Communication Models
A Communication model is a pictorial representation of the communication process, ideas, thoughts, or
concepts through diagrams, etc. They can be considered to be systematic representations of the process that
help us understand how communication can be carried out.
Models of communication help in understanding the potential barriers to effective communication, roles of
different elements involved, and the importance of feedback for successful communication.
By applying the models of communication, individuals & organizations can enhance their communication
skills & improve the interaction quality.
Importance of Communication Model
Here are the reasons why communication models are important:
1. Understanding the communication process
2. Analyzing communication problems
3. Enhancing communication skills
4. Guiding organizational communication
5. Improving the message design
6. Facilitating interpersonal communication
7. Planning & evaluating communication campaigns
1. Linear Communication
-One-way communication
-is an uncomplicated, direct way to comprehend how different parties communicate with one
another. This single-directional process occurs when a sender passes along a message without
any feedback or response from the receiver.
Examples:
Radio Broadcasting, Television broadcast, Lectures/Presentation, Church Services, Letter/Memos,
Newsletter emails
2. Interactive models
-a two-way process of exchanging ideas, messages, and information. Each party takes turns as
the sender and receiver. This model emphasizes the importance of feedback and interaction in
communication.
Examples:
Emails, Text Messages, Video Conferencing, Chat Rooms, Online Forums
3. Transactional Model
– looks at two-way communication where the message gets more complex as the
communication event (e.g., conversation) progresses.
-Proposes that communication between two or more people occurs in an ongoing exchange
of messages, where both the sender and receiver influence what is communicated. People’s
shared understandings are built through consistent communication within specific contexts.
Example: Group Discussions, Brainstorming Sessions
Model of Communication Type of Model Brief Description
Communication Models
1. Aristotle’s Model Linear Aristotle argues that we
should look at five elements
of a communication event to
analyze how best to
communicate: speaker,
speech, occasion, target
audience and effect.
2. Laswell’s Model Linear Laswell’s model is a basic
framework for analyzing
one-way communication by
asking five questions: Who,
said what, through which
channel, to whom, with what
effects?
3. Shannon-Weaver Model Linear The Shannon-Weaver model
is the first to highlight the
role of ‘noise’ in
communication, which can
disrupt or alter a message
between sender and receiver.
4. Berlo’s S-M-C-R Model Linear Berlo’s S-M-C-R model
explains communication in
four steps: Source, Message,
Channel, and Receiver.
Communication Models
5. Osgood-Schramm Model Interactive The Osgood-Schramm model
looks at reciprocal
communication, showing
how we have to encode,
decode, and interpret
information in real-time
during a conversation.
6. Dance’s Helical Model Transactional Dance’s Helical Model sees
communication as a circular
process that gets more and
more complex as
communication occurs,
which can be represented by
a helical spiral.
Direction: Identify whether the given situation is linear, Interactive and Transactional.
_________________1. Marketing team creating promotional material for an upcoming product and emailing
the material to customers.
_________________2. A presidential candidate decides to record a speech and broadcast it on television.
_________________3. A shoe company has a text message service that informs customers who sign up
about current sales at local stores.
_________________4. Mark and Jess are employees working on a project and often engage in phone
conversations to discuss project deliverables, milestones, and how to allocate resources effectively. Mark
can initiate the phone call to receive an update about the project, to which Jess replies and asks further
questions regarding operations.
___________________5. Blooms Company Ltd. organizes a virtual training session for all employees to
improve professional skills and increase work productivity. During the session, a trainee asks a question
about the job which the facilitator replies.
___________________6. Businessman’s coming together to share ideas on how to solve a problem in a
particular workplace.
