GMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY – RAJAM

(An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to JNTU Kakinada)

Department of Basic Sciences & Humanities

Communicative English lab (subject code: 21HSX02)

Class & Sem: 1st B.Tech.- 1st Semester Academic

Year: 2022-23

Augmented Experiment

Title: Business Communications

Section
Name of the Student JNTU No.
Roll No.
1. B. Nitish Durga 22341A0529 A55

2. Ch. Jynanesh 22341A0531 A56

3. Ch. Ravi kumar 22341A0442 A57

4. Ch. Sri laxmi 22341A0534 A58

5. Ch. Mani bhargavi 22341A0537 A59

6. D. sai priya Sarvani 22341A4511 A60

Under the guidance of

Dr . S.K. Patnaik
Sr. Asst. Prof. in English
Dept. of Basic Science & Humanities
GMR Institute of Technology- Rajam
Srikakulam, A.P. - 532127

pg. 1
What is Business Communication ?
Business communication is exchanging information between employees and
those outside the organization. Employees and management interact with one another
through effective communication to accomplish organizational goals. It aims to reduce
errors and enhance organizational procedures. You must improve your
communication abilities and processes to accomplish effective business
communication.

The 4 main types of Business

communications:
Generally speaking, the four leading types of business communication
include upward, downward, lateral, and external. There is no one “right”
way to communicate within an organization. However, carefully considering
the pros and cons of each type will help you determine which strategies are
best for your team/organization, and also if employing multiple types of
communication would be best.

1.Upward communication:
What it is: Upward business communication comes from a direct report to
a manager, and from a manager to a top-level executive or owner. Upward
communication allows those in charge to keep a finger on the pulse of
what’s happening on the ground floor.

How it works in action:

Example :

1) A data specialist prepares a marketing report containing website

analytics to feed decision-making at the top level.

pg. 2
Pros:

 Information received from team members helps management remain

responsive to the needs of their employees. In contributing in this
way, employees who feel valued will be more inclined to provide their
best efforts at their jobs.

 Easy access to management allows employees to share their

creativity and innovate, which could motivate company progress to
be leaps and bounds faster than if business teams were completely
siloed.

Cons:

 The accuracy of employee-supplied information can be limited or

skewed depending on their comfort level with communicating with
their supervisors.

 Subordinates may be unwilling to share information with

management, particularly if they feel like no action will be taken or
there will be consequences.

Tips for maximum effectiveness:

Managers play the leading role in driving successful upward

communication, so they will need to do the following:

 Engage employees in regular conversation.

 Listen to employee concerns while displaying empathy.

 Use multiple communication channels to ensure easy accessibility to

all workers.

pg. 3
  Provide anonymous suggestion boxes, surveys, Q&A sessions,
internal chat forums, or email chains to capture as much honest

2.Downward communication
 What it is: Downward business communication flows from
management to direct reports. Messages flow through a
predetermined hierarchy, from the top down.

How it works in action:

Example :

1) Leadership informs employees of a new operational procedure, safety

requirement, or individual expectation through a company memo.

Pros:

 Necessary information (instructions, explanations of complex issues,

and operational details) can be quickly disseminated in a downward
flow.

 Company-specific standards, rules, and disciplinary consequences

can be easily reinforced to uphold compliance.

Cons:

 Like the game of “telephone,” the information can also become

distorted or lose detail on its way through the chain of command.

 Heavy reliance on a downward communication style can make

employees feel unimportant, frustrated, or unenthusiastic about their
work.

pg. 4
Tips for maximum effectiveness:

 Provide a schedule of communication to ensure that employees will

value and prioritize your messages, rather than feel overwhelmed or
irritated.

 Management should utilize approachable body language, maintain a

friendly disposition, ask employees how they’re doing, and keep their
office doors open.

 Management should keep detailed notes about employees, allowing

them to add a personal touch to their communications when
addressing individual employees.

3.Lateral communication:
What it is: Lateral communication moves across departments and

employees or managers of equal status within the organization.

How it works in action:

Example:

1) A member of the marketing team discusses modifying an ad campaign’s

design with a web designer on the technology team.

