Business

communication
Group – (Accounting & Finance)

Mrs. Anastasia Nana Ama Kumi-Korsah

Department of Management
School of Business
University of Cape Coast
Context, media and barriers to
communication

(Lecture week 6)
 Presentation outline
• Context of communication

• Medium of communication

• Barriers to effective communication

• Cross cultural communication

• Strategies to strengthen cross-cultural communication

 Objectives
By the end of this session, students should be able to:
• Explain the context of communication

• Explain at least three(3) types of communication context

• Identify at least three (3) channels of communication

• Describe at least three (3) channels of communication

• Explain at least four (4) barriers to communication

• Explain cross-culture communication

 Objectives
• Explain two (2) barriers to cross-culture communication

• Outline at least four (4) ways of understanding cross-cultural

communication

• Outline at least four (4) strategies for strengthening cross-

culture communication
 Context of communication
• The context of communication is the circumstances surrounding a message to
the receiver.

• A communications context can be thought of as the environment or human

eco-system in which communication takes place.

• It simply refers to those features surrounding a piece of communication

• The circumstances might include the setting, the value positions of the people,
and appropriateness of a message.

• It also emphasizes the need to consider your audience, the forum, the era, and
accepted norms.
 Context of communication cont.
• The context in which a message is sent may have a positive or
negative implications for the message and subsequently the
nature of feedback
 Types of communication contexts
Physical Context
- the actual setting of the message.
- This includes things like the physical/actual location, setting
(home/office/church/parliament) , the time of day, the lighting, the noise
level, the weather etc.

Temporal Context/ Historical context

- expectations that people have based on past experiences.
- the expectation of the speaker and the audience in situations that
happen regularly or have happened in the past
- the communicator and receiver may be part of each other’s experiences
or not.
 Types of communication contexts cont.
Social Context
- Social context is a personal matter.
- It involves the relationship of the speaker and the audience and their
expectations from the relationship.
- Alone/with others (who is there?)
Psychological Context
- refers to the mood and emotions of the audience, as well as the
speaker to a lesser extent.
- How the audience is feeling will have an impact on how the
speaker's messages will be received, and how they should be
delivered. Age, personality, etc
 Types of communication contexts cont.
Socio-Psychological Context
- This context is all about relationships.
- It is the balance between people's emotional states and their
personal relationships.
 Types of communication contexts cont.
Cultural Context
- Culture relates to the beliefs and values of a group.
- It is the cultural expectations of the audience.
- The way material is effectively presented to a group of
teenage boys will be different from the way it is effectively
presented to a group of elderly men.
- organisational & nationality, ethnic/cultural background of
communicator & audience (foreigners/Africans)
 Medium/channel of Communication
• This refers to the means by which data or information, messages and thoughts is
delivered or received.

• It is the way this information flows from the sender to the receiver and vice versa
within the organization.

• It simply refers to the ways in which communication occur.

• The channel/medium, used to communicate a message often affects how

accurately the message will be received.

• Channels vary in their “information-richness.” Information-rich channels convey

more nonverbal information
Channels of communication cont.
MEDIA/CHANNELS OF
COMMUNICATION
Some common media/ channels of communication include:
 Written channels
 Oral channels
 Non verbal channels
 Visual channels
 Audio-visual channels
 Written channels
• These refer to any channel that employs the use of written words as a
means of interaction.

• Some common examples include

• Letters
• Posters
• Notices
• Memos
• Press release
• Books
• Circulars
• Articles
 Oral channels
• This refers any channel that employs spoken words as a means of
interaction and/or for delivering and receiving information, messages and
thoughts.

• Some examples include:

• Meetings
• Telephone calls
• Presentation
• Face-to-face conversation
• Presentations
• Oral briefings
• Lectures
• Informal discussions
• Training sessions etc.
 Non-verbal channels
• This refers to the nonverbal cues used as a means of transmitting
information, messages and thoughts between/among parties to a
communication.

