The communication process is best described as the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver. The study of the communication process is vital in the business world as companies are desperate to monitor how communication can affect trade. It has to be taken as a sure bet that good communication will lead to good profits and poor communication can lead to poor performance. The communication process comprises of four key components, these are:
- Encoding
- Medium of Transmission
- Decoding
- Feedback
Like a cycle, each factor has a bearing on the other and the cycle as a whole will create a completed picture of the communication process, beginning with the sender and ending with the receiver.
Encoding is the part of the process where the information from the source, in this case the sender, is encoded into information which is to be sent.
The medium refers to the way in which this encoded information is compiled and sent. This does not include the physical form of transferring data such as books, disks or files, transmission media refers more to electronic data such as fiber cables, infra red cables, electronic transfers or radio waves and micro waves.
Decoding is the part of the process where the information that has been encoded and sent to the receiver, via the various methods mentioned in the transmission section is interpreted. This part of the cycle is almost the exact opposite of the encoding procedure.
This the final part of the cycle and allows the receiver to evaluate the information gained from the sender. Feedback is essential in whatever form, either verbal or physical, to enable the sender to understand if the message has been received.
