Communication

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Communication

Dieter Fensel, Andreea Gagiu, Birgit Leiter

www.sti-innsbruck.at

Communication

Overview

1. What is communication?

2. Dissemination

3. Social Media Monitoring

4. Integration of Publication and Monitoring

5. Trace

6. Multi-Channel Switch

7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary


1. Communication

Communication (from the Latin commūnicātiōn- = “share”) refers to the process of imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.*

Communication may mean**: The act of transmitting A giving or exchanging of information, signals, or messages as by talk, gestures, or

writing The information, signals, or message Close, sympathetic relationship A means of communicating; specif., a system for sending and receiving messages, as

by telephone, telegraph, radio, etc. A system as of routes for moving troops and material A passage or way for getting from one place to another. The art of expressing ideas, esp. in speech and writing. The science of transmitting information, esp. in symbols.

* http://dictionary.reference.com/ ** http://answers.yourdictionary.com/language/what-is-communication.html

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://answers.yourdictionary.com/language/what-is-communication.html

http://answers.yourdictionary.com/language/what-is-communication.html


1. Communication

Communication is a social interaction where at least two interacting agents share a common set of signs and a common set of semiotic rules.

Types of communication: Spoken or Verbal communication: face-to-face, telephone,

radio or television. Non-verbal communication: body language, gestures,

voice tone. Written communication: letters, e-mails, books,

magazines, information written over the Internet. Visualization communication: such as graphs, charts,

maps, or logos.

Image Source: http://www.rgbstock.com

http://www.rgbstock.com/



1. Communication

Directional Streams Vertical communication:

Descendant: Communication that begins in the top management for an enterprise and flows in the way of the hierarchy base of the organization.

Ascendant vertical communication (opposing type).

Lateral or horizontal communication: Consists of intergroup communication Usually not dependent on standards and rules established by the formal organization

* http://www.knoow.net/en/sceconent/management/communication.htm Image Source: http://www.rgbstock.com

http://www.knoow.net/en/sceconent/management/communication.htm





1. Communication

Need for effective communication Issue instructions and enable the business to operate (see vertical

communication) Enable people at the same level to communicate with each other (see

horizontal communication) Communicate with stakeholders and employees. Provide essential information. Keep stakeholders informed.


1. Communication

Models of communication: Conceptual models used to explain the human communication process The first major model for communication was created by Shannon and

Weaver (1949) to represent the functioning of radio and telephone technologies.

Initial model was composed of three primary parts: Sender - the part of the telephone a person spoke into; Channel – the telephone itself; Receiver – part of the phone where one could hear the other person.

The “noise” component appeared as the authors recognized the presence of static that interferes with one listening to a telephone conversation.


1. Communication

Communication process elements*:

Transmitter or communication’s message source: initiates the communication process and sends the message

Message transmission channel: enables the transmission of the message. Connects the transmitter and the receiver.

Message receptor: entity that receives and decodes the message. Noises: obstructions in the communication process. Noise is internal

(occurs during the encoding or decoding phases) or external (occurs on the transmission channel)

Feedback: the answer the receptor gives as a result of the received message. Can be transmitted by the same channel or a different one.

* http://www.knoow.net/en/sceconent/management/communication.htm Image: http://www.productphotographers.net/wp-content/uploads/images/process.jpg



http://www.productphotographers.net/wp-content/uploads/images/process.jpg

http://www.productphotographers.net/wp-content/uploads/images/process.jpg


1. Communication

Information Source Transmitter DestinationReceiver

Noise Source

Message Signal

Signal

Received Message

Schematic diagram of a general communication system as proposed by Shannon and Weaver (1949).


1. Communication

However: The model presented is a minimalist abstraction of the reality it attempts

to reproduce. Most communication systems are more complex. Most information sources (and destinations) act as both sources and

destinations. Transmitters, receivers, channels, signals, and messages are layered

both serially and in parallel: There are multiple signals transmitted and received , even when they are converged

into a common signal stream and a common channel.


1. Communication

Moreover, The Shannon model is not a model of communication It is a model of the flow of information through a medium. It is incomplete and biased It is applicable to the system it maps (telephone or telegraph), rather

than most other media. It suggests a “push” model in which sources of information can inflict it

on destinations.


