15 Business

Communication
• Effective communication process
• Choice of Communication medium
• Barriers to effective communication
• Removing Barriers to effective communication
• Types of communication Network
• One way or two way communication
• Other types of communication
14/03/2024 A level Business 1
 Learning objectives of
Business Communication
• Understand what is meant by effective communication
• Appreciate the importance of feedback, choice of medium and clarity of message in
achieving effective communication
• Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the different communication methods or
media
• Evaluate their application in different situations
• Understand the causes of ineffective communication – the barriers to communication and
how to overcome them
• Analyse the differences between one- and two way, vertical and horizontal, formal and
informal communication
• Evaluate the application of different communication networks

14/03/2024 A level Business 2

 Communication Process
Effective communication is two ways
B
A
Receiver
Transmitter/ Sender
R Message Understanding
Aims of Appropriate
Message R the message’s Response/
Communication Language/Medium I meaning Action
E
R
S
Feedback
To sender
Effective communication – Barriers must be reduced or eliminated

Better staff motivation through participation

Better productivity through better motivation
Effective
Communication Helps generate new ideas
Improves speed of decision making
Improves speed of Response to external influences
Reduces risk of errors
Helps coordination between different parts of business
14/03/2024 A level Business 3
 Choice of communication medium

Importance Cost
Speed
of a record
of the
message

Choice
Need for of Amount of
discussion Medium information
of contents
of message

Size/
Need for
Spread of
clarity
Business

14/03/2024 A level Business 4

 Strengths and weaknesses of communication methods
Methods Strengths Weaknesses

Oral • Direct • Need to listen carefully

• Can be varied to suit needs of receiver • Affected by noise
• Easy to understand • Passive
• Can be questions quickly • No permanent accurate record
• Can be quickly forgotten
Written • Recorded – permanent record • Often difficult to read
• More structured • Message identical to each receiver
• Easy to distribute • No body language
• Cannot be distorted • Feedback slower
• Can be referred to again • No immediate response
• May be misinterpreted
• Costly and time consuming
Visual • More interactive • Needs close attention
• Demands attention • Sometimes too fast
• Often easier to remember • Not always clear
• Creates greater interest • Interpretations by receivers can vary
Electroni • Great speed • Cannot always be received
c • Interactive • Relies on receiver
• Creates interest • Is expensive in hardware
• Encourages response • Risk of communication overload
• Ignores boundaries • Can be intercepted
• Good images for external communication • Diminishes personal contact

14/03/2024 A level Business 5

 Barriers of Effective communication

Failure in one of the Poor attitude of sender or Physical Barriers

stages of receiver • Too much noise
communication • Sender not trusted by • Too much distance
• Wrong medium receiver between sender/
• Channel of communication • Unmotivated receiver/ sender receiver
is too long • Poor intermediaries • Poor equipment /
• Misleading or incomplete service
message
• Too much technical
language or jargon
• Too much information

14/03/2024 A level Business 6

 Removing barriers to effective communication

Managers should ensures:

 clear, concise and precise messages
 As short communication channels as possible
 Channels clear to all involved
 Built in feedback mechanisms
 Trust
 Appropriate physical conditions

14/03/2024 A level Business 7

 Types of communication network

Chain
Vertical
Wheel
Circle
integrated

14/03/2024 A level Business 8

 One way or two way communication
The ‘Virtuous Circle’ of communication
Good communication can be achieved by:
One way: Quick ,easy
to send message to Participation of
large numbers of staff
people, used where
response not needed Respond Better
positively to Communication
Two way: reduces
communication
misunderstandings,
allows development
of issues, more
motivating through Better
participation but time Motivation
consuming
Increased
willingness to
contribute

14/03/2024 A level Business 9

 A summary of Business communication

14/03/2024 A level Business 10