This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both. First, identify and explain the five types of communication barriers. Next, imagine that you manage the gate agents at a busy international airport. (The gate agents are the people who staff the gates, taking people's tickets, managing the boarding process, and helping to resolve issues with seating or meals.) Describe how the gate agents might encounter each type of barrier, and what you might do to reduce these barriers.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The five types of communications barriers are:

Physical barriers—sound, time and space
Personal barriers—individual attributes that hinder communication, such as communication skills, variations in the way we process and interpret information, variations in trustworthiness and credibility, oversized egos, faulty listening skills, a tendency to judge others' messages, and generational differences
Cross-cultural barriers—differences in the ideas, values, practices, and material objects from culture to culture
Nonverbal communication—messages sent outside of the written or spoken word, including eye contact, facial expressions, body movements and gestures, and touch
Gender differences—the idea that, on average, men and women often have different communication styles

Students should give an example of each type of communication barrier for airport employees who work as gate agents, along with suggestions for reducing or eliminating the barriers