Communication For Mgmt./ Business Communication
Communication is neither transmission of message nor message itself. It is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the receiver. Communication needs to be effective in business. Communication is essence of management. The basic functions of management (Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling) cannot be performed well without effective communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information. Feedback is integral part of business communication. Organizations these days are very large. It involves number of people. There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization. Greater the number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between organization and society at large(for example between management and trade unions). It is essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps should not occur in any organization.
Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication. Effective business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization.
Business Communication can be of two types:
Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally business communication is a formal means of communication, like: meetings, interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business communication would be - Grapevine.
Written Communication - Written means of business communication includes - agenda, reports, manuals etc.
Oral Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Limitations
Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations, discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required. Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences, interviews, etc.) is significant so as to build a rapport and trust.
Advantages of Oral Communication
1. There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is interpersonal.
2.There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing changes in the decisions previously taken.
3. The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be made quickly without any delay.
4. Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts.
5. Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over.
6. Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy.
7. Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees.
8. Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential information/matter.
Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral Communication 1. Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is formal ad very organized.
2. Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal and not as organized as written communication.
3. Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in case of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times.
4. Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.
5. There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack essentials.
6. It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience.
7. Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except in investigation work.
Written Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.
Advantages of Written Communication
1. Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization.
2. It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required.
3. It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge
4. Written communication is more precise and explicit.
5. Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image.
6. It provides ready records and references.
7. Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.
Disadvantages of Written Communication
1. Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.
2. Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.
3. Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and sending of message takes time.
4. Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization's reputation.
5. Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved. Communication Process
Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him.
Communication Process
The main components of communication process are as follows:
1. Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. Every communication proceeds with context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context.
2. Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance - a training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal and non verbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender.
3. Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear.
Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication. For instance - Written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.
4. Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder.
5. Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in form of memos, reports, etc.
Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication. Effective business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization.
Business Communication can be of two types:
Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally business communication is a formal means of communication, like: meetings, interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business communication would be - Grapevine.
Written Communication - Written means of business communication includes - agenda, reports, manuals etc.
Oral Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Limitations
Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations, discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required. Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences, interviews, etc.) is significant so as to build a rapport and trust.
Advantages of Oral Communication
1. There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is interpersonal.
2.There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing changes in the decisions previously taken.
3. The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be made quickly without any delay.
4. Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts.
5. Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over.
6. Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy.
7. Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees.
8. Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential information/matter.
Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral Communication 1. Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is formal ad very organized.
2. Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal and not as organized as written communication.
3. Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in case of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times.
4. Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady.
5. There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack essentials.
6. It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience.
7. Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except in investigation work.
Written Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.
Advantages of Written Communication
1. Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization.
2. It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required.
3. It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge
4. Written communication is more precise and explicit.
5. Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image.
6. It provides ready records and references.
7. Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.
Disadvantages of Written Communication
1. Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.
2. Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.
3. Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and sending of message takes time.
4. Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization's reputation.
5. Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved. Communication Process
Communication is a process of exchanging verbal and non verbal messages. It is a continuous process. Pre-requisite of communication is a message. This message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender. He must respond within a time frame. Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him.
Communication Process
The main components of communication process are as follows:
1. Context - Communication is affected by the context in which it takes place. This context may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. Every communication proceeds with context. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context.
2. Sender / Encoder - Sender / Encoder is a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance - a training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal and non verbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender.
3. Message - Message is a key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear.
Medium - Medium is a means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication. For instance - Written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there.
4. Recipient / Decoder - Recipient / Decoder is a person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder.
5. Feedback - Feedback is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in form of memos, reports, etc.