Nature and Elements of Communication

Definition of Communication
: the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange
information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else
: a message that is given to someone: a letter, telephone call, etc.
-Merriam Websters Dictionary
Nature of Communication
1. Communication is related to human activity: Communication exchanges are actually directly linked
with every single ball of human being lifetime. It is necessary within primary some sort of substantial
human being lifetime. Taking pleasure in restful lifetime, acquiring person-to-person interactions,
creating a flourishing point out and so on. Arent probable without having communication exchanges.
2. Communication involves two or more parties: At least, two parties are involved in virtually any
communication exchange process. This party exactly who communicates information is known as
sender and the party exactly who is provided with the info is known as a device. Even so in some
instances some sort of sender could send out a
message for you to many receivers.
3. Communication could be one-way or maybe two-way process: Communication might take the
design involving two-way or maybe one-way process. With two-way communication, the receiver
sends his feedback to the sender after receiving the message. One-way communication means you
move involving information style sender to be able to receive only. In this particular means of
communication receiver doesnt present his or her reaction to your sender.
4. Success of communication depends on a proper understanding of the parties involved: Powerful
communication comes about if your receiver feels your concept you might say your sender posts the
idea. If the receiver doesnt deliver his or her reaction to your sender, your sender is not going to fully
grasp your receivers view. In this case, your communications are going to be inadequate. As a result,
to make your communication prosperous the two senders and receiver got to know your side effects
of different.
5. Conversation in organization flows in a variety of styles: With organization, information flows in a
variety of recommendations, for example way upward direction, down way, horizontal way and many
others.
Communication is media or channel based: Every single person communication comes about by
means of suing a selected method. This media could be composed, common and non-verbal or
maybe a mixture of spoken and non-verbal media.
Elements of Communication
Sender: The person who intends to convey the message with the intention of passing information and
ideas to others is known as sender or communicator.
Ideas: This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion, attitude, feelings,
views, orders, or suggestions.

Encoding: Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible, its further passing
requires use of certain symbols such as words, actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter
into these symbols is the process of encoding.
Communication Channel: The person who is interested in communicating has to choose the channel
for sending the required information, ideas etc. This information is transmitted to the receiver through
certain channels which may be either formal or informal.
Receiver: Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the message is meant for. It
is the receiver who tries to understand the message in the best possible manner in achieving the
desired objectives.
Decoding: The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator tries to convert
the same in such a way so that he may extract its meaning to his complete understanding.
Feedback: Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the message and
understood in the same sense as sender meant it.
Process of Communication
The communication process is relatively simple and is divided into three basic components: a sender,
a channel, and a receiver. The sender will initiate the communication process by developing an idea
into a message. This is also known as encoding. The sender will then transmit the message through
a channel, or a method of delivery; think of things like e-mail, phone conversations, instant messages,
face-to-face discussion, or even a text message. The message then moves through the channel to
the receiver, who completes the communication process by interpreting and assigning meaning to the
message, which is also known as decoding.
Now, since most communication exchanges involve a continued dialogue between senders and
receivers, a feedback loop was added to the communication process. Although I know some of you
wish your spouse would forget about this at times, the feedback loop is a critical component in the
communication process because it ensures a message was properly received and interpreted by the
other party. In the workplace, feedback is especially significant so that a manager can be certain the
messages that he or she sends are, in fact, received and interpreted correctly, eliciting the
appropriate action from subordinates.

Models of Communication
Models of communication
refers to the conceptual model used to
explain the
human communication process. The first major model for communication came in 1949 by Claude
Elwood Shannon and Warren Weaver for Bell Laboratories. Following the basic concept,
communication is the process of sending and receiving messages or transferring information from
one part (sender) to another (receiver).

