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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Business Communication:
Business Communication is the passing of information and understanding from one person to
another at the same level or at different levels. Business communication is the process by
which the management reaches other in managing its work. Since managers work through
others, all of their managerial functions pass through the bottle neck of communication. One
person can initiate the process but he alone cannot complete it. It is completed only when
other receive it.

The effectiveness of management largely depends upon the effectiveness of Business
communication. It is communication, which give life to an organization. So, it can be likened
to the life blood of an organization. Business communication includes all day-to-day exchange
of information among employees within the organization, and by management and
employees with outside stakeholders, entities, agencies in the course of doing business.

Organizations cannot operate without communication. Communication can take various
forms but all forms involve the transfer of information from one party to the other. In order
for the transfer of information to qualify as communication, the recipient must understand
the meaning of the information transferred to them. If the recipient does not understand the
meaning of the information conveyed to them, communication has not taken place.

Communication is the life source of organizations because organizations involve people.
People cannot interact with each other without communication. In the absence of
communication, everything would grind to a halt. For example; the workers in an organization
would not know the organizations objectives so they would not strive to achieve the
organizations objectives.

The workers in an organization would not know what their roles and responsibilities were, so
they would not be able to carry out their daily tasks and duties. The managers would not be
able to train their workers reports so the workers would not possess the skills they needed to
carry out their jobs. The managers would not be able to inform workers of changes. The
organization would not be aware of their competitors activities. On the whole people are
able to communicate with each other as this is a basic human function. However successful
organizations strive not only for communication but effective communication.
Communication within an organization happens in a number of different ways, which is why
it's so important to realize the types of communication that are happening and the correct
way to communicate within those realms. The way you communicate with co-workers or
peers should be different then how you communicate with your manager or the company
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president. Many other factors come in to play as well, including the values of the company
and nonverbal communication.

There are two basic types of communication: formal and informal. According to an Oregon
State study, formal communication is defined as communication through officially designated
channels of message flow between organization positions. In other words, formal
communication is directed to someone of authority or from someone with authority about a
work-related topic. Informal communication, on the other hand, is defined as episodes of
interaction that don't reflect officially designated channels of communication, which includes
talking to a friend at work.

Formal Communication

There are three avenues in which formal communication exists within a company: downward,
upward and horizontal. Downward communication happens when managers talk to
employees. This type of communication exists when managers need to explain job
instructions, correct employees' work, or explain new procedures. Although this type of
communication is vital to the organization, it's important that managers communicate
effectively without talking down to employees. Upward communication happens when
subordinates need to talk with their managers, something that could be as simple as letting
the manager know a task was completed or about a work-related problem. Horizontal
communication is when workers within the same work level communicate with each other
about completing tasks.

Informal Communication

It's important to not get informal communication confused with horizontal communication.
Although horizontal communication takes place within the same work level, it's done to
achieve work-related goals, whereas informal communication takes place in more of a social
setting. Informal communication is as important as formal communication because it helps
build employee morale and brings a "fun" atmosphere into work. Problems arise with
informal communication when people take it too far or start gossiping about one another.
Informal communication can be important within an organization, but it shouldn't replace the
formal communication structure.










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2. ORGANIZATION

A social unit of people systematically structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue
collective goals on a continuing basis. All organizations have a managementstructure that
determines relationships between functions and positions, and subdivides and delegates
roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out defined tasks. Organizations are open
systems in that they affect and are affected by the environment beyond their boundaries.

Communication Flows in an Organization:

In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions:
1. Downward
2. Upward
3. Lateral
4. Diagonal
5. External
1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in
an organization to a lower level is a downward communication. In other words,
communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward
communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-
related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this
information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their
managers. Downward communication is used by the managers for the following
purposes:
Providing feedback on employees performance

Giving job instructions

Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as
to communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the
organization.

Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the
employees.

Highlighting the areas of attention.


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Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all
examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free
downward communication, managers must:
Specify communication objective
Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.
Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the
receiver in right form
2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an
organization is called upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the
organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey
their problems and performances to their superiors.
The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have
understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to
share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process.
Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an
organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak
dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the
employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general.
Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things.
Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys
etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward
Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for
reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from
employees, employee-manager discussions etc.





