Business Communication

(Theory and Application)

Raymond Lesikar
John D. Pettit
 1. Communication Theory
Communication vs language
(communication without language? Yes/no?)

Communication for
- Interacting ideas/ sharing ideas
- Convey information
- Problem solving

Different use of language in different field

The world of business and the business
communication…
 Chapter 1
The Role of Communication in the
Business Organization
We spend time communicating than doing anything else

 Talking and listening (most usual way of communication)

 Other ways
- Reading
- Writing
- Gesturing
- Drawing

Also
- Seeing
- Feeling
- Smelling
‘We’, ‘our civilization’ and ‘the communication’
 Communication is the most important activity that we
do in our life. And it is the greatest human
achievement. It helps to shape:

- The civilized society

- It makes us human, the ruler of other animals…
- The community and group and the communal feeling…
- Problem solving
- Our existence
 An Essential to Organize Activity
 Communication is the spirit of any organization
that society has produced

 Without any (effort of) communication, the

organization can not work. The involvement of
people without any medium of communication is
just like the pile of (dead) material.

 No coordination between the members. No

planning. No decision making. No direction to the
staffs and the workers. Nothing at all.
Herbert Simon “without communication there
can be no organization, for there is no
possibility then of the group influencing the
behavior of the individual”.
The High Frequency of Communication
The frequency of communication should be in the field of
business organization:

1. Communication in business organization depends on

these factors:
- The nature of the business
- The company organizational plan
- Who is the owner of the organization

2. More communication in organization in the top level

- Executive spend almost of their time communicating..
3. Communication according to the structure of
the company: big or small company
4. Manufacturing process needs communication
5. Unskilled laborers need more communication

Note: Does it happen what we assume

“Of all the things business executives do, they
are worst at communicating”.
 Communication Illustrated: Dan’s Half
Hour
The topic talks about the psychological fluctuation in Dan D.
Worker’s life. Dan works as a clerk in a Typical Company (an
imaginary company) which manufacture whatsits (an
imaginary/ particular material). Dan, while he was going to
office, hears a rumor about a proposed changed in
promotion policy in the company. This portion deals with
his psychological turmoil concerning his role, job, ambition,
hope and his relationship with the coworkers and his
seniors.
Within the half an hour of time, before he starts his duty on a
particular day, the way he shows the psychological reaction
to different issues and to different people is quite realistic.
Particularly, his way of communication in these different
circumstances is quite important thing to note here.
The Typical Company (Manufacture whatsits)

-Dan D. Worker, the clerk, going to company

-The news of Promotion Policy in the Company
- His greetings and short social communications to the people in
payroll department.

- Check the telephone message and receives the order (a good news)

- Open an envelope and receives a complain from a salesperson…

- Opens another envelope with a printed memorandum, signed by

the president, that talks about his promotion issue. Now he finds
the matter different than the rumor they heard, so he is confused.
- The office of Kapel (jealousy)
- His conflict with Hooker, a new comer…
- Reconciliation with Riley
 Communication
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Listening
Others
body motions (kinesics)
Closeness In communication (proxemics)
Communication through objects (furniture)
Communication by being seen
Communication by eye meeting
Seen not find the time appropriate for communication
 Main Forms of Organizational
Communication
1. Internal Operational Communication
 A structured communication within the
organization that is related to achieving the
Organization’s work goals. (Production)
- That is, internal-operational communication is
carried through the structured activities
prevalent in the company. And through this
process the organization’s work goal is gained.
- In other words, it is the internal communication
among the different parts in the company which
makes it easier to gain its goal.
2. External operational communication
 An organization's structured communication concerned with
achieving organization’s work goals to the people and group
outside the organization. (Distribution/ marketing)

 It refers to the communication with publics, suppliers, service

companies, customers, general public.
 Advertising
 Radio/ TV messages
 To meet it’s goal, the organization must satisfy the customers’ need.
So the external operational communication is must important
aspect of an organization.
 Personal Communication
 It is not an operational communication. That is, it is non
business related exchange of communication and feelings
among people (workers).
 As being social animals human beings often communicate
to keep social relation.
 Through communication the workers share each others
viewpoints concerning their work and their personal life
which after all improve (affect) their performance.
 The formation of viewpoints and the expression of these
viewpoints is very crucial for the workers for they may
affect his attitude towards his company and the attitude
towards his work.
 The Organization’s Communication’s
Network
 An organization has a complex communication
network (internal, external, personal etc.)
 The structure of the communication in
organization is like the structure of human body.
The way human body convey the information
through arteries, an organization also uses
different channels to flow the information.
 Formal and informal communication of the
workers and the managers.
 A Preview of the Presentation
 We know that communication is the soul of any business organization. So
we have to study communication with in its various specific pattern.
1. General Semantics- It refers to the communication within the periphery
of reality. Or how we perceive the reality and express (symbolize) our
perception in words, thought and action. (understanding reality)

2. After understanding the reality, we have to apply it in the real business

world. (theory and application)

3. Nonverbal communication: Knowing the importance the nonverbal

communication in business.

4. Technology: The role of technology and how it affects the business.