Shannon and Weaver. The original model was designed to mirror the functioning of radio and
telephone technologies. Their initial model consisted of three primary parts: sender, channel,
and receiver. The sender was the part of a telephone a person spoke into, the channel was the

telephone itself, and the receiver was the part of the phone where one could hear the other person.
Shannon and Weaver also recognized that often there is static that interferes with one listening to a
telephone conversation, which they deemed noise. The noise could also mean the absence of
signal. In a simple model, often referred to as the transmission model or standard view of
communication, information or content (e.g. a message in natural language) is sent in some form
(as spoken language) from an emisor/ sender/ encoder to a destination/ receiver/ decoder. This
common conception of communication views communication as a means of sending and receiving
information. The strengths of this model are simplicity, generality, and quantifiability. Social scientists
Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver structured this model based on the following elements:
An information source, which produces a message. A transmitter, which encodes the message into
signals. A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission. A receiver, which 'decodes'
(reconstructs) the message from the signal. A destination, where the message arrives. Shannon and
Weaver argued that there were three levels of problems for communication within this theory. The
technical problem: how accurately can the message be transmitted? The semantic problem: how
precisely is the meaning 'conveyed'? The effectiveness problem: how effectively does the received
meaning affect behavior? Daniel Chandler critiques the transmission model by stating: It assumes
communicators are isolated individuals. No allowance for differing purposes. No allowance for
differing interpretations. No allowance for unequal power relations. No allowance for situational
contexts.

David Berlo. In 1960, David Berlo expanded on Shannon and Weavers (1949) linear model of
communication and created the SMCR Model of Communication. The Sender-Message-ChannelReceiver Model of communication separated the model into clear parts and has been expanded
upon by other scholars.

Schramm. Communication is usually described along a few major dimensions: Message (what
type of things are communicated), source / emisor / sender / encoder (by whom), form (in which
form), channel (through which medium), destination / receiver / target /decoder (to whom), and
Receiver. Wilbur Schramm (1954) also indicated that we should also examine the impact that a
message has (both desired and undesired) on the target of the message. Between parties,
communication includes acts that confer knowledge and experiences, give advice and commands,
and ask questions. These acts may take many forms, in one of the various manners of
communication. The form depends on the abilities of the group communicating. Together,
communication content and form make messages that are sent towards a destination. The target
can be oneself, another person or being, another entity (such as a corporation or group of beings).
Communication can be seen as processes of information transmission governed by three levels
of semiotic rules: Syntactic (formal properties of signs and symbols), Pragmatic (concerned with the
relations between signs/expressions and their users) and Semantic (study of relationships between
signs and symbols and what they represent). Therefore, communication is social interaction where
at least two interacting agents share a common set of signs and a common set of semiotic rules.
This commonly held rule in some sense ignores autocommunication, including intrapersonal
communication via diaries or self-talk, both secondary phenomena that followed the primary
acquisition of communicative competences within social interactions.

Barnlund. In light of these weaknesses, Barnlund (2008) proposed a transactional model of

communication. The basic premise of the transactional model of communication is that individuals

are simultaneously engaging in the sending and receiving of messages. In a slightly more complex
form a sender and a receiver are linked reciprocally. This second attitude of communication, referred
to as the constitutive model or constructionist view, focuses on how an individual communicates as
the determining factor of the way the message will be interpreted. Communication is viewed as a
conduit; a passage in which information travels from one individual to another and this information
becomes separate from the communication itself. A particular instance of communication is called
a speech act. The sender's personal filters and the receiver's personal filters may vary depending
upon different regional traditions, cultures, or gender; which may alter the intended meaning of
message contents. In the presence of "communication noise" on the transmission channel (air, in
this case), reception and decoding of content may be faulty, and thus the speech act may not
achieve the desired effect. One problem with this encode-transmit-receive-decode model is that the
processes of encoding and decoding imply that the sender and receiver each possess something
that functions as a codebook, and that these two code books are, at the very least, similar if not
identical. Although something like code books is implied by the model, they are nowhere
represented in the model, which creates many conceptual difficulties. Theories
of coregulation describe communication as a creative and dynamic continuous process, rather than
a discrete exchange of information. Canadian media scholar Harold Innis had the theory that people
use different types of media to communicate and which one they choose to use will offer different
possibilities for the shape and durability of society (Wark, McKenzie 1997). His famous example of
this is using ancient Egypt and looking at the ways they built themselves out of media with very
different properties stone and papyrus. Papyrus is what he called 'Space Binding'. it made possible
the transmission of written orders across space, empires and enables the waging of distant military
campaigns and colonial administration. The other is stone and 'Time Binding', through the
construction of temples and the pyramids can sustain their authority generation to generation,
through this media they can change and shape communication in their society (Wark, McKenzie
1997).