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3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels
of hierarchy in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication
between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally
equivalent organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are
as follows:

It is time saving.

It facilitates co-ordination of the task.

It facilitates co-operation among team members.

It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational
members.

It helps in solving various organizational problems.

It is a means of information sharing

It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other
department or conflicts within a department.

4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and
employees of other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does
not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a
training manager interacts with Operation personnel to enquire about the way they
perform their task.

5. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and
external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For
instance - To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank
Manager.









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3. ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

Communication plays a vital role in the business organization, without communication one
can't think of the existence of organization in real world.

Followings are the key roles of business communication:

1. Communication develops civilized society: Communication is what has enabled us to
develop the civilized society. It is one activity that we human beings clearly do better
than the other forms of life on earth, and it largely explain our dominant role. It
contributes to the development of each and every employee.

2. Communication organizes works: Communication has enabled us to organize the all
sort of activities; to work in groups and through organization.

3. Communication overcomes barriers: Barriers to our existence that we could not have
conquered individually can be overcome through communication with group of
people.

4. Communication helps functioning of the organization: Staffing, planning, controlling,
reporting, producing, selling, servicing and the like functions are done through
communication. The organization cannot function if the persons involved fail to
communicate.

5. Communication enables to carry out the management function: It is the vehicle
through which the basic management functions are carried out. Managers direct and
coordinate through communication.

6. Communication coordinates works: All efforts from beginning to ending
(procurement, production, distribution etc.) in an organization are coordinated by the
communication.

7. Communication enables to make plan: Communication with each other from bottom
to top a plan has been set up to meet the organization goal

8. Communication enables to reach the goal: Every organization has a goal and through
proper communication makes easy to achieve this goal.

Virtually all action taken in an organization is mostly preceded by communication.



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4. IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN AN ORGANIZATION

Communication, in plain terms is the basis of all relationship. Be it personal or professional,
we cannot do without a healthy and effective communication. When it comes to business,
communication becomes even more important. This is the pillar on which professional
relationships are built. If we want the maximum profits out of our venture, it is essential that
we have a healthy rapport with our clients, partners and employees (if any). And how do we
build a good rapport depends on the effective communication of course.

Every organization needs proper communication to do well in their work and have a healthy
relationship. Communication is one of the basic functions of management in any organization
and its importance can hardly be overemphasized. It is a process of transmitting information,
ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. It is not
possible to have human relations without communication. However, good and effective
communication is required not only for good human relations but also for good and
successful business.

Good communication matters because business organizations are made up of people.
Typically, managers spend 75 to 80 percent of their time engaged in some form of written or
oral communication. And good communication is important to individuals and their
organizations because ineffective communication is very expensive, the changing
environment and increasing complexity of the 21st century workplace make communication
even more important and the worlds economy is becoming increasingly global.

Effective communication is required at various levels and for various aspects in an
organization for manager-employee relations, motivation and employee morale, to increase
productivity, and for employees. So, effective communication is very important for successful
working of an organization. Various obstacles occur to communicate in an organization but
those obstacles should be overcome. Communication is the key factor in the success of any
organization. When it comes to effective communication, there are certain barriers that every
organization faces. People often feel that communication is as easy and simple as it sounds.
No doubt, but what makes it complex, difficult and frustrating are the barriers that come in its
way.








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5. THE ROLE OF GOOD COMMUNICATOR

Good communication skills are of paramount importance these days. Even a glimpse at the
job advertisements will tell us how crucial it is to be a good communicator. A businessman
who is endowed with this skill will find it easier to:
Manage company more efficiently
Keep tasks organized and arranged well
Deal with partners and clients and build good rapports with them
Have a healthy relationship with employees, if she/he is the boss of the business
concern.

It is important to remember that communication also depends on the way in which we carry
ourselves. If we are not confident and lack a strong personality, this will show when we talk or
give a presentation. Thus, a good communicator also has to be confident of their abilities.
Their words and the way of putting them across should be such that it stimulates the desired
response from the intended audience. If we are of the opinion that a good communicator
needs a sound command over the language, it is not entirely true. Of course, language and its
correct usage have a big role to play but its not the be-all and ends all of communication.





















