ELS 139 (Business Communication)

Forms of Communication

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

 flows along prescribed channels which all members desirous of communicating with one another are obliged to
follow.

Advantages:

1. It passes through line and authority and consequently ensures the maintenance of authority as well as
accountability of the executives’ in-charge.
2. It helps to develop intimate relations between immediate boss and his subordinates.
3. It keeps uniformity in the dissemination of information.
4. It flows systematically and the information is trustworthy.
5. Source of information is known which creates harmony amongst the employees.
Vertical communication

 is a type of communication where the flow of information takes place among people at different levels and
positions from top to bottom and vice-versa. Here the communication moves both downward and upward from
superiors to a subordinate or vice-versa as per the demand of the hour.

Downward Communication

 when communication moves in a downward motion and messages pass from the top management level to
various subordinate levels it is known as downward communication. This type of communication channel is
most common in an organization that moves in a typical chain of command motion and conforms to the
organizational hierarchy. The nature of communication is directive and authoritative and the purpose is to get
things done.
 includes instructions, policies, information, and order. It may be written like displays, electronic news, notice,
reports, handbooks, and manuals or oral like meetings, speeches, telephonic conversation, and face-to-face
personal conversation. An advantage of this form of formal communication channel is that the information flow
is timely to improve work performance and reach business goals within an organization.

Upward Communication

 when communication moves in an upward motion and the flow of information is from the lower levels to the
superiors it is known as upward communication. This form of formal communication channels starts from the
lowest stage and travels to the next stage and so on until it reaches the upper level. The nature of
communication is non-directive and non-authoritative and the purpose is to provide feedback. Upward
communication includes complaints, requests, opinions, reports, reactions, suggestions etc. and proves helpful
to people in management levels in taking important decisions for the company

Horizontal Communication

 is the communication where information flows among the similar or same level statuses of people in the
organizational structure.
 is also referred to as lateral communication and occurs when the flow of information is between two people
belonging to the same level or status. As the name suggests this type of communication channel moves
horizontally between employees belonging to the same level of departments even if their area of responsibility is
different.

INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

 Along with the formal channel of communication every organization has an equally effective channel of
communication that is the informal channel often called grapevine, because it runs in all directions—horizontal,
vertical, diagonal. It flows around water cooler, down hallways, through lunch rooms and wherever people get
together in groups.

Factor responsible for the grapevine phenomenon

1. Feeling of certainty or lack of direction when the organization is passing through a difficult period.
2. Feeling of inadequacy or lack of self confidence on the part of employee, leading to the formation of gaps.
3. Formation of a clique or favored group by the managers, giving other employees a feeling of insecurity or isolation.

Types of Informal Communication

Single Strand Chain

 The communication in which one person tell something to another, who again says something to some other
person and the process goes on.

Gossip Chain

 The communication starts when a person tells something to a group of people, and then they pass on the
information to some more people and in this way the information is passed on to everyone.

Probability Chain

 The communication happens when a person randomly chooses some persons to pass on the information which
is of little interest but not important.

Cluster Chain

 The communication in which one person tells something to some of its most trusted people, and then they tells
them to their trustworthy friends and the communication continues.

Scalar chain

 is a chain of all supervisors from the top management to the person working in the lowest rank.

Barriers of Communication

 defned as the spectes or conditions that interfere with effective exchange of ideas or thoughts.

Communication

 is the art of transmitting knowledge, ideas, information and thoughts from one person to another. The transfer
should be such that the receiver understands the meaning and the intent of the message and give proper
feedback.

There are three levels at which communication takes place:

 Noticing is done with the senses and is at the physical level.

 Understanding is at the level of intelligence.
 Acceptance is at the emotional level.

Communication Barriers

1. Physical Barriers is the environmental and natural condition that acts as a barrier in communication in sending
message from sender to receiver.
 Large working area
 Closed office doors
 Separate areas for people of different status
 It forbids team members from effective interaction with each other.

Physical Noise - outside disturbance

Psychological Noise - Inattentiveness

Written Noise - Bad handwriting/ typing

Visual Noise - late arrival of listeners

 Improper time
 Defects in Medium of Communication
  Network Facilities
 Mechanical Breakdowns
 Piling up of tasks due to improper time management
 Excess number of people assigned for the same task
 Work overload/ Information

2. Semantic and Language Barriers - inability to converse in a language both known by the sender and the receiver.
 Homophones – Pronunciation
Ex. Aunt, ant/ blew, blue/ cell, sell,/ hour, our
 Homographs – Spelling
Ex. The word “present” in English can either be a noun, in which it is a gift; a verb, in which it means to offer; or
an adjective, in which it means something is in a certain place
 Homonyms – Pronunciation and Spelling
Ex. 1. Never desert your friends in the desert.
2. Close the window before the mosquitoes get too close.

Denotation: The literal meaning of a word.