Psychology of communication. Bernard Luskin, UCLA, 1970, advanced computer assisted

instruction and began to connect media and psychology into what is now the field of media
psychology. In 1998, the American Association of Psychology, Media Psychology Division 46 Task
Force report on psychology and new technologies combined media and communication as pictures,
graphics and sound increasingly dominate modern communication.

Constructionist Model. There is an additional working definition of communication to consider

that authors like Richard A. Lanham (2003) and as far back as Erving Goffman (1959) have
highlighted. This is a progression from Lasswells attempt to define human communication through
to this century and revolutionized into the constructionist model. Constructionists believe that the
process of communication is in itself the only messages that exist. The packaging can not be
separated from the social and historical context from which it arose, therefore the substance to look
at in communication theory is style for Richard Lanham and the performance of self for Erving
Goffman. Lanham chose to view communication as the rival to the over encompassing use of CBS
model (which pursued to further the transmission model). CBS model argues that clarity, brevity, and
sincerity are the only purpose to prose discourse, therefore communication. Lanham wrote, If words
matter too, if the whole range of human motive is seen as animating prose discourse, then rhetoric
analysis leads us to the essential questions about prose style (Lanham 10). This is saying that
rhetoric and style are fundamentally important; they are not errors to what we actually intend to
transmit. The process which we construct and deconstruct meaning deserves analysis. Erving

Goffman sees the performance of self as the most important frame to understand communication.
Goffman wrote, What does seem to be required of the individual is that he learn enough pieces of
expression to be able to fill in and manage, more or less, any part that he is likely to be given
(Goffman 73) Goffman is highlighting the significance of expression. The truth in both cases is the
articulation of the message and the package as one. The construction of the message from social
and historical context is the seed as is the pre-existing message is for the transmission model.
Therefore any look into communication theory should include the possibilities drafted by such great
scholars as Richard A. Lanham and Erving Goffman that style and performance is the whole
process. Communication stands so deeply rooted in human behaviors and the structures
of society that scholars have difficulty thinking of it while excluding social or behavioral events.
Because communication theory remains a relatively young field of inquiry and integrates itself with
other disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, and sociology, one probably cannot yet expect a
consensus conceptualization of communication across disciplines. Communication Model Terms as
provided by Rothwell (11-15): Noise; interference with effective transmission and reception of a
message. Sender; the initiator and encoder of a message. Receiver; the one that receives the
message (the listener) and the decoder of a message. Decode; translates the senders spoken
idea/message into something the receiver understands by using their knowledge of language from
personal experience.Encode; puts the idea into spoken language while putting their own meaning
into the word/message. Channel; the medium through which the message travels such as through
oral communication (radio, television, phone, in person) or written communication (letters, email, text
messages) Feedback; the receivers verbal and nonverbal responses to a message such as a nod
for understanding (nonverbal), a raised eyebrow for being confused (nonverbal), or asking a
question to clarify the message (verbal). Message; the verbal and nonverbal components of
language that is sent to the receiver by the sender which conveys an idea.

Linear Model. It is a one way model to communicate with others. It consists of the sender
encoding a message and channeling it to the receiver in the presence of noise. Draw backs the
linear model assumes that there is a clear cut beginning and end to communication. It also displays
no feedback from the receiver. For example; a letter, email, text message, lecture.

Interactive Model. It is two linear models stacked on top of each other. The sender channels a
message to the receiver and the receiver then becomes the sender and channels a message to the
original sender. This model has added feedback, indicates that communication is not a one way but
a two way process. It also has field of experience which includes our cultural background, ethnicity
geographic location, extend of travel, and general personal experiences accumulated over the
course of your lifetime. Draw backs there is feedback but it is not simultaneous. For example
instant messaging. The sender sends an IM to the receiver, then the original sender has to wait for
the IM from the original receiver to react. Or a question/answer session where you just ask a
question then you get an answer.

