Assignment: Human Communications Process
Write an analysis of a communication situation you have recently experienced within your workplace, using a specified model or theory.
Applying communication models is more straightforward the fewer the number of individuals involved in a communication. Analyzing an interaction you have had yourself is the foundation upon which your understanding and insight into the communication approaches within all sizes of organizations begins.By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
• Competency 2: Analyze the interrelationships of communication within organizational systems.
o Identify the source and the receiver.
o Compare the intended and actual effects of the message.
o Assess whether a shared meaning or shared reality was constructed.
• Competency 3: Communicate effectively.
o Describe the message and its function.
o Explain how the message was encoded and decoded.
o Explain how a channel or channels are used to transmit a message.
o Describe the type(s) of noise experienced.
Communication appears to be a rather straightforward topic to many people. Hence, we may never be exposed to any formal communication training before we enter the workforce or an institution of higher education. Does this mean that it really is that simple? You probably agree that this is not the case.
The smallest number of individuals involved in communication is, in fact, one-yourself! The next level of complexity involves two individuals, such as the communication that occurs in a personal relationship. Even though applying communication models is more straightforward with fewer the number of individuals involved, that does not necessarily mean it is easy or simple.
As we add more and more individuals and create business models and organizational structures, communication becomes quite complicated. This course provides insight into the communication approaches within all sizes of organizations and supplies tools for approaching these as effectively as possible, regardless of the number of individuals involved.
Communication Models
Early models of communication often looked at the topic from a standpoint of mechanical output and electronic transmission. Later, more people-oriented models were developed, but most still consist at their core of the basic four elements of communication:
• Sender.
• Receiver.
• Message.
• Channel.
That is, communication takes place between a sender and a receiver. A message is sent from the sender to a receiver via a channel. A message is sent in an environment that may present barriers to successful transmission. Sometimes, there is noise in the system. Sometimes, feedback is returned to the sender.
Shared Reality
For communication to be considered successful, the message must be received, but additionally, a shared reality must be created. Consider how the concept of shared reality relates to organizations, especially as a way of assessing whether a particular communication event was successful.
Instructions
Understanding the human communication process will be extremely important throughout your career. This assessment provides a framework for you to analyze this process in the context of a specific situation you are familiar with. As you take on additional responsibility in your career (particularly in managerial roles), you might be faced with situations where organizational communications don't seem to be working, or where you perceive it's particularly critical that it work optimally. In those future situations, you can reference this framework and analysis, and apply it to help achieve organizational effectiveness and success.
Complete the following:
• Choose a communication situation you recently experienced within your workplace or another organization with which you are affiliated.
• Use the materials provided in the Resources or other resources from the Capella library or the Internet to research David Berlo's model of communication or the information theory of human communication process as described by Shannon and Weaver to use as starting points to analyze the communication situation you experienced.
• Summarize your experience and write an analysis that includes the following:
o Identify the source (sender or transmitter) and the receiver (destination) in the situation and relate them to the overall communication situation.
o Describe the message (including symbols, words, and ideas used to convey meaning), and what type of message function it was serving.
o Explain how the message was encoded and explain the relationship to construction of shared meaning.
o Explain how a channel or channels were used to transmit the message and explain the relationship to construction of shared meaning.
o Describe the type of noise that was experienced and describe its impact on the meaning of the message. You may wish to review the materials in the Resources for a description of noise in a communication situation, since noise is more than auditory sounds.
o Compare the intended effect to the actual effect of the message and explain its relationship to the creation of shared meaning. In other words, what did the sender hope would be understood and what did the receivers actually understand?
o Assess whether a shared meaning or shared reality was constructed and explain its relationship to other human communication process concepts. For example, even if a message is understood, the sender and receiver may not be in agreement. If a shared meaning was not reached, what needed to change?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.