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6. UNDERSTNADING COMMUNICATION STYLE

Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. Understanding our personal
style of communicating will go a long way toward helping us to create good and lasting
impressions on others. By becoming more aware of how others perceive us, we can adapt
more readily to their styles of communicating. This does not mean we have to be a
chameleon, changing with every personality we meet. Instead, we can make another person
more comfortable with us by selecting and emphasizing certain behaviors that fit within our
personality and resonate with another.
There are three basic communication styles:
Aggressive
Passive
Assertive

Elements of the Aggressive Style

1. Mottos and Beliefs
o "Everyone should be like me."
o "I am never wrong."
o "I've got rights, but we don't."

2. Communication Style
o Close minded
o Poor listener
o Has difficulty seeing the other person's point of view
o Interrupts
o Monopolizing

3. Characteristics
o Achieves goals, often at others' expense
o Domineering, bullying
o Patronizing
o Condescending, sarcastic

4. Behavior
o Puts others down
o Doesn't ever think they are wrong
o Bossy
o Moves into people's space, overpowers
o Jumps on others, pushes people around
o Know-it-all attitude
o Doesn't show appreciation
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5. Nonverbal Cues
o Points, shakes finger
o Frowns
o Squints eyes critically
o Glares
o Stares
o Rigid posture
o Critical, loud, yelling tone of voice
o Fast, clipped speech

6. Verbal Cues
o "We must (ought to better)."
o "Don't ask why. Just do it."
o Verbal abuse

7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
o Must win arguments, threatens, attacks
o Operates from win/lose position

8. Feelings Felt
o Anger
o Hostility
o Frustration
o Impatience

9. Effects
o Provokes counter aggression, alienation from others, ill health
o Wastes time and energy over supervising others
o Pays high price in human relationships
o Fosters resistance, defiance, sabotaging, striking back, forming alliances, lying,
covering up
o Forces compliance with resentment

Elements of the Passive Style

1. Mottos and Beliefs
o "Don't express your true feelings."
o "Don't make waves."
o "Don't disagree."
o "Others have more rights than I do."

2. Communication Style
o Indirect
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o Always agrees
o Doesn't speak up
o Hesitant

3. Characteristics
o Apologetic, self-conscious
o Trusts others, but not self
o Doesn't express own wants and feelings
o Allows others to make decisions for self
o Doesn't get what he or she wants

4. Behaviors
o Sighs a lot
o Tries to sit on both sides of the fence to avoid conflict
o Clams up when feeling treated unfairly
o Asks permission unnecessarily
o Complains instead of taking action
o Lets others make choices
o Has difficulty implementing plans
o Self-effacing

5. Nonverbal Cues
o Fidgets
o Nods head often; comes across as pleading
o Lack of facial animation
o Smiles and nods in agreement
o Downcast eyes
o Slumped posture
o Low volume, meek
o Up talk
o Fast, when anxious; slow, hesitant, when doubtful

6. Verbal Cues
o "We should do it."
o "We have more experience than I do."
o "I can't......"
o "This is probably wrong, but..."
o "I'll try..."
o Monotone, low energy

7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
o Avoids, ignores, leaves, postpones
o Withdraws, is sullen and silent
o Agrees externally, while disagreeing internally
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o Expends energy to avoid conflicts that are anxiety provoking
o Spends too much time asking for advice, supervision
o Agrees too often

8. Feelings Felt
o Powerlessness
o Wonders why doesn't receive credit for good work
o Chalks lack of recognition to others' inabilities

9. Effects
o Gives up being him or herself
o Builds dependency relationships
o Doesn't know where he or she stands
o Slowly loses self esteem
o Promotes others' causes
o Is not well-liked

Elements of the Assertive Style

1. Mottos and Beliefs
o Believes self and others are valuable
o Knowing that assertiveness doesn't mean we always win, but that we handled
the situation as effectively as possible
o "I have rights and so do others."

