For students of Utkal University and specially RIE BBSR

1. A E C C
K B A L R A M 9 0 5 @ G M A I L . C O M

2. I N T R O D U C T I O N

3. W H AT I S C O M M U N I C AT I O N ?
• Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non-verbal messages. It is a continuous process.
Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium
to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as
intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame.
• Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to
the sender on how well the message is understood by him.
• Communication is a complex process wherein information is shared between individuals through a
common system of symbols, signs, and behaviour expressing feelings, ideas, views, opinions, etc.
People communicate to satisfy needs.
• Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through
some channel to the receiver who decodes the message.
• Communication is fruitful if and only if the message sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning
by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be
destroyed.

4. C O M M U N I C AT I O N P R O C E S S :
It consists of:
• The Communication source
• Encoding
• Message
• Channel
• Decoding
• Reciever
• Feedback
• Noise

5. F A C T O R S A F F E C T I N G C O M M U N I C AT I O N :

6. T Y P E S O F
C O M M U N I C AT I O N
H O R I Z O N T A L
V E R T I C A L
I N T E R P E R S O N A L
G R A P E V I N E

7. H O R I Z O N TA L C O M M U N I C AT I O N

9. V E R T I C A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
It is of two types:
• Downward
• Upward.

10. D O W N WA R D C O M M U N I C AT I O N .

11. U P WA R D C O M M U N I C AT I O N

12. I N T E R P E R S O N A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
• Interpersonal communication is the process of exchange of information, ideas and feelings
between two or more people through verbal or non-verbal methods.
• It often includes face-to-face exchange of information, in a form of voice, facial expressions,
body language and gestures. The level of one’s interpersonal communication skills is
measured through the effectiveness of transferring messages to others.
• Commonly used interpersonal communication within an organization include daily internal
employee communication, client meetings, employee performance reviews and project
discussions. In addition, online conversations today make a large portion of employees’
interpersonal communication in the workplace.
• Advantages of Interpersonal Communication:
1. Provide leadership and reassurance to those around you, Give and get emotional support
and empathy
2. Have the emotional intelligence to understand how decisions will affect others,
Provide leadership and reassurance to those around you.

13. G R A P E V I N E C O M M U N I C AT I O N
• It is defined as unstructured and Informal network formed on social relationship rather
than organizational charts or job descriptions. It is actually an informal vehicle through
which message flows throughout the organization. Grapevine is a channel through which
the actual communication between various troops of the organization takes place and
gives out the desired outcome. Since it is unstructured and not under complete control of
management, it moves through the organization in every direction.
• It moves upwards, downward, and diagonally, within and without chains of command,
between workers and managers, and even with and without a company.

14. T Y P E S O F G R A P E V I N E :

17. V E R B A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N
Verbal Communication Skills

18. T Y P E S O F V E R B A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N

19. Public Communication
The public communication is defined as the communication of a person with the public. It involves a massive assembly of people.
For example, the Prime Minister addressing the public about the multiple developing projects; Other examples include elections,
campaigns, public speeches, etc.
Small-Group Communication
The small group communication is defined as communication within two or more people. The number of people participating in
such communication is enough to have a good interaction with each other; For example, school meetings, board meetings, press
conferences, office meetings, team meetings, family gatherings, etc.Sometimes, such conversations can become chaotic due to
some issues being discussed.
Intrapersonal Communication
Intrapersonal communication is communication within us. It is also called as internal communication. It includes self-thinking,
analysis, thoughts, assessments, etc. associated with the inner state of mind.The person's internal thoughts or feelings play a vital
role in intrapersonal communication. It also includes various activities, such as solo speaking, solo writing, solo dancing,
concentration, and self-awareness.
Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is the communication between us and others over the channel. The communication can be online,
face-to-face, video conference on mobile, etc.Interpersonal skills are essential, whether we are a manager, employee, or looking
for work. Such skills are also known as soft skills that determine how well a person can communicate, behave, and relate to
others.

