Communication Theory

Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice

„The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.“ — George Bernard Shaw

20 years ago, when I started my studies in the field of communication theory, I was fascinated by the complexity of the field. Yet, it is a field that is not only complex in theory, but sometimes also difficult in a very practical sense — as we all know and keep learning.

My work with leaders in organizations reveals regularly the importance of effective communication in building trust, engagement and good work relationships.

My fascination for communication not only leads me to remaining a lifelong learner on this topic but is also nourished in a very practical sense by navigating the challenging field of communicating effectively: as a partner, family member, co-worker and friend. This practical application is the reason why so many scholars have put much thought into the topic of effective communication for hundreds of years. We ALL need communication in order to build relationships, to influence, negotiate, lead and make ourselves heard. And sometimes it’s not that easy.

COMMUNICATION — A DEFINITION

If we want to understand the topic of communication, it is important to understand the many theoretical approaches that have dealt with this interdisciplinary topic. Frank Dance, the University of Denver scholar credited with publishing the first comprehensive book on communication theory, catalogued more than 120 definitions of communication — and that was 50 years ago.[1]

Here we will follow the working definition Griffin/ Ledbetter & Sparks suggested in their book “A First Look at Communication Theory”:

Communication is the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response.

COMMUNICATION THEORY

Communication theory is enormously rich in the range of ideas that fall within its nominal scope, and new theoretical work on communication has recently been flourishing.[2]

University of Colorado emeritus communication professor Robert Craig describes the field of communication theory as an awash with hundreds of unrelated theories that differ in starting point, method, and conclusion.[3]

In his well-known article published in 1999 article “Communication Theory as a Field”, Craig argues that communication theory as an identifiable field of studies does not yet exist.

He maps out seven traditions in the field of communication theory. Here’s a visual representation of them:

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

To organize, contrast and compare the theories, Craig thinks practical application is a good starting point. If you’re like many communication majors, you’d like your study of communication to help build a career, maintain close relationships, and change the world for the better. That kind of real-world impact excites Craig, too. He’s convinced that our search for different types of theory should be grounded where real people grapple with everyday problems and practices of communication. Craig explains that “all communication theories are relevant to a common practical lifeworld in which communication is already a richly meaningful term. Communication theory is the systematic and thoughtful response of communication scholars to questions posed as humans interact with one another — the best thinking within a practical discipline.[4]

Personally I couldn’t agree more and will therefore continue to communicate about communication, which, by the way, is called metacommunication.

In whatever way you consciously focus on the way you communicate — here’s a reminder from James Humes, former presidential speechwriter:

„The art of communication is the art of leadership“.

__________________

[1,4] Griffin/ Ledbetter/ Sparks 2019, p. 36

[2] Diverse definitions of communication: Frank E.X. Dance, “The Concept of Communication,” Journal of Communication, Vol.20, 1970, pp.201–210

[3] Craig, 1999, p.119

References:

Frank E.X. Dance, “The Concept of Communication,” Journal of Communication, Vol.20, 1970

Em Griffin/ Andrew Ledbetter & Glenn Sparks: A First Look at Communication Theory, 2019

1999 Robert T. Craig: “Communication Theory as a Field”, 1999

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