Righteous!!
WEEKS 1 & 2:
THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATION
The Basics of Communication
Definitions of Communication
Communication is basic to all human activities and very important for the success of individuals and organizations. To be able to communicate effectively, we must first understand what it is. Everybody communicates in one way or the other so the term “communication” is often taken for granted. A careful look at the process reveals how complex communication can be. As a result, it has been variously defined by different people over the years. Here we look at a few definitions that will facilitate our understanding of the concept.
Categories of Definition
i.Technical definition
Communication is simply ‘sending and receiving messages, or the transmission of messages from one person to another’ (Steinberg, 2006).
The technical definition is lineal and gives the idea of a one-way communication, which involves the sending of information from a source to a receiver. It tells rather of the use of a machinery or apparatus to convey messages. Besides, some elements in the communication process are overlooked.
ii. The process Definition
This category looks at communication as a complex dynamic process of exchanging meaningful messages. In addition to the transmission of messages, it emphasizes interpretation and meaning which are not mentioned in the technical definition. The process definition sees communication as a central aspect of all human existence. It also presupposes that there is a sequence of events, always changing and there is no fixed sender and receiver. From this viewpoint, communication can be defined as ‘a complex and dynamic process of exchanging meaningful messages’(Steinberg, 2006 ).
III. The Transactional Definition
This definition sees communication as a transactional process of exchanging messages and negotiating meaning to establish and maintain relationship. This definition is an extension of the process definition. Two
THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATION
The Basics of Communication
Definitions of Communication
Communication is basic to all human activities and very important for the success of individuals and organizations. To be able to communicate effectively, we must first understand what it is. Everybody communicates in one way or the other so the term “communication” is often taken for granted. A careful look at the process reveals how complex communication can be. As a result, it has been variously defined by different people over the years. Here we look at a few definitions that will facilitate our understanding of the concept.
Categories of Definition
i.Technical definition
Communication is simply ‘sending and receiving messages, or the transmission of messages from one person to another’ (Steinberg, 2006).
The technical definition is lineal and gives the idea of a one-way communication, which involves the sending of information from a source to a receiver. It tells rather of the use of a machinery or apparatus to convey messages. Besides, some elements in the communication process are overlooked.
ii. The process Definition
This category looks at communication as a complex dynamic process of exchanging meaningful messages. In addition to the transmission of messages, it emphasizes interpretation and meaning which are not mentioned in the technical definition. The process definition sees communication as a central aspect of all human existence. It also presupposes that there is a sequence of events, always changing and there is no fixed sender and receiver. From this viewpoint, communication can be defined as ‘a complex and dynamic process of exchanging meaningful messages’(Steinberg, 2006 ).
III. The Transactional Definition
This definition sees communication as a transactional process of exchanging messages and negotiating meaning to establish and maintain relationship. This definition is an extension of the process definition. Two