Essay on the Process of Human Communication

The process of human communication involves the transmission of a message from one person to another. Usually, this message is passed via a medium using various models. A communication process has key elements that have to be present for the process to be complete and effective. These elements include the sender or communicator, the receiver, the message (either verbal or non-verbal), the channel or medium that the message goes through, the context or setting in which communication takes place, noise; which is anything that interferes with the accurate expression or reception of a message, and finally the feedback, normally from the receiver which indicates whether the message has been received in the intended form (Tubbs, 2012). Ideally, communication is said to be effective if the message has been correctly understood by the receiver. Several communication models have been developed over time with the purpose of explaining the communication process. The three common models are Linear Communication Model, Transactional Model, and Interactive Model. Communication occurs in various contexts, and, therefore, different models are applied. This paper will analyze communication in a business context, the interrelationships of communication within organizational systems, and demonstrate an effective communication.

Communication in a business context involves sharing of information among people within and outside of an organization for the commercial benefit of the organization (Tubbs, 2012). The communication is mostly in a formal context among the employer, the management, and the administration all geared towards achieving the organizational goals. The common topics likely to be discussed are closely related to professional and technical communication. There are several methods through which communication is carried out in a business context. One is face-to-face meetings. These are mostly personal but should be succeeded by a written up follow-up. Two, telephone meetings which provide for long distance communication, board meetings which allow staff to present information at a centralized location, presentations involving audiovisual materials, documented reports especially from different departments, video-conferencing meetings which allow people in different locations to hold up meetings, and web-based communication for instance emails. Effective communication in a business setting is essential to the success of the organization and vice-versa (Carlson, 2010). To achieve this effectiveness, several qualities ought to be incorporated into the process. These include establishing a clear hierarchy, using visual communication, efficient conflict management methods, consideration of cultural issues, and proper written communication. When the proper model and the qualities of good communication are employed in a business context, the organization is more likely to thrive.

Communication is one of the most crucial functions that result in a productive company. The interrelationship among the different systems in an organization needs to be efficient for this success to be achieved. It is through these interrelationships that policies are implemented and strengthened among the different departments (Carlson, 2010). For instance, the managing director may want to get a report on the financial status of the company from the chief accountant. The communication is done via email. In this context, the sender/source is the managing director, and the receiver is the chief accountant. On receiving the email, the chief accountant emails back the managing director the income statement, the balance sheet, and the profit and loss statement. This is more than the managing director had asked since he only needed the balance sheet which would show the financial position of the country. This is to say that the intended effect of the message was interpreted by the receiver in a larger capacity than it was intended. The actual effect of the message, judging by the response given by the chief accountant, shows that he went beyond the request of the sender. To an extent, a shared meaning was constructed since the managing director got what he had asked for, and more.

The following is an example of a communication process. The message is from a mother (sender/source) to her daughter (receiver). The mother sends the daughter a message via a voicemail telling her to rush home as soon as possible. The intention of the message is to make the receiver go home. The message is encoded in a combination of words and sound. In this case, the channel or medium of communication is a phone through a voice message. When the daughter tries to get the message when she has her phone back on, she experiences a noise (barrier) to the interpretation of the message. The mothers voice from the daughters end keeps breaking, and she misses on some words such as soon as possible. This hinders the intended effect of the message. The daughter knows the mother wants her home, but she doesnt get the urgency part. The medium of communication selected, therefore, fails in achieving the intended effect of the message and thus effectiveness is lost.

To sum up, communication is an important function for human beings. An effective communication process requires that the sender and the receiver have a common understanding of the message.

References

Carlson, A. B. (2010). Communication system. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.Tubbs, S. L. (2012). Human communication: Principles and contexts.