21. N O N V E R B A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N

22. P R O X E M I C S
• Proxemics describes an individual’s perception of and use of space, both personal (how much space do they take up) and
social (distance from another).In 1963, Hall defined proxemics broadly as “the study of how man unconsciously structures
microspace – the distance between men in conduct of daily transactions, the organization of space in his houses and
buildings, and ultimately the layout of his towns”.
• There are four kinds of distance that people generally use in communication. This can vary by place, and different cultures
have different standards.
• Public space is the space that characterizes how close we sit or stand to someone, like a public figure or public speaker.
So, if you are at an event listening to a professor give a lecture, you are probably about 12 - 25 feet away.
• Social space means we're getting a little closer, about 4 - 12 feet away. This is the kind of space you're probably in if you're
talking to a colleague or a customer at work.
• Personal space is even closer. In this case, you're probably about 1 - 4 feet away from someone. This is reserved for talking
to friends or family.
• Intimate space is for people who you are very close to. In this case, you're probably less than a foot away and you might
even be touching the other person. This is the space you're in with a romantic partner, for example.

24. K I N E S I C S
Kinesics is the interpretation of body motion communication such as facial expressions and gestures, nonverbal
behavior related to movement of any part of the body or the body as a whole. It is done by means of the following:
1) Maintain Eye contact:The speaker should maintain a steady eye contact because it is an effective means of
developing rapport with the audience. If the presenter looks at the audience for a long period of time, it shows his
intensity of interest. Eye contact as well as eye movements indeed help significantly in communicating successfully in
oral communications.
2) Face and eyes:Face is the index of mind. The face, it means, reflects what is going on inside the speaker. In this
context, eye tell us much more than other facial features. The facial expressions are associated with happiness,
surprise, fear,anger and sadness. Even eyes, nose, cheeks or forehead express one’s inner goings on. For example,
theeyebrows with upper and lower eyelids raised, giving a wide eyed effect indicate that the person is
excited,surprised or brightened. Similarly if we look at someone or something for a long period of time, we show
ourntensity of interest. Eye contact and eye movements indeed help significantly in getting success in
interviews,seminars, or other face to face oral communications. The interviewee or one who is giving the oral
presentationshould keep a pleasant face with a natural tendency to smile. He should maintain an open look and also
makeeye contacts with the interviewer or the members of the panel.

25. 3) Gestures:In addition to the face and eyes, other body parts move and convey meaning. These movements are
known asgestures, the physical movement of arms, legs, hands and head. For example, if the arms are spread
apart,shuffling from one leg to another and body slightly extended forward, these gestures convey meanings
ofnervous and intense.As gestures have meanings so they should be coordinated with proper intensity of
speech. The greaterthe gesture the louder the speech and vice versa”, comments a scholar. A presenter while
facing the audience isadvised to keep positive postures, since it indicates his positive personality.
4) Body shape and posture:A third area of kinesics involves body shape and posture. As far as body shape is
concerned, we can’t do muchabout it since it is given to us by God. But with the right posture we can impress the
interviewer and theaudience.
5) Appearance:By appearance we mean external appearance in which our dress, jewellery and make up play a
pivotal role. The speaker should consider how others will view him in relation to how he wants to be seen. He
should dress up himself in simple and sober dress.Thus, kinesics, inclusive of facial expressions, gestures, body
shape and posture will be the part of the messages,the speaker wants to communicate.

27. H A P T I C S
• Think of how touch has the power to comfort someone in moment of sorrow when words alone cannot.This
positive power of touch is countered by the potential for touch to be threatening because of its connection to sex
and violence. To learn about the power of touch, we turn to haptics, which refers to the study of communication by
touch. We probably get more explicit advice and instruction on how to use touch than any other form of nonverbal
communication.
• A lack of nonverbal communication competence related to touch could have negative interpersonal
consequences; for example, if we don’t follow the advice we’ve been given about the importance of a firm
handshake, a person might make negative judgments about our confidence or credibility. A lack of competence
could have more dire negative consequences, including legal punishment, if we touch someone inappropriately
(intentionally or unintentionally).
• Touch is necessary for human social development, and it can be welcoming, threatening, or persuasive. There
are several types of touch, including functional-professional, social-polite, friendship-warmth, love-intimacy, and
sexual-arousal touch.Touch is also important at more intimate levels. At the friendship-warmth level, touch is more
important and more ambiguous than at the social-polite level. At this level, touch interactions are important
because they serve a relational maintenance purpose and communicate closeness, liking, care, and concern.

