What is communication?

• The word communication has been derived

from a Latin word ‘communis’ that means
common. It tells us that communication is
something involving with common things
between or among people. What is that
common thing? It is the meaning of word,
idea, information, fact or anything that has
bearing upon the well-being of human in the
society. People want to establish a common
platform of understanding upon which they
• Can act together or live together. Communication
does it as a media of uniform bondage.
• O.W. Baskin and Craig E. Aronoff define”
Communication is the exchange of message
between people for the purpose of achieving
common meanings”.
• Heinz weihrich and Harold Koontz define “
Communication is the transfer of information
from a sender to a receiver, with the information
being understood by the receiver”
• Betty R. Ricks and Kay F. Gow say, “
Communication is the exchange of
information that is mutually understood”
• Finally, communication is the process of
exchanging mutually understood meaning of
information, ideas or thoughts between
people to attain a given purpose.
 What is business communication?
• Business communication is the
communication that is made for the purpose
of business.
• According to Betty R. Ricks and Kay F. Gow, “
Business communication is a system that
affect change within the total organization”.
• Brennan says, The exchange of information or
ideas in the field of commerce and industry is
called business communication”.
• Finally, Business communication is a process
of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts
and views related to business activities with
other people to arrive at a consensual
meaning of message to achieve objectives of
business.
 Scope of business communication
• Scope refers o the area of operation or to the
extent of field where a particular subject can
be applied. The scope of business
communication, thus, refers to the field of
activities of business that are performed with
the help of communication. The scope of
business communication are as follows:
 Scope
1. Organizational management
2. Supply-chain management
3. Relationship Marketing
4. International trade
5. Public relation
6. Commerce and trade
7. Social responsibility
 Purposes of Business communication
• Business communication is a process of
exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, facts,
and concepts related to business activities in
order to achieve mutual meaning and
understanding of such messages to attain the
goals of the organization. The purposes of
business communication are as follows:
 purposes
1. To arrive at common meaning of a message
2. To exchange business messages
3. To bring about changes
4. To manage organization
5. To establish and maintain relations
6. To create image
7. To facilitate joint ventures
8. To raise employee morale
9. To discipline people
10.To counsel people
 Process of Business communication
• A process is sequentially related
interdependent set of activities constitute a
whole work. It is chronological sequences of
actions that are needed to complete a work or
a job. Business communication is a process of
understanding and sharing meaning. It is a
process because it is an activity, an exchange
or a set of behaviors that sequentially happen
ina dynamic cycle to arrive at a mutually
understood meaning of message.
 Process
1. Context
2. Sender/ Communicator
3. Encoding
4. Message
5. Media/ Channel
6. Decoding
7. Receiver/Communicatee
8. Response
9. Noise
10. Feedback
 Principles of Business communication
• Principles are tested guideline for a course of
action . These are tested hypotheses or
generalization that appears accurate and true for
a particular situation. Principles of business
communication are empirically driven guidelines
to make or successful effective communication.
These are fundamental truths that help business
management to predict precisely the
consequences of particular course of action on
business communication.
 Principles
• Principle of Objectivity
• Principle of completeness
• Principle of conciseness
• Principle of consideration
• Principle of concreteness
• Principle of clarity
• Principle of courtesy
• Principle of correctness
• Principle of simplicity
• Principle of unity
Functions of Business communication
• Business is communication. Communication is
the essence of organization. The whole
operation of the organization is going on
through communication.Communication is the
building block of the organization. Business
communication establishes links between and
among the inside and outside clients or
customer.
 Function
1. Information function
2. Command and Instruction function
3. Influence and Persuasion function
• Integration and Maintenance function: This
function of the organizational communication
aims at accomplishes five goals. They are
• To keep the organization in operation.
• To keep organization members going through
channel.
 Functions
• To sort and to cross reference the data of the
organization.
• To relate the various parts of the organization to
the whole and to the contexts in which they must
work.
• To confirm the individual members and the
organization.
5. Understanding and Insight function
6. Relation function
7. Ambiguity- Management Function.
 Importance of Business
communication
• Communication is the lifeblood of business.
Without communication, there can not be any
business. No business can develop and sustain
in the absence of effective internal and
external communication. The importance of
business communication are as follows:
 Importance
1. Linking pin
2. Promotion of managerial efficiency
3. Leadership execution
4. Investigation and research
5. Business promotion
6. Negotiation
7. Performance of managerial functions
8. Promotion of innovation
9. Promotion of collaboration
10. Bringing change
 What is effective communication?
