Question

Your initial post should be at least 250 words. Read the Walrus case on p. W-116 (Chapter 11 > OB Skills Workbook > Cases for Critical Thinking > The Poorly Informed Walrus) and respond to the following question: What barriers to communication are evident in this fable?

The Poorly Informed Walrus Developed by Barbara McCain, Oklahoma City University “H ow’s it going down there?” barked the big walrus from his perch on the highest rock near the shore. He waited for the good word. Down below, the smaller walruses conferred hastily among themselves. Things weren’t going well at all, but none of them wanted to break the news to the Old Man. He was the biggest and wisest walrus in the herd, and he knew his business, but he had such a terrible temper that every walrus in the herd was terrified of his ferocious bark. “What will we tell him?” whispered Basil, the second ranking walrus. He well remembered how the Old Man had raved and ranted at him the last time the herd had caught less than its quota of herring, and he had no desire to go through that experience again. Nevertheless, the walrus noticed for several weeks that the water level in the nearby Arctic bay had been falling constantly, and it had become necessary to travel much farther to catch the dwindling supply of herring. Someone should tell the Old Man; he would probably know what to do. But who? and how? Finally Basil spoke up: “Things are going pretty well, Chief,” he said. The thought of the receding water line made his heart grow heavy, but he went on: “As a matter of fact, the beach seems to be getting larger.” The Old Man grunted. “Fine, fine,” he said. “That will give us a bit more elbow room.” He closed his eyes and continued basking in the sun. The next day brought more trouble. A new herd of walruses moved in down the beach and, with the supply of herring dwindling, this invasion could be dangerous. No one wanted to tell the Old Man, though only he could take the steps necessary to meet this new competition. Reluctantly, Basil approached the big walrus, who was still sunning himself on the large rock. After some small talk, he said, “Oh, by the way, Chief, a new herd of walruses seems to have moved into our territory.” The Old Man’s eyes snapped open, and he fi lled his great lungs in preparation for a mighty bellow. But Basil added quickly, “Of course, we don’t anticipate any trouble. They don’t look like herring eaters to me. More likely interested in minnows. And as you know, we don’t bother with minnows ourselves.” The Old Man let out the air with a long sigh. “Good, good,” he said. “No point in our getting excited over nothing then, is there?” Things didn’t get any better in the weeks that followed. One day, peering down from the large rock, the Old Man noticed that part of the herd seemed to be missing. Summoning Basil, he grunted peevishly. “What’s going on, Basil? Where is everyone?” Poor Basil didn’t have the courage to tell the Old Man that many of the younger walruses were leaving every day to join the new herd. Clearing his throat nervously, he said, “Well Chief, we’ve been tightening up things a bit. You know, getting rid of some of the dead wood. After all, a herd is only as good as the walruses in it.” “Run a tight ship, I always say,” the Old Man grunted. “Glad to hear that all is going so well.” Before long, everyone but Basil had left to join the new herd, and Basil realized that the time had come to tell the Old Man the facts. Terrified but determined, he flopped up to the large rock. “Chief,” he said, “I have bad news.The rest of the herd has left you.” The old walrus was so astonished that he couldn’t even work up a good bellow. “Left me?” he Basil didn’t have the heart to tell him, so he merely shrugged helplessly. “I can’t understand it,” the old walrus said. “And just when everything was going so well.”

Answer 1

ANS- The barrier to communication here in this fable is emotional barrier. Emotional barrier are those barrier which go through our mental processes that rule our thoughts and opinions and we fear sometimes and we do not say anything. we feel insecure, and reserved to say anything to others and because of this barrier a good work might not get complete. We set up some walls around ourselves so much that we cannot communicate out thoughts and opinions freely because of the fear of judgement or even because of the fear of that particular person. We tend to think that if we tell this thing then that person might scold us. Emotional barrier can create negative impression on the people

Here in this fable it happened the same as when the big walrus asked how everything was going in that place, the smaller walruses though everything was not going good they did not tell the big walrus about that as they feared that if they tell him then he may scold him as the big walrus had terrible temper and every walrus was terrified of his ferocious bark. One of the walrus remembered how the old man had raved and ranted at him the last time the herd had caused less than its quota of herring and because of that fear he never dared to inform anything wrong to the big walrus. And because of these fear they always told him that everything was going right and that nothing was wrong and finally what happened is that all the walruses who were under him moved slowly to join another herd who came recently to their territory and thus because of this emotional barrier that old man lost all of his herd.