Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying information. Communication has been derived
from the Latin word "communis", meaning to share.
The process of passing any information from one person to the other person with the aid of
some medium is termed as communication.
Communication may be defined as giving, receiving or exchanging information,
opinions or ideas by writing, speech or visual means, so that material communicated is
completely understood by everyone concerned.
In words of Louis- “Communication is the sum of all things one person does when he wants
to create understanding in the minds of another. It involves a systematic and continuous
process of telling, listening and understanding.

Business Communication
Business Communication is the expression, channeling and interchanging of ideas in
commerce and industry.
According to Prof. W H Meaning “The exchange of ideas, news, and views in connection
with business, among the related parties is called business communication.
So we can say Business Communication is an exchange of information, ideas, news, and
views in connection with business, among the related parties.

Importance/advantage of communication in Business.

Importance of Communication in Business:

Communication is essential in business as in other spheres of life. Without communication

no business can run. Communication is the life blood of any business organization. Its
importance in modern business may be discussed under the following points:

1. Basis of information:
2. Basis for effective leadership:
3. Sharing ideas, opinions, attitudes etc:
4. Rational decision making:
5. Interacting with environment:
6. Developing company’s public image:
7. Helps delegation of authority:
8. Understanding the problems of subordinates:
9. Fulfillment of organizational objectives by co-operation and co-ordination

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Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

1. Basis of information:
Communication acts as a basis of information to the whole organization and helps the
employees to perform their respective jobs.
2. Basis for effective leadership:
Effective communication has long been recognized as a prerequisite for effective
organizational leadership. Communication transmits the leader’s ideas and opinions to
the followers.
3. Sharing ideas, opinions, attitudes etc:
Communication is the means of moving ideas, opinions, attitudes etc. from one person to
another which is very important for business.
4. Rational decision making:
Organizations are decision making networks and individuals engaged in communication
make decisions.
5. Interacting with environment:
Communication helps in performing all managerial functions, such as planning,
organizing, directing, co-coordinating, motivating, and controlling. Communication
facilitates the managerial functions.
6. Developing company’s public image:
Ability to communicate orally and in writing affects the company’s public image.
Messages written to national and international clients, customers, suppliers and the other
stake holders must be especially sensitive to audience concerned.
7. Helps delegation of authority:
Communication helps in delegation of authority to right person. Through downward
communication managers delegate authority to the subordinates.

8. Understanding the problems of subordinates:

Communication is the best way to understand the reactions and problems of the
subordinates.
9. Fulfillment of organizational objectives by co-operation:
Communication helps to fulfill the organizational objectives by cooperation and co-
ordination among the managerial and working people.
The above discussion shows a great importance of communication in business.

Objectives/uses of communication in Business. Or discuss different uses of

communication.

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Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

Communication is essential in business as in other spheres of life. Without communication

no business can run. Following are different objectives/uses of communication in business

1. Receiving or passing information

2. Giving advice to colleague or subordinates
3. Counseling the problem employees.
4. Issuing order
5. To persuade
6. Raising morale or motivation
7. Giving warning
8. Educating employee and prospective customer.

1. Receiving or passing information :

Managerial decisions are to be based on right information which may be either external
or internal. Communication receiving or passing information
2. Giving advice to colleague or subordinates
By communication advice is given in order to influence the attitudes, opinions, behavior
etc. of individuals concerned. It flows either horizontally or downloads.
3. Counseling the problem employees.
Counseling is almost similar to giving advice. Communication helps to counsel problem
employee.
4. Issuing order
Order is a top-down approach of communication. By communication top manager issues
order to subordinator.

5. To persuade:
By communication company persuade its subordinates and relevant parties.
6. Raising morale or motivation
Communication helps to raise employee moral or motivation. Morale indicates mental
health and motivation stands for an inner urge of an individual to put to the maximum
efforts to attain the goal.
7. Giving warning:
Employees may require warning if they violate or try to violate the discipline of the
organization. However, warning should be given either for the betterment of the
organization or of the employees concerned.
8. Educating employee and prospective customer.
Communication is done, in most cases, for educating the receivers. Internal
communication may help educate managers and other employees in different ways,
Seminars, workshops, conferences may educate executives about the latest principles and
practices of management.