Transactional Model. It assumes that people are connected through communication; they
engage in transaction. Firstly, it recognizes that each of us is a sender-receiver, not merely a sender
or a receiver. Secondly, it recognizes that communication affects all parties involved. So
communication is fluid/simultaneous. This is how most conversation are like. The transactional
model also contains ellipses that symbolize the communication environment (how you interpret the
data that you are given). Where the ellipses meet is the most effect communication area because

both communicators share the same meaning of the message. For example talking/listening to
friends. While your friend is talking you are constantly giving them feedback on what you think
through your facial expression verbal feedback without necessarily stopping your friend from talking.

Communication cycle. The first major model for communication came in 1949 by Claude
Shannon and Warren Weaver for Bell Laboratories. The original model was designed to mirror the
functioning of radio and telephone technologies. Their initial model consisted of three primary parts:
sender, channel, and receiver. The sender was the part of a telephone a person spoke into, the
channel was the telephone itself, and the receiver was the part of the phone where one could hear
the other person. Shannon and Weaver also recognized that often there is static that interferes with
one listening to a telephone conversation, which they deemed noise. In a simple model, often
referred to as the transmission model or standard view of communication, information or content
(e.g. a message in natural language) is sent in some form (as spoken language) from an emisor/
sender/ encoder to a destination/ receiver/ decoder. This common conception of communication
simply views communication as a means of sending and receiving information. The strengths of this
model are simplicity, generality, and quantifiability. Social scientists Claude Shannon and Warren
Weaver structured this model based on the following elements: An information source, which
produces a message. A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals. A channel, to which
signals are adapted for transmission. A receiver, which 'decodes' (reconstructs) the message from
the signal. A destination, where the message arrives. Shannon and Weaver argued that there were
three levels of problems for communication within this theory. The technical problem: how accurately
can the message be transmitted? The semantic problem: how precisely is the meaning 'conveyed'?
The effectiveness problem: how effectively does the received meaning affect behavior? Daniel
Chandler critiques the transmission model by stating: It assumes communicators are isolated
individuals. No allowance for differing purposes. No allowance for differing interpretations. No
allowance for unequal power relations. No allowance for situational contexts.

Communication noise. In any communication model, noise is interference with the decoding of
messages sent over a channel by an encoder. There are many examples of noise: Environmental
Noise: Noise that physically disrupts communication, such as standing next to loud speakers at a
party, or the noise from a construction site next to a classroom making it difficult to hear the
professor.
1. Physiological-Impairment Noise: Physical maladies that prevent effective communication, such as
actual deafness or blindness preventing messages from being received as they were intended.

2. Semantic Noise: Different interpretations of the meanings of certain words. For example, the word
"weed" can be interpreted as an undesirable plant in a yard, or as a euphemism for marijuana.

3. Syntactical Noise: Mistakes in grammar can disrupt communication, such as abrupt changes in
verb tense during a sentence.

4. Organizational Noise: Poorly structured communication can prevent the receiver from accurate

interpretation. For example, unclear and badly stated directions can make the receiver even more
lost.

5. Cultural Noise: Stereotypical assumptions can cause misunderstandings, such as unintentionally

offending a non-Christian person by wishing them a "Merry Christmas".

6. Psychological Noise: Certain attitudes can also make communication difficult. For instance, great
anger or sadness may cause someone to lose focus on the present moment. Disorders such
as Autism may also
severely hamper effective communication.
Types of Communication
Verbal Communication
Verbal or oral communication uses spoken words to communicate a message. When most people
think of verbal communication, they think of speaking, but listening is an equally important skill for this
type of communication to be successful. Verbal communication is applicable to a wide range of
situations, ranging from informal office discussions to public speeches made to thousands of people.
Improving your verbal communication skills can help you to foster better relationships with your coworkers and maintain a large network of contacts that you can call on when necessary. Consultants
are one group of professionals that need to pay particular attention to this area of communication, as
they need to constantly meet with new people and quickly communicate large quantities of important
information.
Public speaking is the aspect of verbal communication that many otherwise confident business
people struggle with.
Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication includes body language, gestures, facial expressions, and even posture.
Non-verbal communication sets the tone of a conversation, and can seriously undermine the
message contained in your words if you are not careful to control it. For example, slouching and
shrinking back in your chair during a business meeting can make you seem under-confident, which
may lead people to doubt the strength of your verbal contributions. In contrast, leaning over an
employees desk and invading his or her personal space can turn a friendly chat into an aggressive
confrontation that leaves the employee feeling victimized and undervalued.
Written Communication
Written communication is essential for communicating complicated information, such as statistics or
other data, that could not be easily communicated through speech alone. Written communication also
allows information to be recorded so that it can be referred to at a later date. When producing a piece
of written communication, especially one that is likely to be referred to over and over again, you need
to plan what you want to say carefully to ensure that all the relevant information is accurately and
clearly communicated.

