Anything that obstructs, interferes or acts a

hindrance to the flow of communication is

‘barrier to communication’.
Barriers prevent the communication to be
effective.
Miscommunication can originate at three
levels:
 At the level of the transmitter
 Of the medium

 Or of the receiver.
 Disagreement between verbal and non-verbal
messages
 Negative Self Image
 Lack of Feedback

 Lack of Motivation and Training

 Language and Vocabulary Level
 Lack of Self Awareness
 Selective Perception
 Unwillingness to Change
 Lack of Interest in the Topic/Subject
 Prejudice & Belief System
 Rebuttal Instincts
 Personal Value System
 Here-and-Now internal & external factors
Mechanical Barriers
Some Possible mechanical failures are:
 A weak microphone or poor sound spread of
the meeting place.
 Defective telephone lines.

 Electricity/computer breakdown.
 Poor printing quality or paper, spread of link,
overlap of colors.
 Atmospherics on radio or T.V, especially in
cloudy weather.
Wrong choice of medium-
There are a variety of mediums to choose from:
 Oral
 Written

 Visual

 Audio-visual
 Computer-based.
All these mediums have their merits and
demerits. While a properly chosen medium
can enhance the effectiveness of the
communication, an unsuitable medium may
act as a barrier.
 Physical Barriers
 Noise- is often a barrier to communication.

 Factory,
 External disturbances in telecom facilities,
 Poor writing,
 Bad photo-copies.
 Time and Distance- acts as a barrier in the
smooth flow of information.
 People working in different shifts,
 Faulty seating arrangements.
 Poor Timing- communication at inappropriate
timing reduces its effectiveness.
Semantic Barriers- Science of meaning - Phonetics science of
sound, Semantics – coding /decoding
Language is the most important tool of communication.
Problems arising from expression or transmission of
meaning are called semantic barriers.
 Interpretation of words- communication is mainly carried
through spoken or written words. Interpretation could be
different for people depending on their social-economic,
cultural and educational backgrounds.
 Denotationsand connotations- the literal
meaning of the word is known by its
denotative meaning. Positive or negative
qualities, qualitative judgments and
personal reactions are reflected by
connotative meaning.
They gave us cheap stuff
At this shop, they sell things cheap
 Bad expression- When the message is not formulated and
presented in a proper manner, the receiver fails to
comprehend it and in turn misunderstanding occurs. A
badly expressed message leads to loss of valuable time,
money and resources. It requires further corrections and
clarifications.
 Faulty translation- Inaccurate translation leads to
misunderstanding and confusion.
 Unqualified assumptions- the sender of the message often
makes some assumptions, which when vague and unknown
to the receiver lead to barriers in communication.
 Poor vocabulary, lack of grammatical knowledge, wrong
symbols, punctuation etc.
 Different comprehensions of reality-
Reality is not a fixed concept; it is complex, infinite and
constantly changing. No two people view reality in
identical terms.
 Abstracting-focusing on some details while omitting
others. It is important as well, as it saves time, space and
money , however it poses a great danger as details that
look relevant to one may appear insignificant to others , as
a result misunderstandings arise. Editing and censorship
are also abstracting.
 Slanting- bias or inclination to a particular toward a
certain reality.
 Inferring-drawing conclusions from basic assumptions (see,
hear, taste, touch and smell). Not based on facts and can
therefore be erroneous and unwarranted.
Socio-psychological barriers including
cultural barriers-
Selective Perception-‘I know it syndrome’, ‘waste
of time’
Attitudes and Opinions
Emotions- state at a particular time also affects
communication.
Cultural Diversity
Closed mind
Frame of reference
The source of information
Inattentiveness- sometimes we just do not
listen, but only hear.
Conflicting goals
Faulty Transmission
Poor retention- human memory cannot
function beyond a certain limit. One
can’t always retain fully what is being
told specially if we are not attentive or
not interested.
 A person of weak hearing or eyesight.
 The age of the listener.
 A person’s educational level.
 Gender Barriers.
 A wandering mind.
 Ideological loyalties.
 Loyalty to a brand or organization.
 Emotional states of the person.
 One’s Prejudice- A prejudice is the judgment
formed without proper information.
 Fixed images about other people.
 Poor retention power is a barrier.
 Organizational Communication Barriers
 Organizational communication refers to sharing of
ideas, views and concepts through available formal or
informal communication media. It happens within a
group, agency or enterprise.
a. Flawed Structure-
Lack of communication policy
Poorly defined authority and responsibility
Multiple levels in organizational structure
b. Assumptions-
Assumptions spell disaster for the success of
organizational communication.
• Presuming all the members of the organization have
the same knowledge base as the message sender.
• Information will spread accurately and effectively
on it’s own after only one or two members receive
it.
c. Overdependence on Technology-
Twitter, face book….
Instead of relying on formats that are trendy or
attractive, a formal mode of communication
needs to be selected to deliver the message to
the employees and customers.
d. Too much information (Communication
Overload)-
Simplicity is the key to effective organizational
communication. Adding detail after detail can
turn off the audience.
Understand the idea, product, stick to two or
three main points to get your point across.
e. Misinterpretation-
Understand the message clearly and accurately.
When in doubt ask for clarifications.
Organizational culture –
 impacts freedom and trust
 Organizational rules and regulations
 Status relationship
 Complexity in organizational structure
 Inadequate facilities and opportunities
 Lack of cooperation between senior and
subordinate.
 Long chain of command-
leads to the message passing through several
levels leading to delays and distortions.
 Role Conflicts-
Confusion about roles can create fiction
between subordinates and superiors.
Technological Barriers-
• Lack of knowledge of technology
• Advancement in technology
• Noise
• Fear of lack of security
 Plan your communication carefully
 Know the receiver
 Listen more; speak less
 Put yourself in others’ shoes
 Be careful of your tone
 Seek feedback and offer clarifications.
 Fostering good relationships
 Purposeful and well directed /focused
 Co-ordination between superior and
 subordinate
 Avoid technical language
 Accuracy
 Clarity in message
 Communication of organizational
philosophy
 Flat organizational structure
 Division of labour
 Organizational policies
 Reduction of semantic problems
 Proper communication channels
 Mechanical And Physical Barriers
Appropriate Seating arrangements
Ensure visibility and availability
Environmental comfort
Minimum Visual and oral distractions
 Semantic Barriers

Use of simple language

Symbols and charts
Active listening
Constructive Feedback
 Socio-psychological Barriers
Attention and motivation
Assistance and Sympathy
 Organizational Barriers

Simple organizational Structure

Avoid information overload