Aradhna Malik (PhD) International Business Communication Assistant Professor         National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (Phase II) Vinod Gupta School of Management Ministry of Human Resource Development Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Government of India 

Lecture 12: Barriers to communication (Contd...)

The previous lecture focussed on the reasons we face obstacles in our communication. The following and next lectures categorize the actual obstacles we face in our communication depending on their location.

Barriers to communication may be classified as (Lewis, 1980): A. Cultural barriers B. Social barriers C. Barriers related to the transmission of messages D. Physical barriers E. Psychological barriers F. Semantic barriers G. Organizational barriers

Let us discuss each of these in detail.

A. Social barriers are the problems we experience with an interaction situation as a result of the constraints in our social environment. These may further be classified into

a. Cultural barriers are the obstacles that come up when two peoplecoming from vastly different backgrounds interact with each other. Thedifference in the backgrounds and contexts leads them to either missout on the cues being transmitted, or interpret the messages withintheir own contexts. This causes interpretation of only part of themessage and loss of vital information that can lead to an accuraterepresentation of the intended message.

b. Language barriers: Sometimes the language we choose to speak inand the style we use cause problems in our communication. Inmultilingual societies, an international language usually has hegemonyover the local language. Anyone who uses the international languagewith more finesse is regarded as someone higher up in the socialladder. e.g. in India, where most people speak English, Hindi, and aregional language, anyone speaking fine English is elevated to a highersocial position. This creates a social gap between groups of peoplethat use different languages or that prefer one language over the other.In order to bridge this gap, the people who speak the language that isperceived to be inferior to the language used by the elite, are not paidvery much attention to. This leads to a breakdown in communication.

Aradhna Malik (PhD)    International Business Communication Assistant Professor                                               National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (Phase II) Vinod Gupta School of Management    Ministry of Human Resource Development Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur    Government of India 

 

 

c. Gender barriers: As they say ,”Men are from Mars, and Women are from Venus”. Styles of communication are perceived to be gender specific. Choice of topics is also found to be gender specific. So, when men and women interact with each other, there is a great deal of apprehension regarding the flow of messages from one gender to another.

d. Interpersonal barriers: Sometimes, we just do not like some people,

and this dislike forces us to shift our attention to the other features of these people instead of the content that are being transmitted. This dislike is so potent that it colors our perception of the signals coming our way. This leads to a breakdown in communication.

B. Barriers related to the medium of transmission of the message: Sometimes

our perception of the medium we choose to transmit the message differs from the perception of the person receiving the message. We choose the medium of transmission based on our understanding of the appropriateness of the medium for a particular message, the speed with which the message can be transmitted, the ease of access of that medium by the receiver, and the response we expect from the receiver. From the receiver’s perspective, the notion of appropriateness, the speed that the message actually takes, the accessibility of a particular message, and the response the receiver thinks we expect, could be different. The larger these differences, the bigger the gaps between the communicators in the interaction process.

C. Physical barriers are the obstacles present in the physical environment that prevent us from getting our message across. These may be:

a. Design barriers: Sometimes the physical design of the location where the communication takes place proves to be an impediment in the transmission of messages. e.g. The shape of the room where the conversation is taking place.

b. Volume and pitch of the speaker

c. Physical ability of the receiver of the message: Sometimes the receivers of oral messages are not able to hear properly. This causes problems with the reception of messages.

D. Psychological barriers are related to the psyche or thought processes of the speaker as well as the listener. These may further be classified as:

Aradhna Malik (PhD)    International Business Communication Assistant Professor                                               National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (Phase II) Vinod Gupta School of Management    Ministry of Human Resource Development Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur    Government of India 

 

 

a. Attitudinal barriers: Attitudes refer to our inclination towards or feelings toward particular people, objects, concepts, or situations. Many times our reasons for feeling positively or negatively towards particular situations or people or objects or concepts cannot be explained. Despite this, and knowing fully well that we may not be able to explain our reasons for believing the way we do, we tend to let these positive or negative feelings interfere with and govern the way we frame and receive messages. Our attitude towards particular situations, objects, people or concepts prevents us from keeping an open mind and receiving and sending signals that convey the complete meaning of the messages being transmitted.

b. Perceptual barriers: Perceptual barrier refer to the obstacles in our communication because of the way we perceive the signals coming from our environments. One of the first stages in the perceptual sub-process is confrontation (Luthans, 2005), i.e. a choice that we make in terms of attention to specific stimuli coming from our environments. We are constantly being bombarded with stimuli from our environment. Based on our past experiences, attitudes, needs and relationship with our environments, we choose the stimuli we want to respond to. This itself poses a barrier in the interaction because when we make our selection of stimuli, we leave out

i. Stimuli that we do not understand or stimuli that are vastly

different from the ones we have had experience with in the past (Preconceptions)

ii. Stimuli that we cannot ‘fit’ into particular categories (We stereotype, i.e. fit stimuli into predefined categories and then limit our definition of the stimuli in a particular category to the way we define the category, and this results in the deselection of traits that are unique to particular stimuli that may not necessarily represent the category as a whole)

iii. Any new information that may help us define what we are

experiencing. We assume that we know what the stimuli we are experiencing can result in, and these assumptions prevent us from understanding anything new

iv. Any information that we cannot associate with past experiences

or understanding. This results in our inability to acknowledge anything that cannot be connected to what we already know.

Aradhna Malik (PhD)    International Business Communication Assistant Professor                                               National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (Phase II) Vinod Gupta School of Management    Ministry of Human Resource Development Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur    Government of India 

 

 

e.g. unless we can associate the sounds of the new words we hear from another language with the words we already know, we tend to not hear them the way they are spoken. Our brain is so busy trying to make that connection that it is not able to grasp or acknowledge the existence of this new word.

c. Emotional barriers: As the name suggests, these refer to the interference caused by emotions during interaction. e.g. When we are happy, we are in such a need to expel our positive energy that we are unable to empathize with, or sometimes even find the words and the appropriate non verbal expressions to express our empathy towards a friend who may have lost a loved one.

d. Personality differences: Our inclination towards expressing ourselves to our peers categorizes us as extroverts or introverts. The common perception is that extremes on either side are not conducive to effective communication. Introverts tend to be good listeners but not great talkers. So what goes in, stays in. The lack of feedback from an introvert who is very good at listening, can be uncomfortable for a person who wants to continue the conversation.

On the other hand, an introvert expects the person s/he is talking to, to have the patience to listen to what is being said. When an introvert speaks to an extrovert, the introvert expects the extrovert to listen to the complete account, process it, and then respond to it. When the extrovert starts speaking before the introvert has had a chance to complete what s/he has had a chance to say, the introvert feels insulted or pressured to stop talking. This creates problems in the interaction situation. This lecture dealt with the social and personal barriers in This lecture dealt with the social and personal barriers in communication. The next lecture deals with the semantic and organizational barriers to communication. Questions: References