1. Communication

In the real world of media: Destinations are self-selecting

“consumers” of information who have the ability to: select the messages they are most interested in turn off messages that don’t interest them focus on one message in preference to other in

message rich environments they can choose to simply not pay attention

Messages are frequently stored for elongated periods of time and/or modified in some ways before they are accessed by the “destination”.

Communication is almost never unidirectional and it is often indirect.


1. Communication

Communication is bidirectional Agents interact and communicate in parallel, permanently alternating

their role in these acts of communication. Destinations provide feedback in the form of a message or a set of

messages. The source of feedback is an information source. The consumer of feedback is a destination.

Individuals are simultaneously engaging in sending and receiving of messages (Barnlund, 2008).


1. Communication

We communicate to cooperate – regardless of the channel employed.

Communication is Multi-channel Self-referential (the transmitter also communicates to himself), i.e. reflexive Embedded in a network (communication does not occur in a void, the actors

communicating are not isolated).


1. Communication

Computer mediated communication is compared to other forms of communication media based on the following aspects: Synchronicity Persistence or “recordability” Anonymity Transience Multimodal language Relative lack of governing codes of conduct (McQuail, 2005)

A strong dependence on the environment can be observed.


1. Communication

Our approach: We disseminate information Deal with the aggregation of feedback and impact by:

simply going through the dissemination chain in the opposite direction integrating them under the appropriate knowledge item

We not onlyTALK

BUT also

LISTEN to response


1. Communication

Online Communication

It is not bound by physical, temporal and social limitations.

Anonymity and privacy depends on the context of the channel used.

It enables large number of audience to transmit and receive information.

Image Source:


1. Communication

Communication must support: Design of an information item; Dissemination of an information item over suitable channels; Observation of communication acts Measure, analysis, and aggregation of the information published

A holistic methodology for supporting communication must support the above subtasks that form a circle or spiral

These activities form a circle that we call the life cycle model of communication

Image Source:


1. Communication

MeasureAnalyze

Aggregate

DesignObserve

Disseminate

Efficient and effective communication not only creates and disseminates information, but also deals with measurement, analysis and aggregation of feedback and impact, collecting responses in the various channels and

integrating them under an appropriate knowledge item.

A Lifecycle of Communication


Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary


2. Dissemination

• Dissemination (from the Latin dissēminātus = “sowing seeds”, “scatter wildly in every direction”) refers to the process of broadcasting a message to the public without direct feedback from the audience

• Takes on the view of the traditional view of communication which involves a sender and a receiver.

• The message carrier sends out information to many in a broadcasting system (composed of more than one channels)

• Harmsworth et al. (2000) define dissemination as “delivering and receiving of a message”, “the engagement of an individual in a process” and “the transfer of a process or product”.

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Image taken from: http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/rsz_1rsz_dissemination2.jpg

http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/rsz_1rsz_dissemination2.jpg

http://nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/rsz_1rsz_dissemination2.jpg


2. Dissemination

• “In telecommunications and computer networking, a communication channel, or channel, refers either to a physical transmission medium such as a wire, or to a logical connection over a multiplexed medium such as a radio channel.” (Wikipedia Channel (communications))

• A channel is a means of exchanging information in the on-line space; a “place” where one can find or leave information, whether it is unanimously referred by a URI or addressed through a service.

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Image taken from: http://www.rgbstock.com


2. Dissemination

Classification of channels by the type of service they provide:

2.1. Static Broadcasting

2.2. Dynamic Broadcasting

2.3. Sharing

2.4. Collaboration

2.5. Group Communication

2.6. Semantic-based Communication

Image taken from: http://www.softicons.com/free-icons/application-icons/or-applications-icons-by-iconleak/file-cabinet-icon

http://www.softicons.com/free-icons/application-icons/or-applications-icons-by-iconleak/file-cabinet-icon

http://www.softicons.com/free-icons/application-icons/or-applications-icons-by-iconleak/file-cabinet-icon


2.1. Static Broadcasting

• Prehistoric methods of dissemination: cave drawings, stories of triumphs on columns and arches, history on pyramids, stones with messages

• More modern means: printed press, newspapers, journals

• Online static dissemination: websites and homepages….

