ADITYA DEGREE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

UNIT-1

INTRODUCTION OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is the method of transferring information between people or group for mutual
understanding and confidence. It involves the flow of information from the sender to the
receiver. The receiver must understand the meaning and message of information. It can also be
taken as the process of sharing ideas, thoughts, opinions and views from one person to another
person. A manager should communicate effectively to his subordinates to implement the plans
and policies. The communication is one of the important function of management.

Communication is essential in every part of our human life. The scope of communication is wide
and pervasive. Human beings are somehow engaged in communication from cradle to grave. No
one can pass even a day without communication.

Definition

According to Keith Davis, “Communication is the process of passing information and

understanding from one person to another.”

According to Webster, “Communication means to share in, to give to another or the interchange
of – thoughts, opinions or information.”

Characteristics of Communication

(1) Two or More Persons:

The first important characteristic of communication is that there must be a minimum number of
two persons because no single individual can have an exchange of ideas with himself. A listener
is necessary to receive one’s ideas. Therefore, there must be at least two persons-the sender of
information and the receiver.

(2) Exchange of Ideas:

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Communication cannot be thought of in the absence of exchange of ideas. In order to complete

the process of communication there must be an exchange of ideas, orders, feelings, etc., among
two or more than two persons.

(3) Mutual Understanding:

Mutual understanding means that the receiver should receive the information in the same spirit
with which it is being given. In the process of communication, it is more important to understand
the information rather than carry it out.

(4) Direct and Indirect Communication:

It is not necessary in communication that the receiver and giver of information should be face-to-
face with each other. Communication can be both direct and indirect. Direct communication
means face-to-face conversation, while indirect communication is through other means.

(5) Continuous Process:

Communication is an endless process, as is the case with business where the manager
continuously assigns work to his subordinates, tries to know the progress of the work and gives
directions.

(6) Use of Words as well as Symbols:

There can be many means of communication, like the written, the oral and symbolic. The
examples of symbolic communication are the ringing of bell for closing a school or a college,
saying something by the movement of the neck, showing anger or disapproval through eyes,
giving some decision by the raising of a finger in cricket, etc.

Importance of Communication:
Effective communication is vital for efficient management and to improve industrial relations.
The following points can illustrate the importance of communication in management:

1. Base for Action: Communication acts as a base for any action. Starting of any activity
begins with communication which brings information necessary to begin with.

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2. Planning Becomes Easy: Planning is made easy by communication. Any type of information
regarding the human resource requirement of each department of the organization can be
collected through communication which helps in human resource planning. Policies and
programs for their acquisition can be prepared and implemented. In the entire processes
communication plays a vital role, it also facilitates managerial planning of the organization.

3. Means of Coordination: Communication is an important tool for coordinating the efforts of

various people at work in the organization.

4. Aids in Decision-Making: The information collected through communication aids in decision-

making. Communication facilitates access to the vital information required to take decisions.
5. Provides Effective Leadership: A communication skill bring manager near to his subordinates
and exchange ideas and submits appropriate proposals, knows their opinions, seeks advices and
make decisions. This enables a manager to win confidence of his subordinates through constantly
communicating with them and removing probable misunderstandings.
6. Boosts Morale and Motivation: An effective communication system instills confidence among
subordinates and workers ensuring change in their attitude and behavior. The main cause of
conflict and dissatisfaction is misunderstanding which can be removed through communication
skills.
Types of Communication

Communication is carried out formally or informally and can be verbal or non-verbal.

 Formal Communication is done in a professional manner. This type of

communication is mostly used in an office setting, during cooperate meetings and
conferences. Proper titles of those you’re addressing is a must here.

 Informal Communication is the opposite of formal communication. Here people are

less adherent to protocol and can engage in a casual manner. Authority lines are not
followed and people can use slang, refer to each other without using job titles, etc.
Due to the casual manner, people engage it is good for building relationships.

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 Verbal Communication– When passing information verbally you pass it by word of

mouth or in writing. Communication experts say when using verbal communication
Keep It Short and Simple(KISS).

 Non-Verbal Communication– This means that the person communicating with you
is using body language, posture, facial expressions, gestures, etc. For example, the
tone of voice is a non-verbal clue indicating whether an individual is angry or not.
Always watch the body language of a speaker it will communicate a lot.

Communication Process

The communication is a dynamic process that begins with the conceptualizing of ideas by the
sender who then transmits the message through a channel to the receiver, who in turn gives the
feedback in the form of some message or signal within the given time frame. Thus, there are
Seven major elements of communication process:

1. Sender: The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the conversation and has
conceptualized the idea that he intends to convey it to others.
2. Encoding: The sender begins with the encoding process wherein he uses certain words or non-
verbal methods such as symbols, signs, body gestures, etc. to translate the information into a
message. The sender’s knowledge, skills, perception, background, competencies, etc. has a great
impact on the success of the message.

