Microbarriers A communication microbarrier is a factor that hinders successful communication
in a specific communication situation.20 These factors relate directly to such variables as the
communication message, the source, and the destination.Among the microbarriers are the following:21
1. The source’s view of the destination—The source in any communication situation has a tendency
to view the destination in a specific way, and this view influences the messages sent. For example,
individuals usually speak differently to people they think are informed about a subject than to
those they believe are uninformed. The destination can sense the source’s attitudes, which often
block successful communication. Managers should keep an open mind about the people with whom
they communicate and be careful not to imply negative attitudes through their communication behaviors.
Figure 15.6 lists several examples of negative attitudes or stereotypes that managers in our
modern society might possess regarding various types of employees. If managers possess such negative
feelings about employees, the feelings will inevitably negatively impact the manner in which
managers communicate to those employees and ultimately limit organizational success. Such negative
attitudes or stereotypes have no place in the world of modern management.
2. Message interference—Stimuli that compete with the communication message for the
attention of the destination are called message interference, or noise. An instance of message
interference is a manager talking to an office worker while the worker is trying to input