Pros:

 It is often necessary for information sharing, problem solving, and

task coordination.

 Misunderstanding and conflict can often be nipped in the bud while

simultaneously strengthening teamwork.

pg. 5
Cons:

 Employees may communicate in a more casual, unprofessional tone,

causing potential squabbles.

 Teams may grow territorial about the tasks they’re working on and
resent interjections from other departments, thereby undermining
collaborative efforts.

Tips for maximum effectiveness:

 Communicating through video chat, one-on-one conversations, or

phone calls is most effective at avoiding or clearing up
misunderstandings.

 Using modern project management tools to invite interdepartmental

communications can go a long way in reducing barriers and
bottlenecks.
 Management must take care not to incentivize competitiveness
between departments, communicating the significance of each group
within the overall organization.

4.External communication:
What it is: External communication moves information from the inside of
the organization to outside parties, such as prospects, customers,
investors, vendors, partners, sponsors, lawmakers, regulatory bodies, the
media, consultants, or the general public.

How it works in action:

Example:

pg. 6
1) A press release is deployed to inform the media about a new product
coming out.

Pros:

 When performed successfully, external communication has a positive

impact on the company’s public persona and reputation, making it
more desirable to stakeholders and customers.

 External communications are how outside businesses, customers,

partners, investors, and the rest of your audience perceive your
business and get to know it. Ensuring that every piece of external
communication is carefully curated takes time, but when done right it
is a significant attribution to company growth.

Cons:

 When poorly executed, external communications can present

customers with conflicting messages that tarnish the company’s
reputation.

 One wrong piece of data, a missed target audience, or careless

quote can sink an entire marketing campaign and have a lasting
negative impact on a company’s ability to succeed, so each piece of
externally-facing communication needs to be carefully curated and
analysed .

Tips for maximum effectiveness:

 Be straightforward and to the point; readers want value. In other

words, remember that they want to know: “What is this about?” and
“What’s in it for me?”

pg. 7
  Know your audience. Extensive research is key to external
messaging, as you’ll want the right language, tone, imagery, and
channel.

 Connect employees and customers, which can lead to a vital

information exchange that encourages customers to engage with
your brand more. It also allows employees to gain a deeper
understanding of the target audience.

Since each type of business communication accomplishes a unique set of

goals, most businesses utilize multiple communication strategies within
their organization. Your business may already be practicing these forms of
business communication without your realizing it!

Now that you know the proper terminology and use cases for business
communication, you’re better able to create a sustainable communication
strategy and train employees on best practices.

Roles of business communication:

The effectiveness of corporate communications affects a company’s ability to succeed.
Communication is considered the lifeblood of business because of this. Here’s how
important effective communication is:
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 Top to bottom
When major business choices are taken at the highest levels, businesses require an
efficient method of communicating the decision throughout the organization. As a
result, many firms adopt top-to-bottom communication to guarantee that information
flows freely from senior management to IC-level personnel.
When done correctly, top-to-bottom communication can be incredibly effective. At its
best, it may break down silos and give team members the confidence they need to
succeed in the organization. At worst, it can hinder production and push staff to
conform to an excessively hierarchical organization.

pg. 8
  Peer to peer
A lot of our daily work depends on having a good connection with our co-
workers. Yes, having a good relationship with your boss is crucial, but some
of us may go days without speaking to them.
Being able to successfully interact with our colleagues assists us in getting our duties
done by answering questions, exchanging information, and providing feedback. Not to
mention that excellent communication can increase workplace fun and vitality.
 Bottom to top
It is an organizational communication strategy in which information is disseminated
throughout the corporation from lower-level managers and team members. While
bottom-up communication is not as prevalent as top-down communication, it can be
incredibly effective.
It not only allows employees to contribute to higher-level decision-making, but also
allows them to give feedback and have confidence that it will be forwarded to senior
management.

Why is business communication important ?

The following points demonstrate the importance of business communication in an
organization

 Democratization
Voices of otherwise minority populations are more equitably represented in
organizations that contain democratic decision-making aspects. The strategy firms
use in decision making is just as essential as the decision itself. Look for ways to
enhance and foster a planning culture based on enterprise-wide information sharing
and data-driven communication from top to bottom.

