BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE

COMMUNICATION
  We require to communicate with many people for
personal and professional purposes, but we may face
many hurdles or problems while doing so:

INTRODUCTION  message may not be passed properly

:  chances of misunderstanding between the sender or the

receiver
 language used is not understood properly

 This results into communication breakdown or

communication failure.
  Communication barriers are interferences or obstacles
which affect not only the transmission of idea or
information but also the understanding and acceptance of
COMMUNICATION it.
BARRIERS:
 It has an effect on entirely preventing communication,
filtering part of it, or giving it an incorrect meaning.
Causes for Barriers in
The deficiencies of

Communication
the sender

The deficiencies of
the listener

Inappropriate means
of communication
 • Lack of • Poor listening • Noise

Receiver Oriented

Channel Oriented
Sender Oriented

planning & • Lack of • Wrong

clarity interest selection of
• Improper • Difference in medium
choice of perception • Technical
words • Biased attitude defects
• Difference in
perception
• Wrong choice
of channel
 Cultural
barriers

Physical or
Organizationa
environmental
l barriers
barriers

Physiologica
l barriers
TYPES OF Socio-
psychologica
BARRIERS l barriers

Semantic
Emotional
or language
barriers
barriers

Personal
barriers
 Traffic

Poor
signal i. Noise TV

Bad
weather
1. PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
BARRIERS: Different
countries

ii. Time
&
distance
Different Seating
shifts arrangements
 • PowerPoint for
uneducated factory
workers?
iii. Wrong • Non-verbal cues for
medium visually impaired people?

iv. Surroundings:
Weather
  No matter how clear the idea in the mind of the
sender, it may still get affected by use of:
v. Poorly  poorly chosen words

expressed  long sentences

 complex words
message:  poor organization of ideas
 use of jargon
 Speaking:
List
of Defective e
Out an vocal organs Def ning:
e
hum rol hea ctive
t ring
con
a l f
y
c
s i i ty o Ha Wr
Ph abil er / nd itin
p nd ver in g:
a
c se cei ju
ry
re

2.

Re oor ht
Fit lth &

PHYSIOLOGICAL/

ad
Ey
ss

P
ne

ing
a

esi
BIOLOGICAL
He

:
g
BARRIERS
  Semantics: Study of words

3. SEMANTIC  Barriers related to language

BARRIERS:  Cause obstructions in receiving or understanding the
message
 Some common
semantic
barriers

i. Misinterpretation ii. Use of iii. Vocabulary iv. Multiple v. Connotative

of words jargon deficiency meanings meaning
 ii. Lack of
i. Attitude &
self
Opinions
confidence
Affects
Assumptions
sender as
& negative
well as
feelings
receiver
4. PERSONAL
BARRIERS:
Fear

Lack of
acceptance
 i. Blocked Accepts limited Rigidity &
mind information dogma

ii. Bias & Already made

5. EMOTIONAL
BARRIERS: prejudice up mind

Worry,
iii. excitement, Affects sender
Emotions fear,
nervousness
& receiver
 6. SOCIO-
PSYCHOLOGICAL
BARRIERS

ii. Status
i. Selective iv. Halo v. Physical
consciousnes iii. Prejudices
perception effect appearance
s
  Culture shapes the way we think and behave.
 Categorization: nationality, ethnicity, race, religion,
etc.
 Differences in norms, values and behaviors
 The same category of word, phrases, symbols,
7. CULTUAL actions colors mean different things to different
BARRIERS: cultures.
 For Example:
 In western countries black color is associated with
mourning, while in the far east white is the color of
mourning.
 In U.S people love to be called by their first name, while
in Britain, people are addressed by their last name.
 I. Complex Long
Breakdown of
organizational communication
communication
channels
structure

Ii. Too many Chances of

distortion, delays
8. ORGANIZATIONAL levels in the or total failure of
BARRIERS: organization the message

Messages are
Iii. Time and hastily and
timeliness inadequately
communicated