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Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

The communication process.

Communication process involves eight steps—

1. Thought,
2. Sender
3. Encoding,
4. Transmission,
5. Reception (Receiver)
6. Decoding,
7. Understanding
8. Feedback.
9. Noise:

Feedback

Thought Encoding Transmission Reception Decoding Understanding

of Message

Sender Receiver

Noise

1. Thought:
The process of communication begins when one person (sender) initiates a thought. This
thought has meaning to the sender which is the first step in the communication process.
2. Sender
One who sends a message is either the writer or speaker, depending upon whether the
communication is written or oral
3. Encoding,
The next step is to encode the meaning of the thought into a form appropriate to the
situation and the receiver.
4. Transmission,
After encoding, the message is transmitted through the appropriate channel. The common
channels include printed pages, face-to-face discussion, the air waves and telephone lines.
5. Reception,

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Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

In the fourth step the message is received and decoded by the receiver / receivers via such
senses as eyesight and hearing.
6. Decoding,
Decoding may also be done by an interpreter if the message is encoded in a way not
understandable by the receiver.
7. Understanding
After the message is received, it must be translated into understanding to the receiver.
8. Feedback.
Feedback is the receiver`s reaction indicating to the sender whether or not the message
has been understood and correctly interpreted
In the case of feedback the receiver acts as the sender and the steps are repeated.
9. Noise:
“Noise” may occur at any stage of the communication process and distort the message. It
is particularly troublesome in the encoding or decoding stage.

Different elements of communication.

Elements of Communication

1. Sender
2. Message:
3. Chanel:
4. Receiver:
5. Feedback

1. Sender:
One who sends a message is either the writer or speaker, depending upon whether the
communication is written or oral.
Sender is the encoder of the message. Message includes symbols, usually words that will
correctly and tactfully express the message. Both internal and external stimuli affect
message encoding and sending.
2. Message:
The message may consist of both verbal, written of spoken symbols and nonverbal
symbols to convey ideas from the sender to the receiver. The sender translates his ideas
into a message.
3. Chanel:

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Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

Channel is the medium through which message is transmitted .The common channels
include printed pages, face-to-face discussion, the air waves and telephone lines.
4. Receiver:
The message receiver is the reader or listener and decoder of the message.
5. Feedback:
Feedback is the receiver`s reaction indicating to the sender whether or not the message
has been understood and correctly interpreted

Cultural orientation in communication

Culture is a shared system of beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations and norms of behavior.

Acknowledging the cultural difference when communication across culture:

• Recognize Deference
• Avoid Assumption
• Do not Prejudge

Factors that should consider when communication across culture

/Checklist for communication effectively across cultures

Checklist for communication effectively across cultures:

Following are the Checklist for communication effectively across cultures:

1. Show respect.
2. Show empathy.
3. Do not pre judge.
4. Be open minded.
5. Avoid distractions.
6. Be patient.
7. Look for similarities.
8. Send clear messages.
9. Recognize your prejudices.
10. Treat people as individuals..

1) Show respect.
Learn how respect is communicated in different cultures (gestures, eye contact, symbols,
signs, etc.)

2) Show empathy.

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Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

Put yourself in the shoes of the recipient and imagine their feelings and their point of view.
3) Do not pre judge.
Accept differences without judging, and learn to listen.
4) Be open minded.
Accept that you may have to change our habits or mindset when communicating across
cultures.

5) Avoid distractions.
Do not be distracted by things like appearance or dress.

6) Be patient.
Sometimes persistence will be necessary when communicating with someone from a
different culture.
7) Look for similarities.
Try to find common ground parallels connections.

8) Send clear messages.

Make sure all you’re written as well as your verbal and non verbal communications are
quite clear, reliable and consistent.

9) Recognize your prejudices.

Learn to appreciate and accept when your theories and beliefs are different from other
peoples.

10) Treat people as individuals.

