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The Issue of Communication in the Modern World

   According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of communication is, “the science and practice of transmitting information to another through connections or means of access; social dealings; letter, message etc”. We must communicate in an effective manner in order to be understood or to get our message across to the other person. One of the basic keys to effective communication is, not to simply hear, but to listen.

   ”The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them”-Ralph Nichols.[1]

   Hearing means when one simply hears the statement and does not let it register. Listening is to give keen attention to the message and let the brain register and analyze it. Most problems in organizations occur due to poor communication. There fore, it is essential that we understand what communication is all about, before merely applying it to the day-to-day situations in our lives.

Main Body
"Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in our era of hair trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act." — James Thurber.[2]

   It is utmost essential that we don’t just communicate, but communicate effectively. In order to do so, there are a few factors one must keep in mind. Some of those are the Learning styles, National Cultures, Motivational As, Motivational Aspects and the Johari Window of different people. Let us examine all these concepts now, and understand how they lead to the art of effective communication.
  • Learning style is a student’s consistent way of responding to and using stimuli in the context of learning. There are various instruments used to determine a student's learning style. David Kolb developed a learning styles model in 1984. This model is based on two lines of axis (continuums): our approach to do a task, preferring to do or watch, and our emotional response, preferring to think or feel.

   These learning styles characteristics are normally shown as two lines of axis. The east-west axis is called the Processing Continuum (how we approach a task), and the north-south axis is called the Perception Continuum (our emotional response, or how we think or feel). This also describes four different learning styles (and also methods):
Knowing a person's (and your own) learning style enables learning to be orientated according to the preferred method. That said, everyone responds to and needs the stimulus of all types of learning style - it's a matter of using emphasis that fits best with a person's learning style preferences:
Pragmatists (or Converger) like to learn using abstract conceptualization and active experimentation (laboratories, field work, observations). They ask "How can I apply this in practice?” Here, the communicators approach requires gathering the respondents feedback; activities that apply skills; communicator is a helper for a self-directed autonomous learner. The pragmatist an idea practically an is unemotional. They prefer to deal with things rather than people.

  
Activists (or Accommodator) like to learn using concrete experience and active experimentation (simulations, case study, homework). They tell themselves "I'm game for anything." Here, the communicators approach requires practicing the skill, problem solving, small group discussions, peer feedback. Their strengths lie in doing things and involving themselves in new experiences. They are called accommodators because they excel in adapting to specific immediate circumstances. The accommodator is at ease with people but is sometimes seen as impatient and pushy.

   Reflectors (or Diverger) like to learn using reflective observation and concrete experience (logs, journals, brainstorming). They like time to think. Here, the communicators approach requires giving the respondent plenty of reflection time, providing expert interpretation. Their strengths lie in an imaginative ability. They tend to be interested in people and emotional elements.[4]
Though all these different types of learning styles need to be kept in mind during communication, it is also important to let the respondent take his own time in course for learning. Communication should be flexible so that each learner could spend additional time on his or her preferred learning style. For example, the cycle might begin with the learner's personal involvement through concrete experiences; next, the learner reflects on this experience, looking for meaning; then the learner applies this meaning to form a logical conclusion; and finally, the learner experiments with similar problems, which result in new concrete experiences. The learning cycle might begin anew due to new and different experiences.

   Let us now look at The National Cultures. Every human relationship in this world, be it personal or professional, is effected, or perhaps even defined by the national and cultural field in which it functions. As mentioned earlier, we grew from the primitive ages, and divided ourselves into different countries. In order to communicate effectively, we need to remember we might be addressing a wide range of people who come from various backgrounds. To communicate effectively with them, we need to distinguish between cultures by the solutions each culture chooses for particular problems. We can look at them under three main aspects:
1. Problems arising from our relationships with other people.
2. Problems which come from the passage of time.
3. Problems which relate to the environment.[5]

   From the book “Riding the Waves of Culture” by Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner, five different orientations with respect to relationships with people can be identified:
• Universalism Vs. Particularism
• Communitarianism Vs. Individualism
• Neutral Vs. Emotional
• Diffuse Vs Specific
• Achievement Vs. Ascription

Universalism Vs. Particularism
A Unversalist culture is based on rules. This type of culture is found mostly in developed societies and nations. Here, all the rules are laid down by the society and every individual is expected to follow them. Examples of such nations are, The United States of America and The United Kingdom.

   A Particularist culture is based on decisions made on the nature of the situation or circumstance. This type of culture is found in the less developed societies, where people tend to give a lot of value to emotional aspects and sometimes may look at each other for decision making. They like to make decisions based on how the situation is, as they feel each situation may require a different perspective. A good example would be India.

Communitarianism Vs. Individualism
Communitarianism is found in traditional or conventional societies. Here, the community or societies views are regarded first, and then an individualistic perspective is considered. No decision is made without the concerned parties consent. Examples of such cultures would be India, China and Greece.

   An Invividualistic culture is found most commonly in modern societies. Here, the individual makes all his decisions himself, and others do not affect these. He regards his opinion much higher than the society he lives in. such individualism is found in Americans, Canadians, Indians, and Chinese etc.

Neutral Vs. Emotional
Neutral cultures are those, where feelings are controlled and are kept subdued. Right from the formative years, a child is taught to behave in a certain manner and control his emotions. In such societies, people grow up learning to camouflage their emotions very well. this is a characteristic in the French, Chinese and Germans.
In emotional cultures, feelings are expressed very openly. People are open about their happiness or sadness in a certain situation. They are usually open with one another about their problems and joys and tend to be surrounded by family or friends at most times. They are warm and personal. For example, India and Japan,

Diffuse Vs Specific
This aspect of cultures is very personality based. Diffuse cultures believe in customising their response or approach when dealing with a particular person or situation. They take time out to know the person they are dealing with. They do keep a few rules in mind, but go out and to have personalised interactions with people. They believe that various people can do a certain job. For example, the Americans follow a diffuse culture. Specific cultures are the ones where everything is followed under rules and regulations. They do not mend them in regard to situations as far as possible. They are mostly inflexible. Example of such a culture is the Chinese.

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