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2.2. Dynamic Communication

Small piece of content that is dependent on constraints such as time, location.

Examples of tools (organized considering first the length of message and second – the level of interactivity)

• News Feeds• Newsletters• Email / Email lists • Microblogs• Blogs• Social networks• Chat and instant messaging applications

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2.3. Dissemination through Sharing

• Can use specialized applications (see below) of features of other platforms and services (e.g. share photos through Facebook)

• Examples: – Flickr – as a means of exchanging photos, visible to all users (no account

necessary), allows users to post comments;– Slideshare – channel for storing and exchanging presentations;

– YouTube and VideoLectures – sharing videos, all users can see the posted videos and leave comments on the websites

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2.4. Dissemination through Collaboration

Collaboration websites (Wikis): • Websites where members can add, modify, or delete its content via a web

browser using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor.

• Are created collaboratively by multiple users

• Primarily a means for project internal collaboration, but can transform into a dissemination channel if users outside the project have read access;

• Write access cannot be provided due to spamming and lack of peer review readers cannot reply to the articles posted.

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2.5. Group Communication Dissemination

• Many-to-many• Threaded conversations• Usually created on a particular topic• Have different access levels• Better for disseminating within a group that shares common interests as the purpose

of the services is to enable collaboration, knowledge and information sharing and open discussions

• Exampled: Google Groups, Facebook Groups, Yahoo! Groups, LinkedIn Groups, Xing Groups.

• Similar in many ways to Discussion boards and Internet Forums

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2.6. Semantic Based Dissemination

• Scope: Add machine-processable semantics to the information

Search and aggregation engines can provide much better service in finding and retrieving information

• Applications:– Enrich websites by adding machine readable semantics to HTML/XML files:

• RDFa • Microformats • Microdata

– Inclusion of semantic annotations in XHTML docs

– Enrich content of on-line presentations by adding links and tags to the presented information

– Reuse of predefined LOD vocabularies to describe our data to enable semantic-based retrieval of information

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Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary



• SMM tools facilitate the listening of what people say about various topics in

the social media sphere (blogs, twitter, facebook, etc.)

Listening: is active, focused, concentrated attention for the purpose of

understanding the meanings expressed by a speaker.



What are the Social Media Monitoring Tools? (cont’d)

• Harness the wealth of information available online in the form of user-generated content

• These tools offer means for listening to the social media users, analyzing and measuring their activity in relation to a brand or enterprise

• Offer access to real customers opinions, complaints and questions, at real time, in a highly scalable way


3. Social Media MonitoringChannels to analyze

The Conversation

SOCIAL NETWORKS

WIKIS

PHOTO SHARING

BLOGS MAINSTREAM MEDIA

MICROBLOGS

FORUMS/NEWSGROUPS

VIDEO SHARING

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWSAGGREGATORS



A Social Media Monitoring tool should support the following core features:

• Listening grid

• Data analysis

• Sentiment analysis

• Historical data

• Dashboard



Commercial Tools

• Alterian SM2

• Brandwatch

• Converseon

• Cymfony Maestro

• evolve24 Mirror

• Media Metrics socialMeme

• Meltwater Buzz

• NM Incite My BuzzMetrics

• Radian6

• Sysomos

• Visible Technologies Intelligence


Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary



To make Online Communication efficient and effective, a tool needs to

• Integrate publication and monitoring (and support active and reactive communication)

• Trace the communication in an easy to use manner

• Address the issue of multiple channels and multiple agents

Multi-ChannelPublishing

Social MediaMonitoring

Communication• Active and reactive communication



Address the Issue of Multiple Channels

Trace the Communication

Support Active and Re-active

Communication

+

Address the Issue of

Multiple Agents


4. Integration of Publication and MonitoringActive vs. re-active communication

Active communication

If an agent starts a communication – the agent takes the role of the message sender – we talk about active communication.




Response

Impa

ctFe

edba

ck



The first step in the Communication Lifecycle will be to design an information item that will be disseminated over suitable channels in the next step.

E.g. the hotelier is engaging with potential costumers by publishing a new offer on his Web site.

MeasureAnalyze

Aggregate

DesignObserve

Disseminate



Example of Active

Communication performed by a

hotelier on Facebook



Customer response to the hotel’s message



Re-active communication

Re-active communication describes communication situations initiated by an external agent – the agent takes the role of the receiver and will re-act on the received message.