28. C H R O N E M I C S
• Chronemics is the study of the role of time in communication.
• Chronemics can be defined as “the interrelated observations and theories of man’s use of time as a specialized
elaboration of culture” - the way in which one perceives and valuestime, structures time, and reacts to time
frames communication.
• Across cultures, time perception plays a large role in the nonverbal communication process. Time perceptions
include punctuality, willingness to wait, and interactions. The use of time can affect lifestyle, daily agendas,
speed of speech, movements, and how long people are willing to listen.
• Time can be used as an indicator of status. For example,in most companies the boss can interrupt progress to
hold an impromptu meeting in the middle of the work day, yet the average worker would have to make an
appointment to see the boss. The way in which different cultures perceive time can influence communication as
well.

29. PA R A L I N G U I S T I C S
• Paralinguistics features are non-verbal vocal cues that help you to give urgency to your voice. Your voice is your trademark; it is
that part of yourself that adds human touch to your words.
• Paralanguage, also known as vocalics, is a component of meta-communication that may modify meaning, give nuanced meaning,
or convey emotion, by using techniques such as prosody, pitch, volume, intonation, etc.
• Volume of voice : It is not just , what you say ; it is how you say it. When you whisper something, it conveys that you want to hide
something. When speaking something aloud, you want it to be heard by all. Moreover, the way whisper or say things aloud
conveys something. While addressing an audience, if your volume is not loud enough, it suggest lack of confidence or shyness.
While talking to someone on phone your speaking loudly is suggestive of your lack of good manners and etiquette as well as
irritable.
• Speed of voice : The speed of voice should be such that the listener can follow everything that you are speaking. If you are speak
very fast, they may not connect the previous idea with the next one. Moreover, in live talk they can’t even rewind. Similarly, if the
speed is very slow then also it is likely that listener loses connection.
• Intonation : Stress and Intonation blend together to lend charm to English speech. Intonation means variation of voice or speech.
It tells the listener if the message is in form of a question, statement or exclamation. The emphasis laid on a particular word in a
particular manner would decide the meaning.

30. • Tone of voice : The Tone tells about the attitude of the speaker. The tone tells about the attitude of the
speaker. The tone can be sarcastic, aggressive, critical, nervous, monotonous, disappointed, friendly,
enthusiastic, vivid or persuasive.
• Pronunciation : The way in which a word is pronounced. Pronunciation is the first thing that people notice
during conversation. For correct pronunciation, knowledge of phonetics is essential.
• Articulation : Articulation is the clarity in your voice. Clearly articulated message indicates competence and
confidence. You should speak in such a way that all the words are understood by the listener. If you speak
sloppily or mispronounce the words, the listener easily gets distracted and sometimes meaning too changes.
• Pause : The break a person takes while speaking and its duration is known as “Pause” in paralinguistics.
Different meanings are conveyed by Pauses. A Pause can have two different funct
• 1. A temporary vocal inaction: This indicates the speaker’s uncertainty, hesitation, tension or uneasiness
• 2. A Pause: This shows favour or disfavour, Agreement or Disagreement.

31. B A R R I E R S T O C O M M U N I C AT I O N
Effective communication in the workplace is not always straightforward and barriers can
easily get in the way. They cause messages to become distorted, subsequently leading to
confusion,misunderstanding and even offense in some cases.There are many reasons why
interpersonal communications may fail. In many communications, the message may not be
received exactly the way the sender intended and hence it is important that the communicator
seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood. There exist many barriers
to communication and these may occur at any stage in the communication process. Barriers
may lead to your message becoming distorted and you therefore risk wasting both time
and/or money by causing confusion and misunderstanding. Effective communication involves
overcoming these barriers and conveying a clear and concise message.

32. S E M A N T I C / L A N G U A G E
Barriers arising due to differences in languages, words meaning or pronunciation can create confusion among
the people. Linguistic means related to the language. Semantic means the meaning of the words.Following
are some of the examples of language barriers.