• Communication is the process of exchanging
mutually understood meaning of a message.
Thus, a communication can be called effective
when the parties of the communication
understand it in the same meaning.
• Tubbs and Moss opine” communication is
effective when the stimulus as it was initiated and
intended by the sender or source,
correspondents closely with the stimulus as it is
perceived and responded to by the receiver”
• The effective communication in a equation
form like : Receiver’s Meaning/ Sender’s
meaning = 1. It shows that the communication
is whole and complete when the response the
sender intends and the response the receiver
provides are identical. Finally, a mutually
understood message is an effective
communication.
 Characteristics of effective business
communication.
1. An open communication climate
2. A commitment to ethical communication
3. An understanding of intercultural
communication
4. A proficiency in communication technology
5. An audience centered approach to
communication
6. An efficient flow of communication message
 Barriers to effective communication
• Effective communication is a dream of every
communication. We know that
communication noise is a barrier to effective
communication because it interferes with the
accurate encoding, transmission, decoding
and reception of message . Management
awareness of these barriers is a good starting
point to improve the communication process.
1. Process barriers
• Sender barrier
• Encoding barrier
• Message barrier
• Medium barrier
• Decoding barrier
• Receiver barrier
• Feedback barrier
2. Personal barriers
1. The ability of a person to effectively
communicate is a barrier.
2. The way people process and interpret
information is a second barrier.
3. The level of interpersonal trust between people
can either be a barrier.
4. Stereotypes and prejudices are a fourth barrier.
5. Our egos are a fifth barrier.
• Poor listening skills are sixth barrier.
• A natural tendency to evaluate or judge a sender’
message.
• An ability to listen with understanding is a barrier
to effective communication.
3. Physical barriers
4. Semantic barriers
5. Defensiveness Provoking communication
6. Organizational Barriers
 Ways to improve communication
effectiveness
1. Communication training
2. Enhancing language knowledge
3. Providing communication equipment's
4. Appropriate organization structure
5. Use of informal communication
6. Developing interpersonal trust
7. Listening
8. Effective feedback
9.Nondirective counseling
10. Nonverbal communication
11. Motivation
12. Democratic Leadership

Best of luck.
 Chapter-2
Types of communication
• Types of communication
1. Basis of flow:
• Vertical communication: i. Upward ii. Downward
• Horizontal communication
2. Basis of Method:
• Verbal communication: i. Written ii. Oral
• Non-verbal communication
3.Basis of formality: i. formal ii. Informal
4. Basis of operation:
• Internal operation
• External operation
• Personal operation
 Written communication
• Written communication is one of the verbal
communications. The communication which is done
with written code or word, is called written
communication.
• Gregory Moorhead and ricky W. Griffin define written
communication as “ the message that is encoded and
transmitted in written form”.
• Written communication occurs through a variety of
means, such as business letter, office memoranda,
reports, resumes , written telephone message,
newsletters, policy manuals etc.
 Merits of written communication
1. Permanent record
2. Legal tenability
3. Easy understandability
4. Wide acceptability
5. Effective presentation
6. Greater accuracy
7. Effective control
8. Reduced distortion
9. Reduced redundancy
10. Easy verifiability
11. Appropriate method
12. Establishing reputation
13. Wide dissemination
14. Thought provocation
 Demerits of written communication
1. Costly
2. Time consuming
3. Impersonal
4. Delayed feedback
5. Lack of dynamism
6. Sluggishness
7. Lack of prompt clarification
8. Not suitable for illiterates
9. High misunderstanding possibility
10. formality
 Techniques of written organisational
communication
• Communication for management:
1. Organizational manual
2. Management bulletin
3. Management newsletter
4. Formal report
5. Memo
6. Supervisor’s handbook
 Communication for employees
1. Employee bulletin
2. Employees’ newspaper
3. Monthly house organ
4. Letters
5. Booklets
6. Reading racks
7. Suggestion system
8. Grievance book
9. Payroll envelope
10. Essay competition
11. annual financial report
12. Complain box
13. Internal circular
14. Special report
15.Memorendum
16. Work schedule
17. Note sheet
 Oral Communication
• Oral communication is a verbal communication
that communicates with the utterance of words
or with spoken words.
• Ricky W. Griffin say “Oral communication involves
face to face conversation, group discussions,
telephone calls, and other situation in which the
sender uses the spoken words to communicate”.
Most managers spend between 50-90% of their
time talking to the people.
