This document discusses the role and importance of feedback in the communication process. It defines feedback as the response from the receiver to the sender after a message has been communicated. Feedback lets the sender know if the message was understood correctly and helps evaluate the effectiveness of the communication. The document also discusses types of feedback, barriers to feedback, and ways to improve feedback to make communication more effective.

1. UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED
MANAGEMENT
GHANA CAMPUS
PROGRAM: BA BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
COURSE: COMMUNICATION & PRESENTATION
TOPIC: WHAT IS THE ROLE OF FEEDBACK IN THE COMMUNICATION
PROCESS? WHY IS IT IMPORTANTAT AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT
FUTURE INTERACTIONS? EXPLAIN IN RELATION TO THE
COMMUNICATION THEORY AS WELL AS RELEVANT PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE.
SEMESTER: WINTER
ID NUMBER :60397
STUDENT NAME: LETICIA OFORIWAA MENSAH
DATE SUBMITTED: 29TH APRIL, 2016
DECLARATION: I confirm that in forwarding this assignment for marking, I
understand that I have applied the University of Applied Management (UAM)
policies relating to plagiarism. This paper is the result of my own independent
work except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledging in the
body of the text; a bibliography has been appended.

2. Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to
another. It involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver.
Effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information
or idea that the sender intended to transmit.
The communication has a vicious cycle which continues even after sending message
to the respondents. The audience or the respondents may or get the same intended
message as the speaker intends to send. This cycle ends only when they share their
understandings and comments to the speaker about what they have understood. This
process is called feedback.
Sometimes a feedback could be a non-verbal, smiles, sighs and other times, it is oral.
It can also be written like replying to an e-mail, etc. in other words,feedback is the process
by which the decoder's (receivers) reaction to the message is transmitted to the encoder
(sender). In short, feedback is the backbone of the communication. Feedback takes
effect after communication has taken place.
Below is the process of communication and how feedback is achieved.
TYPES OF FEEDBACK
Confirmatory Response: Here, the recipient of the information simply
acknowledges the receipt of the information
Corrective/affirmative response: A corrective feedback either provides
correction to the statement or agrees with it

3. Explanatory Response, the explanatory response offers more information. In
this case, apart from confirming and affirming the statement, the person
provides reason to his/her opinion or view.
Diagnostic Response: a person offers an analysis of the information that
supports his or her opinion.
Elaborative Response: elaborative responses include reference to personal
experiences, studies or researches – and other information that can enlighten
the discussion.
Negative feedback, or corrective comments about past behaviour. These are
things that didn’t go well.
Positive feedback, or affirming comments about past behaviour. These are
things that went well and need to be repeated.
Negative feedforward, or corrective comments about future behaviour. These
are things that don’t need to be repeated next time.
Positive feedforward, or affirming comments about future behaviour. These
are things that would improve performance in the future.
THE ROLES OF FEEDBACK
 Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient
has understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and
whether he agrees to that message or not. Receivers are not just passive
absorbers of messages. They receive the message and respond to the subject
matter about what they have understood.
 Feedback also enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of our message.
 Feedback is a vital part of communication. In the class room students’ facial
expression tell the teacher to go to what extent to make students understand
the point under discussion. More or less, these expressions would guide the
teacher where and when to finish.
 When we are talking to someone over the phone, if they don’t give us the
occasional ‘mmmm’, ‘aaah’, ‘yes, I see’ and so on, it can be very
disconcerting. In face-to-face communication, we get feedback in the visual
channel as well – head nods, smiles, frowns, changes in posture and
orientation, gaze and so on.

4.  Clarification: Feedback helps staff members answer questions about work
procedures and helps customers receive sales information. Regular staff
meetings help owners collect feedback from employees to create workplace
rules. Posting a sign asking employees to eat outside the wor
 Endorsement: Feedback creates a chance for staff, managers and customers
to let the business owner know when the group endorses a policy, marketing
approach or business philosophy. For example, in my organisation whenever
we organise a market storming and the turnout is great it tells us that the
customers have endorsed our products.
 Modification: Many business owners seek only staff and consumer
endorsements, rather than all types of feedback. However, understanding the
motivations and reasons for the negative feedback, helps business owners
take actions to modify the message or makes changes in corporate actions to
transform the negative into positive feedback. Modifying the message typically
involves secondary surveys and investigative study using highly specialized
surveys, including face-to-face, written questionnaires, group and telephone
interviews, and business or corporate meetings to modify business or
company policies and procedures.
IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK
Collection of Information: Feedback is the only way to collect information from
the receiver, if the receiver doesn’t send message of information (Feedback) to
the sender, there is no way to collect information from him. So, feedback helps
the organization (Sender) to collect information from different people
(Receivers). E.g. The banking process of receiving monthly report from
subordinates (sender) through the organization's mailing system (media) and
the manager(receiver) acknowledging receipt (feedback) of the report.
For example, in my organization I always send emails to my subordinates
whenever I need certain information’s from them. As soon as they receive my
mail they reply me by sending me the information I requested for and whenever
I also receive the information I reply them to inform them that I have received
it.

5. Problem Solving: Different types of problems may arise in an organization that
must be solved duly and timely. Two Way Communication helps to address the
problem and provide solution to the problem. For Example, if employees of an
organization call for strike from the day after tomorrow if their outstanding salary
is not paid by tomorrow. After receiving the message, management of the
organization decides to meet their demand but does not inform the employees
on time. Problem will remain, as the feedback of the management could not
reach the employees early. Another example is whenever I have a problem in
my unit I send emails to my supervisor to report it and he always reply to assist
me or give me solutions as feedback.
It completes the whole process of communication and makes it continuous.
It sustains communication process.
It makes one know if one is really communication or making sense.
It is a basis for measuring the effectiveness of communication.
It is a good basis for planning on what next to be done especially statistical
report.
Communication will be useless without feedback.
Feedback paves way for new idea generation.
Feedback can, however, improve the quality of communication in several
important ways -- feedback can increase the capacity, reduce the probability of
error, decrease communication delay, and even simplify the system design
BARRIERS OF FEEDBACK
There may be several reasons why message is not understood or you get
inadequate feedback. It’s important that both senders and receivers
understand these barriers so you can ask for clarification to both give and get
proper feedback.
 Physical barriers often occur in business, necessitating long-distance
communication methods without the benefit of seeing reactions.
 Noise in the environment
 Language and cultural barriers also are common as businesses expand
globally.

6.  Other barriers include distractions, stereotypes and even a lack of confidence
that the other person may not want to convey.
Ask for clarification, as a sender or receiver, to avoid costly business errors.
WAYS TO IMPROVE FEEDBACK
 Make the environment comfortable.
 Listen/read carefully
 Accept positively for receivers
 Analyse carefully
 Bold and straight forward feedback
 Possible suggestion accordingly
 Ask for clarification, as a sender or receiver, to avoid costly business errors
REFERENCES
H. Leavitt and R. Mueller. “Some Effects of Feedback of Communication.”
Human Relations 4, 1951, pp. 401-41
articles junction blog
Young-Han Kim
www.slideshare.net:
http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership-supervisory-skills/using-the-
four-types-of-feedback-effectively/#sthash.daZ3SHmh.dpuf
http://smallbusiness.chron.com by Lee Grayson, Demand Media