Communication

Communication is one of the most important part of human life as well as mean
of business expansion. In the business sector various communication methods
are used to promote a product or services; it is also used to deliver information
and receive information from others.
Origin: The word “communication” derived from the Latin word
‘communicare’ that means to participate, to share or to make common.
Definition: Communication may be defined as interchange of thought or
information between two or more persons to bring about mutual understanding
and desired action.
American Management Association defines, ‘Communication is any behaviour
that results in an exchange of meaning’. According to W. H. Newman and C. F.
Summer, “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions
by two or more persons.”
Business communication involves constant flow of information. It is goal
oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be
communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business
Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business
communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with
advencement of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails to
support business communication.

Elements of Business Communication:

Business communication involves six basic elements. They are as follows:
1.Sender: the sender is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of
symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce
the required response.

2.Receiver: is a person for whom the message is intended.

3.Message: This is the subject-matter which is transmitted or passed by the
sender to the other party. The message may be an opinion, order,
suggestion, attitude, feeling, view, etc.

4. Channel: The medium selected by the sender through which the

message travels to the receiver.. Like for example oral or telephonic
message, letter, different audio and video media, computer, e-mail, fax, etc.
Types of Channels – Formal Channels • Are established by the
organization and transmit messages that are related to the professional
activities of members. – Informal Channels • Used to transmit personal or
social messages in the organization. These informal channels are
spontaneous and emerge as a response to individual choices.
5. Encoding the idea: converting the idea into a symbolic form in terms of
some kind of language, it may be termed as the encoding of the idea. Like
using words, symbols, charts, diagrams, gestures, etc. This encoding
depends on the personal characteristics of the sender as well as the
receiver. The style, length, form, clarity, etc. of the message varies from
person to person.
6. Decoding the Message: Decoding means understanding or converting
the symbols into meaning to achieve the understanding. If the receiver
understands the message in the same sense as the sender intends, then the
objective of communication is fulfilled.
7.  Feedback:
Feedback is the response or reply which the receiver of a message gives
back to the sender. The feedback evaluates the effectiveness of the
message. If the sense of the message is well understood and well
interpreted, then, the feedback or the response will be desirable and, if it is
not, one has to understand that there are some barriers in the process.

Types of business communication

Business communication has two types that are equally important.

1.Verbal communication: which involves the ability to convey messages

either through speaking or writing. Eg: face to face, telephone radio, tv,
letters, e-mails, books, magazins….

2.Non verbal communication: which requires the ability to communicate

with others far beyond speaking and writing. That is to say with your body
language through gestures, facial expressions tone of voice, eye contact,
posture.

Categories of business communication:

1.Internal communication which takes place within the organization. Internal

communication is the transmission of information between organizational
members or parts of the organization. It takes olace across all levels and the
units of an organization.

a. Downward communication: is the communication from a superior to a

subordinate. With downward communication the information and messages
flow down through an organization’s formal chain of command. In other
words, messages and orders start at the upper levels of the organizational
hierarchy and move down toward the bottom levels.

b. upward communication: is the communication from a subordinate to

a superior.Upward communication s the process of information flowing
 from the lower levels of hierarchy to the upper levels. In other words,
messages and orders start at the bottom levels of the organizational
hierarchy and move up toward the upper levels.

c. horizontal communication: is the communication between persons of

the same rank.we can call it either horizontal or lateral communication
which is the transmission of information between people, departments or
units within the same level of organizational hierarchy.

2.External communication moves outside the organization. It is the

transmission of information between a business and another person or in the
company’s external environment. That includes customes, potential customers,
suppliers and investors.

Barriers of communication

-The use of jargon

- Language and accents differences

- Cultural differences

- Emotional barriers or taboos

- social differences

- Different generations

- Lack of attention and interest

- Expectations and stereotypes

- Physical disabilities

- Abreviations

- Illiteracy
- Gender differences