Barriers to Communication

Communication is a complex process involving shared assumptions and unspoken

agreements between individuals. Understandably, there are frequent errors and
misunderstandings in communication. Several types of barriers prevent us from transmitting our
ideas meaningfully. It is hard to identify these barriers. The reason is obvious it is difficult to
realize fully whether the message we get is complete and correct, or distorted. The feedback
gives only a partial clue for determining whether the communication has succeeded or failed.
Another problem is the identification of the criteria on the basis of which one should assess the
effectiveness of communication.
However, despite these problems, one must identify the barriers that hinder the process of
effective communication in order to be able to keep in check their negative effect. Studies have
revealed certain common barriers and suggested ways to remove them. In the present lesson we
shall try to understand some of the major barriers and ways to overcome them.

Semantic and Language Barriers

Semantic means pertaining to or arising from the different meaning of words or other
symbols.
Language is our most important and powerful tool of communication; and yet it is a
tricky tool that needs skill in handling . First of all, many words have multiple, meanings. The
meaning that comes to your minds first depends on our occupation. For example word charge
may mean electrical charge to an engineering student, but to commerce student it mean fee/rent.
Similar sounding words like access and excess, flour and flower, cite ,site
and sight can cause misunderstanding in speech, Many people confuse week and weak,
steal and steel in writing.
Even a concrete noun like table may suggest a writing table or dining table or a
statistical table to different person; similarly ,chair could be something to sit on or a position to
occupy. How many ideas does the word home convey?
More importantly, semantic barriers arise because words means different thing to
different person. It is said meaning is in people, not in words. Age, education, cultural
background and many other factors influence the meaning we give to words.

Organizational Barriers
The organizational barriers are caused by the following factors:

Negative organizational climate: The main aspect of organizational climate that acts as
communication barrier is the negative attitude of top management. Negative attitude of
top management discourages communication initiative of the employees.

Absence of communication policy: Well-designed communication policy encourages

communication in the organization. In the absence of such policies, employees fail
hesitate to communicate.

Excessive authority layers: Excessive authority layers acts as a severe impediment to

successful communication. In the case of excessive authority impediment to successful
communication. In the case of excessive authority layers, information reaches to its final
destination passing through several hierarchical levels. As a result, information may be
distorted or lost. Excessive authority layers also causes delay in communication.

Filtering: Filtering implies willful distortion of information. This problem usually arise
in upward communication. In upward communication, employees tend to pass only those
messages that create positive impression about them.

Intrapersonal Barriers
Although human beings birth follows the same biological steps, their attitudes, education
experience, personality, etc are different. Even brothers and sisters are not similar in such
respects. Because of these varying qualities, they may not understand a similar piece of
information in the same manner. This leads us to the causes of communication barriers that come
out of the individual himself/herself, which is what we call Intrapersonal Barriers. The
following are the major causes of Intrapersonal Barriers.

Varied Perception
The same message will be interpreted in different ways, but none of the interpretations
may be wrong for they convey meaning in various angles. Communicators, who do not have any
idea about the presence of varied perception on the same subject, develop a barrier to their
communication. For instance, a teacher goes to class to share his daily experience on roadways
with his students. He reasons the major cause of road accident as the prevalence of careless
drivers in the city, and leaves no room for students to add on the point. Students may raise issues
like the increase in the number of cars, lack of awareness of pedestrians on how to use the road

and so on. If the teacher understands his subject can be interpreted in various views, he may not
cause this sort of barrier to his communication.

Wrong Inferences
`
Whenever we communicate, it is essential to have evidence about what we are saying.
Otherwise, we commit a sort of barrier to communication called wrong Inferences by misleading
people. This kind of communication barrier occurs when we begin our premise of reasoning
without tangible evidence and conclude what we say is true. For example, one of the journalists
once wrongly inferred that the death of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh was due to
the bumping of the helicopter with a mountain, actual cause was that the chief died in a
helicopter crash. If what we write or speak lacks evidence, we should put it in words like in my
opinion.

Individual Barriers:
Barriers created by the sender and receiver are known as individual barriers. Such barriers
include the following:

Differences in personality: Personality is the set of attributes that define a person. Every
person holds a distinct personality. This individual nature of personality acts as barrier to
communication.

Perceptual differences: Perception is the unique way in which people respond or

interpret an object. Difference in perception is a very common problem in effective
communication.

Fear: Fear of reprisal or attack, fear of criticism for knowing very little etc. may create
problem in communication.