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3. Message: Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the message that he intends to convey.
The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such as body gestures, silence, sights,
sounds, etc. or any other signal that triggers the response of a receiver.
4. Communication Channel: The Sender chooses the medium through which he wants to convey
his message to the recipient. It must be selected carefully in order to make the message effective
and correctly interpreted by the recipient. The choice of medium depends on the interpersonal
relationships between the sender and the receiver and also on the urgency of the message being
sent. Oral, virtual, written, sound, gesture, etc. are some of the commonly used communication
mediums.
5. Receiver: The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended or targeted. He tries to
comprehend it in the best possible manner such that the communication objective is attained. The
degree to which the receiver decodes the message depends on his knowledge of the subject
matter, experience, trust and relationship with the sender.
6. Decoding: Here, the receiver interprets the sender’s message and tries to understand it in the best
possible manner. An effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the
message in exactly the same way as it was intended by the sender.
7. Feedback: The Feedback is the final step of the process that ensures the receiver has received
the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the sender. It increases the
effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender to know the efficacy of his message.
The response of the receiver can be verbal or non-verbal.

Communication Problems in Organizations

1. Not All Employees Being Kept Informed

The assumption is that the usual modes of communication will send important information to
everyone who needs to know and that everyone will receive this information. However, in many
organizations, the information doesn’t reach people who are not using those methods of
communication on a regular basis (e.g., email that isn’t read by front-line workers).

2. Employees Not Receiving Consistent Messages from Management

Different supervisors are sending different, sometimes conflicting, messages about priorities.
This causes confusion and distrust among employees.

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3. Employees Not Receiving Timely Messages

Information is not getting to employees when and where they need it. Without vital information
at the right time and in the right place, the decision-making process slows and projects are not
completed on time or in the best way.

4. The Right Information is not Being Sent to the Right People

Critical information (e.g., market data) is not being shared among key stakeholders. Top
management is not engaging employees who have most of the customer contact in the important
decisions of the organization. Employees are not getting important information to management.

5. Expectations are not clear

Top leaders do not discuss expectations with mid-level managers. Therefore, they do not have
the same expectations nor do they agree on how to reach strategic goals. Because of this,
employees do not have clear goals and benchmarks to guide their progress.

6. Plan for the Future is not known

Leaders do not discuss their vision for the future of the organization with employees. There is no
sense of a shared direction toward which everyone is striving. This does not inspire employees to
do their best work.

7. Functional Areas Not Collaborating

Departments/units do not share the information that could help all departments/units achieve
common goals. They are competitive rather than collaborative. This limits the capability of the
organization as a whole.

8. Employees Not Open with Each Other

Employees do not share information with each other. They do not trust each other. This
compromises the productivity of teams, departments/units, and the organization.

Barriers to Communication

Some of the important barriers to communication have been discussed below:

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1. Physical Barriers: A communication is a two-way process, distance between the sender and
the receiver of the message is an important barrier to communication. Noise and environmental
factors also block communication.
2. Personal Barriers: Personal factors like difference in judgment, social values, inferiority
complex, bias, attitude, pressure of time, inability to communicate, etc. widen the psychological
distance between the communicator and the communicate. Credibility gap i.e., inconsistency
between what one says and what one does, also, acts as a barrier to communication.
3. Semantic or Language Barriers: Semantic is the science of meaning. The same words and
symbols carry different meanings to different people. Difficulties in communication arise when
the sender and the receiver of the message use words or symbols in different senses. Sometimes,
the language used by the sender may not at all be followed by the receiver.
4. Status Barriers (Superior-Subordinate Relationship): Status or position in the hierarchy of
an organization is one of the fundamental barriers that obstructs free flow of information. A
superior may give only selected information to his subordinates so as to maintain status
differences. Subordinates, usually, tend to convey only those things which the superiors would
appreciate. This creates distortion in communication.
5. Organizational Structure Barriers:
Effective communication largely depends upon sound organizational structure. If the structure is
complex involving several layers of management, the breakdown or distortion in communication
wall arise. It is an established fact that every layer cuts off a bit of information. Moreover,
information travelling through formal structure introduces rigidity and causes-delay because of
long lines of communication

6. Barriers Due to Inadequate Attention:

Inadequate attention to the message makes communication less effective and the message is
likely to be misunderstood. Inattention may arise because of over business of the communicate
or because of the message being contrary to his expectations and beliefs.

7. Premature Evaluation:
Some people have the tendency to form a judgment before listening to the entire message. This is
known as premature evaluation

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8. Emotional Attitude:
Barriers may also arise due to emotional attitude because when emotions are strong, it is difficult
to know the frame of mind of other person or group. Emotional attitudes of both, the
communicator as well as the communicate; obstruct free flow of transmission and understanding
of messages.

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