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W1 BUS 1105 WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

W1 BUS 1105 Written Assignment

Business Communications

Professor Mqondisi Bhebhe

June 21, 2021

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W1 BUS 1105 WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

In this paper, I will discuss the five contexts of communication as well as share some

examples of each type. The contexts comprise Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Group, Public,

and Mass communication. I am sure that most of us have engaged in some if not all of these

contexts at some point in our lives, so let’s explore.

Intrapersonal communication is a conversation that you have with yourself. (The

Saylor Foundation, 2010, p. 23) I engage in this form of communication all day long. I am

constantly telling myself “it’s time to get up and get dressed”, “you know that you need to get

your reading done”, or “if you do it now, you won’t have to do it later”. These conversations

that I have usually keep me on schedule and they keep me motivated to get tasks completed.

A good example of intrapersonal communication is when people say affirmations to

themselves on a daily basis. People say affirmations to give themselves the strength to get

through the day, keep them motivated or help them through difficult times.

Interpersonal communication is when you have a conversation with one another

person. (The Saylor Foundation, 2010, p. 24) This conversation can be with a significant

other, a family member, a business associate, or even a stranger on the street. This

conversation can be verbal or written. I have an interpersonal conversation with my mother

almost daily via the phone. But my son doesn’t like talking on the phone so when I speak

with him it is usually through text message. When I can talk him into speaking on facetime, it

usually turns into a group conversation with me and his siblings.

Group communication is a conversation that occurs amongst three to eight people.

(The Saylor Foundation, 2010, p. 24) This group conversation can take place face-to- face, in

a group text, or even in an email. And three of my friends and I have an ongoing
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W1 BUS 1105 WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

video conversation using an app called Marco Polo. Marco Polo is a video communication

app that allows you to record videos so that your friends can respond to. You can use the app

to communicate in groups as well as speak one-to-one.

Public communication has to do with a person giving a speech to a crowd of people.

(The Saylor Foundation, 2010, p. 25) Public communication can also be completed in written

form. In written form, public communication the person speaking engages with the group

through discussion. I’ve engaged in public communication because I once took a rhetoric

communications class where I had to give speeches all of the time.

Mass communication is usually in written form because that is the easiest way to

disseminate information. This is when you send or provide information to a large number of

people. (The Saylor Foundation, 2010, p. 26) It is easy to send a mass email or produce

flyers. One downfall of mass communication is that it cannot be personalized for each

recipient. You can even look at television advertisements as mass communication because

they are trying to communicate information to a large audience. Because I’ve owned several

businesses, I am very familiar with mass communication. I would send out mass emails to all

of my customers to keep them updated on the new products we had as well as any sales items

so that you would be aware of discounted items.

The context that appeals to me the most is group communication. I like to go out and

hang with my friends because we have great conversations, we enjoy each other’s company,

and we laugh a lot. I also enjoy that ongoing video chat that we have going on because it

allows me to be in constant contact with my friends on days that I am home alone.

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W1 BUS 1105 WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT

The context that appeals to me the least is Public communication. I don’t care to

speak in public to a small or large group of people. I get so nervous because I feel that people

are judging me the entire time and I am terrified that I will say something incorrectly while I

am speaking.

Works Cited

The Saylor Foundation. (2010). Business Communication for Success. Licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-share alike 3.0 License without attribution
as requested by the work's original creator or license. Retrieved from www.saylor.org/books