Do not treat one person as being a stereotype of a particular group but rather as unique
human being with individual qualities and attributes.

◼ Choosing the channel of communication:

The channel that is chosen to send a message is very important. The channel chosen can
influence the message and how it is interpreted by the recipient. Each situation should be
judged individually and will depend on various factors such as:

Cost: *Consider how much the communication will cost in terms of the results expected. *Can
an internal message be handwritten or is a printed copy important? *Is the postal service
satisfactory or is e mail or fax justified?

Confidentiality: *E mail or fax may not be appropriate. *A telephone call could be overheard.
*An internal memo may need to be enclosed in an envelope.

Safety and security: *Should a special post office service be used e.g. registered of recorded
delivery? *Would a courier service be justified?

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Influence: *To convey a certain impression, would a congratulatory telegram or invitation be

suitable. *Multi colored letterheads on high quality paper convey a good image of a company.

Urgency: *Choose the method that will produce the desired results in the time available.
*Perhaps the higher cost of a fax will be justified by the results obtained through its speed.

Distance: *Is the communication within the building in the same town or the other side of the
world?

Time of day: *This is particularly important when communicating with overseas countries.

Resources: *Consider the equipment and staff available (sender and recipient)

Written record: *Written communications carry more authority and are proof of a transaction.

Recipient: *Consider who is sending /receiving the message. *Personal contact may be
appropriate on certain occasions. *Verbal communication may not be appropriate where
complex information or bad news is concerned. *Choose language appropriately considering
the situation and the relationship between sender and recipient.

◼ Seven steps to effective communication:

Communication, whether oral or written, is all about understanding. Your aim should be to
communicate your message successfully so that it is received as you intended, without any
misunderstanding. You can achieve effective communication by having a thorough knowledge
of the communication cycle, by being aware of the barriers that exist, and by following this
seven step process:

Step 1: What and why?

Your first step is to consider what the objective of your communication and why you have to
communicate the message. Are you aiming to give information, to persuade, to request, to
inform?

Step 2: Select channel

The next step is to consider what channel (or means) of communication would be appropriate.
Consider the relationship between the sender and the recipient as well as the recipients
background knowledge, culture and experience.

Step3: Select encoding technique

Encoding is choosing the manner in which we send our message. For example, the language you
choose, an angry or soft voice, harsh tone or courteous one consider why the communication is
happening. Is it urgent, serious, dangerous, emotive, and informative?

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Step 4: Consider barriers

You must consider all possible barriers that may influence the recipients understanding of the
message. Is the communication likely to achieve the desired aims in the given circumstances? if
the barriers are likely to interfere with the recipients understanding, you may need to return to
step 1 or 2 and think again.

Step 5: Send message

Having considered all these aspects, you may now send your message

Step 6: Check for understanding

After sending the message, it is important t check whether the recipient has understood the
message as you intended.

Step 7: Obtain feedback from recipient

The final stage is essential you must obtain feedback from the recipient so that you know if your
communication has been effective. If the message is not understood, rather than blame the
recipient, ask yourself why the communication failed and how it could have been improved in
order to be effective.

◼ 7 C’s in Business Communication:

In any business environment, adherence to the 7 C’s and the 4S’s helps the sender in
transmitting his message with ease and accuracy.

1. Credibility: If the sender can establish his credibility, the receiver has no problems in
accepting his statement.

2. Courtesy: Once the credibility of the sender has been established, attempts should be make
at being courteous in expression. In the business world, almost everything starts with and ends
in courtesy

3. Clarity: Absolute clarity of ideas adds much to the meaning of the message. The first stage is
clarity in the mind of the sender. The next stage is the Makes comprehension easier
transmission of the message in a manner which makes it simple for the receiver to comprehend.

4. Correctness: At the time of encoding, the sender should ensure that his knowledge of the
receiver is comprehensive.

5. Consistency –The approach to communication should, as far as possible, be consistent. There

should not be too many ups and downs that might lead to confusion in the mind of the receiver.

