Communication for Work Purposes

Learning Outcomes
1. Create clear, coherent, and effective materials
2. Present ideas persuasively using appropriate language registers, tone, facial expressions, and
gestures
3. Adopt awareness of audience and context in presenting ideas
Lesson 7-A outline:
1. Workplace Communication
2. Business Letters
3. Memos
A. Workplace Communication
Workplace communication
- is a discipline of its own that is unlike academic or scholastic writing.
- serves specific purposes for particular individuals, groups, organizations, or departments.
3 things to consider in communicating in the workplace :
1. Purpose
a) Am I writing primarily to create a record, to request/provide information, or to persuade?
b) What am I trying to say?
2. Audience (Searles, 2014)
a) Who will read what I have written?
b) What are their job titles and/or areas of responsibility?
c) What do they already know about the specific situation?
d) Why do they need this information?
e) What do I want them to do as a result of receiving it?
f) What factors might influence their response?
Broad Categories of Workplace Communication
a) Upward Communication - from your position to an audience above you in the job hierarchy
Example: a response to a letter from your manager
b) Lateral Communication - between you and an audience within your level of hierarchy
Example: a phone call to/from a co-worker you are collaborating with
c) Downward Communication - from your position to an audience below you in the job
hierarchy
Example: an oral reminder to a trainee
d) Outward Communication - between you and a company that you do business with or an
audience outside your workplace
Example: a letter of inquiry addressed to a supplier regarding a delivery to your office
3. Tone - it will set how your target audience will accept what you are trying to say.
- you do not have to sound tough, demanding, or condescending in your discourse especially in
sensitive subjects or issues
2 Kinds of Approaches (searles, 2014)
Writer-Centered Reader-Centered
I’d be happy to assist you with your concern. If you have any concern, I’d be happy to assist you.

We will send you a copy of your request... The copy you requested has already been sent...
I’m happy to let you know... You will be glad to know that....

Positive and Negative Contents

Negative Positive
I cannot process your request for a credit in your account unless it has... Your request for a credit in your account will be processed after it.

been investigated by the fraud department. has been investigated.

We are closed after 5:00 PM daily. You may visit us daily before 5:00 PM.

Wait for our call regarding your concern. Please be advised that you can expect a call from us regarding your concern.
Workplace communication will fail the ethics test if it is corrupted by any of the following
tactics (Searles, 2014):
1. Suppression of information.
2. Falsification or fabrication.
3. Overstatement of understatement.
4. Selective misquoting.
5. Subjective wording.
6. Conflict of interest.
7. Withholding information.
8. Plagiarism.
B. Business Letters
“Business writing refers to memorandums, reports, proposals, e-mails, and other forms of writing
used in organizations to communicate with internal and external audiences. Business writing is a
type of professional communication. Also known as business communication and professional
writing (Nordquist, 2017).”
“Writing business correspondence like letters and memos is a skill or potential that must be
developed and possess by a person regardless by his work, profession, or specialization (Mosura,
et al., 199).”
Parts of a business letter
1. Heading - includes the return address and the date on the last line.
Example:
The National Teachers College
Quiapo, Manila
Telephone Number
E-mail

January 1, 2018
2. Inside address/Recipient’s address - contains the name to which the letter is written and
addressed
Example:
DR. VICTORIA B. MARTINEZ
Principal
St. Anthony Integrated School
Quezon City
3. Salutation - is the greeting part that is written in a polite and courteous manner followed by a
comma (,) or a colon (:)
Example:
Mr. (name), Madame (name):
Sir (name), Dear Madame (name):
Dear Sir (name), Dear Dr. (name):
My dear (name), Dear Rev. (name):
Mrs. (name), Miss (name):
4. Body of the letter - contains the main purpose of the letter, the very reason for writing. It is
very important that the body of the letter be written in a straightforward, simple, and coherent
manner.
Example:
“The undersigned would like to request your good office to grace her an interview with the one
in-charge on the Human Resource Management in your respected company. This is in line with
the expansion that our business is going to have whether we can consider your business as one of
our partners. These all will be depending on the result of our somehow quick survey and study
with your company the undersigned is fervently hoping for your favorable response.”
5. Complimentary closing - is the polite yet business-like ending of the letter. This ends with a
comma (,).
Example:
Sincerely yours, Very sincerely,
Truly yours, Very sincerely yours,
Respectfully yours, Very respectfully yours,
Much obliged, Very much obliged,
6. Signature block - the name of the sender is written on the first line, then his/her position on
the next line. It is expected that the sender will put his/her signature above his/her name.
Formats of a Business Letter
1. Block. - positions all the parts if the letter to the left, single space, and justified.
2. Modified Block. - all parts of the letter are tabbed on the left, single space, and justified
except the heading and the closing which are tabbed in the center.
3. Semi-block - the paragraphs are indented instead of placing them all on the left. Heading is on
the center, and the date cam be placed in the right side three spaces after the heading. The
recipient’s address is on the left, and the closing on the right
Frequently written business letters
1. Letter of Request

2. Letter of Inquiry
3. Letter of Order

4. Letter of Acknowledgement
5. Letter of Complaint/Claim

6. Letter of Adjustment