Here is a term paper on ‘Communication’ for class 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short term papers on ‘Communication’ especially written for school and college students.
Term Paper on Communication
Term Paper Contents:
- Term Paper on the Meaning of Communication
- Term Paper on the Types of Communication
- Term Paper on the Importance of Communication
- Term Paper on the Media of Communication
- Term Paper on the Essentials of Communication
- Term Paper on the Barriers in the Way of Communication
Term Paper # 1. Meaning of Communication:
Communication has come to be recognized as an important principle of administration. For the successful achievement of agency objectives, effective communication is really of vital importance. Millet rightly describes communication as the “blood stream of administrative organization”.
Pfiffner also portrays it as “the heart of management.” Truly speaking, the literature on management is replete with articles on communication. In top democracies of the world, conferences, workshops and other training programmes are organized to develop communication skills. Public relations departments are being set up to associate public increasingly with administration.
Communication is a two-way traffic. It does not only mean the authority of communicating decisions or instructions to the subordinates. The subordinates also have to communicate facts and information to the authority in the organization.
Communication thus means interchange of thoughts, partaking of ideas and a sense of participation and sharing. In the words of Louis A. Allen, “Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another. It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding.”
According to M.W. Cunning, “The word communication describes the process of conveying messages (facts, ideas, attitudes and opinions) from one person to another so that they are understood.” In the words of Millett, communication means “shared understanding of a shared purpose.”
According to Tead, “the underlying aim of communication is a meeting of minds on common issues.”
DR McFarland views communication as a “process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically it is the process by which meanings are perceived and understandings are reached among human beings” To communicate is to inform, to tell, to show or to spread information.
Herbet A. Simon observes “Communication may formally be defined as any process whereby decisional premises are transmitted from one member of an organization to another.”
Communication is a process which involves the elements of sender (the person who intends to make contact), ideas (subject-matter of communication), encoding (language or symbols), channel (media agencies like telephone, telegram, circular etc.), receiver (person to whom the message is sent), decoding (conversion of symbols received from the sender), and feedback (ensuring that the receiver has got the message and understood it properly).
Term Paper # 2. Types of Communication:
(a) Communication may be internal, external and interpersonal.
Internal communication deals with the relationship between the organization and its employees.
External communication is concerned with the relations of the agency with the public and is called public relations.
Interpersonal communication means the relationships among the agency’s employees inter se.
(b) Communication may be ‘up’, ‘down’, and ‘across’. ‘Up’ communication is attained by systematic, written and verbal reports of performance and progress, statistical and accounting reports concerning work, written and verbal requests for guidance, suggestions and discussions. Thus provision is made for the high ups to procure evidence about work problems.
‘Down’ communication is achieved through devices like directives, written or verbal orders, staff conferences, budget sanctions, manuals and establishment authorization. The higher level makes use of these devices both for command and control and to inform the lower echelons regarding its attitudes and ideas and to render advice, guidance and direction. ‘Across’ communication is attained through exchange of written or verbal information and reports, formal and informal contacts, co-ordination committees and staff meetings. Through such a type of communication different but related parts of organization are geared together.
(c) Formal and Informal:
Through formal communication, decisions and instructions can be transmitted to those for whom they are meant. Such formal communication is done through codes of conduct or manual of the organization.
However, formal channels of communication are not adequate enough to meet the need of human understanding of the problem involved. Hence the need of informal communication arises. It supplements the formal system of communication. The interpersonal contacts and relationship constitute the media of informal communication.
Term Paper # 3. Importance of Communication:
Barnard has called communication the foundation of all group activity. According to him, “Effective communication is a basic pre-requisite for the attainment of organizational goals. It has removed one of the biggest problems facing modern administration.”
The importance of communication can be judged from the following points:
(a) Communication is needed to establish and disseminate the goals of an organization;
(b) The efficiency of an organization depends upon an effective system of communication.
(c) Communication helps the executive to arrive at vital decisions;
(d) Communication helps a lot in planning, co-ordination and supervision.
(e) It helps in maintaining good human relations.
Peter Drucker has rightly said that good communication is the foundation of sound administration. It is the blood stream of the organization.
Term Paper # 4. Media of Communication:
Media of communication may be grouped into three main types, viz., audial, visual and audio-visuals.
Audial media is adopted through conferences, interviews, broadcasts, public meetings, etc.
Visual media comprises written communications in the form of circulars, manuals, reports, bulletins and hand books and pictorial forms, viz., photographs, pictures, cartoons, flags, slides etc.
Audio-visual medium is made use of through sound motion pictures, television and personal demonstration.
Conference methods of communication is attaining marked popularity. It avoids delay, minimizes correspondence and reduces red tape.