Response

Impa

ctFe

edba

ck



The Communication Lifecycle starts with the observation of all channels. In the next step impact, feedback and responses are measured, aggregated, and analyzed.

E.g. the hotelier sees a post on his Facebook page and responds to it.

MeasureAnalyze

Aggregate

DesignObserve

Disseminate



Transmitter: guest at hotel

External Re-active communication

Reactor: hotelier

Source: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g53449-d96753-r130438938-Hampton_Inn_Pittsburgh_Greentree-Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g53449-d96753-r130438938-Hampton_Inn_Pittsburgh_Greentree-Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g53449-d96753-r130438938-Hampton_Inn_Pittsburgh_Greentree-Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania.html


Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary


5. Trace

Tracing a conversation through all channels involved is crucial for making communication effective and efficient, and is therefore required for

Communication has a history The communication history IS the

trace Communication must be

remembered otherwise it is meaningless




• Tracing the communication

Response

Impa

ctFe

edba

ck


5. Trace

Trace can be viewed as a set of 5 elements: Speaker – transmitter, source of the message that initiates the

communication process; Listener – receiver, the destination of the message, witch which a

collaboration relation has been established; Message – the information disseminated; Channel – the type of channel used to transmit the information (e.g.

Facebook, email, Twitter, etc.) Time and Date – when was the message received;


5. Trace

Thus, trace can be viewed as

WHO

WHAT

HOW

WHEN

Speaker and Listener

Message

Channel

Time and Date


5. Trace

No reaction

No reaction

Reaction

Reaction

Reaction No reaction

Reaction No reaction

Reaction Reaction Reaction No reaction …

HotelWebsite


5. TraceExample

A hotel disseminates offers using the hotel website. Five potential clients view the offers. 2 clients (marked as green) do not react. The red client sends an email

The hotel replies with a phone call. The client is satisfied. The communication stagnates.

The purple client posts on Facebook a message The hotel replies The communication stagnates.

For the yellow client Responds with a tweet, the hotelier replies with a private tweet; The client posts on Tumblr, the hotelier responds; … A chat discussion is initiated via Skype The customer is satisfied. Conversation stagnates.

Note – the communication with either client can be initiated again at any time.


5. Trace

Communication with a client can continue until the client decides to stop it (such as, unsubscribes)

The message may or may not be intended for the hotelier (e.g. a client can express his opinions on the hotel on TripAdvisor, and the hotel can reply there)

Thus a trace is a set T = {S, L, M, T, C} S – the collection of speakers, L – the collection of listeners, M – the message collection, T – the time and date, C – the possible channels,

Speaker

Listener

Message Set Time Set Chanel

Set


5. Trace

For yellow it will be:1: {Hotel, Client, Message1, Time1, Hotel Website}

2: {Client, Hotel, Message2, Time2, Twitter}

3: {Hotel, Client, Message3, Time3, Twitter}

…

N: {Client, Hotel, MessageN, TimeN, Skype}

Thus: S = {Hotel}; L = {Client}; M = {Message1, Message2, Message3, …, MessageN}; T = {Time1, Time2, Time3, …, TimeN}; C = {Hotel Website, Twitter, Tumblr, …, Skype};


Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary



(Online) Communication is scattered over multiple, often very different channels.

• Agents are challenged to disseminate information over all appropriate channels.

• Activities of all channels the agent is active in must be monitored.

• Impact, Feedback and Responses need to be collected from all channels.




• Tracing the communication• Multi-channel switch

Response

Impa

ctFe

edba

ck





WHY Transmitting a message over a channel does not guarantee that the reply

will be received on the same channel. For example, a hotelier might post an offer on Facebook, and receive a

response from Twitter. Transmitters must be able to switch cannels properly and identify the

channel where the response will appear. Due to the abundance of channels, most of the times there are more than

one agents transmitting and receiving messages – a workflow must be set up to ensure that all agents are aware of what is discussed and who is speaking.

To do so, the trace mentioned in the previous section must be used.



