Mr Rao, the sales head of a company, learns that the head office will now let salesmen report some matters directly to the director. He does not tell his team about it, as he feels it may weaken his hold as the boss. Which barrier to communication is seen here?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Fear of challenge to authority
Option (1) Status — Incorrect. Status is an organisational barrier. A status-conscious superior keeps a distance from his subordinates and may not let them express their feelings freely. Mr Rao is hiding a piece of news, which is a different problem.
Option (2) Distrust — Incorrect. Distrust is a psychological barrier. When the two sides do not believe each other, they cannot understand each other’s message in its real sense. Here no one disbelieves a message.
Option (3) Lack of confidence of superior on his subordinates — Incorrect. Here a superior doubts the competency of his subordinates, so he does not seek their advice or opinions. Mr Rao is holding back news; he is not refusing their advice.
Option (4) Fear of challenge to authority — Correct. This is a personal barrier. When a superior feels that a message may weaken his authority, he may withhold or suppress it. Mr Rao keeps back the news because direct reporting may weaken his hold as the boss.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Personal barriers: The personal factors of both sender and receiver may exert influence on effective communication. Some of the personal barriers of superiors and subordinates are mentioned below: |