Millet eulogizes this system as it:
(i) Enables to gain awareness of a problem;
(ii) Helps in problem solving;
(iii) Promotes a sense of unity among the officials working in the organization;
(iv) Encourages an exchange of information among administrative personnel;
(v) Helps in gaining acceptance and execution of decisions.
There is no denying the fact that a conference assists the individuals to discharge their responsibilities more effectively. It co-ordinates their working relationship, enables them to gain out of experience of others. It enables the employees to organize
their own experience and to realize the problems confronting the others. It helps in broadening their viewpoints.
In short, conference method helps in creating a high degree of interest among the employees by allowing all the group members full and equal participation. This heightens group morale and inculcates habits of analysis and integration of thoughts.
The Estimates Committee, Government of India, in its 9th report points out flaws of conference methods.
It states “The conferences have become so many and are sometimes so unwieldy that it is impossible for officers participating in them to do full justice to the subject- matter of the discussions and in practice instead of the meetings, shortening discussions, nothings, etc., they sometimes lead to protracted correspondence in as much as different view-points which are expressed have to be recorded, corrected and reconciled and delay occurs in framing agreed minutes and sometimes further conferences become necessary as a result of incomplete discussions. Sometimes the same officer has to attend more than one conference the same day and cannot obviously be fully prepared for each conference. Consequently, he does not contribute fully to the discussion. In short, the conference system is proving more elaborate than the original procedure of noting on files.”
This Report of a high-powered committee sounds a note of caution. A conference will have to be carefully managed and properly organized. A conference should open after careful planning and should requisition the services of experts beforehand. The personality of chairman and the procedure adopted also help in making the conference a success.
Term Paper # 5. Essentials of Communication:
According to Terry,”’ eight factors are essential to make communication effective.
They are as follows:
(a) Inform yourself fully.
(b) Establish a mutual trust in each other,
(c) Find a common ground of experience,
(d) Use mutually known words,
(e) Have regard for context,
(f) Secure and hold the receiver’s attention,
(g) Employ examples and visual aids,
(h) Practice delaying reactions.
According to Millet seven factors make communication effective, viz., it should be clear, consistent with the expectation of the recipient, adequate, timely, uniform, flexible and acceptable. Richards and Nielander opine that communication should reflect the policies, programmes and practices of management.”
Term Paper # 6. Barriers in the Way of Communication:
(a) Complexity of Language:
Communication suffers a setback due to ‘tyranny of words’ which at best constitute poor means for the expression of ideas. The Oxford Dictionary records an average of twenty-eight separate meanings for each of the 500 most used words in the English language. Similar is the position in other languages.
Intentional words hinder mutual understandings. According to Terry, “Intentional words do not refer to something that can be pointed out. They neither always connote an identical meaning to different persons nor the same meaning to the same person at all times.”
(b) Ideological Barriers:
Pfiffner is of the view that ideological barriers also impede communication. He said, “Differences in background, education and expectation result in different social and political views. These are probably the greatest handicaps to effective communication and probably the most difficult to overcome.”
Lack of common experience and common background further add to the problem and make the meeting of minds difficult, if not impossible.
(c) Lack of a Will:
Some administrators do not accept administration as a co-operative endeavour or a group effort. They are not prepared to share their ideas with their subordinates. In simple words they do not relish communication from below.
It develops sycophancy amongst the subordinates who report only that information to the superior which is palatable to him. Such a ‘yes-man-ship’ of the subordinates spoils the boss and consequently weakens his morale.
(d) Lack of Recognized Means:
Lack of definite and recognized means of communication constitute a great barrier. Formal channels are not adequate. Hence informal channels are to be set up Appleby rightly opines that a good deal of circumvention of formal procedures is essential to make the transaction of business possible. Pfiffner also holds the same view. The ability to short circuit formal channels is, thus, a necessary and valuable art.
(e) Size and Distance:
The bigger an organization and the larger the number of its employees the greater is the difficulty of communication. Too many hierarchical levels also pose a problem. In the words of Pfiffner, “Information must percolate through levels each of which may empire builders who consciously modify or subvert higher authority. In addition, individuals interpret facts differently and tend unconsciously to colour them in transmission.”
The problem of distance crops up if an agency has its field agencies scattered throughout the country. The American Management Association has suggested ten commandants of good commutation.
These are clarifying idea before communication, purpose of communication, understanding physical and human environment of communication, consulting others in Planning communication value of communication to the receiver, follow-up action, importance of communication, action congruent with communication, and good listening.
Communication, it must be clearly understood is a two-way process. Two-way communication brings two minds together which is the basic core of any communication. A communicator must be a good listener too.