 Boost motivation and morale

Business communication is critical in enhancing employee efficiency. Different plans
and policies, essential issues, organizational goals, and so on are described to
employees through communication, which improves their knowledge and makes them
more efficient in performing their responsibilities.
 To build a better relationship
Communication enables workers and management to express their thoughts and
requirements. Healthy labor relations are critical to the success of any firm, and it helps
sustain peace in this situation.

pg. 9
  Job satisfaction
Effective, fair and easy communication improves mutual connection and
understanding between employees and management. This contributes to
higher satisfaction levels among employees who work hard to attain their
objectives.
 Higher productivity
Effective business communication boosts employee productivity by encouraging
teamwork. It fosters an environment of trust and understanding among employers and
employees. Cooperation with employees and understanding their wants and desires
are required for effective communication.
Employees can complete their responsibilities more successfully and efficiently this
way. Furthermore, excellent communication reduces the possibility of making
mistakes during their task
 For efficient functioning of the business
Managers’ operational efficiency improves as a result of effective communication. With
fair communication, managers can accomplish many managerial activities, such as
planning, directing, organizing, controlling, and so on. Furthermore, effective
leadership can take place if communication is effective. A proper and smooth company
communication system is required for qualitative leadership actions.
 Helps in decision making
Effective decisions necessitate current knowledge. Using good communication,
managers can get information from various sources and use it to make sound
decisions.
 Proper planning
Organizations may develop excellent plans and policies through effective business
communication. These strategies and policies must be based on accurate information.
Managers must communicate policies and plans within the organization to implement
or execute them on time. They can convey strategies and policies to internal and
external stakeholders through effective communication.
 Minimize conflicts
Different business parties can exchange information more smoothly with excellent
communication. As a result, there are fewer conflicts, debates, and disagreements
between them.

7 C’s of an effective communication

Whatever field you operate in, you will need to interact professionally with others to
close deals or work on projects. The seven C’s of effective communication assist you

pg. 10
in increasing productivity and engagement by communicating messages that your
audience can simply understand.

1.Completeness
It is necessary to communicate completely. The audience should receive all the
information they require from it. The sender must take the receiver’s viewpoint into
account and correctly relay the message. The following components are included in a
thorough communication-
 Additionally, they save money because no important data is lost, and if the
transmission is successful, no additional expenses are needed.
 Complete communication always offers extra details as required. It removes
all uncertainty from the receiver’s mind.
 The audience, readers, or message recipients can make better decisions
because they have access to all necessary and pertinent information when
there is complete communication.

2.Conciseness
Conciseness implies wordiness, i.e. communicating what you want to say in the fewest
words possible while maintaining the other C’s of communication. Effective
communication necessitates conciseness. Here’s how concise communication helps-
 Concise communication conveys a brief and important message to the
audience in a minimum number of words.
 A brief message is more enticing and understandable to the listener.
3.Consideration
Consideration entails “putting oneself in the shoes of others.” Effective communication
must include the audience’s opinions, background, mindset, education level, and so
on. Make an effort to imagine your audience, their needs, emotions, and difficulties.
Make sure that the audience’s self-esteem and emotions are not jeopardized. Modify
your message’s terms to meet the needs of the audience while keeping your it
complete.
4.Clarity
When you are able to transmit your thoughts and opinions into the recipient’s mind,
you know communication is effective. You don’t want the recipient to make
assumptions or have a hazy understanding of what you’re expressing.
Only when they completely grasp your message will they be able to make the
appropriate decision. It might occur when you employ plain and straightforward
language to express your point to the recipient.
5.Concreteness

pg. 11
Concrete communication entails being specific and explicit rather than vague and
generic. Concreteness boosts confidence. Simply delivering your message through
statements and questions will not captivate your audience. It is important to back up
your claims with appropriate facts, numbers, and statistics. Otherwise, your audience
will not know whether your message is genuine or not.
6.Courtesy
Courtesy in a message indicates that the message should reflect the sender’s
expression while also respecting the receiver. The sender should be honest, polite,
prudent, contemplative, empathetic, and enthusiastic.
7.Correctness
Communication correctness implies that there are no grammatical errors in
communication. Information correctness or factual accuracy is important in both verbal
and nonverbal communication. You must choose the appropriate words at the right
time while also ensuring that the information is reliable.

