Barriers to Communication

Prof. Sandip Patil
Asst. Prof.
BVCOE, Navi Mumbai

 1. Physical / Environmental Barriers
 2. Mechanical Barriers
 3. Semantic Barriers
 4. Intrapersonal Barriers
 5. Interpersonal Barriers
 6. Organizational Barriers
 7. Cross-cultural Barriers
Prof. Sandip Patil Asst. Prof.
BVCOE, Navi Mumbai

 1.Noise: Most common barrier. May occur due to
Technical errors, human errors.
 Any unplanned inference in communication
process is known as noise
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 1.A. Channel Noise:- any inference in the mechanics
of the medium used to send a message. E.g. faulty
background, noise in telephone lines, too high
volume of loudspeakers
 1.B. Semantic Noise:-
 pertaining to the meanings of the words, concerned
with the written communication.
 Generally resulting internally from errors in
message itself.
 E.g. illegible (unable to read) handwriting, incorrect
sentence structure, grammatical errors etc.
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 2. Environmental Stress
Barriers due to environment are called
Environmental barriers.
E.g. Wrong choice of font colours in a presentation,
high temperature, humidity, bad ventilation etc..
 3. Physical Stress
E.g. due to sleeplessness, ill health, consumptions of
drugs, mental strain, tension etc.
The communicator can not interpret the
message in desired manner.
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 A Mechanical Barrier stems from a problem in
machinery or instruments used to transmit the
message.
 1. Defects in Machines
Defects in machinery like smeared ink on printed
matter, a rolling screen on TV or typing too small to be
read in newspapers.
 2. Transmission Interruption:
Transmitted communication- e-mail, fax machines,
papers, cell phones, radios and satellite
communication. If these transmitter receive
interrupted signals there is interruption in receiving
messages.
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 Semantics is systematic study of meanings of words.
Words are used as symbols to convey the message.
In every situation we do not have the same meaning
from the same word. Their different meaning may
block communication on both sides.
 1. Existence of different languages:
More than 2000 languages are spoken all over the
world. We don’t have same word for same object in
every language, because we don’t have one common
language. In this case people rely on non-verbal
communication to convey their messages.
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 2. Use of Jorgon
Jorgon is a language full of technical or
professional terms. It is specialised vocabulary of a
particular profession. If it is used to communicate
with non professional groups there should be
confusion or misunderstanding.
 E.g. An office Manager gave his newly appointed
clerk a letter with instruction, “take it to our
storeroom and burn it”.
 “burn” meant to take a print-out or copy on
company machine which is operated by a heat
process.
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 3. Different Accents
Most individuals carry the influence of the
mother tongue on other languages they learn. The
accent may very from region to region or country
to country.
 E.g. sometimes it may be difficult for Indian to
understand the American or the British accent.
 A South Indian might speak English with a
South Indian accent.
 This makes communication a tedious process.
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 Intrapersonal barriers are when the individual
(sender) is sending wrong messages or at the
fault.
 Intrapersonal barriers stem from an individuals
attitudes or habits.
 Each of us interprets the same information in a
different ways as our thinking varies from each
other.
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 Wrong assumptions are generally made because
the sender or receiver does not have adequate
knowledge about each other; or entertains
certain false notions, which are fixed in their
mind.
 Sometimes the speaker does not realize that
backgrounds, education, and experiences can be
different from person to person.
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E.g. Doctor’s prescription to the patient that he
has to take some medicine only “SOS”.
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 We have fixed perception about people, things
based on our past experiences.
 Similarly every individuals in an organization
perceive situation/reality differently.
 E.g. the story of six blind men.
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 People vary in terms of their education, culture,
language, environment, age, financial status
etc…
 Our background play a significant role in how
we interpret the message.
 At times, something not experienced by the
people will be difficult to interpret or appreciate.
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E.g. Rock climbing in village classroom
Technical details of computer by a presenter to the
group of doctors
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 You have returned from a business trip and you find
that two of your colleagues are absent. They do not
turn up for several days. Since there is a recession,
you draw an inference that they have been laid off.
The fact is that they have been promoted and sent to
another department. This is known as “fact
inference confusion”.
 Inferences are more dramatic than facts or reality
and for this reason they give more scope for gossip
and rumor to spread.
 Inferences supported by facts are essential for
professionals when they analyze material, solve
problems, and plan procedures.
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Wrong interpretations are made by the
employees based on their previous experience
or on their imagination
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 Rejection, distortion and avoidance are three
common, undesirable and negative reactions to
unfavorable information.
 Some employees in the organization always resist to
implement new technologies and advances. Instead
of taking advantages by using it, they resist or
criticize it. This situation is known as closed mind.
 E.g. One of the students from Arts stream might
think that students from science are good in
reasoning
 Some of the managers think that young executives
are more efficient than older ones.