Written communication must be clear and concise in order to communicate information effectively. A
good written report conveys the necessary information using precise, grammatically correct language,
without using more words than are needed.
By improving your verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills, you can become more
successful in all areas of business. Whether you are managing others or working as part of a team,
the ability to communicate effectively can improve relations with your colleagues and help you all to
work more effectively together.

Effective Communication Skills

1. Give them the impression that youre enthusiastic about talking to them. They want to feel that you
would rather be talking to them than anyone else. When you give them the impression that you are
excited about talking to them and that you care about them, you make them feel better about
themselves. As a result, theyll be more likely to really open up to you.
2. Ask open-ended questions about their interests. Ask questions that will get them to talk about their
interests and their life in a way that provides you with insight into their needs and wants. When you
help them gain a new, positive perspective about their situation, they will feel a deep sense of
connection with you.
3. Adapt to their body language and feelings. Pay special attention to their nonverbal communication.
Watch their body language and posture, also take note of their inflection and word choices. Now,
tailor your words, body language, and voice tone to match what you have observed. Doing this will
help them feel a deep subconscious connection with you.
4. Show them approval: Tell them what you admire about them and why. One of the best ways to
instantly connect with people is to be forthright and tell them exactly why you like or admire them. If
being too direct isnt appropriate, insinuate with a few indirect statements here and there. Either
approach can be equally as effective because everyone responds well to approval.
5. Listen attentively to everything they say. Dont focus too much on what youre going to say next as
they are talking. Instead, listen to every word they say and respond back as relevantly and smoothly
as possible. This shows people that you are interested in what they have to say and you are fully
engaged and in the moment with them. Also make sure to ask questions whenever theres something
they say that you dont quite understand. This will help fill any potentially awkward lapses in
communication.

6. Give them the right amount of eye contact. Eye contact communicates to the other person that you
are not only interested in them and what they have to say, but that you are also trustworthy. When
done in moderation, they will also assume you are confident in yourself because of your willingness to
face them directly. As a result, people will naturally want to pay more attention to you and what you
have to say.
7. Reveal as much about yourself as possible. One of the best ways to earn someones trust is to
reveal yourself as openly as you can. Tell stories about interesting events from your life or just
describe zany instances from normal everyday life. As you do this, make sure not to mention things
that stray too far from where their interests and values lie. Nothing builds trust like genuine
transparency. Y
8. Give the impression that you are on the same team. Use words like we, us, were, our, and
ourselves to instantly build a bond. When you use those words, you make it seem like you are all on
the same team with a common goal or concern. This moves you into their circle while everyone else
seems lack your special insight and understanding.
9. Give them your best smile. When you smile at people, you communicate that you like them and
their presence brings you happiness. Smiling at them will cause them to subconsciously want to smile
back at you which will instantly build rapport between the two of you. Just make sure that your smile
is sincere because if its not they will sense it.
10. Offer helpful suggestions. Recommend restaurants youve been to, places youve been to, movies
youve seen, helpful people theyd like to meet, books youve read, career opportunities and whatever
else you can think of. Describe what was so great about those people, places and things and how
they might appeal to the other person. If you suggest enough ideas that interest them, they will look at
you as a go to person when they need to make a decision about what to do next.
11. Give them encouragement. If the person youre dealing with is younger or in a more difficult
position than you, they will appreciate any encouragement you can offer. When you help them feel
more confident in their own abilities they will value your input. This helps even out the relationship.
Convince them that they can surpass their problems and limitations and they will feel good about
connecting with you.
12. Appear to have a slightly higher energy level than the other person. Generally, people want to be
around those who lift them up, instead of bringing them down. If you indicate with your voice and