 Merits of oral communication
1. Fast
2. Personal
3. Immediate feedback
4. Dynamism/Dynamic
5. Effective for illiterate
6. Secrecy
7. Least misunderstanding
8. Reduced redtapism
9. Informal presentation
10. Reduced possibility for distortion
11. Personal relations
12. Group communication
13. Less costly
14. Effective
15. Mtivational
 Limitations of oral communication
1. No record
2. High distortion possibility
3. Non-suitable for lengthy message
4. Non-retainable
5. No legal validity
6. Higher chance of misunderstanding
7. Presentation problem
8. Limited use
9. Irrelevancy
10. Lack of secrecy
11. Inaccuracy
 Difference between oral and written
communication
Field of difference Oral communication
1. Definitional Oral communication is a verbal
communication that
communicates with the
utterance of words or with
spoken words.
2. Record Oral communication generally
does not have any permanent
record.
3. Cost Oral communication is less costly Written communication is
4. Feedback Oral communication gives
immediate feedback
5. Flexibility Oral communication is highly
flexible.
6.Time taken Oral communication takes least
time to prepare a message and
Written communication
Written communication is the
message that is encoded and
transmitted in written form.
Written communication
always has permanent record.
costly.
Written communication takes
time to give feedback
Written communication is
inflexible
Written communication takes
time to prepare and transmit
 Oral vs written
7. Reliability Oral communication is not
reliable, as people do not take
confidently.
8.Legality Oral communication is not legally
tenable, as court does not accept
it as legal evidence
9. Distortion Oral communication is highly
prone to distortion
10. Sluggishness Oral communication is prompt
and free from sluggishness
11. Effectiveness Effective for illiterate audience
12.Significance Less significance
13. Relationship Direct relationship
14. Formality Informal communication
Written communication is the
most reliable communication
as people trust it.
Written communication is
legally tenable as court accepts
it as legal evidence
Written communication is not
prone to distortion
Written communication is
sluggish
Not effective
Most significance
Indirect relationship
Formal communication
 Downward communication
• Downward communication is the communication
that flows from the top of the organization
structure to the bottom of the structure.
• Bartol and martin say “ Downward
communication is a vertical communication that
flows from a higher level to one or more levels in
the organization”.
• The managing director is communicating with the
departmental heads. such as staff meeting,
company newsletters, face to face contract.
 Objectives of Downward
communication
1. Directive subordinates
2. Explaining plan
3. Evaluating performance
4. Assigning work and authority
5. Motivating people
6. Informing employees
 Merits of downward communication
1. Increases efficiency
2. Maintains organizational discipline
3. Maintain good human relations
4. Keep employees informed
5. Helps interpretation
6. Facilitates delegation
 Demerits of downward
communication
1. Distortion
2. Delay
3. Loss of information
4. Under-and over-communication
5. Resistance
6. Re-explanation
 Upward communication
• Upward communication refers to the vertical
communication flow from a lower level to one or
more higher levels in the organization .
• Weihrich and koontz says “ upward
communication travels from subordinates to
superiors and continues up the organizational
hierarchy”.
• Subordinates deliver information about events to
the upper level managers through a channel and
that channel of communication is called upward
communication.
Importance of upward communication
• Getting feedback
• Out letting pent-up emotions
• Getting constructive suggestions
• Taking decisions
• Motivating to employees
• Bringing greater harmony and cohesion
• Getting innovative ideas
 Disadvantages of upward
communication
• Distortion
• Neglect
• Flattery
• Fear of inefficiency
 Forms or methods of upward
communication
• One-to one meeting
• Report
• Memo
• Suggestion scheme
• Grievance procedure
• Staff meeting
• Open door policy
• Exit interview
 Horizontal communication
• Horizontal communication is a communication
between and among people at the parallel levels and
statuses.
• Bartol and martin says “Horizontal communication is
lateral or diagonal message exchange either within
work-unit boundaries, involving individuals who report
to the same supervisor or across-work unit boundaries,
involving individuals who report to different
supervisors”
• William A. Conboy said “ horizontal communication is
the exchanges between and among agencies and
personnel on the same level of the organization chart”
 Forms of horizontal communication
1. Conference
2. Meeting
3. Telephone talk
4. Intercom system
5. Social gathering
6. Standard written communication
7. Committee
8. Grapevine
 Non verbal Communication
• Nonverbal communication is made without
words or utterance of words.
• Bartol and Martin define nonverbal
communication is communication by means of
elements and behavior that are not coded
into words.
 Types of non verbal communication
• Bodily movement and facial expression
• Space communication
• Touching communication
• Vocal cues or Paralinguistic communication
• Clothing and other artifacts.