Office Practice · Lesson 11

Process, forms, barriers and means of communication and service providers

WAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

WAEC: definition; importance; types (verbal: oral, written; non-verbal: visual, audio, audio-visual); advantages and disadvantages; means (traditional: drum, town crier, gong; modern: print and electronic); communication service providers (NIPOST, NITEL, media houses, satellite stations, the internet, courier services, GSM). Extends cm9.1–9.3.

NECO: definition; importance; types (verbal: oral, written; non-verbal: visual, audio, audio-visual); advantages and disadvantages; means (traditional: drum, town crier, gong; modern: print and electronic); communication service providers (NIPOST, NITEL, media houses, satellite stations, the internet, courier services, GSM). Extends cm9.1–9.3.

What you will learn

Define communication and describe its process.
State the importance and directions of communication.
Compare oral and written communication.
Explain visual, audio and audio-visual communication.
Identify barriers and ways to overcome them.
Describe traditional and modern means of communication.
Describe communication service providers in Nigeria.

Key points

Communication succeeds only when the receiver understands.
Process: sender, encode, channel, decode, receiver, feedback; beware noise.
Communication coordinates, instructs, motivates and supports decisions.
Oral: fast with feedback but no record.
Written: permanent and detailed but slower.
Non-verbal: visual, audio and audio-visual messages.
Overcome barriers with clear language, right channel and feedback.
Traditional means: drum, town crier, gong.
Modern: print and electronic media.
Providers: NIPOST, media houses, satellites, internet, courier, GSM; NITEL historical.

Start here: Definition and process of communication

Communication is the transfer of information, ideas, instructions or feelings from one person or group (the sender) to another (the receiver) in a way that is understood. The word comes from the Latin communicare, “to share”. Communication is complete only when the receiver understands the message as the sender intended, and this is usually confirmed by feedback.

Elements of the communication process

Sender (source): the person who has an idea or information to pass on, for example a manager who wants staff to attend a meeting.
Message: the content, the idea or information.
Encoding: putting the idea into a form that can be sent: words, symbols, pictures, gestures.
Channel (medium): the means used to carry the message: a memo, telephone call, email, notice board, meeting.
Receiver: the person or group for whom the message is intended.
Decoding: the receiver interprets the message.
Feedback: the receiver’s response, which shows whether the message was understood: a reply, a question, an action, a nod.
Noise: anything that interferes with the message at any stage: physical noise, poor network, bad handwriting, jargon, language differences, emotions, distractions.

One-way and two-way communication

One-way communication has no immediate feedback, such as a notice on a board or a radio announcement. It is quick but the sender cannot be sure it was understood. Two-way communication includes feedback, such as a conversation or a meeting. It is slower but more accurate.

Why feedback matters. A message passed orally through four people, each of whom keeps about 80% of the detail, arrives with about 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.8 = 0.4096, roughly 41%, of the original detail. Written messages and confirmation reduce this loss (illustrative model).

Formal and informal communication

Formal communication follows official channels and forms: memos, letters, reports, meetings, circulars. It is authoritative and recorded. Informal communication travels through personal contacts, casual conversation and the grapevine. It is fast and can build team spirit, but it may spread rumours. Managers use formal channels for decisions and instructions, and pay attention to the informal network to sense staff feelings early.

Worked example: Tracing the communication process. The Principal of a school in Makurdi tells the Bursar by telephone that fees must be collected by Friday. The Bursar replies, “Noted, I will send a reminder to parents today.” Identify each element of the process.
Solution. Sender: the Principal. Message: fees due by Friday. Encoding: putting the idea into spoken words. Channel/medium: telephone. Receiver: the Bursar. Decoding: the Bursar understanding the words. Feedback: “Noted, I will send a reminder.” Noise could be a poor network. Communication is complete only when feedback shows that the message was understood.

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Practice questions

1. The response that shows a message was understood is

feedback
noise
encoding
channel

Show answer

A: feedback
Feedback.

2. Anything that distorts a message is called

feedback
decoding
medium
noise

Show answer

D: noise
Noise/barrier.

3. A radio jingle is an example of

written communication
tactile communication
audio communication
visual communication

Show answer

C: audio communication
Sound only.

4. A bar chart in a report is

audio-visual communication
visual communication
audio communication
oral communication

Show answer

B: visual communication
Seen.

5. Television is

audio-visual
audio only
visual only
written

Show answer

A: audio-visual
Sound + pictures.

Key words

Communication: Transfer of a message with understanding.
Encoding: Putting an idea into words or signs.
Decoding: Interpreting a received message.
Feedback: Receiver’s response to a message.
Noise: Interference that distorts a message.
Grapevine: Informal communication network.
Oral communication: Spoken words.
Audio-visual: Using both sound and pictures.
Town crier: Traditional public announcer.
NIPOST: Nigerian Postal Service.
NCC: Nigerian Communications Commission.
GSM: Global System for Mobile Communication.

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