National Institute of Business Management

Chennai - 020
SECOND SEMESTER EMBA/MBA
Subject : Business English

Attend any 4 questions. Each question carries 25 marks

(Each answer should be of minimum 2 pages / of 300 words)

1. Explain the process of Communication.

2. Discuss Personnel communication.
3. Explain the practical guidelines for using gender inclusive language in
business communication.
4. Explain the pressure of writing a performance review.
5. Explain the guidelines to overcome barriers to communication.
6. Describe in detail the classification of Communication.

25 x 4=100 marks
 1. Process of Communication
Answers:
What is 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. Communication process consists of
some interrelated steps or parts through which messages are sent
form sender to receiver. The process of communication begins
when the sender wants to transmit a fact, idea, opinion or other
information to the receiver and ends with receiver’s feedback to the
sender. The main components of communication process are
sender, message, channel, receiver and feedback. In the following,
some definitions of the communication process are quoted:

The following diagram represents the communication process

Thus, it is clear that communication process is the set of some sequential

steps involved in transferring message as well as feedback. The process re-
quires a sender who transmits message through a channel to the receiver.
Then the receiver decodes the message and sends back some type of signal
or feedback.
 Steps or elements of communication process
The communication process refers to the steps through which
communication takes place between the sender and the receiver. This process
starts with conceptualizing an idea or message by the sender and ends with
the feedback from the receiver. In details, communication process consists of
the following eight steps:
1. Developing idea by the sender: In the first step, the communicator de-
velops or conceptualizes an idea to be sent. It is also known as the plan-
ning stage since in this stage the communicator plans the subject matter
of communication.
2. Encoding: Encoding means converting or translation the idea into a
perceivable form that can be communicated to others.
3. Developing the message: After encoding the sender gets a message
that can be transmitted to the receiver. The message can be oral, writ-
ten, symbolic or nonverbal. For example, when people talk, speech is the
message; when people write a letter, the words and sentences are the
message; when people cries, the crying is the message.
4. Selecting the medium: Medium is the channel or means of transmitting
the message to the receiver. Once the sender has encoded his into a
message, the next step is to select a suitable medium for transmitting it
to the receiver. The medium of communication can be speaking, writing,
signalling, gesturing etc.
5. Transmission of message: In this step, the sender actually transmits
the message through chosen medium. In the communication cycle, the
tasks of the sender end with the transmission of the message.
6. Receiving the message by receiver: This stage simply involves the re-
ception of sender’s message by the receiver. The message can be re-
ceived in the form of hearing, seeing, feeling and so on.
7. Decoding: Decoding is the receiver’s interpretation of the sender’s
message. Here the receiver converts the message into thoughts and tries
 to analyse and understand it. Effective communication can occur only
when both the sender and the receiver assign the same or similar mean-
ings to the message.
8. Feedback: The final step of communication process is feedback. Feed-
back means receiver’s response to sender’s message. It increases the ef-
fectiveness of communication. It ensures that the receiver has correctly
understood the message. Feedback is the essence of two-way commu-
nication.
(1) Sender: The person who intends to convey the message with the
intention of passing information and ideas to others is known as sender
or communicator.
(2) Ideas: This is the subject matter of the communication. This may
be an opinion, attitude, feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.
(3) Encoding: Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical
and intangible, its further passing requires use of certain symbols such
as words, actions or pictures etc. Conversion of subject matter into
these symbols is the process of encoding.
(4) Communication Channel: The person who is interested in commu-
nicating must choose the channel for sending the required information,
ideas etc. This information is transmitted to the receiver through cer-
tain channels which may be either formal or informal.
(5) Receiver: Receiver is the person who receives the message or for
whom the message is meant for. It is the receiver who tries to under-