2. Communication Style
o Effective, active listener
o States limits, expectations
o States observations, no labels or judgments
o Expresses self directly, honestly, and as soon as possible about feelings and
wants
o Checks on others feelings

3. Characteristics
o Non-judgmental
o Observes behavior rather than labeling it
o Trusts self and others
o Confident
o Self-aware
o Open, flexible, versatile
o Playful, sense of humor
o Decisive
o Proactive, initiating

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4. Behavior
o Operates from choice
o Knows what it is needed and develops a plan to get it
o Action-oriented
o Firm
o Realistic in her expectations
o Fair, just
o Consistent
o Takes appropriate action toward getting what she wants without denying
rights of others

5. Nonverbal Cues
o Open, natural gestures
o Attentive, interested facial expression
o Direct eye contact
o Confident or relaxed posture
o Vocal volume appropriate, expressive
o Varied rate of speech

6. Verbal Cues
o "I choose to..."
o "What are my options?"
o "What alternatives do we have?"

7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
o Negotiates, bargains, trades off, compromises
o Confronts problems at the time they happen
o Doesn't let negative feelings build up

8. Feelings Felt
o Enthusiasm
o Well being
o Even tempered

9. Effects
o Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
o Increased self-esteem of others
o Feels motivated and understood
o Others know where they stand

Clearly, the assertive style is the one to strive for. In fact, the aggressive style is essential at
certain times such as:
when a decision has to be made quickly;
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during emergencies;
when we know we're right and that fact is crucial;
Stimulating creativity by designing competitions destined for use in training or to
increase productivity.

Passiveness also has its critical applications:
when an issue is minor
when the problems caused by the conflict are greater than the conflict itself
when emotions are running high and it makes sense to take a break in order to calm
down and regain perspective
when our power is much lower than the other party's
When the other's position is impossible to change for all practical purposes (i.e.,
government policies, etc.).

Remaining aware of own communication style and fine-tuning it as time goes by gives we the
best chance of success in business and life.
















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7. 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 - 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.

4. 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.

5. Recipient - 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.

6. 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.
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7. Barriers- At any point in the communication process a barrier can occur. Barriers keep
us from understanding others ideas and thoughts. Barriers can appear at any point of
the communication loop.

Have you ever been talking to someone and they misunderstand what you were
saying?

There are two types of barriersinternal and external.

Examples of internal barriers are fatigue, poor listening skills, attitude toward the
sender or the information, lack of interest in the message, fear, mistrust, past
experiences, negative attitude, problems at home, lack of common experiences,and
emotions. Examples of external barriers include noise, distractions, e-mail not
working, bad phone connections, time of day; sender used too many technical words
for the audience, and environment. Barriers keep the message from getting through.
When communicating, watch out for barriers. Monitor the actions of the receiver.
Watch his/her body language; check to make sure the message the receiver received
is the one sent. Also ask questions and listen.










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8. CONCLUSION/ RECOMMENDATION

Effective communication is a major part in achieving any goals. Effectively
communicating with your peers is essential when it comes to your learning. Many
times your instructor is the sender. His/her job is to send you messages that include
information about the skill you need to learn. As your peers are the senders of a
message while communicating in an organization, many times there comes situations
when peers have to work together as a team. You might be asked to work on a specific
activity that would require you to receive messages from other team members or an
appointed leader. Sometimes you may be asked to be the sender. Remember that
communication involves speaking, listening, and observing.

As every organization is different and so is the environment and people working in an
organization. So, one thumb rule in communication cannot be set for all the
organization. Some organization may use aggressive style of communication while
other may be fit into passive style of communication.Similarly, as individuals are
different, for flow of communication to be right in an organization the way of
communicating are different. Some organization prefers oral communication better,
while other feels that written communication is more professional.

Therefore, we cannot say that if one organization will benefit using one particular style
of communication then the same style will work in the other organization. There are
different types, ways and style of communication and depending upon the situation
and preferences communication should be done as it is one of the most importance
areas to be considered for any organization to be successful.


















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9. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. http://www.rizwanashraf.com/2008/02/04/business-communication-and-its-types/
2. http://www.bus.wisc.edu/ business_communication.asp.htm/
3. http://www.onlinewbc.gov/docs/manage/comm_style.html
4. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/role-business-communication-2881.html
5. http://www.hadoaid.org/TOPIC Importance of communication in a business
organization HADO HORN OF AFRICA AID & DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION.mht
6. http://www.denniscummins.com/communication/ImportanceofCommunication In
Business Dr_ Dennis Cummins Total Health Training.mht
7. http://www.blurtit.com/importance of comm.htm