Barriers in Communication.

-RADHIKA PATEL

E.C. 1st year

120110111060

INTRODUCTIONBarriers acts like sieves , they filter out the message encoded. They create problems in transmission of message and hinder effective communication

Classification of barriers: On classifying these barriers according to the

processes of message formation and delivery , we get them at three levels:

1.Intrapersonal 2.Interpersonal 3.Organizational

Language is both interpersonal and intrapersonal barrier

Intrapersonal barriersIntrapersonal barriers - Inbuilt in person.

Every individual is unique and differs by education , experience , background . So all of us interpret same information in many ways.

CAUSESWrong assumptionsVaried perceptionsDiffering backgroundsWrong inferencesCategorical thinking

Wrong assumptions create barriers in communication mainly because the sender or the receiver doesn’t know about each other’s background.

All individuals in an organisation perceive situations in different ways. This creates a barrier due to different thinking of different individuals.

No two persons have similar backgrounds . People vary in terms of education , culture , age , financial status , etc . Thus our background plays a significant role in how we interpret the message.

Wrong inferences creates a barrier when one fails to distinguish between what actually exists and what one assumes to exist.

Interpersonal barriers-Interpersonal barriers occur due to inappropriate transaction of words between two or more people. They occur mostly due to faults in language

CAUSESLimited vocabulary Incongruity of verbal and non-verbal

messages Emotional outburstsCultural variationsPoor listening skills Noise in the channel

An inadequate vocabulary can be a major hindrance in communication . So, skill of appropriate usage of words is must in communication.

Also, our non-verbal cues should consistently match our verbal messages, adding to their effectiveness and enhancing our image as a competent and interesting communicator.

Excessive emotional involvement can be an obstacle in communication . It is important to maintain our composure in all kinds of communications.

To compete successfully in today’s globalised business environment , we must overcome the communication inadequacy arising from different languages and cultures.

Another common obstacle to communication is poor listening habits.

Organisational barriers: Every organisation , irrespective of its size ,

has its own communication techniques , and each nurtures its own communication climate.

In large organizations where the flow of information is downward , feedback is nor guranteed .

CAUSESToo many transfer stationsFear from superiorsInformation overloadedUse of inappropriate media

The main organisational barriers are explained below:Too many transfer stations-The more links there are in

a communication chain , the greater are the chances of communication that will occur. Here the message gets distorted at each level.

Fear of superiors-In rigidly structured organisation , fear or awe of the superiors prevents sub-ordinates from speaking frankly . This creates a big communication barrier in an organisation.

Use of inappropriate media-Some of the common media used in organisations are graphs and charts , telephones , emails , slides , etc . While choosing the medium one should therefore keep in mind the advantages , disadvantages and potential barriers to communication.

Information overload- One of the major problems faced by the organisations today is the availability of huge amounts of data which the receiver is unable to handle effectively . This is information overload.

TO CONCLUDEOne must know how barriers works and creats miss understandings in an organization or at individual level, for smooth communication

THANK YOU.