Disadvantages of Oral Communication
Though oral communication is the most widely used method of communication, it is not free from limitations. Some of its limitations are as follows:
Lack of understanding: In oral communication, there is every possibility that the spoken words are not clearly heard or understood. Therefore, there is a chance of misunderstanding.
Chance of inaccuracy: Oral communication may suffer front the problems of inaccuracy. Inaccuracy may arise if the speaker chooses wrong words to convey the message or leaves out relevant details, it noise disrupts the communication process; or if the receiver forgets a part of the message.
Not suitable for lengthy communication: It is not suitable for lengthy communication. Sometimes the receiver does not take oral message seriously. Hence, the basic objective of communication will not be achieved.
Time Consuming: Sometimes oral communication becomes time consuming, especially in meetings and conferences where nothing comes out after long discussion.
Possibility of denial: There may be denial of oral communication by the sender as well as by the receiver.
Failure to use as a source of reference: Orally transmitted message or information cannot be used in future as a source of reference. Therefore, this type of communication does not contribute to the development of information base in the organization.
No legal validity: Oral message has no validity in the eye of law if otherwise it is not recorded.
Difficulty in fixing responsibility: People often transmit false or wrong information orally to gain undue advantage. Since, there is no document of such false transmission; it is difficult to find out the person responsible for it.
Not possible for distant people without mechanical device: It is not possible to communicate orally without using any mechanical device if the communicator and the receiver are distantly located.
Leakage of secret information: At the time of communicating with others orally, the communicator may carelessly express secret information in front of other outside party. This brings unpleasant consequences for the business.
Delay in decision making: Another disadvantage of oral communication is that it delays the decision making process. At the time of delivering the speech, the speaker spends a lot of time in explaining the contents of the message. Consequently, decision making is delayed.
