CHAPTER NINE
COMMUNICATION IN HUMAN RELATIONS
What is Communication?
Communication is a critical tool for holding people together in families and in organizations. Most job and family disputes are the result of communication problems. Communication is also defined as the act or process of accessing information, ideas, knowledge, experience by individuals, in organizations. Simply put communication is process of passing a message to a receiver by a sender of the massage. Thus, communication can be defined as the mode of expression (which may be verbal or nonverbal) that takes place in a setting. It is intended to convey information, instructions, advice, express feelings or opinion.
Why Do We Communicate/Purpose of Communication?
1. To inform or educate people: To keep one inform of things happening around the environment.
2. To solve problems.
3. To modify behaviours that are bad
4. To make wise decisions
5. Build decent will or better relationship.
6. To request or persuade others.
7. To advice, express feelings or opinions and to issue commands.
Characteristics of A Decent Information
1. There should be clarity in term of information passed from one to another party or persons.
2. Information should be brief.
3. Whether information is going to be verbal or nonverbal should always be in its Natural style or form.
4. There should be relevance in what is seen in the information.
5. It should be simple and straight forward.
6. Check and recheck information before disseminating it, to give accurate information.
Components of Communication
1. Sender
2. Message
3. Medium
4. Receiver
Sender
Translate the message to the receiver through a medium known as channel
Message
An idea or information or rather what is communicated.
Medium
This is the channel through which message is sent out, the message could be physical or nonphysical, verbal or nonverbal, use of phone or electronics.
Receiver
He receives and interprets; he decodes and gives a reply to the sender through medium.
Reasons For Communication in Human relationship
i. For a purpose
ii. For a season (Time).
iii. For a permanency
For A Purpose
Once the purpose of the relationship is achieved, automatically the relationship stops.
For A Season
This relationship terminates after a particular season.
For Permanency
These a relationship that will last forever, for instance the marriage relationship is not for intimacy, it is a place where they complement and supplement each other’s, there is no hide and seek, no confusion. Make sure that you have little interferences from friends and really take care of your relationship and make sure you make all the sacrifices required to make it work.
Process of Communication
There are three techniques for any communication to occur
1. Encoding (putting ideas into symbols)
The source initiates a message by encoding the idea (or a thought) in words or symbols send to the receiver.
2. Communication Media
The channel in the communication process is the medium that the sender uses to transmit the message to the receiver. Although the message could be in either an oral or written form, the oral medium most likely will be more effective because of the immediacy, if required.
3. Decoding (Comprehending the message)
It is the act of comprehending message (words or symbols) when the sound waves are translated into ideas, we are taking them out of the code they are in, hence decoding. Thus, readers or listeners are often regarded as decoders.
§ If decoding is successful it leads to action
§ Noise or unwanted interference, can occur at any stage in the communication process.
§ Non-verbal communication is used primarily to convey the feeling behind a message.
Factors that affect Communication
A. Environment/Setting
The settings of the message often communicate something about the sender such as seriousness of the purpose.
B. Posture
Receivers generally note the sender’s posture even without realizing it e.g. decent posture, send out positive messages.
C. Hand Gestures
Hand gestures are universally recognized as conveying specific information
D. Facial Expression and Eye Contact
The face reveals many messages to the listeners and eye contact improves the communication process.
Improving Communication Skills
A. Appeal to Human Needs and Time your messages; Effective communicators targets their audiences by appealing to their needs. If you deliver a message at the right time, you are taking into account the persons mental conditions at the moment. Wait for the person to be in the right frame of mind to listen.
B. Repeat Your Message, Using More Than One Channel; Repeating the message several times, but not necessarily in the same way, improves the chances of it being received accurately. A generally effective way of repeating a message is to use more than one communication channel.
C. Engage in small Talk and constructive Gossip; The effective use of skills is not to make your message cumbersome for an easy accumulation and comprehension.
Techniques of Communication
There are two basic techniques for communication, these are:
1. Persuasion
2. Motivation
What is Persuasion?
Persuasion is one’s ability or power to influence someone’s opinions or feelings, carefully to agree.
What is Motivation?
Quote: Maslow (1943) hierarchy of needs theory stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled, a person seeks to fulfill the next need, and so on.
What is Motivation?
