COMMUNICATION PROCESSES,
PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this lesson, you
should be able to:
1. Explain the various communication
models and how they help in
understanding the communication
process;
2. Identify the variables involved in the
communication process;
3. Discuss the value of communication
in enhancing one’s personal and
professional relationships;
4. Determine the principle for effective
oral and written communication;
5. Evaluate the differences between
oral and written communication;
6. Point out the ethical issues involved
in communication; and
7. Recognize the importance of a code
of ethics in communication.
COMMUNICATION MODELS
In the earlier discussion, you
learned about the types of
communication mode, context, and
purpose and style. In this lesson, you
will review the nature of the
communication process and some
important communication models.
Why is it important that you
know the communication models? You
will realize their importance because
they will help you understand how a
communication process works. It is
only by knowing the flow of
communication that you will be able to
make the communication process
effective.
A model is often abstract. It is
a representation of a real world
phenomenon applied to different
forms. The interplay of variables in the
model is represented graphically. try to
assess later what comprises the
communication models and what
variables are common to each of them.
There are many conceptual
models for human communication but
in this lesson, you will be exposed to
only four: (1) ARISTOTLE’S MODEL;
(2) LASWELL’S MODEL; (3)
SHANNON-WEAVER’S MODEL; and
(4) DAVID BERLO’S model of
communication.
ARISTOTLE’S COMMUNICATION
MODEL
Classical rhetoric dates back
to ancient Greece during the time of
Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek
Sophists who were great rhetoricians.
Effective public speaking was an
important consideration in the study of
communication. They were good at
argumentation and debate and speech
was characterized by repartee.
Aristotle emphasized that
there are three variables in the
communication process: speaker,
speech and audience as illustrated in
the communication flow below:
Note that the speaker variable
here is very important. Without the
speaker, there will be no speech to be
produced. Depending on the profile of
the audience, the speaker adjusts
his/her speech. Some considerations
for the audience demographics are
age, sex, background, culture, race,
religion, gender, social and economic
status, and political orientation or
inclination, among others. Even
beliefs, views, and attitudes also play
an important role when talking about
audience consideration since
oftentimes, the audience bring these
with them when they decode a
message in any given situation.
LASWELLS’s COMMUNICATION
MODEL
In 1948, Harold Dwight
Laswell described communication as
being focused on the following Ws:
Who says What in Which channel to
Whom and with What effect as seen in
the model below:
The whole process of
communication begins with the
communicator (who) sending out a
message (what) using a medium (in
which channel) for a receiver (to
whom) experiencing an effect (with
what effect) afterwards. The process
may be analyzed through the content
sent, the medium used, as well as the
effect on the recipient of the message.
While this model is similar to
Aristotle’s in the sense that both are
linear and have same components.
Laswell’s also differs in that there are
five variables, with the addition of two:
medium and effect.
SHANNON-WEAVER’S
COMMUNICATION MODEL
Claude Elwood Shannon and
Warren Weaver’s model of
communication was introduced in
1949, a year after Laswell’s for Bell
Laboratories. Originally, it was
conceptualized for the functioning of
the radio and television serving as a
model for technical communication and
later on, adopted in the field of
communication. In this model, other
components such as noise, reception,
destination, and feedback have been
identified. Other terms such as
information source for the sender,
transmitter for the encoder, decoder
(reception), and receiver (destination)
were introduced.
BERLO’S COMMUNICATION MODEL
David Berlo’s model
conceptualized in 1960 is probably the
most well-known among the
communication models. Initially,
Berlo’s model was called SMCR which
stands for sender of the message, sent
through a channel or medium to a
receiver. However, it was modified
later on to include noise, hence the
acronym SMCRN.
The major variables involved
in the communication process are (1)
source, (2) message, (3) channel,
and (4) receiver.
The source being the
originator of the message acts as the
encoder. As such, the encoder should
practice communication skills such as
listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. His/Her attitude towards the
audience or the subject as well as
his/her knowledge about the topic on
hand likewise counts along with the
social system that he/she is in which
includes values, beliefs and practices,
and culture.
The second variable which is
message includes (1) content; (2)
elements such as the language used
and gestures employed; (3) treatment
or the manner by which refers to the
arrangement of parts or flow of the
message. The code shows how the
message is sent: that is, the language
(verbal code) used and the
accompanying gestures (non-verbal
code) employed. Note that there
should be no mismatch between the
verbal and non-verbal codes.
