ISL451U-BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Chapter 1: Introduction to Communication
Introduction
Communication, at its core, aims to establish a consensus between the communicating parties. Fundamentally, what lies at the core of an individual’s need to communicate is the urge to express oneself, understand others and convince or impact them. It is essential that any attempt at communication involve at least two parties where an input and response cycle can be observed.
Interaction is a term that is used to explain the process of interpersonal communication. It is generally expected that this process will result in an impact. In new mediums of communications, the term interaction is defined as the user’s ability to change the content of the medium.
The Process of Communication Communication essentially defines the interactions between the members of a society. As apparent from this definition, the act of sharing emotions and thoughts that are shaped by the events that happen around us is the process of communication.
In order for the communication process to carry on smoothly, there is a need for a system of common symbols. These symbols include voices, sights, smells and physical contacts that can be perceived by any of our five senses.
In general meaning, the term communication refers to an interaction between two individuals who aim to impact each other. The definitions below have been produced within this framework:
• Communication is the flow of emotions and thoughts between humans. • It is the process whereby an individual explicitly declares his emotions and thoughts. • It is the process of establishing common ground between individuals. • It is the process whereby a source conveys its message via a medium to a receiver. • It is a process of relaying a selected information to a receiver at a distance. (Yüksel, 2008: 10) • Communication is a process of relaying information in either synchronized or unsynchronized manner. • Communication is conveying messages to the receiver via a suitable medium. • Communication is the creation of certain meanings and the exchange of these meanings with symbols combined randomly and with coding methods that have been agreed upon. • Communication is the process of persuading community members about the values of the dominant system that shapes the cultural context and the production of meanings that impose and expand the existing cultural context.
• Communication is the transfer of texts that ensure the continuity of the cultural context in which it flourishes. • Communication is an exchange of meaning in which messages or messages related to the existing cultural context are discussed and questioned by the recipient, that is, the target person or audience, and that messages or messages with new meanings are produced at the end of this discussion and query. (Kılınç, 2018:10)
Features of the Communication Process
There is no beginning and end of communication that extends from human past to present and future, from the birth of the individual to the death, which is effective in every field of life and at any time. Communication is a phenomenon that constantly evolves and changes the individual based on their biological development, cultural and social context and the relationships they develop.
Communication as a process is a method of social interaction. This type of interaction requires a specific cultural context. Communication deals with the conveying of messages. How this message is coded by sender and how it is interpreted by receiver matters. Another crucial point in this case is also the use of various channels of communication as well as the messages being conveyed clearly in an articulate manner. One of the definitions of communication was previously introduced as the process of attempting to change the behavior, thought, habits and emotions of an individual. If this attempt fails, it is understood that communication is unsuccessful which leads to the discussion on what causes this. When examining the causes behind communication failure, the related elements can be described by using concepts such as loudness.
Communication taking place in a circular structure shows that it takes place within a process. This process can be thought of as the coming together of various elements as they influence each other. When this is the case it is natural that a problem with any one of these elements may jeopardize the entire process. Considering the fundamental role communication plays in the daily life of an human being, any problem with the process of communication can easily lead to conflict arising from inability to clearly express emotions and thoughts.
Fundamental Elements of the Communication Process
Source and Receiver
Humans have two main roles in the process of communication. Both the receiver and the source serve as the target audience. The source is the individual who starts the message transmission. The receiver, on the other hand, is the person who is intended to acquire the contents of the message.
The Message
Message is the thing or item coded with the symbols or icons known by the social environment in which the communication process takes place, loaded with information, emotions and thoughts that are desired to be transferred, shared and reaching the receiver with various communication mediums and channels. Text, words, facial expressions can be shown as examples.
Coding and Decoding
Coding is the meaning attributed to the message by the source, and the aim is to analyze this meaning loaded to the message by the source within the same meaning and give feedback in this direction. Coding is essentially the process of turning emotions, thoughts and designs into a message. Coding can be both verbal and non-verbal. Decoding is the process of unpacking and understanding the meaning behind the emotions and thoughts conveyed by the source (Pearson and Nelson, 1997:11). Coding and decoding are performed by the source and the receiver respectively.
Channel and Medium
Channel and Medium are components of the communication process that are often mistaken for one another. It is easier to define the channel as we can simply describe it as the physical object by which the symbols are transmitted. Examples include radio waves, nervous system, light waves and sound waves. Tools, on the other hand, are physical structures that transform the symbols to the message. Or to put in a technical way, tools transform the message into signals.
Feedback
Feedback can be defined as the recipient’s response to the message. Feedback can be in the way the source wants and aims, or it can occur outside the desired or intended effect by creating a different meaning.
Noise
Noise can be described as a factor that presents an obstacle to the various stages of the communication process such as the coding and decoding of the message. Loud noises, distractive images, unusual behaviors are examples of physical noise while it is also possible to observe spiritual and semantic forms of noise.
Forms of Communication
Communication of the Individual with Oneself
The process of creating, coding and decoding the meanings of messages without expressing them is an individual’s communication with oneself. The communication of the individual with himself/ herself is the communication that the person establishes with himself. The terms “internal communication” and “self- communication” are used for this process.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is “the exchange of messages that takes place between two or more individuals”. As a general rule, any communication process that includes two or more humans as source and receiver can be classified as interpersonal communication. The parties, who engage in mutual communication produce, transmit and analyze symbols.
Group Communication
A simple yet comprehensive definition for a group would be “two or more individuals interacting with each other”. To elaborate on this definition, a group is at least two individuals who are psychologically aware of each other, who perceive themselves as part of the group and unite in order to work for a common goal.
Organizational Communication
Human societies are intertwined with organizations such as clubs, companies, NGOs, political parties, hospitals and foundations. Generally, an organization can be defined as two or more individuals working together towards a same goal under the framework of a certain set of rules and ideals. Organizational communication includes all kinds of methods, tools, equipment and techniques used in the work of transferring information, data, perception, understanding, approach between the various parts and staff of an organization, and all types of messages, written, verbal, and non-verbal in this transfer.
Mass Communication
The concept of “mass” in mass communication implies that the audience is a set of indeterminate and indistinguishable people in social, political and economic terms. Mass communication is the effort of giving a message to a much wider audience compared to that of interpersonal and group communication. This message can be a spoken word, a written article, a TV show or a news broadcast.