Abundance of Available Channels



• On multiple channels

Disseminate

• For a response on the channels selected

Listen

• The impact of the dissemination (and the customer response)

Monitor and measure

• Respond to customers

React


6. Multi-channel Switch

Hotel Client


Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary


7. Multi-Agent

Communication requires at least 2 agents: a speaker and a listener

However, communication does not occur in a void – thus the initial model may never occur in real life as there may always be more than one listener or more than one agent.

More agents may be required when the communication receives responses from multiple listeners.




• Tracing the communication• Multi-channel switch

• Multi-agent


7. Multi-Agent

Moreover, due to the lack of time constraints on online conversations (they may begin at any time, and be picked up again at irregular intervals), it may be impossible for a single agent to be on call for every response.

Thus, a client may begin a conversation with one agent, and receive a response for a different one.

The trace – explained in the 3rd section, plays an important role of preparing agents and ensuring that the proper response is given.


7. Multi-Agent1-to-1

The model represented by the two agents can be coded as 1-to-1, one listener and one speaker

The two agents may communicate over a wide variety of channels Examples of 1-to-1 communication include phone conversations, char and

instant messaging, email (when the email is sent specifically to one receiver and the sender knows it will be read only by that person), etc.

The transmitter will always be active, while the respondent is reactive.

A BTransmit message

Transmit response


7. Multi-Agent 1-to-n

When broadcasting information, usually there is one agent who disseminates information to n possible respondents.

This model can be mapped out as 1-to-n: 1 speaker to n listeners. Examples of such communication include news releases (a press conference

for instance, involves 1 speaker and many listeners), a blog post, a Facebook post, Tweet, etc.

Speaker

Listener1

ListenerN

Transmit message

Transmit message

Transmit response

…


7. Multi-Agent n-to-1

There are situations where there are more speakers and only one listener. The n-to-1 model is not often encountered in real life. The speakers would have to transmit messages in a turn-based manner. One example is ascendant communication – employees reporting to employer. In some situations, the communication is not turn-based – such as the case of a

protest (more speakers trying to address a single listener)

Listener

Speaker1 SpeakerN…

Tran

smit

mes

sage

Tran

smit

mes

sage

Tran

smit

resp

onse


7. Multi-Agent m-to-n

In real life, there usually are more speakers and more listeners. An enterprise will use n agents to disseminate information and listen to

customer reactions and responses. Communication is not isolated, thus there will often be more than one listener.


7. Multi-Agent m-to-n

Agent1 Posts offer on Facebook

Client Responds on

Agent2 Responds on email

Hotel

Clients

Client’s wife reads the email


Communication

Overview


2. Dissemination



5. Trace


7. Multi-Agent

8. Summary


8. Summary

Communication (from the Latin commūnicātiōn- = “share”) refers to the process of imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.


8. Summary

Shannon and Weaver (1949) communication model consists of: sender, channel, receiver, information source, and destination.

The model is incomplete: communication is bidirectional, agents interact and communicate in parallel, permanently alternating their role in these acts of communication.

Communication is Multi-channel Self-referential (the transmitter also communicates to himself) Reflexive Embedded in a network (communication does not occur in a void, the actors

communicating are not isolated).

Communication must support: Design of an information item; Dissemination of an information item over suitable channels; Observation of communication acts Measure, analysis, and aggregation of the information published


8. Summary

The communication history IS the trace and Communication must be remembered

The trace is composed by passing through the communication channel for a n number of times (where , and is a finite number)

Communication requires at least 2 agents: a speaker and a listener However, communication does not occur in a void – thus the initial

model may never occur in real life as there may always be more than one listener or more than one agent.

The models are: 1-to-1, 1-to-n, n-to-1, and m-to-n. Communication is the integral part of Dissemination. The results of communication can be monitored using social media

monitoring tools.



References

Barnlund, D. C. (2008). A transactional model of communication. In. C. D. Mortensen (Eds.), Communication theory (2nd ed., pp47-57). New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction.

Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press

S. Mulpuru, H. H. Harteveldt, and D. Roberge: Five Retail eCommerce Trends To Watch In 2011, Forrester Research Report, January 31, 2011

McQuail, Denis. (2005). Mcquail's Mass Communication Theory. 5th ed. London: SAGE Publications.

Warschauer, M. (2001). Online communication. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 207-212). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Technology

Communication