3. Communication Theories

A) Summary of Theory from Communication(PPT) and website.
1. What is communication ?
1)the information-related behavior
2)the necessary life process
3)takes three common settings
- interpersonal(face – to- face)
- machine-assisted(computer, fax, email, telephone..etc.)
- mass(Television, radio, print media like magazines, newspapers)
2. The overview of theorists’ opinion
1) Lasswell’s Model(1948) -----linear model
“Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect.”




2) Shannon & Weaver’s Model (1949)
Claude Shannon founded the subject of information theory and he proposed a linear
schematic model of a communications system.
Shannon is called as “the father of information”




3) Schramm's First Model (1954)
Wilbur Schramm is considered one of the founders of modern communication theory.

 He played an important role in legitimizing communication as a unique discipline in academe. Schramm’s research and writing dealt primarily with the process and effects of mass communication.

 Schramm added some detail to the existing model, he included feedback loops, and what he termed “field of experience” and “role exchangeability.”

 Encoding and decoding are an integral part of Shannon’s model, but Schramm emphasized that these roles are performed by both the sender and the receiver.




4) Schramm's Second Model



5) Schramm's Third Model


 Schramm added a few essential details to Shannon’s model of communication what was
one of the essential details?
= Feedback – Signal - Receiver Signal – Transmitter
 Schramm added a feedback loop to the existing model!




6) Westley – MacLean Model
 This model focuses on democratic debate.


 Westley and MacLean's communication model was the first to attempt to model the mass communication process specifically. It takes into account several factors that are especially prominent in, if not peculiar to, mass communication situations


7) Kincaid’s Convergence Model


In the convergence model, "communication" is defined as a process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach a mutual understanding.

Lawrence Kincaid proposed the Convergence Model in 1979, which lead to a relational perspective of human communication. When information is shared with individuals or groups taking part in the communication process, it may lead collective action towards mutual agreement and mutual understanding. Before this, the information is understood, interpreted and perceived by individuals.

Communication is this model is viewed as a process rather than a single event. The model emphasizes information exchange and networks that exist between individuals.

References and Link

http://www.natcom.org/nca/files/ccLibraryFiles/FILENAME/000000000157/Pathways%20
Excerpt.pdf
http://corporatecommunications-divya.blogspot.com/2007/07/ communication-theories-
communication.html
http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/media/kl.html
http://buchpayal.blogspot.com/2007/07/theories-of-communication.html


B) My viewpoint and Experiences

The delivery of messages through various information channels is critical elements among people in daily life. And then, nothing to speak in from day to day, even many messages from the top management in a number of organizations might be delivered to be distorted to low – level employees because of ambiguous expression of senders as well as bad condition of communication channels, involving of receivers’ attitude. From my experiences during almost 20 years at work, I often saw that a vague message of senders brought about strange results such as failure of achievement of goals or unnecessary unbelief between members in a organization.
However, today the skills or means of physical communication methods such as phone, email, and mass media have increasingly developed since the growth of computer industry and information technology. As a result, these days miscommunication by delivery methods has considerably been decreasing among people as well as in organizations.

In this sense, I think that mistake or failure of communication among members in organizations or among people depends on the attitude of senders or audiences rather than the skills or physical delivery means. The friendly emotional messages of top managers enable employees to foster the efforts for achievement of goals in organizations. By contrast, the messages coming from formal hierarchy cannot attract the voluntary efforts for goals of organization.