Writing Assignment 1: Communication Barriers Report Summary
Writingassignment1communicationbarriersreportsummary Of Assignmen
For this assignment, you are asked to collect real-life examples of barriers to communication that occur in your work or community environment. You will describe them, define them, justify them in a table, and then use them to rate your organization’s communication effectiveness.
The assignment has four parts: Part I involves describing the communication setting and the barriers present; Part II requires providing concise definitions of 3-4 communication barriers; Part III includes creating a table with examples, barrier identification, and justification; Part IV involves rating the organization's communication effectiveness on a scale of 1 to 100, with justification.
All parts should be written in single-spaced text, using 12-point font. You should draw upon the provided reading materials: “Communication Barriers” by Dr. K. Usha Rani and “Communication Barriers” by Lumen Learning, both accessible via your class eReserves.
Paper For Above instruction
Communication barriers can significantly impede effective interaction within organizations and communities. These barriers often arise from attitudes, cultural differences, language issues, and environmental factors, obstructing the clarity and understanding necessary for productive communication. In my workplace, several such barriers are prevalent, affecting both written and verbal exchanges among team members.
The organization I am analyzing is a mid-sized healthcare clinic that employs staff with diverse backgrounds. Within this setting, communication barriers manifest in various forms, including language differences, cultural misunderstandings, and emotional disconnects. For instance, administrative staff often encounter difficulties in conveying instructions to non-English speaking patients, leading to misinterpretation of treatment plans. Additionally, cultural disparities sometimes cause misunderstandings between nurses and patients, especially regarding health beliefs and practices. Emotional disconnects occur when staff members presume knowledge or dismiss concerns without active listening, which hampers effective collaboration. These barriers are compounded in a noisy environment where verbal communication is often misheard or ignored, further reducing clarity and efficiency.
Based on these observations, I identified four primary barriers relevant to this setting: language barrier, cultural barrier, poor listening, and environmental barrier. These hinder effective communication, leading to mistakes, delays, and reduced patient satisfaction. Recognizing these obstacles is crucial for implementing strategies that improve clarity and understanding.
Part II: Definitions of Communication Barriers
- Language Barrier: A communication obstacle that arises when the sender and receiver do not share a common language, leading to misunderstandings or incomplete information exchange.
- Cultural Barrier: Differences rooted in cultural backgrounds that affect how messages are interpreted, often leading to misperceptions or miscommunications regarding norms and values.
- Poor Listening: An attitudinal barrier where the receiver does not actively listen, resulting in missed or misunderstood information during communication.
- Environmental Barrier: External factors in the communication setting, such as noise or physical distractions, that impede the effective transmission and reception of messages.
Part III: Communication Examples and Barrier Justification
| Communication Example | Barrier(s) Present | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| "Please fill out this form before your appointment." | Language Barrier | The patient has limited English proficiency, which might cause misunderstanding of the instructions. |
| Cultural differences influence health perceptions, leading to a patient refusing treatment based on traditional beliefs. | Cultural Barrier | The patient's cultural background affects their interpretation of medical advice, causing miscommunication. |
| Staff talking in a noisy corridor, making it hard to hear directions clearly. | Environmental Barrier | The loud environment obstructs effective verbal communication, leading to confusion. |
| Doctor explains medication instructions, but the patient appears distracted and nods without understanding. | Poor Listening | The patient's inattentiveness prevents full comprehension of important health information. |
Part IV: Organization’s Communication Effectiveness
On a scale of 1 to 100, I rate our healthcare clinic's communication effectiveness at 65. While the organization maintains clear protocols and documentation standards, the presence of language and cultural barriers, along with environmental distractions, often leads to misunderstandings and delays. Efforts to improve active listening and reduce environmental noise could enhance overall communication. The current rating reflects the need for targeted strategies to address these barriers, such as employing multilingual staff, cultural competence training, and quieter communication spaces.
References
- Rani, K. Usha. "Communication Barriers." eReserves, Module in Class Resources.
- Lumen Learning. "Communication Barriers." accessed via eReserves.
- Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2017). Joining together: Group theory and group skills. Pearson.
- Adler, R. B., Rosenfeld, L. B., & Proctor II, R. F. (2018). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication. Oxford University Press.
- Neuliep, J. W. (2014). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage Publications.
- Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2017). Interpersonal communication: Foundations for living. Pearson.
- Schramm, W. (1954). The process and effects of mass communication. University of Illinois Press.
- Hargie, O. (2016). Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. Routledge.
- Gudykunst, W. B., & Kim, Y. Y. (2017). Communicating with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication. Routledge.
- Tourish, D. (2013). The subtle power of communication: Exploring the language of leadership. Routledge.