stand the message in the best possible manner in achieving the de-
sired objectives.
(6) Decoding: The person who receives the message or symbol from
the communicator tries to convert the same in such a way so that he
may extract its meaning to his complete understanding.
(7) Feedback: Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver
has received the message and understood in the same sense as sender
meant it.
4. Pressure of writing performance reviews
Answers:
Writing a Good Performance Review: Honesty &
Guidance is Key No matter how frequently (or infrequently) they occur,
performance evaluations are nerve-wracking for both employees and their
managers. A worker may not be thrilled about being scrutinized by the
boss. Meanwhile, managers face a lot of pressure to present both the
positives and negatives of their employees' work and behavior in a
respectful, professional manner. When managers need to review serious
problems, evaluations can be especially stressful.
As a manager, giving your staff constructive feedback is a
crucial part of ensuring that your organization operates smoothly. Per-
formance reviews give you the opportunity to praise employees for what
they've done well, correct what they're doing wrong and discuss your vis-
ion for their growth and future at the company. But too often, bosses
struggle to effectively communicate their thoughts in a way that doesn't
overwhelm the employee during the review.
Make it comprehensive
An effective performance review covers all the bases concerning an
employee's work. It shouldn't be all positive or all negative; a healthy balance
of both is necessary to help your staff members evolve in their roles.
"A formal evaluation needs to have a few key components," said Don McIver,
COO of 5W Public Relations. "The feedback should be relevant and specific,
with examples for both the good and bad points. Employee strengths should
be acknowledged, and corrective action needed in weak performance areas
should be identified."
In addition to highlighting strengths and weaknesses, a review should estab-
lish performance goals for the upcoming year, and discuss the employee's
role as part of a collaborative team. Bill Peppler, managing partner of staffing
firm Kavaliro, also advised providing employees with a formal objective of the
evaluation beforehand.
"A good manager will explain the purpose of the review, what they will go
over and how frequently performance reviews are given," Peppler said. "This
manages employee expectations and helps everyone involved be more fully
prepared for the meeting."
Recap regular, informal feedback
Employees' annual or biannual evaluations should not be the
only time they receive feedback about their performance. While there's no
need to call a meeting for every individual issue that comes up, there
shouldn't be any surprises when workers read their reviews from the boss.
"Employee feedback should not wait for an annual review, but
[should] be given throughout the year as performance issues, good or bad,
arise," McIver told BusinessNewsDaily. "A formal evaluation is ideally a recap
of things that have been addressed during the year."
When there is a problem with an employee's habits or actions,
address it as soon as possible after the incident occurs to avoid bringing that
tension into the evaluation. If an employee's behavior (positive or negative)
doesn't warrant immediate feedback, make a note of it and use it as a refer-
ence point during a formal or informal performance discussion.
Give honest, constructive criticism
It's never easy to tell an employee what he or she needs to im-
prove but giving constructive criticism about your workers' performance is an
important part of the review process. Be as clear and direct as possible about
any shortcomings and mistakes, but also take the time to provide solutions to
those problems.
"Fully explain what the issue is, and then expand on options
for improvement," Peppler suggested. "If you see a problem in an employee's
work, then he or she should have a solution to how it can be fixed. Also, let
employees know where this improvement can take them, such as a promotion
to a management role."
If suggested improvements are related to reaching a profes-
sional goal, be sure to let employees know what you plan to do as a manager
to help them achieve that goal.
Encourage discussion about the review
Most managers agree that it's frustrating when an employee
has nothing to say in response to his or her performance evaluation. You
don't want your staff to fight you on every point, but you also don't want to
be met with silence if you have suggestions. Push your employees to give you
feedback on the issues you raised. The written review should be a brief but
direct overview of discussion points, making for a more nuanced face-to-face
conversation; this calls for employee feedback.