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 There are employees in every organization who feel
that ‘they know it all’. They have the confidence that
they know everything about a particular subject
therefore refuse to accept any further information on
that topic.
 E.g. In a general body meeting of your organization,
you are briefed about the annual budget. However,
you did not attend the meeting. Later you propose
that new vehicle have to be bought. Imagine your
embarrassment when you realize that the topic was
discussed and a decision had already been taken in
the general body meeting.
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 Intrapersonal barriers stem from sender’s
fault, while interpersonal barriers stem
from sender as well as receiver’s fault.
 Interpersonal barriers occur due to the
inappropriate transaction of words
between two or more people.
 Or the encoder or the decoder, or of both.
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 Inadequate vocabulary can lead to take
the pauses and create an obstacle in the
flow of communication.
 Some time we search for the exact word
to express our feelings, thought or
information.
 We have passive vocabulary with us.
“words we know but we never use in
communication
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 Misinterpreted non-verbal communication acts
as another barrier to effective information
gathering.
 Actions speak louder than words, and non
verbal signs provide a deeper insight into the
sender’s message.
 Generalization based on assumptions about
physical appearance or dress can also lead to
severe communication barrier
 E.g. Einstein, CEO introducing a middle level
manager.
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“Did whatever I said in the last half an hour
make any sense to you?”
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 Emotions are integral part our being, whether in
business or personal encounters.
 Positive emotions such as happiness and
excitement also interfere in communication but
to a lesser extent than negative feelings.
 If confronted such situations, do not retaliate or
reply and must be calmed down.
 E.g. President involved in fraudulent activities
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E.g. Imagine you are the manager of a reputed company
and rumors are being spread that you are involved in
fraudulent activities
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 Can happen when, as a receiver in
communication process, you pay attention to a
part of the message.
 Communication selectivity happen because the
listeners are interested only in the part of the
message, which may be of use to you.
 E.g. The CEO of the company called a meeting of
all managers together.
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 Hearing- is a passive exercise
 Listening-requires careful attention & accurate
decoding of the message.
 Reasons-
engrossed in the thoughts and worries
Tension at workplace.
 E.g. If superior goes on shifting papers on his
desk while listening to subordinate, he pays
divided attention to the speaker’s message.
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 Barriers not only limited to an individual or two
people but exist in entire organization.
 In a large organization where the flow of
communication is downward, feedback is not
guaranteed.
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 Fear prevents subordinates from speaking
frankly.
 Junior may avoid speaking directly or shun all
the communication to superior.
 Sometimes junior employee may not be pleased
by the work done by the boss, but may not speak
openly because he may loose his boss’ goodwill.
 That’s why we say, “boss is always right”.
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 Is the availability of huge amount of data which
the receiver is unable to handle effectively.
 Very often, vital, relevant information gets
mixed up with too many irrelevant details, and
therefore goes ignored by the receiver.
 The results are fatigue, disinterest and boredom.
 Under these circumstances further
communication is simply not possible
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 Concerned about choosing the medium.
 You should be careful about the advantages and
disadvantages of media.
 Think about Time, Cost, Type of message and
intended audience.
 Telephone: not ideal medium to send
confidential information.
 Letters: important works and records
 Mix media: effective use
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 The more links there are in communication, the
more are chances how the message gets
distorted.
 Message can be changed, modified, altered or
distorted as it passes through the channels or
transfer from one person to another.
 There is addition or subtraction in the message.
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 As business are increasing across national
boundaries to compete on a global scale,
business organization has to learn the cultural
varieties of that particular nation.
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 There are near about 2000 languages in all over
the world.
 Every language has its specific characteristics
e.g. different ways to read out the language.
 For e.g. Urdu.
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 There are different ways of greetings in every
country.
 As the communication starts with greetings it is
important to know how to greet the people of
that particular country
 Depends on:-
 Culture
 Location
 Gender & Age
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 Rubbing noses In New Zeeland, among Maori
people , this is called ‘Hongi’ meaning ‘sharing
breath’.
 Bowing In Japan this can range from a slight in
the head to a full 90 degree bend.
 A Hand Shake A common way of greeting in all
over the world.
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 Slurping your soup is considered good manners
in Japan & implies that you actually like the
food, but in most other cultures it is a bad
manner.
 In some societies like Germany punctuality is
given utmost importance. Being 10 minutes late
even to an informal gathering is considered very
rude.
 It is a belief among some African people that
photographing them steals their souls from
them.
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 Pointing your feet towards a Buddha statue is a
serious offence in Buddhist countries.
 Pointing your finger in a direction might mean
showing that direction in many cultures, but in
Middle East and Russia, is a no-no. It is
preferable to show a direction with an open
palm.
 The victory sign may seem harmless; but in
Britain, if you show it with the palm facing you,
it is a very offensive gesture.