Motivation is a general term used to describe the drives, desires, needs and forces that move individuals toward the achievement of group of goals. When a subordinate in an organization is motivated, it is evidence that leadership and management provide psycho-social situations which satisfy the needs of the worker and hence the urge and basis for work is ensured. The worker subsequently puts in more efforts to ensure that the objectives of his organization are realized. Bere1son and Steiner (1964) define "motive", the root word of motivation as an inner state that energizes and activates individuals towards goal achievement.
One approach to motivation which is relevant to the present discussion is Abraham Maslow's Need Hierarchy "Model”, Maslow (1970) suggested five groups of needs among individuals. These are:
i. Physiological needs
ii. Safety Needs
iii. Belongingness Needs
iv. Self-Esteem Needs
v. Self-actualization needs.
These needs were perceived by him to be in hierarchical form. Maslow pointed out that when one need is satisfied, a higher need becomes activated and there is further desire for the individual to wish to satisfy this new level of need. The lower order needs would be dormant since a lower and satisfied need is no longer a Source of motivation. However, no need is ever completely satisfied. Both gratification and deprivation are sources of motivation. Gratification enables the individual to be satisfied on a lower need resulting in the desire for higher order needs while deprivation is a source of re-emergence of lower order needs.
Models of Communication in Human relations
Baum (1984) defines communication as a process of transmitting or passing information from superior to subordinate. This definition makes communication one way affair because information could be transmitted by subordinates to the superiors.
According to Nwachukwu (1988), communication is the process by which meanings are perceived and comprehending reached among human beings whether in terms of written or spoken words, silence use of eyes, smiling or frowning, head shaking in approval, disapproval, gesture, facial expression s, body posturing etc. all are the process of communication.
What is a Model?
Azuzu, (1983) sees model as a visual presentation that helps to conceptualize the relationship of various elements involved in a process such as communication. Model is also a mathematical/physical representation of a system. It is a simple description of a system used for explaining how something works or calculating might happen.
Models of Communication Process
There are several models of communication process some are:
1. Shannon’s and weaver’s model of the communication process
2. Ecological model of communication process
3. Schramm’s model of communication process
4. DavidBerlo’s S.M.C.R model of communication process
5. Harold Haswell’s model of communication model
1. Shannon and Weaver (1948) Model of Communication
The new model was designed to mirror the functioning of radio and telephone technologies. Their initial model consists of three primary parts; sender, channel, and receiver. The sender was the part of a telephone a person spoke into, the channel was the telephone itself, and the receiver was the part of the phone where one could hear the other person. Shannon and weaver also recognized that often there is static that interfere with one listening to a telephone conversation, which they deemed noise. The noise could also mean the absence of signal.
Stage 1
An information sources. Presumably a person who creates a manage
Stage 2
The message, which is both sent by the information source and receiver at the destination points
Stage 3
A transmitter. For Shannon’s immediate purpose a telephone instrument that captures an audio signal, converts it in to an element signal and amplifies it for transmission through the telephone work.
Stage 4
The signal which flows through a channel
Stage 5
A carrier or channel, is represented by the small unlabelled box in the middle of the model and the most commonly used channel 1includes air, light, electricity, radio waves, paper and postal system.
Stage 6
Noise in the form of secondary signal that obscures or confuses the signal carrier
Stage 7
A receiver: In Shannon’s conception, the telephone conversation using telephone conservation using telephone instrument can be regarded as receiver.
Stage 8
A destination: That is a person who consumes and processes the message.
This model was concerned with the problem of message transmission i.e. what happens to the information by a source until it was received at destination. During the instance of telephone conservation, the spoken word is ENCODED or transformed into electric impulse by the transmitter and then sent through the telephone wire (channel) to a receiver where it is DECODED into spoken words for the listeners (destination)
2. Ecological Model of Communication
This model asserts that communication occurs in the intersection of four fundamental construct; communication between people (creators and consumers) is mediated by messages which are created using language within media, consumed from media and interpreted using language. This model is in many ways, a more details elaboration of Lasswell’s (1948) class outline of the study of the communication: “who….says what ……in which channel….. to whom ……… with what effect!! In the ecological model, the “who” are the creators of messages, the “in which channel” is elaborated into languages (which are the content of channels) and media ( which channels are a component of ), the “ to whom” are the consumers of messages, and the effects are found in various relationships between the primitives, including relationships, perspective, attributions, interpretations, and the continuing evolution of language and media.