33. P H Y S I C A L
• Many barriers arise in the surroundings or our environment. These barriers create problems or confusion in communication.
• Noise: Traffic Noise or noise of machines in factory create disturbances in communication. Noise pollution is biggest
contributor of environment pollution in India.
• Time and Distance :Physical distances between people can create major problems in communication. Time zones around
the world are not same. Due to differences in timings between countries we have to adjust with the time difference of that
country.
• Defects in Communication Systems: Many times the instruments or machines used in communication such as Telephones,
Fax or Computer can develop problems. The network of Internet can fail or the Mike or Microphone used in the
programmes can create loud noise. Due to excess rains or natural calamity it becomes difficult to use the instruments
properly.The failure of Electronic power also results into communication loss or messages are not sent properly.
• Wrong Selection of Medium : Medium means the objects used in communication eg.Emails,Mobile Phones or Telephones
etc. The correct medium is necessary. The improper use of some machines such as Emails can delay the messages.
• High Temperature and Humidity: Excess Temperature or heat or cold Temperature create difficulties in communication.
• Many times human physical defects such as stammering ,bad hearing, failure of communication channels and bad
handwriting also create misunderstanding in learning the message.

34. P H Y S I O L O G I C A L
• Physiological barriersare caused by the individual’s own personal discomfort such as sensory
dysfunctions.
• This may occur on the part of the receiver or the sender.
• Physiological barriers often result from performance characteristics and limitations such as low
memory, poor concentration, mental dullness and dysfunction of the sensory organs like eyes, ears,
nose, etc.
• For a person who is not able to speak, hear or see, certain alternative communication options and
methods should be adopted to make communication possible.
• Physiological barriers may result from any of the following conditions—vision impairment, hearing
impairment; speech disorders such as stammering, apraxia and dysarthria ,dyslexia(a range of
learning difficulties related to the written word); or aphasia (a disorder that results from damage to
portions of the brain that are responsible for language).

35. C U LT U R A L
• People with diverse cultures are more than ever challenging when it comes to effective
communication. Cultures vary with their ways of seeing –hearing, interpreting the world, and thinking.
Cultural differences can be depicting in a wide variety of behavior and beliefs that found in the daily
living such as in the workplace. It often serves as a wall that makes it very in conducive for businesses
to go about with their activities. Thus similar statement can perceive different meanings to group from
varied cultures, despite of the same language that they talk. With this diverse languages and
translation of statement has to be used to converse, the possible for misinterpreting or
misunderstanding increases.
• During his visit to the USA, India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru stated that
“If we seek to understand a people, we have to try to put ourselves, as far as we can, in that particular
historical and cultural background. One has to recognize that whatever the future may hold, countries
and people differ … in their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking. In order to understand
them, we have to understand their way of life and approach. If we wish to convince them, we have to use
their language as far as we can, not language in the narrow sense of the word, but the language of the
mind. That is one necessity.”

36. O R G A N I S AT I O N A L
1. Organisational policies should be clear to avoid misinterpretations. Expressly stated
policies are better understood than implicit policies. As implicit policies are subject to
interpretation of behaviour of top managers, people may be subjective in interpretation.
Different people can draw different meaning of behavioural gestures which obstructs the
effective flow of communication.
2. Strict rules and regulations make observance to these rules also rigid. People lose
creativity in transmitting messages. Choice of channels, medium and dimension of
communication can be against the willingness of people and, thus, stand in the way of
effective communication.
3. Too many levels in the organisational hierarchy can delay processing of information.
Information can be filtered, particularly in case of upward communication as negative
information is generally not transmitted.

37. P E R S O N A L
• The personal factors of both sender and receiver may exert influence on effective communication. These factors include life
experiences, emotions, attitudes, behavior that hinders the ability of a person to communicate.
• Lack of Listening Skills: The efficiency of communication process gets disturbed when the receiver listens only with ears
but do not apply his mind. Often, the receiver listens what he wants to listen and give no attention to other aspects of the
information, thereby acting as a hindrance to the effective communication.
• Selective Attention: This problem arises when the person is impatient and put his objective above all. He gives ears to
only that part of the information which is helpful for him and fulfills his objective and ignores all the other aspects.
• Lack of knowledge: Also, the communication process suffers if the sender and receiver have less knowledge about the
subject matter.
• Lack of vocabulary: Often, the communication problem arises when the sender uses some words which are difficult for the
receiver to comprehend correctly.
• Less faith in subordinates: Often, the superiors have a lack of confidence in the subordinates and, therefore, doubt on
their capacity to provide relevant information. They deliberately ignore the suggestions and recommendations from the
subordinates and discourages them to further communicate. This lowers the morale of the employees and hinders the
communication process.

