of the source, a working definition is provided: "The
process by which people attempt to share meaning (ideas, feel-
ing, thought, experience, knowledge, skill, etc) for some purpose
through the transmission of symbolic message in commonly un-
derstandable ways".
Essential Points of the Working Definition
The working definition highlights five key points about communication:
1. Communication is a process: It involves a series of activities accom-
plished in sequence, not just incidental events or transactions.
2. Communication is purposeful: Senders originally have an objective
they aim to achieve at the end of the communication process. It's not just
message transfer, but purposeful message transfer between senders and
receivers.
3. Communication involves people: It refers to communication among
people only, showing their degree of understanding and how they relate. It
includes the exchange of interpersonal behaviors.
4. Communication involves shared meaning: For people to communicate,
they must agree on the definitions of the terms and symbols used. The
receiver should interpret symbols similarly to the sender to ensure equal
or similar understanding.
5. Communication is symbolic: Symbols like letters, numbers, words,
gestures, and sounds are used to represent or approximate ideas. Symbols
are not perfect representations of ideas, requiring care in selecting symbols
that best approximate the sender’s ideas.
6. Communication is vital to human existence: It is the means by
which we share thoughts and feelings, give instructions, ask for help, and
share knowledge and experience. Without communication, individuals
would live in isolation.
Nature/Characteristics of Communication
According to Gerald Miller, communication has three basic characteristics:
1. Dynamism: Every communication event is influenced by past events and
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triggers new ones. It is affected by prior attitudes, planned thoughts, and
the audience. Communication is a dynamic phenomenon, continuously
responding and changing, without a fixed beginning or end.
2. Uniqueness: Flowing from dynamism, the concept of uniqueness means
no two communication events are exactly alike. This is because factors like
the sender, audience, delivery, time, and situation are constantly changing.
3. Transactional Nature: Communication scholars Wenberg and Wilmot
describe communication as transactional, meaning all persons involved
are simultaneously engaged in sending (encoding) and receiving
(decoding) messages. In this process, each person affects the other
through reciprocal exchanges of feelings, meanings, ideas, and responses.
Significance of Communication
The importance of communication can be viewed from individual and organiza-
tional angles.
Importance of Communication at the Individual Level
• Job Success: Effective communication skills (listening, speaking, writing)
complement technical ability and understanding of people, which are
often cited as keys to success. Learning human relations and effective
communication enhances job success.
• Personal Satisfaction: Mastery in communication can lead to personal
satisfaction, particularly in creative areas like writing or painting.
• Meeting Social and Ethical Obligations: Communication helps indi-
viduals adjust to themselves, other people, and their environment. It is a
means of gaining respect and confidence from others and the community.
Importance of Communication at the Organizational Level
• An organization is defined as a group of people associated for various
purposes (business, political, professional, religious, athletic, social, etc.).
• Organizational activities require human interaction and communication,
including exchanging information, ideas, plans, making decisions, rules,
proposals, contracts, and agreements. These cannot happen without
communication.
• Communication is described as the "life blood of every organization".
• Regardless of size, the sharing of information within an organization
and with the outside world is the "glue that binds the organization
together".
• Every member of an organization, from top manager to entry-level employee,
is a link in the communication chain.
• Members have information needed by others to perform their jobs, and
simultaneously, others have information crucial to them.
• Communication skills are essential for gaining the information needed to
make successful decisions at work.
• The success of an organization depends on the communication skills of its
employees.
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• Researches indicate that communication skills are rated "extremely impor-
tant" by surveyed organizations relative to other abilities.
• Research on business organizations shows that "inability to communicate"
and "poor communication skills" are frequently cited reasons for not hiring
job applicants. This demonstrates how communication affects even personal
life.
• No person is an island; people worldwide rely on each other for products,
services, and ideas.
• Participation in an organization's management (coordinating resources and
objectives) involves participation in communication (sharing information
through symbols).
• Effective communication is essential to sound management, and
a manager's success greatly depends on their ability to communicate
effectively.
• Communication is essential to each of the five basic functions of manage-
ment: plan, organize, staff, direct, and control.
• Information obtained through communication helps formulate plans.
• Information provided through communication defines job assignments and
helps organize work.
• Information related to standards, progress, and personal factors fulfills the
directing function.
• Written and oral progress reports (forms of communication) are fundamen-
tal to the controlling function.
• Communication is a "linking process" that enables all basic man-
agement functions to be carried out.