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 Concept of time varies from culture to
culture. Asians have a very relaxed
attitude towards time compared to Latin
Americans, Europeans.
 While Germans and Japanese are very
particular about time.
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In India, punctuality
varies according to where
you are. Traffic in Mumbai
means that being slightly
late is more acceptable
than in a government city
like Delhi, which operates
like clockwork. Check
the local custom before
you arrive.
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Always turn up
on time: if you arrive a
minute past the appointed
hour it is considered
strange, five minutes
is a cause for concern.
There is no word for
“late” for Japanese.
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Save the best seat
for the boss: in taxis and
private rides alike, the
Japanese observe a strict
hierarchical seating plan
where the best seat in a
taxi is behind the driver.
If your customer’s
driving,
the highest-ranked
person must sit alongside
to show respect.
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In Russia, women
do not normally expect to
be greeted during
introductions. This is
changing as more people
travel, however, so be
ready to follow your
host’s lead.
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In Canada, drinking
alcohol is not usual
during business
lunches.
Stick to water unless
your
host suggests
otherwise.
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In China, taste
everything you’re offered
during meals – but never
clear your plate as your
host will assume you’re
still hungry. Don’t talk
about business during
meals
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Indians don’t like
to say no to a request.
If they are unable to do
something, you are
unlikely to get a direct
refusal. Similarly, use
tact and subtlety if you
need to explain why a
business proposal is not
possible.
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In Japan, always
have a business card
close to hand. And
when an associate
gives you their card,
handle it with care.
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Americans like to
be relaxed and those
in charge are keen to
relive the easygoing
business practices of
the 1960s. So drop the
formality but, of
course, keep
your manners.
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Using only a
forefinger is an empty
gesture in China:
making
a point requires the
whole
hand. Don’t go further
than that Yough – a
back-slap is considered
inappropriate.
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In China, starters
are served as several
small dishes on a plate.
Start from the left and
eat
your way to the right, as
the flavour of dishes
increases in intensity
along the way.
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Don’t put your
briefcase or bag on the
ground in Brazil: national
security measures have
informed the national
psyche, so place it on
a chair or a hook.
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Women can avoid
embarrassment in the
Middle East by waiting
to follow their male
host’s lead when being
introduced. Women might
not be taken seriously at
first, and some men may
place their own hand on
their chest rather than
taking yours.
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Be prepared for
a detailed debate
in Sweden: the
Scandinavians love a
meeting. Push it forward
by setting dates, tasks
and times, and don’t be
surprised if a further
meeting is required. Once
something is agreed
upon, it’s carried out with
speed and efficiency
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Toasting in Sweden
involves eye contact
but no glass-
touching.
A “skol” and a nod
to everyone will do
the trick.
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In Singapore,
modesty is key.
Overconfident behavior
will not impress and will
not produce good
working relationships.
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At mealtimes in
Germany, fold your napkin
at the left side of your
plate when you are done,
and lay your cutlery
parallel on your plate,
with the handles on the
right-hand side, to show
you have finished.
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In the US be ready
to produce proof of
your
identity. Increased
security means photo ID
is required to access
many office buildings,
so
don’t be offended when
you’re asked.
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In the UK, small talk
is an essential preamble
to business talk. The
weather, the
surroundings
or the day’s events are all
acceptable topics. After
skirting round the real
reason you’ve met,
everyone will be happy
to attend to the matter
in hand professionally
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Don’t say no to a
glass of baiju, the Chinese
liquor of choice that is
served at all formal
dinners. But drink with
restraint: draining your
glass will result in a refill.
Leaving it half-full is
perfectly acceptable
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In Thailand, don’t
touch or pass anything
over a person’s head, as
in Thai culture the head is
sacred. However, people
often stand very close
and touch each other
on the arm when talking.
Pointing is done with an
open right hand, and
beckoning with the palm
facing downward.
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Norwegians like to
talk directly and
deliberately. They tend to
stick to the facts, and do
not like being rushed.
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In Denmark, women
are greeted before the
men. Danes tend to use
only their first names.
Personal hellos and
goodbyes are required
for everyone present.
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Like Japan, China
places great emphasis on
seating hierarchy. The
leader of your delegation
will be seated at a round
table next to the leader of
theirs, and the pattern
will
follow all the way down
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The French
sometimes give their
surnames first when
being formally introduced,
and it can be considered
rude to call a colleague
by their first names. To
avoid confusion, find out
their names beforehand.
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 On last Sunday, Mohan was driving his car. When
he reached to Belapur flyover, he met an accident.
With him, in the car, his mother, father, younger
brother were accompanying with him. The car
was hit on right side. Both the wind shields of the
right side were completely broken. His father has
got little injuries on right hand, he received
wound on his right side knee and ankle. His
mother and brother were safe.
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