Barriers to Effective Communication Process (Research Paper Sample)

Barriers to Effective Communication Process
Name
Institution
Introduction
Communication can be defined as the process of passing information from one source to another. It involves many elements; from the sender, encoder, medium, decoder and finally the receiver. If one of these elements is interfered with, then the communication process is broken, and that is the point where communication barrier comes in. (Rai, Urmila and S.M. Rai, 2009). Effective communication entails having a smooth flow of information from the source to the very last person that is, the receiver. In this case, any distortion along the way means that by the time it reaches the target, it has been altered. Any alteration on the original information leads to wrong interpretation. These are otherwise known as barriers to effective communication. It is, therefore, the responsibility of everyone within the organization to ensure that they follow the right channel put in place for the flow of information.
Communication Barriers
Information is meaningful if and only if both the sender and the receiver interpret a message in the same way; that is to say, message sent by the sender is interpreted in the same manner as the receiver. According to Burtis, J. O, & Turman P.D (2006), there are several impediments in the smooth flow of information that include the following:
Poor planning: before communication is relayed, there should be formidable structures to ensure that there is the proper formulation of the message and its interpretation; meaning poor planning leads to the poor release of information thus wrong interpretation. A poorly delivered message can cause the receiver not to respond since the sender has failed to present the message in the correct format.
Poor listening and premature conclusions: the receiver of the massage may not be able to absorb every information being sent, therefore, ends up making own conclusion. This leads to wrong interpretation of the message and making own judgment.
Distrust, threat and fear: if the person relaying the information is not trusted, then people will use any means possible to avoid giving or receiving information as they have less credibility from the information source.
Information overload: if there is too much information being relayed at the same time, then people are bound to be mixed up with lots of information. For example, if one receives information from different sources like, telephone calls, emails, television, newspapers and others, they can be a barrier to communication since they cause interruptions.
Perception and attitude: if the person relaying the message has a wrong attitude, then the listeners will distort or filter the information, and this prevents the receiver from getting true picture.
Differences in status: Communication between subordinate and superior is always treated with suspicion regardless of how open manager is, the employees tend to be hesitant to share information.
Language and culture: Within an organization, language can be an impediment to effective communication as different individuals interpret information in different ways.
Some cultures are open to communication while others are not; that is to say, releasing information as per one’s culture can be wrongly interpreted.
Semantic distortions: they are brought about by having same words or expressions but are interpreted in different ways. The divergence of words being used in communication can bring out different meaning; jargons and terminologies used can make sense or fail to make sense thus hindering effective communication.
Emotional disconnect: effective communication requires openness of both the listener and speaker this means if there is no connection between listener and the person conveying the message then the bond between them will be disconnected.
Noise: this involves an external or internal disruption that hinders one from listening or conveying the intended message. For example, self-talking, body language and gestures keeps us from being focused and this destructs ones attention. Noise can also come from blast and traffic.
Assumptions: Sometimes a message is designed in such a way that, the sender assumes the reader will understand the message, but it is interpreted otherwise hence, sending the wrong signal.
Effective Implementation of Communication
According to Gerson, S.J., & Gerson, S. M. (2007); to have an effective communication, it is up to the entire organization to come up with proper structures for implementation. Communication is not one-sided event, but it is an act of conveying information for the purposes of creating a mutual understanding among employees. Effective communication should always start with top management therefore; all stakeholders should be incorporated. The top management should emphasize on having clear information to its support staff whereas the employees should always follow the clear channels put in place for effective communication. Ineffective communication structure leads to suspicion among the various levels of the organization. It is, therefore, the responsibility of everyone to ensure that barriers to effective communication are eliminated.
Law Enforcement and Strike
Law enforcement officers are not allowed to participate in the strike, this is due to the nature of their job; they are supposed to suppress riots, prevent crimes, secure public proper...