If the conversation starts to get heated and you want to

avoid saying something that you might regret, you can try diffusing the ten -
sion with humour. You can then continue a more serious discussion later via
email or in another meeting, after the employee has had a chance to cool
down.
End on a positive note
Always end performance reviews on a positive note. Re-
gardless of what else was discussed during the evaluation, encouraging your
employees and letting them know you appreciate what they do for the com-
pany will give an added boost to a primarily good review, or lift their spirits
after a somewhat negative evaluation. Positive phraseology and reinforce-
ment can go a long way in giving workers the confidence and drive they need
to perform their jobs even better.
If you’ve ever had to complete a self or employee appraisal, you may
know what it’s like to spend several minutes or maybe even hours staring
at a blank page or computer screen. The wonderful thing about techno-
 logy and automation is that it allows us to do our jobs more efficiently and
effectively. An automated talent management solution can help save time
and energy on tedious tasks that would normally take forever to complete
using a manual process, and instead allow us to channel our attention to
other important areas.’
But even with an automated tool, writing performance re-
views can be tough. As a busy professional with a lot on your plate, you may
very well find yourself struggling to get those ideas and thoughts flowing.
The truth is, even natural born authors get writers block.
In fact, when asked about the scariest thing he had ever encountered, novel-
ist Ernest Hemingway once said, “A blank sheet of paper.” And on several
levels, he was right. When it comes to writing, the hardest part is often get-
ting past the blank page which may be why employees and managers find ap-
praisals to be a nuisance, and huff and puff when it comes down to actually
doing them.
If you don’t have the luxury of an automated tool to turn to this performance
review season, or if you do, and even that’s not enough to get you going,
here are some helpful and practical ways to overcome writer’s block and get
those appraisals completed on time:
1.Plan with a deadline in mind. Always be aware of your due date, and plan
accordingly to ensure that you’re successful in meeting it. Also keep in mind
that by not realizing your due date, you could be contributing to a bottle-neck
in the process and preventing others from doing their jobs.
2. Block off your calendar. Set aside the necessary time you think you’ll need
to complete your appraisal(s) and spread it out over more than one day.
Don’t try to overload yourself by trying to get everything done at once or you
may feel overwhelmed. Breaking the task down over time helps alleviate
some of the pressure.
3. Take breaks. If you’ve been staring at a blank page for more than 15
minutes, take a breather and come back to it. Whether it’s getting up to walk
around or moving on to another task for the time being, taking a step back
from the task at hand is more often than not the best thing to do.
No matter how frequently (or infrequently) they occur, perform-
ance evaluations are nerve-wracking for both employees and their managers.
A worker may not be thrilled about being scrutinized by the boss. Meanwhile,
managers face a lot of pressure to present both the positives and negatives of
their employees' work and behaviour in a respectful, professional manner.
When managers need to review serious problems, evaluations can be espe-
cially stressful.
As a manager, giving your staff constructive feedback is a
crucial part of ensuring that your organization operates smoothly. Per-
formance reviews give you the opportunity to praise employees for what
they've done well, correct what they're doing wrong and discuss your vis-
ion for their growth and future at the company. But too often, bosses
struggle to effectively communicate their thoughts in a way that doesn't
overwhelm the employee during the review.