The third variable which is
channel refers to the different senses:
seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and
touching. Finally, the fourth variable is
receiver, the one who decodes the
message. Note that the components of
this last variable are similar to those of
the first since for communication to be
effective, both the sources and the
receiver should have good
communication skills.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Since communication is two-
way process, it is important that you
know the principles to be observed to
make it effective. For both oral and
written communication, you should be
able to apply the following principles:
1. Know your purpose in
communicating. Are you
communicating basically to inform, to
entertain, or to persuade? While you
may have more than one purpose,
there is still a more dominant objective
or reason why you communicate.
2. Know your audience. In both
speaking and writing, you should know
your audience as it will dictate the
speaking or writing style you are going
to employ. Consider the age,
educational background, profession,
culture, and other salient features of
your listeners or readers.
3. Know your topic. You
communicate essentially because you
want to share something. In speaking
situations, speakers are invited
because they have something to
share. This also applies to writing. You
write because you wish that other
people learn something form you. You
may then utilize several or multiple
communication techniques to easily
catch the attention of the audience.
4. Adjust your speech or writing to
the context of the situation. The
environment in which your speech or
writing is to be delivered determines
the kind of languages you will use.
5. Work on the feedback given you.
Once you receive comments from the
listeners/readers, work on them. Take
kindly to criticisms. In the long run,
constructive criticisms will prove
beneficial to you as you learn to
address them.
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ORAL
COMMUNICATION
1. Be clear with your purpose. You
should know by heart your objective in
communicating.
2. Be complete with the message you
deliver. Make sure that your claims are
supported by facts and essential
information.
3. Be concise. You do not need to
verbose or wordy with your
statements. Brevity in speech is a
must.
4. Be natural with your delivery.
Punctuate important words with the
appropriate gestures and movements.
Exude a certain degree of confidence
even if you do not feel confident
enough.
5. Be specific and timely with your
feedback. Inputs are most helpful
when provided on time.
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: THE
7Cs
1. Be clear. Be clear about your
message. Always be guided by your
purpose in communicating.
2. Be concise. Always stick to the pint
and do not beat or run around the
bush. Be brief by focusing on your
main point.
3. Be concrete. Support your claims
with enough facts. Your readers will
easily know if you are bluffing or
deceiving them because there is
nothing to substantiate your claims.
4. Be correct. It is important that you
observe grammatical corrections in
your writing. Always have time to
revise and edit your work. Even simple
spelling errors may easily distract your
readers.
5. Be coherent. Your writing becomes
coherent only when you convey a
logical message. The ideas should be
connected to each other and related to
the topic. Make sure that you observe
a sound structure that will present a
smooth flow of your ideas. Use
transitional or cohesive devices so that
the ideas cohere with one another.
6. Be complete. Include all necessary
and relevant information so that the
audience will not be left wanting of any
information. Always place yourself in
the shoes of the audience, who is
always interested to receive new
information.
7. Be courteous. The tone of your
writing should be friendly. Avoid any
overtone/undertone or insinuation to
eliminate confusion and
misinterpretation.
ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication ethics
emphasizes that morals influence the
behavior of an individual, group, or
organization thereby affecting their
communication. For instance, given
the unethical communication practice
of a certain company of concealing the
non-remittance of deducted premiums
from employee’s salaries to the SSS or
the Social Security System (or GSIS or
Government Service Insurance
System in the case of government
offices), the company’s accountability
to its employees is undoubtedly
affected. Compare this situation with
that of an organization that observes
ethical practice and remits the
employees’ monthly contributions to
the SSS or GSIS regularly. It is
important to note that one’s behavior
should be regulated by honesty
decency, truthfulness, sincerity, and
moral uprightness.
Be guided by the following to
achieve ethical communication:
1. Establish an effective value system
that will pave the way for the
development of your integrity as a
person. One’s behavior and decision-
making style affect, in turn, the
operations of an organization.
2. Provide complete and accurate
information. Whether it is needed or
not, the data you provide should
always be contextualized and correct.
3. Disclose vital information adequately
and appropriately. Never conceal or
hide information that are necessary for
purposes of transparency.
Observing a code of ethics is
essential as it determines the kind of
behavior that is proper or desirable
over one that is displeasing and
offensive. A code of ethics sets the
standards to be observed by a person
or a company that will create good
reputation or positive image not only
for an individual but also for the
organization. It will, therefore, pave the
way for the attainment of the desired
results leading to the success of an
individual or the entire company.
Success in decision-making will
likewise impact the company’s
reputation.