Influences on the Communication Process Explained

Introduction to Communication Purposes

Communication takes place in many ways and for many reasons, and the communication process itself may be shaped by a wide range of influences. To understand the process fully, it is necessary to examine both the reasons for communication and the factors that may impact it.

Information as a Communication Purpose

There are three main purposes for communication: information, persuasion, and motivation. Although each purpose will be examined separately, it should be noted that a single message may include more than one purpose, as the processes are not mutually exclusive (Rosengren, 1999).

Information may be seen as the most widely recognized communication purpose. It takes place in many ways and across many different types of scenarios. For example, employers may communicate with employees to inform them of job requirements, changes to those requirements, or shifts in organizational goals. Information communication is also evident when friends share events from their lives, or when bus and train companies publish timetable data (Rosengren, 1999).

Persuasion and Motivation in Communication

Product information on packaging, media news articles, and academic books may also be classified as information communication (Rosengren, 1999). In each of these cases, the primary intent is to convey facts or details to the recipient without necessarily seeking to change their behavior directly.

The second type of communication is persuasion, in which there is an attempt to influence the views of the message's receivers. Persuasion is used frequently; examples include marketing messages in which firms try to convince consumers that their products will satisfy a particular need. Persuasion may also be seen in political campaign broadcasts, or in situations where friends or colleagues attempt to convince someone to take an action they would otherwise avoid. Persuasion is often most effective when it employs emotional content, which can stimulate responses that bypass rational thought processes (Rosengren, 1999). Notably, persuasive communication may incorporate information to support a view or argument, and may also include motivational elements to encourage action.

Motivation communication is undertaken to direct or stimulate action. It is also one of the most difficult forms of communication, because different people are motivated by different factors. Motivational communication may include demonstrations of trust, the delegation of responsibility to employees to enhance performance, or the offering of incentives for specific courses of action (Thompson, 2011). Motivation communication may be combined with, or may follow, persuasion communication (Thompson, 2011).

The Three Stages of the Communication Process

With an understanding of the types of communication established, the ways in which communication may be influenced can be considered. The process of communication consists of three stages: first, the message is created by a sender who encodes it; second, the message is transmitted through a chosen medium; and third, the message is received and decoded by the recipient.

Encoding: Creating and Sending the Message

The encoding stage involves the conscious choice of words, the use of images and symbols, and aspects such as body language and tone of voice. All of these elements may consciously or subconsciously reflect the feelings and circumstances of the message sender (Thompson, 2011). For example, the same word spoken in different tones may be interpreted as conveying different moods or intentions (Rosengren, 1999). Culture can also affect the meaning of words and physical gestures; the "OK" hand sign, for instance, is a common sign of approval in U.S. culture but is considered an insult in Italian culture.

Body language and non-verbal cues need to align with the verbal message. If they appear to contradict it, the recipient is likely to notice the conflict, which undermines the message, creates cognitive dissonance, and damages the sender's credibility (Rosengren, 1999).

The second stage is the transmission of the message, which may occur through different mediums — verbally face-to-face, over the telephone, or via television (Thompson, 2011). Another common medium is written communication, which may include letters, emails, printed advertisements, books, and manuals. These mediums may be used to send a message on a one-to-one, many-to-one, or one-to-many basis. Messages may also be sent vertically, such as from a superior to a subordinate, or horizontally between peers. Communication can be conducted formally through official channels, such as employee memos, or informally, such as through casual conversation or gossip (Thompson, 2011).

The choice of an appropriate channel is essential to meeting communication aims. Mass marketing, for example, would be ineffective if conducted on a many-to-one or face-to-face basis; using a mass communication medium that reaches many people simultaneously is far more cost-effective (Rosengren, 1999). Another example is the communication of technical information, which is often best delivered in writing — in a memo or manual — rather than verbally, where important details may be lost or misremembered (Rosengren, 1999).

Conclusion

Effective communication requires careful consideration of all these elements, including what is to be achieved, how the message may be formed, sent, and received, and the influences that impact the interpretation of that message. By attending to purpose, encoding, channel selection, and the recipient's interpretive context, communicators can significantly improve the clarity and impact of their messages.