• These often include:

• gestures
• facial expressions
• posture
• eye contact
• tone of voice
• body language
 Visual channels
• This refers to visual aids for conveying information, ideas,
messages and thoughts.
• It includes:
• Signs
• Graphs
• Illustrations
• Animation
• Drawings
• Industrial designs etc.
 Audio-visual channels
• This refers to any means of communication that possesses
both a sound and a visual component

• These often include:

• slide-tape presentations
• films
• television advertisements
• video conferencing
• tele conferencing etc.
 channels of communication cont.
Channels of communication may also be classified in these ways:
Face-to-Face
• channel for complex or emotionally charged messages.
• it allows for interaction between speaker and recipients to clarify ambiguity.
• A speaker can evaluate whether an audience has received his message as
intended and ask or answer follow-up questions.
Broadcast Media
 Refers to TV, radio and loud speakers
 Useful for addressing mass audience.
 When a message intended for a mass audience can be enhanced by being
presented in a visual or auditory format, a broadcast channel should be used.
 Channel of communication cont.
Electronic Channels
• encompasses email, Internet, intranet and social media platforms.
• May be used for one-on-one, group or mass communication.
• less personal method of communication but more efficient in delivering
information.
• When using this channel, care must be taken to craft messages with clarity
and to avoid the use of sarcasm and innuendo unless the message
specifically calls for it.
Mobile channels
 Useful for private or more complex message
 A mobile channel allows for an interactive exchange and gives the recipient
the added benefit of interpreting the speaker's tone along with the message.
 Channel of communication cont.
Written Messages
• useful when a message does not require interaction between the
sender and receiver.
• Policies, letters, memos, manuals, notices and announcements are all
messages that work well for this channel. Recipients may follow up
through an electronic or face-to-face channel if questions arise about
a written message.
 Choice of media
• The choice of media is crucial, often the channel/ medium of
communication can influence the message and its interpretation by
the receiver.

• Some factors that influence the choice of communication media

include;
• Urgency
• Distance
• Time
• Accuracy
• Cost
 Choice of media
Factors influencing choice of media cont.
 Need for a written record
 Efficiency
 Legal evidence
 Confidentiality
 Prestige & impression
 Complexity
 Choice of media
In choosing a medium/channel of communication it is also
important for the sender/receiver (business) to consider the
following:
• Convenience
• Resources
• Staffing
• Location
• Organisational structure
• Safety
• Emotional consideration
• Human element
 Barriers to communication
• These are elements that restrict the effective dissemination of
messages and distort communication goals.

• They are all those elements that disrupt the smooth and effective
transfer of information, messages and thoughts in the
communication process.

• It interferes with the success of the of the communication

process and may distort aspects or all of the communication
process.
 Barriers to communication cont.
Some common barriers to effective communication include:
• Semantic barriers

• Psychological barriers

• Physiological barriers

• Organisational barriers

• Environmental barriers
 Semantic barriers
• These are barriers that involves the problem of language.
• Words and symbols used to communicate facts and feelings may
mean different things to different people. Language differences
and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents often
impede the communication process.
• Common semantic barriers include:
 Badly Expressed Message: This barrier is as a result of wrong choice of
words, the wrong sequence of sentences, frequent repetitions,
grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and punctuation errors etc.
 Semantic barrier cont.
 Technical jargons: Words, phrases or sentences that are understood
by people of a particular enterprise. Over-complicated, unfamiliar
and/or technical terms.

 Unclarified assumptions; unclear statements, ambiguity, lack of

conciseness etc.

 Symbols or words with different meanings; words understood

differently by different people. Eg. Infant
 Psychological barriers
This refers to the mental condition/emotional state of the sender and
receiver. It includes
• Emotional barriers and taboos.
• Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
• Premature Evaluation: dig out meaning without much thinking at the
time of/ before receiving information.
• Differences in perception and viewpoint.
• Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions
or stereotyping.
• Poor Retention
• Distrust
 Physiological barriers
• Barriers that emanate from the receiver’s physical state.

• It includes physical disabilities such as hearing problems or

speech difficulties.

• For instance, a receiver with reduced hearing may not be able

to fully grasp the content of spoken conversation where there
is background noise
 Organisational/systematic barriers

• Inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication

channels

• Where there is a lack of understanding of the roles and

responsibilities for communication.

• In such organisations, people may be unclear of their role in the

communication process and therefore not know what is expected of
them.
 Organisational/systemic barriers cont.
• Many managerial levels in an organization may make the organizational
structure complex and result in delays/changes in information before it reaches
the receiver.

• Organizational policies may also impede the smooth flow of information. E.g.:
All communication must be written.

• Organizational rules and regulations may become barriers in communication

where it determines the subject-matter, medium, etc. of communication.

• Lack of facilities such as stationary, telephone, translator, etc reduces the

timeliness and relevance of information which may distort the communication
process.
 Environmental barriers
These are physical barriers that may distort the quality or accuracy of
information being transferred.
It relates to the physical setting within which communication is takes
place.
Some physical conditions that may distort the communication between
the sender and receiver include:
 noise
 room temperature
 space layout
 lighting system
 odour
 geographic distances
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EFFECTION
COMMUNICATION
• Communicate clearly: use simple words, correct formatting, neat
paper, etc.

• Eliminate distractions

• Listen to complete message

• Judge the content, not the form of the message.

• Listen actively and have an open mind.

• Use appropriate media

 Overcoming barriers to communication
cont.

• Seek for understanding

• Active participation and questioning
• Clarify ideas before communicating
• Know purpose of communication
• Take follow up actions
 Characteristics of effective
communicators
Perception
- ability to predict how message is received by receiver
- can anticipate reaction and shape the message accordingly
- read responses correctly and adjust message to avoid misunderstandings.

Precision
- create “meeting of the minds”
- ability to share the same mental picture.

Credibility
- have persuasive effect and are very believing
- influences receiver to have faith in the substance of the message
 Characteristics of effective
communicators cont.
Control
- ability to shape response
- depending on purpose of message can make one cry, laugh,
calm down, change your mind or take action.

Congeniality
- maintain friendly, pleasant relations with receiver whether you
agree with them or not.
- commands respect and goodwill.
- always willing to work with them despite differences
 Cross-cultural communication
This is a field of study that looks at how people from different
cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways
and how they seek to communicate across cultures.

It is the exchange of information between individuals who are

“unalike culturally
- Rogers & Steinfatt, 1999
 Cross-cultural communication cont.
• Involves dealing with people from other cultures.

• Promotes strong inter-cultural relationships and minimizes

misunderstandings
 BARRIERS TO CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
There are two barriers to cross-cultural communication:

• Ethnocentrism

• Stereotyping
 Ethnocentrism
• This is the belief that one’s (own group) ways are superior to those of
another group.

• It is an evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions

originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture.

• It refers to the manner in which people place value judgements on other

cultures from their cultural point of view.

• Ethnocentrism creates false assumption and generalizations about the

differences between cultures.
 Stereotyping
• This refers to attitudes and judgements by people about others
based on personal experience rather than on what is learned
through communication.

• It is preconceived judgement or opinion about a situation,

conduct or social behaviour.

• It is any conclusions drawn about others or situations from one’s

opinion often situated in experience rather than on actual
encounters.
 Stereotyping cont.
• It may be positive or negative.

• Positive stereotype helps to categories people, presume and

understand their characteristics

• Negative stereotype prejudices other and leads us to presume

the worse in others.
 Understanding cross-cultural
communication
• Compare cultures
- Focus on the interactions versus general observations of
culture.
• Shift to local perspective
- Local level versus global perspective.
• Do not need to know everything to know something.
- Time, space, gestures, and gender roles can be studied, even
if there is lack of understanding about the entire culture.
 Understanding cross-cultural
communication cont.
• Rules can be learnt
- People create rules for themselves in each community that
can be learnt, compared, and contrasted.
• Experience counts
-Personal experience has value in addition to more
comprehensive studies of interaction and culture.
• Perspectives can differ
- Descriptive linguistics serves as a model to understand
cultures
 Strengthening CROSS-CULTURE
COMMUNICATION
Some strategies that may be adopted to strengthen cross-culture
communication include;
• Slowing down
• Avoiding negative questions
• Avoiding slang
• Maintaining etiquette
• Being supportive
• Controlling the use of humour
• Taking turns to speak