A number of relationships are described in this model:
1. Messages are created and consumed using language
2. Language occurs within the context of media
3. Messages are constructed and consumed within the context of media.
4. The roles of consumer and creator are reflexive. People become creator when they reply or supply feedback to other people. Creators become consumers when they make use of feedback to adapt their message-to-message consumers. People learn how to create messages through the act of consuming other people messages.
5. The roles of consumers and creator are introspective. Creators of messages create message within the context of their perspectives of and relationship with anticipated consumers’ message. Creators optimize their messages to their target audience. Consumers make attributions of meaning based on their opinion of their message creators. People from these perspectives and relationship as a function of their communication.
6. The creators of message construct are necessarily imperfect representation of the meaning they imagine. Messages are created within the expressive limitations of the space provided by the language used. The message created is almost a partial and imperfect representation of what the creator would like to say.
7. A consumer s interpretation of a message necessary attributes meaning imperfectly. Consumers interpret message within the limits of the languages used and the media those languages are used in. A consumer’s interpretation of a message may be very different than what the creator of message imagined.
8. People learn language through the experience of encountering language being used within media. The languages they learn will almost be the language when communicating with people when already know and use those languages that communication always occurs within a medium that enables those language.
9. People learn media by using media. The media they learn will necessarily be the media used by the people they communicate with.
10. People invent and evolve language. While some behavioural expression (a baby’s cry) occur naturally and some aspect of languages structure may mirror the ways which the brain structure ideas, languages do not occur naturally. People invent new language when there is no language that they need to communicate ideals that existing language is not sufficient to.
11. People invent and evolve media. While some of the modalities and channels associated with communication are naturally occurring, the media we use to communicate are not. A medium of communication is in short, the product of a set of complex interactions between its primary constitutions; messages, people (acting as creator of messages, consumers of messages, and in other role), languages and media.
3. Schramm Model of Communication
The central concern of Schramm is with communication reception and interpretation of meaningful symbols. He is more concerned about adapting Shannon’s model for the purpose of instruction. Schramm model emphasizes that it is when the sender takes place. The sender of information encodes it according to his field of experience and the transmitted message is received and interpreted decoded) according to the receiver’s field of experience. Communication in instruction is intended to extend the field of experience of a learner. Thus, provision must made for feedback inform of immediate responses, test, homework and body language.
4. David Berlo’s S.M.C.R Model of the Communication Process. (1960)
Divid Barlo gave a model that took a same different form. This model is often referred to as S.M.C.R model. It is organizational model that specified some of the elements and sub-elements that are vital to communication process.
According to Barlos, several things determine how a source operates in the communication skills i.e. his willingly to hunk, write, draw and speak. They also include his attitude toward his audience, the subject in which he is communicating himself and any other factors elevated to the situation.
Knowledge of subject, the audience and the situation and other background factor also influence the way the source operates. So will lies social background, education, friends and culture.
The message has to do with the package of stimuli to be sent by the source.
The channel can be regarded as sensory, modalities. The receiver is the final link in the communication process.
5. Harold Lasswell’s Model of Communication Process
Who: In the model, this refers to the source of the message. Teacher, student, resource person.
Say What: This refers to the content of the message i.e. the skills, values, attitudes, knowledge etc.
In Which Channel: This refers to the medium/channel of communication i.e. the sense organs and the media
To Whom: Refer to the receiver of the message e.g. teacher and pupils
With What Effect: This refers to effect of message, obtained through feedback the addition of feedback to the models makes communication a cyclical process that is dynamic, or capable of change. It must be noted that sender, message, channel receiver (S.M.C.R) is basic to all the models of communication.
Other Models of Communication in Human relations
These components of communication in human relations are all possible entity and elements through which interaction between humans and its environment is attained.
Communication is derived from the Latin word “communicare” which means to share. It is the purposeful activity of information exchange between two or more persons in order to conveyor receive the intended meanings through a shared system of signs & semiotics.
Human relations deals with the effective communication and interaction among individuals or groups of people in the society.
Components of Communication in Human relations.
1. Context: This refers to the discourse that surround a language unit and helps to determine it interpretation and it’s also a very broad field but consists different aspects. One aspect is the country/habitat, culture and organization it involves environmental influences on an individual which as well aspect what goes on inside people as they think, feel, value imagine, dream etc. and the language, life style of the people inhabiting that environment.