6. Concreteness: Concrete and specific expressions are to be preferred in favor of vague and
abstract expressions. In continuation of the point on correctness, the facts and figures
presented should be specific

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 Business Communication: Lecture sheet # 1: Introduction

7. Conciseness: The message to be communicated should be as brief and concise as possible.

Weighty language definitely sounds impressive but people would be suitably impressed into
doing precisely nothing.

◼ 4 S’s in Business Communication:

• Shortness: If the message can be made brief, and verbosity done away with, then
transmission and comprehension of messages is going to be faster and more effective.

• Simplicity: Simplicity both in the usage of words and ideas reveals a clarity in the thinking
process.

• Strength: The strength of a message emanates from the credibility of the sender

• Sincerity: A sincere approach to an issue is clearly evident to the receiver. If the sender is
genuine.

Corporate Etiquette

What is Etiquette?

Human Being is a social being and it is really important for him to behave in an appropriate
way. Etiquette refers to behaving in a socially responsible way. Etiquette refers to guidelines
which control the way a responsible individual should behave in the society. Etiquette
transforms a man into a gentleman .

Some Do’s and Don’ts at workplace

1. Never adopt a casual attitude at work. Your office pays you for your hard work and not for
loitering around.

2. Don’t peep into other’s cubicles and workstations. Knock before entering anyone’s cabin.
Respect each other’s privacy.

3. Put your hand phone in the silent or vibrating mode at the workplace. Loud ring tones are
totally unprofessional and also disturb other people.

4. Don’t open anyone else’s notepads registers or files without his permission.

5. It is bad manners to sneeze or cough in public without covering your mouth. Use a
handkerchief or tissue for the same.

6. Popping chewing gums in front of co workers is simply not expected out of a professional.

7. Stay away from nasty politics at the workplace. Avoid playing blame games.

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8. Keep your workstation clean and tidy. Throw unwanted paper in dustbin and keep files in
their respective drawers. Put a label on top of each file to avoid unnecessary searching.

9. Never criticize or make fun of any of your colleagues. Remember fighting leads to no
solution. There are several other ways to express displeasure. Sit with your colleagues,
discuss issues face to face and decide on something which is mutually acceptable.

10. Take care of your pitch and tone at the workplace. Never shout on anyone or use foul words.
It is unprofessional to lash out at others under pressure. Stay calm and think rationally.

11. Never attend meetings or seminars without a notepad and pen. It is little tough to
remember each and everything discussed in the meeting. Jot down the important points for
future reference. Wait for your turn to speak.

12. Pass on information to all related recipients in the desired form. Communicate through
written modes of communication preferably through emails. Keep your reporting boss in
the loop. Make sure your email signatures are correct.

13. Reach office on time. One must adhere to the guidelines and policies of the organization.
Discipline must be maintained at the workplace.

14. No organization likes to have a shabbily dressed employee. Shave daily and do not use
strong perfumes.

15. Never wear revealing clothes to work. Body piercing and tattoo are a strict no no at the
workplace. Females should avoid wearing heavy jewellery to work.

16. Don’t pass lewd comments to any of your fellow workers.

17. While having lunch together, do not start till the others have received their food. Make sure
your spoon and fork do not make a clattering sound. Eat slowly to avoid burping in public.

18. Respect your fellow workers and help them whenever required.

19. It is unethical to share confidential data with external parties and any other individual who
is not related to the organization. Data in any form must not be passed to anyone outside
the organization

20. Office Stationery is meant to be used only at work. Taking any office property back home is
equivalent to stealing.

21. Make sure you turn off the monitor while you go out for lunch or tea breaks. Switch off the
fans, lights, printer, fax machine, scanner before you leave for the day.

22. Don’t bring your personal work to office. Avoid taking kids to office unless and until there is
an emergency.

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23. Park you car at the space allocated to you. Don’t park your vehicle at the entrance as it
might obstruct someone’s way.

24. Never ever drink while you are at work. Smoke only at the smoking zones.

25. Do not leave the restroom with taps on.

26. Female Employees should stick to minimal make up.

Prepared By: Md. Mahathy Hasasn Jewel, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing,
Jagannath University, email: jewelbhola@yahoo.com

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