What are communication bearers?

A barrier to communication is something that keeps meanings from meeting. Meaning barriers
exist between all people, making communication much more difficult than most people seem to
realize. It is false to assume that if one can talk he can communicate. Because so much of our
education misleads people into thinking that communication is easier than it is, they become
discouraged and give up when they run into difficulty. Because they do not understand the nature
of the problem, they do not know what to do”. Reuel Howe, theologian and educator

Types
These are types of barriers to effective communication, including
Attitudinal Barriers
Behavioral Barriers
Cultural Barriers
Language Barriers
Environment Barriers
Physical Barriers
Semantic Barriers
Organizational Barriers
Gender Barriers
Emotional Barriers
Personal Barriers
Psychological Barriers
Interpersonal Barriers

ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS
A common reason of communication break in a workplace condition is people holding
different attitudes, values and discrimination. An example of this is differing perception
people have of power and status. Some people may consider that they should treat people
or be treated differently based on what they perceive as their status or power within a
workplace or in the community. If they think that managers and supervisors have power over
staff, for example, that they can allocate duties, reward, promote, or dismiss staff, this
may lead to barriers before the communication even takes place. However, what one
person considers power and control might be considered leadership or mentoring by
another person. Effective communication is necessary no matter what level or position you
occupy. If you feel someone is trying to exert power or control over you, communicate this to
them. Discrimination arises when people make judgments about individuals or groups without
thinking clearly.
Example
Attitudinal barriers come about as a result of problems with staff in an organization.
These may be brought about, for example, by such factors as poor management, lack of
consultation with employees, personality conflicts which can result in people delaying or
refusing to communicate, the personal attitudes of individual employees which may be due to
lack of motivation or dissatisfaction at work, brought about by insufficient training to enable them
to carry out particular tasks, or just resistance to change due to entrenched attitudes and ideas

CULTURAL BARRIERS
Communication with people of different cultures and backgrounds means becoming aware of
the differences in values, beliefs and attitudes that people hold. Empathy is important for
overcoming barriers to communication based on culture. Empathy means sensing the feelings
and attitudes of others as if we had experienced them personally. Tips to create empathy
• Respecting other’s feelings and attitudes
•Using active listening skills
•Taking other people’s fears and concerns into consideration.
•Refraining from giving unsolicited advice.
•Not blaming, instead working towards a solution.
Examples
Values and Beliefs: The differences in values and beliefs in cultures also create a barrier in
communication. ... so the differences in their values and beliefs are also an example of cultural
barriers. Body language and gestures: Body language and gestures are another elements of the
cultural barrier.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS
Language Barriers Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to
communication. However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology
used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For
example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be
understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. As nurses, we are
especially prone to making this mistake. We must remember to use language that can be
understood by the receiver.

Physical Barriers
Physical barriers in the workplace include:

Marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms into which strangers are not allowed.
Closed office doors, barrier screens, and separate areas for people of different status.
Large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others.
Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is proximity.
As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, being close to others
aids communication because it helps people get to know one another.
Examples
When messages are sent by the sender, physical barriers like doors, walls, distance, etc. ...
Disturbance in hearing due to thunders, telephone call disconnection, problems in television
reception, message not being sent in chat, etc. are some examples of physical barriers of
communication

Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers may result from the receiver’s physical state. For example, a receiver
with reduced hearing may not grasp the entirety of a spoken conversation, especially if there is
significant background noise.

Psychological Barriers

The psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For
example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by
personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed. Stress
management is an important personal skill that affects our interpersonal relationships. Anger is
another example of a psychological barrier to communication. When we are angry it is easy to
say things that we may later regret and also to misinterpret what others are saying. More
generally, people with low self-esteem may be less assertive and therefore may not feel
comfortable communicating - they may feel shy about saying how they really feel, or read
negative sub-texts into messages they hear.
Emotional Barriers
At times it happens that people do not develop interest in communicating with their fellow
employees due to the feelings of fear, mistrust, anger or annoyance, that may arise within their
minds and these are stated to be 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.
Example
For example, angry people have difficulty processing logical statements, limiting their ability to
accept explanations and solutions offered by others.
For example, you might focus only on your perspective, or you might come up with ways to
shoot down other people before you even listen to their points.
Anxiousness - Anxiety has a negative impact on the part of your brain that manages creativity
and communication skills. For example, your constant worries can hinder your ability to
concentrate on the information you are giving or receiving

Gender barrier
Gender barriers to communication can incite problems at home and in the
workplace. Societal stereotypes, assumed gender roles, and interpersonal
differences can contribute to a communication gap between genders.

Men and women have assigned roles in society that intensify to the gender divide;
it is important to remember, however, that not all men and women fit into a labeled
category.

Examples

Women talk about other people. Men talk about tangible things like business, sports, food and
drinks.
Women ask questions to gain an understanding. Men talk to give information rather than asking
questions.

Interpersonal Barriers

These are barriers are created to distance themselves from others. These can be
done through withdrawal, meaningless rituals which keep one devoid of real
contact, superficial activities through pastimes, and more.

For example all of us have struggled to connect with others at some point or another, but for
some, this problem can be perpetual and destructive. Poor self-esteem, social anxiety, and
other issues can make it difficult for people to feel comfortable opening up to others, which hurts
their ability to communicate feelings accurately to others as well as their ability to interpret
others.

Organizational Barriers

The Organizational Barriers refers to the hindrances in the flow of information among the
employees that might result in a commercial failure of an organization.