Stereotyping: Stereotyping is generalizing about a class of people or events that is

widely held by a given culture. In case of stereotyping, people develop communication
statements and mindsets about others. This orientation exposes itself in such statements
and mindsets. For example, All used car salesmen are dishonest, or All foreign
recruiting agents are liars. Such all inclusive perceptions not only are seldom correct but
they also block mental activity that is necessary for successful communication.

Inattention: Sometimes communication does not reach due to the inattention of the
receiver. Such inattention may result from busyness, lack of interest about subject,
suffering from disease or family problem etc.

Socio - Psychological Barriers

Problem of understanding, interpretation and response to communication arise partly

from our socially- learnt attributes and partly from our personal attributes. These are called
socio- psychological barriers.
In order to understand these barriers, you must know how we deal with a received
message. We receive message at three levels:
(1) Noticing is at the physical level. We notice the message with our senses; when we
become aware that a message is addressed to us, we focus attention on it. It is quite
possible that our eyes or ears miss it on account of other competing messages which
claim our attention. Sometimes we may not notice a message addressed to us.
(2) Understanding is at the level of intelligence. We must be able to understand the
language or any other symbols used in the message. Also, the ideas and the concepts
in the message must be within our understanding and knowledge.
(3) Acceptance is at emotional level. There is usually an emotional response of pleasure
or dislike of indifference to every message that we receive. If the message arouses an
unpleasant feeling, we may reject it, resent it or forget it. Emotional Blocks may even
make us fail to understand the message correctly.

Cross-Cultural Barriers
Cross cultural factors naturally increase the possible problem of communication. If
historical or political reasons, the relationship between two countries are not friendly, there can
be even greater problems of communication. Culture is a part of an individuals manner of
talking, behaving and thinking, that communication style and competence are influenced by it.
Some of the most significant differences between cultures are:
Language:
Language of any group directly reflects their culture. You only have to think of some of
the saying or proverbs or idiomatic expression in an Indian language and in English to see that
translation from one to the other is nearly impossible. Many words cannot be translated exactly.
Thought Process:
Thought processes vary between cultures; some are strictly logical and rational while
others may be holistic and emotional. Thinking process is affected by acceptance or rejection of
superstition, belief in magic, miracles and so on; culture where these belief are rejected are likely
to view the world as logical, clear and law-based.
Non-verbal behavior:
Non- verbal behavior is another area of trouble in cross-cultural communication. Body
language is a major factor that varies between cultures. Not only gestures understood differently,
but the amount of use of gesture varies. Indians use more natural gesture than British; the
Japanese have many formal gestures for social interaction but less free body movement.

Physical Barriers

There are some physical barriers which are caused by the following
factors:

Noise

Noise is quite often a barrier to communication. It interferes with the

transmission of the signals. It also refers to the unwanted signals of messages
which interfere and disturb the reception of the wanted signals. This
disturbance is usually in the form of sounds, but it need not be always the
sounds. It can be in visual, audiovisual, written, physical or psychological form
also. There are many people who communicate with a little signal and much
noise. In fact, they communicate extraneous matters which may diminish the
interest in the receivers or may even
annoy them.
Time
Time can act as a barrier to communication in some over ways also. A
guest who arrives at midnight will not be able to communicate well with the
host who might feel embarrassed or disturbed in his sleep. Time will now allow
two communicators to talk with each other if they work in different shifts. A
phone call at midnight can irritate or embarrass the receiver.

Distance
Sometimes the distance between the transmitter and the receiver
becomes a mighty barrier. It can happen if the technical devices of
communication such as telephone, telex, etc., are not available to link them.
Faulty sitting arrangement in the office can create a kind of communication
gap which can be eliminated by adjusting the distance. Distance between the
workbenches in the offices or in the modem production departments and half
partitions between them are the distance barriers which severely limit the
communication among the employees.

Mechanical Barriers/ Technical Barriers

It is the disruption or interference in communication process anywhere along the way. Noise
though of varying degree, disturbs or interferes with communication. Whatever that distracts the
receivers attention causes communication breakdown. Noise can be physical & psychological.
Physical distractions or disturbances such as loud speakers, gossip etc., draw the attention of the
receiver. Psychological noise is related to mental disturbances like ego clash, pre occupied
thoughts, hang over, anxiety.

Long distances between the sender & the receivers can also obstruct effective
communication
Time refers to the reaching of message. If an important message reaches late it is sure to
affect communication.
Information overload :It refers to excessive transmission of information. Much more
information than what the receiver can process is transmitted to him/her. The receiver can
understand , digest, analyze & act upon information overload that is beyond mental
capacity.

Thus, outdated machines & equipment may produce excessive noise leading to physical
barriers in communication. Distraction like background noise, poor lighting., affect the morale of
the employees & also obstruct effective communication.