Connotations: The emotions and associations connected to the word.

 Using different languages

 No clarity in speech
 Using jargons
 Not being specific

3. Socio-Psychological Barriers- described as the cause of distorted communication because of human psychology
problems.
 Abstracting - Referred as selective hearing.
 Prejudice - The act of excluding of disliking someone or something because they belong to a particular group.
 Emotional editing - If you are emotionally predisposed to disliking someone or something, then you may
discount what is being said.
 Source suspicion - When the source of information is viewed as untrustworthy and therefore not credible.

4. Cross-Cultural Barriers - communication with people of different cultures and backgrounds means becoming
aware of the differences in values, beliefs and attitudes that people hold.

Each culture has own

 Language
 Values
 Social Relation
 Concept of time
 Concept of space
 Gestures
Which affect both verbal and nonverbal communication.

 For example, the sign “thumbs up” is taken as a sign of approval and wishing luck in most of the cultures but is
taken as an insult in Bangladesh.
 Similarly, the “V” hand gesture with palm faced outside or inside means victory and peace in US, but back of
hand facing someone showing the sign is taken as insulting in many cultures.
 5. Organizational Barriers - refer to the hindrances in the flow of information among the employees that might
result in a commercial failure of an organization.
 Loss of messages as they pass from one level to another.
 Filtering of information according to one’s understanding/ interpretation.
 Deliberate withholding of information from peers perceived as rivals.
 Information gap if upper level does not know the true state of affairs.

Principles of Effective Communication

1. Clarity - basic principle that communication should be in simple, easy and commonly understood language.
2. Adequacy - communication should be adequate and complete, not broken or incomplete.
3. Informality - formal communication is generally used for transmitting messages and other information.
Sometimes formal communication may not achieve the desired results, informal communication may prove
effective in such situations.
4. Time - all the messages and information should be communicated at the proper time.
5. Consistency - principle states that communication should always be consistent with the policies, plans,
programmes and objectives of the organization and not in conflict with them.
6. Attention - attention of the receiver on the communicated message must be drawn to make the
communication effective.
7. Integrity - communication is a means to develop proper cooperation and coordination to make that work
accomplished satisfactory. People who communicate honestly, openly, and authentically are more credible,
more often heard, and considered more trustworthy.
8. Empathy - The sender must consider the feelings, emotions, viewpoints and perceptions of the receiver.
9. Effective Listening - communicate effectively, one should be a good listener.
10. Feedback - is very important to make the communication effective. There should be a feedback information
from the recipient to know whether he has understood the message in the same sense in which the sender
has meant it.
11. Participation - The sender can invite the receiver or any recipient in the process of preparation and
determining the contents of the message.

Gateways to Communication

In order to enhance the effectiveness of communication, we can focus on the following aspects:

 Plan the message

 Use Proper language
 Don’t be evaluative
 Give proper Orientation
 Be an active listener
 Have an unbiased attitude
 Respond don’t react
 Promote congruence
 Use the grapevine
 Transmit the message in Installments
 Provide feedback
 Overcome bypassing
 Maintain semantic accuracy
 Add some eloquence
 Improve the ambience
 Use proper etiquette
  Watch your language

Communication in Various Definition

 It is derived from the Latin words “communis” which means commonness and “communicare” which means to
make common to many, share.
 It is the process of transmitting knowledge, ideas, information, attitudes, feelings.
 Communication is a transaction in which the participants are mutually engaged in the process of creating
meaning. - Comeaux (1996)

Sender

 The source of information or message.

 Encoder

Encoding

 The process of converting the message into words, actions, or other forms that the speaker understands.

Message

 The information, ideas, or thoughts conveyed by the speaker in words or in action.

Channel

 The medium or the means, such as personal or non-personal, verbal or nonverbal, in which the encoded
message is conveyed.

Decoding
  The process of interpreting the encoded message of the speaker by the receiver.

Receiver

 The recipient of the message

 Decoder

Feedback

 The reactions, responses or information provided by the receiver.

Barrier

The factors that affect the flow of communication.

Teleconferencing

 A live, interactive audio or audio-visual meeting between people who are not in the same location.
 Communicate via telecommunication networks using their tablets, mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers,
and even specially designed tech-enabled meeting rooms.

Types of Teleconferencing

 Audio Conferencing - voice only option.

 Web Conferencing - audio and visuals (seminars, presentations, large scale)
 Video Conferencing - a live video-based meeting between two or more people in different locations that
provides transmission of audio, video, text and presentations.

What is good Teleconference Etiquette

 Check your hardware and internet connection

 Select a user-friendly platform
 Create a quiet space without distractions
 Be prepared and on-time
 Mute your mic when you aren’t talking
 Don’t interrupt when others are speaking
 Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked throughout the meeting
 Wear appropriate attire
 Try to maintain eye contact
 Select a background
 Don’t sneak out of the meeting