The barrier on this aspect is discussed below:

i. Restrictions Imposed by Rules of Organization:

Normally, the information is to be passed to higher ups through proper channel. This gets
delayed while passing through the hierarchical ladder. Instructions in general for passing
messages must be given. Also, specific instructions for handling important messages need to be
explained to all in order to avoid delays.

ii. Complex Situation of the Organization:

Large organizations, where there are a number of levels in managerial posts for communication
may get distorted. This takes place due to censoring of the message when transmitted in the
upward direction; since people are usually hesitant to inform the superiors about the adverse
aspects.

Examples

of barriers include undefined organizational structure, lack of leadership, ambiguous goals,

Semantic barrier

This denotes barriers of language and symbols and their interpretation. Every language consists
of symbols used to transmit meaning from one person to another. Even the Morse code and
mathematical symbols are used in a language for communication purpose.

The following are the different types of semantic barriers:

i. Faulty Transmission:

When message is received from the superior to the subordinate, the individual receiving it must
be able to translate it to different categories of subordinates having the constraints of level of
understanding and their IQ. It does require proper interpretation of the message received to help
disseminate the information to the subordinates.

ii. Lack of Clarity:

In all the messages, there are certain ideas, which need to be understood correctly. In other
words, the meaning between the lines of the message must be well-perceived by the receiver. If it
is not, there is every likelihood of the message being misunderstood leading to confusion.

BEHAVIOURAL BARRIERS
The behaviors like bias, generalizations and stereotyping can cause communication
barriers. Having these attitudes and not confronting them is not just wrong, it’s bad for
individuals. In the workplace, such attitudes can cost the organization time and money.
Stereotyping occurs when you assume we know something about a person because of
their cultural or social background. Our views may come from a bias you may have
against a particular behavior, appearance, possession or even a particular geographical area.
Our situation, appearance and behavior may contribute to other people’s stereotyped views.
This could contribute to communication breakdown. Learn to treat everyone as an
individual. We will open up the channels for communication and overcome the barriers
based on discrimination.

Personal Barriers

These barriers are occur in communication, according to personal constraints at various

i. Attitude of Superiors:

Attitude of the superiors play as vital role in the communication process; whether it is upward or
downward or in any other direction. Therefore, the attitude of superior, either favorable or
unfavorable affects the flow of communication, i.e., from superior to subordinate and vice versa.

ii. Lack of Confidence in Subordinate:

It is a general perception that subordinates are not competent enough to advise superiors, since
they do not possess the capacity to do so. This apprehension makes the superior to have lack of
confidence in subordinates. However, this idea may not be correct, as there are more able
subordinates than their superiors in many respects.

iii. Preoccupation of Superior:

A superior feels that there is no necessity to communicate him each and every matter, as he is
always preoccupied with his own work. Supervisor’s involvement with their subordinate is a
major requirement for efficiency, which many superiors ignore due to lack of time as an excuse.

Example

Personal barriers are obstructions put in place by individuals that negatively affect their
achievement in specific areas or their lives in general. For example, some people have personal
barriers that hamper their ability to communicate. Such barriers include poor listening skills,
limited vocabulary, misinterpretations based on prior experiences, inattention to feedback and
narrow thinking.
Also discuss the barriers which you face most often in your life and
recommend some ways to overcome them?
Presentation of information ± it is important to aid understanding. The communicator
should consider the audience before making the presentation by simplifying their
vocabulary so that the majority may understand.

.Environmental barrier
Noise that physically disrupts communication, such as
standing next to loud speakers at a party, pulling and moving of seats in a lecture room,
working in a factory etc.

.Physiological-Impairment barrier
Physical maladies that prevent effective
communication, such as deafness or blindness.

.Syntactical barrier
Mistakes in grammar can disrupt communication, such subject verb
agreement, abrupt change in tense etc.

.Organizational barriers
Poorly structured communication can prevent the receiver from accurate interpretation.

.Cultural barrier
Stereotypical assumptions can cause misunderstandings, such as
Unintentionally offending a Kikuyu person by calling him a thief.20

.Noise
Noise is any occurrence that inhibits effective communication; it can occur at any
point in the process. Noise is the causative factor for the message being mis-
communicated or misunderstood due to the problem either in the medium chosen or
encoding or decoding or in some stages of the process.

IMPROVEMENTS
Language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication.
However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message
may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that
includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is
not familiar with the terminology used.
. Physiological barriers to communication may result from the receiver’s physical state.

For example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not fully grasp the content of a spoken
conversation especially if there is significant background noise.

.Attitudinal Barriers
Attitudinal barriers are behaviors’ or perceptions that prevent people from communicating
effectively.
Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, poor management.

.Distractions
Today distractions are more prevalent than ever. Your computer and smart phone not only beep
and ring, but also vibrate when messages and emails come in. Other distractions include visual
stimulation, accents, lack of language fluency, irritating non-verbal cues or tone-of-voice.

.Cultural Differences
Norms for social interaction and expressing emotions differ greatly by culture. For example, the
concept of personal space varies greatly between cultures and even within social settings.
These differences must be understood to communicate well.

.Tech Talk, Jargon, and Acronyms

.Assumptions
One of the biggest communication blocks is the assumption that you understand what the other
person is saying. People often leap to conclusions based on their own experiences and
interpretation. Sometimes you don’t even realize you are not talking about the same thing.