Communication Barriers and Social media

Communication Barriers and the Role of Social Media Communication as defined by Robbins, DeCenzo and Coulter (2013) is the “transfer of understanding and meaning from one person to another” (pg 328). Barrier, as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary is “a natural formation or structure that prevents or hinders movement or action”. Thus, communication barriers are obstacles that prevent information from being communicated effectively. In our current workforce, communication is single handedly one of the most important aspects that contributes to the success of a business and its day to day operation. Robbins, DeCenzo and Coulter (2103) emphasize the importance of clear and astute communication and determine that “ineffective communication skills can lead to a continuous stream of problems for a manager” (pg 328). A thorough understanding of the communication process (pg 328) and its different stages is critical in identifying, preventing or resolving some of the main barriers that arise while communicating.
Case Study- Twitter Crisis at Best Buy In an effort to keep up with the current technological advances, CEO of Best Buy Brian Dunn indulged in the world of social media and opened a “twitter” account where he used this a form of communication with his employees and customers as well (Robbins, DeCenzo and Coulter, 2013, pg 327). Shortly after this pursuit, Dunn’s account was hacked and relayed an inappropriate message to the world causing the company and its executive team to work on some major damage control to re-establish the reputation of Dunn and also come up with measures to come prevent this from happening again. In this particular situation, Brian Dunn’s account was hacked and it is clear that the hacker wanted to paint a negative picture of Dunn and his company thus inputting information that would leave a negative connotation to the receiver. The main communication barrier that occurred in this situation was

References: Robbins, S. P., DeCenzo, D. A., & Coulter, M. (2013). Fundamentals of management (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Barrier (Def 1b).(n.d). In Merriam Webster Online. Retrieved September 7, 2013 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barrier Naeger, Jennifer (2013, May 15). Effectively Managing Social Media in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/239152/employee+rights+labour+relations/EFFECTIVELY+MANAGING+SOCIAL+MEDIA+IN+THE+WORKPLACE Beruit (2010, November 25). 10 Must Know Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media. Retrieved September 7, 2013 from http://blog.thoughtpick.com/2010/11/10-must-know-advantages-disadvantages-of-social-media.html