Explanation:
FACTORS AFFECTING COMMUNICATION
A number of factors which may disrupt the communication process and affect the overall understanding and interpretaion of what is communicated are :
1. Status / Role
2. Cultural differences .
3. Choice of communication channel .
4. Length of communication .
5. Use of language .
6. Individual Perceptions / Attitudes / Personalities .
7. Known or Unknown Receiver .
Explanation:
1. Status/Role
The sender and receiver of a message may be of equal status within a hierarchy (e.g. managers in an organisation) or they may be at different levels (e.g. manager/employee, lecturer/student, business owner/clients).This difference in status sometimes affects the effectiveness of the communication process.
2. Cultural Differences
Cultural differences, both within or outside the organisation (for example, inter-departmental dealings and communication with outside organisations or ethnic minorities) may impede the communication process.
3. Choice of Communication Channels
Sender should choose the most appropriate channel for a particular purpose and keeping the person/receiver in mind.
Sending messages via inappropriate channels can send out wrong signals and end up creating confusion.
Choosing the appropriate channel needs :
Considering all aspects of the communication process (interpretation, understanding, feedback).
Determining all the possible barriers.
Evaluating the complexity of the message and decide how it might be best conveyed .
Knowing--
Who? ? Characteristics of the receiver(s).
Why? Purpose of the communication.
What? Content of the message.
How? Oral, written, visual or a combination of all three.
Where? Location of the meeting.
When? Timing/time limit/expected response time.
4. Length of Communication
The length of the message also affects the communication process.
Sender need to be sure that it serves the purpose and is appropriate for the receiver.
Is the message too long or too brief?
5. Use of Language
The language used must be familiar to the receiver .
Poor choice of words or weak sentence structure also hampers communication.
Sentences must be framed correctly .
6 .Individual Perceptions/Attitudes/Personalities
Sometimes, the method of communication needs to take into consideration the receiver's personality traits, perceptions , age and preferred style.
EXAMPLE -The elderly and children, have different communication needs and preferences when compared to young adults.
7 .Known or Unknown Receiver
Whether the receiver is known or unknown to sender also plays a major role in determining the effectiveness of the communication.
A known receiver may be better able to understand the message despite having insufficient information as both sender and receiver have common experiences .
An unknown receiver, on the other hand, may require more information and time to decode the message.