38. • Fear of challenge of Authority: There is a fear in the minds of the superiors that if they will not
perform in line with their authority, they will be demoted to the lower levels. And, thus in order to
maintain their level they intentionally hide their weaknesses by not communicating their ideas to
others.
• Lack of Incentives: Often, the subordinates give their suggestions and recommendations with an
objective to earn incentives. The incentives are given to the subordinates to motivate them to give
suggestions and to acknowledge their suggestions as important for the success of the
organization. If there is a lack of incentives, then the subordinate is not likely to communicate and
hence the communication process gets adversely affected.
• Unwillingness to communicate with the Superiors: Often the subordinates do not communicate
with their superiors with an intention to conceal the information which is of a negative nature and
can have an adverse effect. If the subordinate is required to inform his superior then, he modifies
the information in such a way that it does not have a negative impact. Thus, by not providing the
information in its actual form, the communication process is tempered.

39. P E R C E P T I O N A L
• Perceptual barriers are the mental blocks that we create because of the perceptions that we have of certain people,
situations or events around us.
• The problem in communicating with others occurs because we all perceive things differently based on each individual’s
unique experience—we are made and groomed differently due to our varied socio-cultural background, educational level,
and value system. Everything we interpret is subject to this experience, good or bad.
• The perceptual process determines what messages we select or screen out, as well as how the selected information is
organized and interpreted.
• Therefore, the way one perceives a subject or an event affects the way in which his/her thoughts about it are converted
while communicating—sending, receiving, interpreting or analyzing a message. If the senders’ and receivers’ perceptions
are not aligned, it can be a significant source of barrier in the communication process .
• Perceived factors act as filters on our experiences of people, events and information around us. If one has had negative
experiences with a friend, everything the friend does or says will be filtered through this perception.
• Seeing things through the lens of our own unique life experiences or conditioning may lead to assumptions, stereotyping
and misunderstandings of others whose experiences differ from our own.
• This leads to different interpretations of a message and make us the victim of the perceptual barrier.

40. S O C I O - P S Y C H O L O G I C A L
1. Attitude and opinions:The personal attitude and opinions of the receiver often interfere with communication. If the message is
consistent with the receiver’s attitude and opinion they receive it favourably. When the message is inconsistent with the receivers
attitude and opinions, they are not likely to be received favourably.
2. Emotions:Emotions like fear, anger, worry, nervousness block the mind. It also blurs the thinking power and one fails to
organise the message properly. When the message is not organised properly it cannot be conveyed effectively.
3. Status difference:Status consciousness is a very serious barrier. Subordinates fail to communicate to with their superiors
because either they are too conscious of their low status or too afraid of being snubbed off.Similarly many executives keep
distance from their subordinates thinking it too degrading to consult them.
4. In attention:In attention arises due to mental preoccupations or distractions. These causes barriers to communication.
5. Closed mind:A person with closed mind is not willing to listen and is not prepared to reconsider his opinion. As such it is very
difficult to communicate with such person.
6. Distrust:Distrust after fails to deliver the right message. When the receiver is biased or hostile towards the sender the message
is – either ignored or misinterpreted.
7. Poor retention:Successive transmission of the message are decreasingly accurate. In the process of transmission a part of the
message is lost at every stage. This is because of poor retention on the part of the receiver. Thus incomplete message is
conveyed.
8. Premature evaluation:Premature evaluation prevents effective communication. Some people form a judgement even before
receiving the complete message. And once judgement is already formed the mind is closed to the rest of the message.

41. O V E R C O M I N G B A R R I E R S T O
C O M M U N I C AT I O N
• There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The
message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the
same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is
essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to
ensure smooth and effective communication.

44. I M P O R T A N C E O F
C O M M U N I C A T I O N

48. T H A N K Y O U
Happy New Year