The effectiveness of the organization’s activities largely depends on the success of the business communication between managers and staff, as well as on the peculiarities of staff communication with customers and partners of the organization. Among the phenomena that impede communication in the organization, and sometimes lead to its complete blockage, the leading role is played by communication barriers. In general, communication barriers can be defined as obstacles to the transmission of information from the communicator (sender of information) to the recipient.
According to Liebler and McConnell, there are a few types of barriers to communication in organizations, which include language, unconscious motives, psychological factors, organizational size, and cultural clashes. The language barrier is an obstacle created by the language features of one who speaks, which arises when participants in the communicative process speak different languages and dialects. Besides, the individuals within the organization might have significant speech and diction problems and distorted grammatical construction of statements, including language barriers.
This barrier can also be provoked by an abuse of a large number of filler words or very loud conversation. For example, experts in the field of psychology have proved that when a person communicates something in elevated tones, then the understanding of the listener will be blocked. Therefore, to cope with this barrier, it is important to speak clearly, not very loudly, avoiding talking with speed.
Overall, a well-established internal communications system is an essential part of any organizational structure. There are various obstacles connected with the movement of information from the sender to the recipient within the organizational structures. However, a properly built system of dealing with the communication barriers is the key to all communication activities of the organization as a whole. Thus, it is crucial to work effectively with communication barriers in order to improve organizational performance.