Barriers to Effective

Communication

 No

matter how good the

communication system in an
organization is, unfortunately barriers
can and do often occur . These barriers
are:
1. Physical
2. Psychological
3.Language/semantic

 4.Organizational

structure barriers
5. Personal barriers
6. Barriers related to
communicator
7.Barriers related to the receiver

1. Physical barriers
-

are often due to the

nature of the environment.
Thus, for example, the natural
barrier which exists, if staff are
located in different buildings or
on different sites.
Likewise, poor or outdated equipment,
particularly the failure of management to
introduce new technology, may also cause
problems.

 The

2.PSYCHOLOGICAL
BARRIERS

difference in background is
overlooked:

Economic

background
Social background
Upbringing

Continued
lack

of concentration
attitude and bias

Continued
lack

of self discipline
low emotional state
-We all tend to feel happier
and more receptive to
information when the sun shines.
-Equally, if someone has personal
problems like worries about their health
or marriage, then this will probably
affect them.

Continued
Physiological

barriers may result

from individuals' personal discomfort,
caused, for example, by ill health,
poor eye sight or hearing difficulties

3.Language/semantic

Unclear message
Faulty translation
Specialists language
Unclassified assumptions

4.Message related barrier

If your message is too lengthy,
disorganized, or contains errors,
you can expect the message to be
misunderstood and
misinterpreted. Use of poor verbal
and body language can also
confuse the message.

Word choice
too difficult, too technical, etc.
overused words such as, good,
excellent value, etc.

Connotations VS Denotations
Examples Sender DenotesReceiver Connotes
Cheap
inexpensive
poorly
made
Flexible
offers choice
no standard
Compromise
adjust
give in

Different languages and

cultures
Different

languages and
cultures represent a
national barrier which
is particularly important
for organizations involved
in overseas business.

5.Organizational
structure barriers:

Status relationship
One way flow
Organization structure
Rules and regulations
Distance barriers
Physical barriers
Mechanical barriers

 Staff

shortages are another factor

which frequently causes communication
difficulties for an organization.
Whilst distractions like background
noise, poor lighting or an environment
which is too hot or cold can all affect
people's morale and concentration,
which in turn interfere with effective
communication.

6.Personal barriers:

Attitude of superiors
Lack of confidence in subordinates
Insistence of proper channel
Ignoring comm.
Filtering of information
Message overload

7.Barriers related to the

communicator
Unwillingness

to say things differently

Unwillingness to relate to others
differently
Unwillingness to learn new approaches
Lack of self-confidence
Lack of enthusiasm
Voice quality

Continued
Prejudice
Badly

expressed message
Loss in transmission
Semantic problem
Over/under communication
I- attitude

Barriers related to the

receiver

RIGIDITY OF THOUGHTS:
Blurs the power of discrimination
Are not ready to accept anything
new
Adamant attitude
Conventional attitude

continued
KNOW IT ALL ATTITUDE
Thinking that they know everything
about the subject
-Thinking that they are expert in their
field
-Thinking that they are highly
experienced so they do not require
more knowledge.

CONTINUED
NEGATIVE ATTITUDES
-The display of intense emotions
-If the receiver feels threatened
-Biased before head

CONTINUED
WRONG TIMINGS OF DELIVERY
-Delayed message may prove to be
incomplete
-The person is not in a high mood
-The person is in stress

Inferences
Pace of the delivery
Speaking too fast or too slow
Poor grammar, spelling, etc.
Appearance and performance of the
speaker
Use of gender bias terms or stereotypical
terms
Positive VS Negative terms
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Warranty is only for the first year.

 Individual

linguistic ability -It is

also important. The use of difficult or
inappropriate words in
communication can prevent people
from understanding the message.

Guidelines for overcoming

barriers

Adopting an audience centered

approach.
Fostering an open communication
climate.
Committing to ethical
communication.
Crating lean ,efficient messages.

Continued

Two way channel

Mutual trust
Clarity of message

Timely message
Consistency of message
Good relations
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