Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons. It is a process of transferring the information from the sender to the receiver.
Communication is a continuous process that mainly involves three elements viz. sender, message, and receiver.
The elements involved in the communication process are explained below in detail:
(i) Sender: The sender or the communicator generates the message and conveys it to the receiver. He/she is the source and the one who starts the communication.
(ii) Message: It is the idea, information, view, fact, feeling, etc. that is generated by the sender and is then intended to be communicated further. It is the subjectmatter or the codified communication sent by the issuer to the receptor.
(iii) Media: It is the manner in which the encoded message is transmitted. The message may be transmitted orally or in writing. The medium of communication includes telephone, internet, post, fax, e-mail, etc. The choice of medium is decided by the sender.
(iv) Receiver: He she is the person who is last in the chain and for whom the message was sent by the sender. Once the receiver receives the message and understands it in proper perspective and acts according to the message, only then the purpose of communication is successful.
(v) Feedback: After understanding the message the receiver sends his response on that idea or message to sender.
(vi) Noise: It refers to any obstruction that is caused by the sender, message or receiver during the process of communication. For example, bad telephone connection, faulty encoding, faulty decoding, inattentive receiver, poor understanding of message due to prejudice or inappropriate gestures, etc. Due to noise the message is not conveyed to receiver and receiver is not able to decode the message in the same manner as expected by the sendor.