Name: Arun Goel Roll No. 40232 Barriers To Effective Communication

NAME: Arun Goel ROLL NO.
40232
Barriers to Effective Communication
Any parameter that limits the purpose or channel of communication between the
transmitter and the receiver is a barrier to communication. A communication barrier may
limit or reduce the ease at which we communicate and hence the name barrier. Although
the barriers to effective communication may be different for different situations, the
following are some of the main barriers:
 Linguistic Barriers
 Psychological Barriers
 Emotional Barriers
 Physical Barriers
 Cultural Barriers
 Organisational Structure Barriers
 Attitude Barriers
 Perception Barriers
 Physiological Barriers
 Technological barriers
 Socio-religious barriers
Barriers To Effective Communication
The process of communication has multiple barriers. The intended communique will often
be disturbed and distorted leading to a condition of misunderstanding and failure of
communication. The Barriers to effective communication could be of many types like
linguistic, psychological, emotional, physical, and cultural etc. We will see all of these types
in detail below.
Linguistic Barriers
The language barrier is one of the main barriers that limit effective communication.
Language is the most commonly employed tool of communication. The fact that each major
region has its own language is one of the Barriers to effective communication. Sometimes
even a thick dialect may render the communication ineffective.
As per some estimates, the dialects of every two regions changes within a few kilometers.
Even in the same workplace, different employees will have different linguistic skills. As a
result, the communication channels that span across the organization would be affected by
this.
Thus keeping this barrier in mind, different considerations have to be made for different
employees. Some of them are very proficient in a certain language and others will be ok
with these languages.
Psychological Barriers
There are various mental and psychological issues that may be barriers to effective
communication. Some people have stage fear, speech disorders, phobia, depression etc. All
of these conditions are very difficult to manage sometimes and will most certainly limit the
ease of communication.
Emotional Barriers
The emotional IQ of a person determines the ease and comfort with which they can
communicate. A person who is emotionally mature will be able to communicate effectively.
On the other hand, people who let their emotions take over will face certain difficulties.
A perfect mixture of emotions and facts is necessary for effective communication. Emotions
like anger, frustration, humour, can blur the decision-making capacities of a person and
thus limit the effectiveness of their communication.
Physical Barriers to Communication
They are the most obvious barriers to effective communication. These barriers are mostly
easily removable in principle at least. They include barriers like noise, closed doors, faulty
equipment used for communication, closed cabins, etc. Sometimes, in a large office, the
physical separation between various employees combined with faulty equipment may
result in severe barriers to effective communication.
Cultural Barriers of Communication
As the world is getting more and more globalized, any large office may have people from
several parts of the world. Different cultures have a different meaning for several basic
values of society. Dressing, Religions or lack of them, food, drinks, pets, and the general
behaviour will change drastically from one culture to another.
Hence it is a must that we must take these different cultures into account while
communication. This is what we call being culturally appropriate. In many multinational
companies, special courses are offered at the orientation stages that let people know about
other cultures and how to be courteous and tolerant of others.
Organisational Structure Barriers
As we saw there are many methods of communication at an organizational level. Each of

these methods has its own problems and constraints that may become barriers to effective
communication. Most of these barriers arise because of misinformation or lack of
appropriate transparency available to the employees.
Attitude Barriers
Certain people like to be left alone. They are the introverts or just people who are not very
social. Others like to be social or sometimes extra clingy! Both these cases could become a
barrier to communication. Some people have attitude issues, like huge ego and
inconsiderate behaviours.
These employees can cause severe strains in the communication channels that they are
present in. Certain personality traits like shyness, anger, social anxiety may be removable
through courses and proper training. However, problems like egocentric behaviour and
selfishness may not be correctable.
Perception Barriers
Different people perceive the same things differently. This is a fact which we must consider
during the communication process. Knowledge of the perception levels of the audience is
crucial to effective communication. All the messages or communique must be easy and
clear. There shouldn’t be any room for a diversified interpretational set.
Physiological Barriers
Certain disorders or diseases or other limitations could also prevent effective

communication between the various channels of an organization. The shrillness of voice,
dyslexia, etc are some examples of physiological barriers to effective communication.
However, these are not crucial because they can easily be compensated and removed.
Technological Barriers & Socio-religious Barriers
Other barriers include the technological barriers. The technology is developing fast and as a
result, it becomes difficult to keep up with the newest developments. Hence sometimes the
technological advance may become a barrier. In addition to this, the cost of technology is
sometimes very high.
Most of the organizations will not be able to afford a decent tech for the purpose of
communication. Hence, this becomes a very crucial barrier. Other barriers are socio-
religious barriers. In a patriarchal society, a woman or a transgender may face many
difficulties and barriers while communicating.
How to overcome these barriers of communication :
1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is

recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to
ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language.
There should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are
clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required
employees (for eg: Voice and Accent training).
2. Use of Simple Language: Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized. Use
of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided.
3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels: Noise is the main communication
barrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essential to identify the
source of noise and then eliminate that source.
4. Active Listening: Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between
“listening” and “hearing”. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding
of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether
his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended
by the speaker.
5. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body
language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the
receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the
conveyer of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the
information being delivered is not good.
6. Simple Organizational Structure: The organizational structure should not be
complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a
ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure,
more effective will be the communication.
7. Avoid Information Overload: The managers should know how to prioritize their
work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend
quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and
feedbacks actively.
8. Give Constructive Feedback: Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the
feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive
feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and
subordinate.
9. Proper Media Selection: The managers should properly select the medium of
communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face
interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be
encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders
can be given by using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc.
10. Flexibility in meeting the targets: For effective communication in an organization
the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely
without skipping the formal channels of communication. There should not be much
pressure on employees to meet their targets

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Name: Arun Goel Roll No. 40232 Barriers To Effective Communication

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NAME: Arun Goel ROLL NO.

Barriers to Effective Communication

Barriers To Effective Communication

Physical Barriers to Communication

Cultural Barriers of Communication

Organisational Structure Barriers

As we saw there are many methods of communication at an organizational level. Each of

Certain disorders or diseases or other limitations could also prevent effective

Technological Barriers & Socio-religious Barriers

1. Eliminating differences in perception: The organization should ensure that it is

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