2. Sender/Encoder: encoder is a person who sends message. In oral communication the encoder is speaker and in written communication writer is the encoder. Communication in humans is initiated by the sender who sends a message between people and their environment which of course include other people such as friends, family, children, co-staff and even stranger. A sender needs to pay attention to people’s habit of relating to each other as well as the words they use. A sender also must consider the group of people or audience so as to enhance an effective communication.
An encoder uses combination of symbols, words, graphs and pictures comprehendible by the receiver to best convey is message in order to achieve his desired response.
3. Message/Ideas: message is the information that is exchanged between sender and receive. It can be signaled, written or spoken. The central idea of the message must be clear. When sending a message, encoder should keep in mind all aspect of the context i.e. languages and interpretation and the receiver (how he will interpret the message) messages can be intentional and unintentional.
Message can also be defined as the object of communication or the thing that is being communicated.
A message may be spoken, written, visual, and physical signals. Some qualities of a message include its wording, directness and purpose. Each message has a specific purpose.
a. To convey important facts or information.
b. To persuade the receiver to accept or reject certain conditions or actions
c. To motivate the receiver to act in a specific way
d. To stimulate discussion about a particular issue
e. To entertain the receiver
Message can have many other purposes like instructing, warning, greeting or requesting information. For a message to be effective you should know exactly why you plan to send.
4. Medium: you communicate through speech in a face-to-face conversation, as well as through e-mail an instant message, a telephone call or a written letter-to choose the right medium, you should consider several factors.
a. Importance of the message face to face or over the phone. This makes more impact and enables the receiver to respond immediately. E-mail is suitable for less important message, or those you don’t need an urgent response. Instant messages are best use for casual message.
b. Practically: when senders & receiver are geographically dispersed, using telecommunications media. Such as the phone, email and instant message, is more practical than arranging fact to face meetings. Other practical consideration is the costs, physical space requirements and potential delays associated with using different communication media.
c. Receiver’s communication style: some people respond best to information that’s presented visually. Others rely more on what they hear, or on information that’s text based. And some learn best by doing, building models for putting ideas into practice. In trying to choose an effective medium, you should consider the preferred communication style of the receiver. You should also consider the receiver’s willingness to receive your message. For instance, it’s better to communicate sensitive information face to face, rather than via email.
5. Receiver/Decoder: The person to whom the message is being sent is called ‘receiver/decoder’. Receiver maybe a listener or reader depending on the choice of medium by sender to transmit the message. Receiver is also influence by the context. Internal and external stimuli.
Receiver is the person who interprets the message, so higher the chances of miscommunication because of receivers’ perception, option, attitude and personality. There will be minor deviation in transmitting, the exact idea only if the receiver is educated and has communication skills.
6. Feedback: feedback is any response to a communicated message. It takes the form of a message itself, and may be verbal, visual, or written, often, feedback is essential, because it’s what turns one-way communication into two-way communication.
Feedback maybe Positive or Negative.
§ Positive feedback indicates the receiver has received and understood the message.
§ Negative feedback indicates that the receiver either has not understood its content.
Feedback is important during communication because it helps the sender to make any necessarily adjustments so that the message is correctly received. Feedback is also important after you’ve delivered a message. It enables further clarification or discussion.
Effects of Components of Communication in Human relations
1. The perception and the environment of humans determine how information is received & understood.
2. Body language in communication in human relations emphasizes the message being sent.
3. The timing of a message can influence how well or badly a message is received. It is best to time a message for when you know the receiver will respond properly
4. Factors like formality and informality of a setting, noise in the surrounding and room temperature can also affect the abilities of a sender & receiver to communicate.
5. Physical proximity in humans also affects communication.
6. Communication in human relations gives room to comprehend individual differences.
7. Communication enhances interaction in humans for instance, in a human society where there is no communication the relationship is bound to hit rock bottom.
8. Inappropriate medium will destroy the entire meaning and weight a message as supposed to carry.
9. Interference such as noise, hunger, environmental, psychological factor can under the effectiveness of communication in human relations.
10. A well appropriated message in human relations can do well to motivate, enlighten and uplift a fellow human.
11. Feedback in human relations can either be positive or negative which will influence the behaviours pose towards each other whether it be hatred, jealousy, happiness and faithfulness.
References
Patrick J. (1996). Fundamentals of Human relations: Application for life and work.
Berlo, D. K. (1960). The process of communication. New York: Holt, Rinehert, and Wintson.
Mehrabian, A. (1972). Non-Verbal Communication. Transaction publishers.