B.Com 1st Year Self Development And Communication Long Question Answers Notes

Q.8. What do you mean by formal and informal communication? Distinguish between formal and informal communication.

Ans. Formal and Informal Communication: Refer to Sec-A, Q. 9.

Difference Between Formal and Informal Communication

Q.9. Write a detailed note on grapevine. Or Explain grapevine. What are its advantages and limitations? How can grapevine be made effective?

Ans. Grapevine: Refer to Sec-A, Q.11.

Informal communication or grapevine becomes routine under the following conditions:

1. When an organisation is passing through a difficult period and its members lack a sense of direction and develop feeling of uncertainty.

2. Employee form informal groups due to feeling of inadequacy and lack of self-confidence.

3. Managers form a favoured or coterie group due to which other employees get a feeling of isolation or insecurity.

Grapevine Chains: Keith Davis has identified four types of grapevine chains which are as follows:

1. Single Strand Chain: In this type, information flows through a long line of person to the ultimate receiver. P tells Q who tells R and so on until it reaches W. Thus, P communicates with W through intervening persons in a strand.

2. Gossip Wheel: It involves passing of information from a person in the centre to all others around him.

This network is a wheel where P is at the centre and the information passes along.

P spokes to all others on the rim. Thus, P communicates, non-selectively with everyone, this chain is often used to convey information which is not related to the job.

3. Probability Chain: Here P communicates randomly with others according to the laws of probability. One person transmits information at random to other who in turn transmit it further in a similar manner.

4. Cluster Chain: It involves selective communication in a group. P selectively communicate with those whom he can trust who may in turn transmit the information to selected person. Cluster is the dominate grapevine pattern and most informal communication flow through this chain.

Advantages of Grapevine

An informal or grapevine communication provides the following advantages:

1. Speedy Transmission: Informal channels of communication transmit into This is because the message has not to pass through any prescribed routes.  A rumour spreads like wild fire. As soon as an employee comes to know something which he feels is confidential or  ‘top secret’ he communicates it to his colleagues. Sometimes, managers also transmit information by using Jus between you and me’ remarks.

2. Valuable Feedback: Managers can obtain useful feedback concerning their decisions and actions through the grapevine. Informal channels provide feedback much faster than the formal channels.

3. Psychological Satisfaction: Informal communication draws employees closer to each other and creates in them a sense of belonging. It strengthens group identity and maintains the organisation as a social entity.

4. Support to Formal Channels: The grapevine serves as a supplementary channel of communication. The formal channels of communication impose certain constraints on the nec information and take more time. Grapevine can be used to transmit information which is considered unsuitable for the formal channels of communication.

Limitations of Grapevine

The grapevine, however, suffers from the following limitations:

1. Misunderstanding: Grapevine often carries incomplete information. Therefore, it may not give the complete picture and may create misunderstanding.

2. Incredible: Informal channels of communication enjoys less credibility. As the information spreads through the word of mouth, it cannot always be taken seriously.

3. Damage to the Organisation: Gossip and rumour are essential parts of grapevine. Grapevine may disort the true picture. All kinds of stories may be spread about responsible people and the image of the organisation may be spoiled. Rumours may cause serious damage before management gets aware of them and takes remedial actions.

How to Make Effective Use of Grapevine

Grapevine is quite powerful and influential. It can cause considerable damage and therefore, some managers take it very seriously. They try to crush it completely. But grapevine cannot be eliminated. More one tries to crush its flow, it errupts with greater force. Instead of trying to crub it, managers should learn to live with it and make constructive use of it. They should cultivate and feed it for the benefit of the organisation. The following steps may be taken to make grapevine effective:

1. Keep the employees well informed so that they may not spread rumours.

ible keep an open door policy without creating impression of cheap popularity.

2. As far as possible keep and open door policy without creating impression of cheap popularity.

3. Identify the leaders of informal groups and win their confidence so as to feel the pulse of employees.

4. Organise fruitful group activities so as to increase the selfworth of employees. This will help to minimise small talk on the part of employees. 5. Involves employees through their leaders in the decision making process 6. Create a healthy environment to provide opportunity for personal talk.

7. Seek feedback on the style of functioning and use the feedback for continue his style.

8. Discourage, even penalise rumours aimed at maligning somebody or character assassination.

9. Be a good empathic listener so that employees feel free to talk instead of indulging in rumour mongering.

Q.10. Discuss various barriers in communication.

(2014) Or What are the semantic barriers in communication? How can they be removed?

Or. What is meant by miscommunication? What are the types of communication barriers?

 Or Explain any four barriers of communication.(2018)

Ans. Barriers to Effective Communication

Communication is one of the most common and essential human activities. Each one of us spends major part of our day in one or the other form of communication. Even then communication is not always perfect.

Various problems or barriers to communication may be classifieds as under:

1. Semantic Barriers

Semantic barriers study the meaning of words and signs. Semantic barriers arise due to problems in language. Language is the most important tool of communication.

(a) Words with Different Meanings: Communication is mainly carried through spoken and written words. But some words convey different meanings to different people. e.g. the word tube, may mean fluorescent tube, a cycle tube or a water tube.

So, these are the words with different meanings.

(b) Denotations and Connotations: Words have two types of meaning: denotative and connotative. The literal meaning of a word is known by its denotative meaning. It just names objects without suggestions of positive and negative quality. Book, chair, room, computer are examples of denotative words.

(c) Bad Expression: When the message is not formulated and presented in the proper manner the receiver fails to comprehend it and its misunderstanding occurs. Badly expressed message lose their impact. Use of targon, coined word acronyms and technical terms with special meaning are  some of its examples.

(d) Faulty Translation: Each centre has to process the information it receives and translate it a suitable form for further transmission. Often people translate words in the spirit behind the words. Inaccurate translation leads to misund different parts of a message are contradictory, the receiver de validity. In case he is convinced with the existing kno misunderstanding can occur.

(e) Unclarified Assumptions: The sender of a message often have some assumptions. When  these assumptions are vague and unknown to the receiver, communication suffers. Consider the following incident:

On Monday, Prof. Sinha announced to his class, I will be out of town from Tuesday until Friday there will be no classes while I’m gone. On Tuesday, *) per cent of the students came to class but prof. Sinha failed to appear but on Friday, 20 per cent came along and prof. sinha was also present.

2.Physical or Mechanical Barriers

Physical barriers arise due to distance, noise and defects in the mechanical devices used in communication.

(a) Noise: The flow of communication is often blocked due to noise caused by traffic, human sounds, construction work typewriters, fans, etc. In factories, loud noise of the machine makes oral communication difficult. Blaring and other types of electronic noise interferes in communication through telephone and microphone,

(b) Distance and Time: Physical distance between the sender and the receiver serves a to smooth communication. Telephone and Telex facilities are not available everywhere.

facilities are not available everywhere. There may be breakdown in the telephone, telegraph and postal services or mechanical equipments. Problems in the medium of communication may lead to loss in transmission.

( C) intormation Overload: Excess of communication is called information overload. The receiver cannot comprehend and absorb bevond his mental capacity. His mind will be closed for a part of the communication. Therefore, we should be precise and brief in sending message.

3. Organisational Barriers

Organisation barriers arise due to defects in the organisation structure and the communication system of an organisation. These are as follows: