Communication Theories and Models

This assignment delves into various prominent communication theories and models. It begins by examining Aristotle's classic model, highlighting its core elements. Subsequently, the Shannon-Weaver model is explored, emphasizing its focus on encoding, transmission, and decoding of messages. Finally, Triandis' theory of interpersonal behavior is analyzed, illustrating how emotions, social factors, and past behavior influence communication intentions and actions.

Running head: EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Effective business communication
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Part A...............................................................................................................................................4
Diagnosis and Reflection.................................................................................................................4
Tools related to Communication.....................................................................................................4
Findings of the Tools.......................................................................................................................7
Communicative Issues.....................................................................................................................8
Professional Interaction...................................................................................................................8
Part B...............................................................................................................................................9
Literature Review............................................................................................................................9
Issues in Communication.................................................................................................................9
Proactive Communication...............................................................................................................9
Listening........................................................................................................................................10
Theoretical perspectives of communication..................................................................................11
Communication theory framework................................................................................................11
Models of Communication............................................................................................................12
Schramm’s Model..........................................................................................................................12
Figure 1- Schramm’s Model..........................................................................................................13
Aristotle’s Model...........................................................................................................................13

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Figure 2- Aristotle’s Model of Communication............................................................................13
Interpersonal behavior theory........................................................................................................14
Triandis’ theory of interpersonal behaviour..................................................................................14
Figure 3- Triandis’ theory of interpersonal behaviour..................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................16

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Introduction
The aim of the following reflective analysis is to identify two of the most important areas
of personal attributes that possesses a scope for improvement and moreover increases the
communication effectiveness of the person. The large number of different diagnostic tools and
feedbacks will be used in this study so that my own ability regarding the creation and
maintenance of a good workplace is maintained. The very first section of the following study
will be evaluating the diagnostic tools, their analysis and findings along with two of the
communication issues as identified by me. The literature review comes in the second part of the
issue and will concentrate on the different aspects of communication.
Part A
Diagnosis and Reflection
Tools related to Communication
Workplace Communication is one of the most important task for the business
organizations as because an efficient communication structure helps to operate the business in
the most productive way. The workers of the organization feel empowered as well as satisfied if
they can communicate quite clearly with the people in all the levels of the management. This
means that the workers or the employees will provide the best work when they are able to
communicate freely and effectively with all the members in the management structure of the
organization (Ulmer, Sellnow & Seeger, 2017). The researcher has selected a set of five different
communication tools for this particular study. They are;

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a. Self Perceived Communication Competence Scale- The following scale helps us to
identify whether there is a certain lack of assertive type of skills which may hinder in
fulfilling the potential of a person or act as a barrier to achieve the goals of the
organization. The potential to articulate, control and communicate an individual’s own
belief, opinions and desires in a proper, direct and polite manner is termed as
assertiveness. The assertive style of communication generally comprises of three
important communication styles namely passive, aggressive and assertive. The
communication can be termed as passive at the time when the individual begins to avoid
expressing the common thoughts and beliefs. Whereas the aggressive communicator will
express himself in such a way that it may violate the rights of the other persons.
b. Personal Report of Intercultural Communication Apprehension- Interpersonal
Communication is utmost important for each and every business organization. The
presence of interpersonal communication skills of the employees helps the organizations
to reach the pillar of success. Apart from the success of the organization the development
of interpersonal skills within a particular person helps the person to develop his career.
The interpersonal communication tests thus mainly depend on self reports. Thus to
answer the questions of a particular test with utmost precision and honesty. The test
questions if answered honestly will help to give the exact results that are needed for the
development of the personality skills of a person. The test helps to improve the weakness
of the person.
c. Non-Verbal Immediacy Scale Self Report- The particular communication tool helps to
assist the individuals of their own styles of communication and also the style of
communication that are used by others. This particular type of test is the best way to start

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the improvisation of the communication skills of one’s own self. Analyzer, relaters,
socializers and director are the four different types of communication skills that can be
identified from this particular type of communication tool (Ulmer, Sellnow & Seeger,
2017). The questions asked in this particular tool mainly revolve around the
communication habits of the different individuals and the experience that they have
gathered in the past. This further helps to display the knowledge levels and the different
strengths in the communication styles of the person.
d. Personal report of Public Speaking Anxiety- This process mainly helps a particular
person to understand one as well as others. The following test was introduced in the year
1955 by psychologist Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham and is used for self help group
or for the different corporate groups. The following test consists of ffour different rooms
namely;
Room 1- Arena or Open consisting of the different traits that the people themselves
perceive or the other persons perceive about them.
Room 2- Façade or the hidden aspects which he himself thinks he has but the other
persons have no idea about such a trait
Room 3- Blind Spot are those aspects that the peer himself selects as a character trait but
the others do not perceive such a trait
Room 4- Unknown is those aspects that are completely not selected by the person
himself as well as the other persons.
e. Talkaholic Scale- The particular type of communication tool can be best described as the
skill based tool that assists the individual in different factors like that of listening, writing,

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speaking and reading as well. The particular test can provide the test takers with the
sender and the receiver.
Findings of the Tools
Findings from the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale- The result of this
particular test showed that I am opinionated. I often feel hesitated to address the issues which i
feel is important for the other persons to know. However I often let others know if I do not agree
to some decisions.
Findings from Personal Report of Intercultural Communication Apprehension- The result
of this test reflected my strong insight. This particular skill helps me to understand what others
are trying to say or mean through their words or behaviours.
Findings from Nonverbal Immediacy Scale-Self Report- The following result showed a score
of just 40% in kinstetic presence. The low score however does not stop me to talk too much
about my viewpoint to the others.
Findings from Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety- My facade side showed that
there are many people who know the unknown side of me. However I am quite confident,
energetic, helpful and skilful enough.
Findings from Talkaholic Scale- The score from this test indicates that though i am an able
communicator but still there are times when i feel hesitated to express my inner feelings to others
around me.

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Communicative Issues
On the successful completion of the tests, it was clear to me that I have two main
communicative issues. The primary one is the absence of a proper active participation in the
communication and the secondary being the lack of active listening. However the results of the
test has revealed that I am quite good in communicating but the problem lies in the absence of
proper attention to the contents of the messages that I receive or send. This happens due to some
reason or the other (Passera, Kankaanranta & Louhiala-Salminen, 2017). The basic reason is my
lack of patience. Every time I am in a hurry to put forward my opinion before listening to them
or understanding the gravity of the situation. Listening is perhaps one of the most important tools
of engaging in a healthy communication style. It is important for me to be patient, listen actively
the contents of the message and then put forward my opinion. Such a style will help me to
establish an effective, smart and intelligent communication response.
Professional Interaction
A new male employee was recruited in the organization just a few days back. He was
efficient enough and understand the basic tasks of the organizations but he seriously lacked the
basic computer skills which was utmost important to carry forward with all the different tasks of
the organization. In the team I along with the other team members are quite efficient with this
particular skill. But as I have mentioned earlier my lack of proactive participation has been a
negative force that have worked against me. I was unable to train the new employee on my own
as I was not confident of teaching a new employee based on my own skills (Kaul, 2014). It was
my under achievement as I waited for the management to assign the responsibility to someone
else from the team.

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I had an interactive session with the management team on the earlier month. But later I
recognized that I was in so much hurry that the most of the time I kept on speaking without
letting the others speak and thus failed to recognize the different important points of the
management (Holmes & Parker, 2017). The time when one of the members from the
management team with whom I was interacting asked me to say something on a particular aspect
of marketing I could not answer.. This does not prove myself to be unmindful it was totally my
fault that I failed to garner the inputs properly as I was too much busy with my own points.
Part B
Literature Review
Issues in Communication
Proactive Communication
In the different workplace situations, proactive behavior is termed to the individuals
when they initiate behaviors, which are anticipatory in nature. In the business organizations a lot
of circumstances occur when one needs to act in advance with different future situations which
implies more than just rising up to the occasions and providing a particular viewpoint or provide
suggestions or feedback (Evans et al. 2015). The following types of behavior involves in taking
charge of the situations and make things happen rather to wait for the things to happen and be in
place. The employees of the organization can further be more active in their own roles and
responsibilities by means of changing their way of performing their job to become more efficient
in what they try to do.

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Many a experts have claimed that proactive behavior is associated with well being and a
constant social support. The pro active behavior of the employee is needed because it helps the
particular employee to be a part of the organization. Such a behavior of an employee is directly
related to their innovative behavior as well as their involvement in their job.
Listening
Listening is one of the most important skill that a person must possess to leave a mark in
the organization. However every person or the employees of the organization have listening
skills but proactive listening skills is possessed by a selected few individuals. The presence of a
listening skill helps the person to establish a powerful rapport with the employees, management
as well as the clients and the suppliers of the organization. The major difference however lies in
the listening skills and the hearing skills of an employee. Hearing is somewhat accidental or a
natural response of the brain towards any sound (Dolan, 2017). On contrary listening involves
additional skill as because it needs the person or the employee to be active to listen to the correct
points.
Listening can be termed as the skill of a person to understand as well as deliver the
perfect and effective response to verbal communication. There are often different situations that
need special listening skills (Drucker, 2017). Thus to become a good listener the person needs to
practice as well as imitate the skills of other good listeners. The development of listening skill
will help the person to develop his own productivity which will reflect a positive trait of his own
career. Such a development of the employee can help the organization to be more productive and
thus itt can easily achieve the goals set by the management.

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Theoretical perspectives of communication
Communication theory framework
 Psychological- The psychological viewpoint refers that communication is not only about
the flow of information from the sender to the receiver rather it is the thought of being
send or the feeling of receiving the message.
 Mechanistic- According to this particular viewpoint communication is nothing but a
transformation of information from one person to the other person or the communicator
to the receiver.
 Social- The social viewpoint states that communication is an outcome of the relation
between the sender and the receiver. Therefore as per the viewpoint communication is
determined by the content of the speech that is the way in which the people
communicates with one another (DeBenedectis et al. 2017).
 Systematic- The systematic viewpoint highlights the importance of communication in
real and a new message that is constructed when different people perceive or
communicate in their own unique way and interpret the communication of the others with
whom they communicate to reach to a conclusion that is accepted by all.
 Critical- The critical viewpoint refers that for survival every living organism needs to
communicate with one another as well as between themselves. This is because
communication is the most important need for the survival in the world.

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Models of Communication
Schramm’s Model
Schramm’s Model is one of the best communication models that is used widely in the
modern world by many of the organizations. He stated that communication is based upon three
of the main elements namely resources, communication and most importantly a particular
direction. The following model of communication diversifies the different parts of the
communication and thus helps to segregate the particular segment which guides the
communication channel (Bovée, Thill & Raina, 2016). However many of the experts have
suggested that the following type of model is a constant process that needs non intervention
cooperation among the individuals of the organization.

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Figure 1- Schramm’s Model
Source- (Bovée, Thill & Raina, 2016)
Aristotle’s Model
Aristotle’s model was derived by Aristotle himself. He was a Greek thinker and
philosopher who derived a lot of different theories and models. The communication model
derived by him referred communication as something that consists of a loudspeaker,
message and a listener. This theory explains that the particular person who is there at the end
of the communication process plays the most crucial role as he or she is the one who decides
whether communication will be taking place or not.
Figure 2- Aristotle’s Model of Communication
Source- (Bovée, Thill & Raina, 2016)

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Interpersonal behavior theory
Triandis’ theory of interpersonal behaviour
Triandis introduced this theory of interpersonal behavior where he has clearly stated that
both emotions as well as social factors are essential for intentions in communication. Moreover,
in his theory he has also emphasized on an individual’s past behavior on their present. Therefore,
what he has tried to convey through this theory is that communicative behavior depends mainly
on the intention of the speaker and on the habitual response. The situation also plays an
important more for a successive communicative behavior because the intension of the speaker
will depend as well as influenced by the social and affective factors. He further added that
cognitive limitations as well as emotional drives have an impact on interpersonal behavior.
Moreover, moral belief has also a role to play while communicating because situations are
mainly asserted by social factors along with the behaviors of the communicators.

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Figure 3- Triandis’ theory of interpersonal behaviour
Source- (Arnold & Boggs, 2015)

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References
Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2015). Interpersonal Relationships-E-Book: Professional
Communication Skills for Nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Bovée, C. L., Thill, J. V., & Raina, R. L. (2016). Business communication today. Pearson
Education India.
DeBenedectis, C. M., Gauguet, J. M., Makris, J., Brown, S. D., & Rosen, M. P. (2017). Coming
out of the dark: a curriculum for teaching and evaluating radiology residents’
communication skills through simulation. Journal of the American College of
Radiology, 14(1), 87-91.
Dolan, R. (2017). Branding yourself effective communication skills. FEMS microbiology
letters, 364(2).
Drucker, P. F. (2017). What Makes an Effective Executive (Harvard Business Review Classics).
Harvard Business Review Press.
Evans, J. J., Van Epps, A. S., Smith, M. T., Matei, S. A., & Garcia, E. (2015, June). A
transdisciplinary approach for developing effective communication skills in a first
year STEM seminar. In Proc. 122nd ASEE Annu. Conf. Expo. (pp. 26-127).
Holmes, W. T., & Parker, M. A. (2017). Communication: Empirically testing behavioral
integrity and credibility as antecedents for the effective implementation of
motivating language. International Journal of Business Communication, 54(1),
70-82.

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Kaul, A. (2014). Effective business communication. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..
Passera, S., Kankaanranta, A., & Louhiala-Salminen, L. (2017). Diagrams in contracts: Fostering
understanding in global business communication. IEEE Transactions on
Professional Communication, 60(2), 118-146.
Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., & Seeger, M. W. (2017). Effective crisis communication: Moving
from crisis to opportunity. Sage Publications.