your body language that you have a slightly higher energy level, they will feel more energized and
positive while around you. Dont be so energetic that you put people off, but have enough so that they
feel energized after talking with you.
13. Say their name in a way that is pleasing to their ears. A persons name is one of the most
emotionally powerful words for them. But how you say it is more important than how often say it. If
you say their name with they right inflection, it can actually convey a lot of positive feeling directly to
their nervous system. If their name feels good to them when you say it, they will feel bonded to you
on a subconscious level without even knowing why.
14. Offer to take the relationship a step further. There are a number of things you could do to advance
your friendship with someone: offer to eat with them, talk over a cup of coffee, see a sports game,
have a beer or two with them, etc. Even if people dont take you up on your offers, they will be
flattered that you like them enough to want to take the friendship to a deeper level. In a way, they will
look up to you because you have the guts to take charge of your life and build friendships instead of
expecting those friendships to magically appear for you.

Barriers of Communication
The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.
Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and
some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo.
Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
Differences in perception and viewpoint.
Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues,
gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.
Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.
Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People often
hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions.
Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the
way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between
cultures and between different social settings.

Avoiding the Barriers of Communication

(1) Clarify Ideas before Communication:
The person sending the communication should be very clear in his mind about what he wants to say.
He should know the objective of his message and, therefore, he should arrange his thoughts in a
proper order.

(2) Communicate According to the Need of the Receiver:

The sender of the communication should prepare the structure of the message not according to his
own level or ability but he should keep in mind the level, understanding or the environment of the
receiver.
(3) Consult Others before Communication:
At the time of planning the communication, suggestions should be invited from all the persons
concerned. Its main advantage will be that all those people who are consulted at the time of preparing
the communication plan will contribute to the success of the communication system.
(4) Be Aware of Language, Tone and Content of Message:
The sender should take care of the fact that the message should be framed in clear and beautiful
language. The tone of the message should not injure the feelings of the receiver. As far as possible
the contents of the message should be brief and excessive use of technical words should be avoided.
(5) Convey Things of Help and Value to the Listener:
The subject matter of the message should be helpful to the receiver. The need and interest of the
receiver should specially be kept in mind. Communication is more effective in such a situation.
(6) Ensure Proper Feedback:

The purpose of feedback is to find out whether the receiver has properly understood the meaning of
the information received. In the face-to- face communication, the reaction on the face of the receiver
can be understood.
But in case of written communication or some other sort of communications some proper method of
feedback should be adopted by the sender.
(7) Consistency of Message:
The information sent to the receiver should not be self- contradictory. It should be in accordance with
the objectives, policies, programmes and techniques of the organisation. When a new message has
to be sent in place of the old one, it should always make a mention of the change otherwise it can
create some doubts.
(8) Follow up Communication:
In order to make communication effective the management should regularly try to know the
weaknesses of the communication system. In this context effort can be made to know whether to lay
more stress upon the formal or the informal communication would be appropriate.
Similarly, suggestions can be invited in respect of the medium of communication (oral, written and
gestural) to know as to which medium would be more effective and appropriate.
(9) Be a Good Listener:
It is the essence of communication that both the sender and the receiver should be good listeners.
Both should listen to the each others point of view with attention, patience and positive attitude. A
sender can receive much relevant information by being a good listener.

Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication is a form of communication that aims to share information across
different cultures and social groups. It is used to describe the wide range of communication
processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of
individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. Intercultural
communication is sometimes used synonymously with cross-cultural communication. In this sense it
seeks
to
understand
how
people
from
different
countries
and cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them. Many people in intercultural
business communication argue that culture determines how individuals encode messages, what
medium they choose for transmitting them, and the way messages are interpreted.

With regard to intercultural communication proper, it studies situations where people from different
cultural backgrounds interact. Aside from language, intercultural communication focuses on social
attributes, thought patterns, and the cultures of different groups of people. It also involves

understanding the different cultures, languages and customs of people from other countries.
Intercultural communication plays a role in social sciences such as anthropology, cultural
studies, linguistics, psychology and communication studies. Intercultural communication is also
referred to as the base for international businesses. There are several cross-cultural service providers
around who can assist with the development of intercultural communication skills. Research is a
major part of the development of intercultural communication skills.