Communication barriers:
We jeopardize ourselves and others when we fail to communicate properly, regardless
of the mode of communication: spoken, nonverbal, written, listening, or visual. Apart
from physical and technological hurdles, there are a few communication barriers that
every employee and management should seek to eliminate.
 Cultural differences
Understanding cultural differences in communication is critical. You must think
globally; remember that in Japan, one’s surname comes before their given name.
There may also be regional differences within the organization’s limits, and failing to
appreciate cultural differences could insult someone.
 Inability to listen to others
Active listening is a significant component of effective communication. You can’t
engage with someone if you’re not listening to them because you’ll make assumptions
about their needs based on your preconceptions rather than facts.
 Lack of transparency and trust
When there is a lack of transparency and trust, it is difficult to express anything. For
example, if your employees believe you are withholding something, they will be
worried, and some will speculate, making it more difficult for them to absorb any
attempt you make to communicate with them.
 Communication style
Everyone has a unique style of communicating. Some people are quite
straightforward, while others choose to be more oblique. Some employ specific facts,
while others rely on broad strokes, and so on. Sometimes one individual is so

pg. 12
entrenched in their communication style that they find it difficult to communicate with
others who use a different style.
 Conflicts in the workplace
Conflict can arise for a variety of causes, and when it happens, it impedes efficient
communication. What is crucial is that you strive to resolve the issue, not the nature
of the conflict. When disagreement is not resolved, it escalates, and individuals begin
to take sides, making effective communication even more difficult.

Examples of effective business communication:

People communicate with one another to share ideas, express feelings and
opinions and solve issues. Errors arise when communication is not delivered or
received as planned. You may improve your communication abilities by practicing both
verbal and nonverbal communication.

 Nonverbal communication
Body language is another term for nonverbal communication. Nonverbal
communication demonstrates to people that you are prepared to communicate
effectively by maintaining eye contact, sitting attentively, and positioning your body to
face the person speaking. Folding your arms across your chest, clenching your fists,
and gazing downward indicate that you are distracted or uninterested, which might
impede the conversation.
 Be open-minded
Maintain an open mind to facilitate efficient conversation. Avoid placing judgment on
or criticizing communicated messages. You do not have to agree with the other
person’s beliefs and opinions, but you must respect them.
 Active listening
Active listening allows you to gain a better grasp of the thoughts and feelings of
another individual. To display this communication ability, concentrate your attention
on the person speaking. Interrupting someone else’s speech might disrupt the flow of
the conversation
 Compromise
It is important to compromise while you’re communicating with someone. When an
issue arises, both persons must work cooperatively to develop a list of prospective
solutions as well as agreed-upon trade-offs

pg. 13
Final word :

Effective communication is crucial in assisting employees in forming a social circle or

bond. Some firms have an open culture or work environment in which employees at
all levels are free to speak with one another and with their supervisors. Other
organizations prefer to communicate using a hierarchy or chain of command.
Effective business communication plays a significant role in providing a platform for
the business to outperform its competition by building a healthy working environment.
If you are looking to upskill yourself in any aspect in order to attract lucrative job
opportunities, consider checking out the wide range of courses offered by Manipal
Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) on the Online Manipal platform and pave the
way for a bright career.
Key takeaways:
 Sending and receiving effective communications within a corporation,
organization, or business is referred to as business communication.
 The goals of corporate communication are to build relationships,
encourage learning, foster trust, and promote a favorable public
image.
 Business communication takes place internally, laterally or externally.
 There are three possible directions for business communication:
upstream, downward, or peer-to-peer.
 Common communication hurdles might hinder or restrict business
communication. Barriers to effective communication can skew a
message or prevent someone from grasping its meaning.
 A process that is constantly evolving through assessment,
observation, and implementation change is business communication.

pg. 14