Make it comprehensive
An effective performance review covers all the bases concern-
ing an employee's work. It shouldn't be all positive or all negative; a healthy
balance of both is necessary to help your staff members evolve in their roles.
"A formal evaluation needs to have a few key components," said
Don McIver, COO of 5W Public Relations. "The feedback should be relevant
and specific, with examples for both the good and bad points. Employee
strengths should be acknowledged, and corrective action needed in weak per-
formance areas should be identified."
In addition to highlighting strengths and weaknesses, a review
should establish performance goals for the upcoming year, and discuss the
employee's role as part of a collaborative team. Bill Peppler, managing part-
ner of staffing firm Kavaliro, also advised providing employees with a formal
objective of the evaluation beforehand.
"A good manager will explain the purpose of the review, what
they will go over and how frequently performance reviews are given," Peppler
said. "This manages employee expectations and helps everyone involved be
more fully prepared for the meeting."
Recap regular, informal feedback
Employees' annual or biannual evaluations should not be
the only time they receive feedback about their performance. While there's no
need to call a meeting for every individual issue that comes up, there
shouldn't be any surprises when workers read their reviews from the boss.
"Employee feedback should not wait for an annual review,
but [should] be given throughout the year as performance issues, good or
bad, arise," McIver told BusinessNewsDaily. "A formal evaluation is ideally a
recap of things that have been addressed during the year."
When there is a problem with an employee's habits or actions,
address it as soon as possible after the incident occurs to avoid bringing that
tension into the evaluation. If an employee's behaviour (positive or negative)
doesn't warrant immediate feedback, make a note of it and use it as a refer-
ence point during a formal or informal performance discussion.
Give honest, constructive criticism
It's never easy to tell an employee what he or she needs to
improve but giving constructive criticism about your workers' performance is
an important part of the review process. Be as clear and direct as possible
about any shortcomings and mistakes, but also take the time to provide solu-
tions to those problems.
"Fully explain what the issue is, and then expand on options
for improvement," Peppler suggested. "If you see a problem in an employee's
work, then he or she should have a solution to how it can be fixed. Also, let
employees know where this improvement can take them, such as a promotion
to a management role."
If suggested improvements are related to reaching a profes-
sional goal, be sure to let employees know what you plan to do as a manager
to help them achieve that goal.
Encourage discussion about the review
Most managers agree that it's frustrating when an employee has
nothing to say in response to his or her performance evaluation. You don't
want your staff to fight you on every point, but you also don't want to be met
with silence if you have suggestions. Push your employees to give you feed-
back on the issues you raised. The written review should be a brief but direct
overview of discussion points, making for a more nuanced face-to-face con-
versation; this calls for employee feedback.
If the conversation starts to get heated and you want to avoid
saying something that you might regret, you can try diffusing the tension with
humour. You can then continue a more serious discussion later via email or in
another meeting, after the employee has had a chance to cool down.
End on a positive note
Always end performance reviews on a positive note. Re-
gardless of what else was discussed during the evaluation, encouraging your
employees and letting them know you appreciate what they do for the com-
pany will give an added boost to a primarily good review, or lift their spirits
after a somewhat negative evaluation. Positive phraseology and reinforce-
ment can go a long way in giving workers the confidence and drive they need
to perform their jobs even better.
If you’ve ever had to complete a self or employee appraisal, you may
know what it’s like to spend several minutes or maybe even hours staring
at a blank page or computer screen. The wonderful thing about techno-
logy and automation is that it allows us to do our jobs more efficiently and
effectively. An automated talent management solution can help save time
 and energy on tedious tasks that would normally take forever to complete
using a manual process, and instead allow us to channel our attention to
other important areas.
But even with an automated tool, writing performance reviews
can be tough. As a busy professional with a lot on your plate, you may very
well find yourself struggling to get those ideas and thoughts flowing.
The truth is, even natural born authors get writers block. In
fact, when asked about the scariest thing he had ever encountered, novelist
Ernest Hemingway once said, “A blank sheet of paper.” And on several levels,
he was right. When it comes to writing, the hardest part is often getting past
the blank page which may be why employees and managers find appraisals to
be a nuisance, and huff and puff when it comes down to actually doing them.
If you don’t have the luxury of an automated tool to turn to
this performance review season, or if you do, and even that’s not enough to
get you going, here are some helpful and practical ways to overcome writer’s
block and get those appraisals completed on time:
1. Plan with a deadline in mind. Always be aware of your due date, and plan
accordingly to ensure that you’re successful in meeting it. Also keep in mind
that by not realizing your due date, you could be contributing to a bottle-neck
in the process and preventing others from doing their jobs.
2. Block off your calendar. Set aside the necessary time you think you’ll need
to complete your appraisal(s) and spread it out over more than one day.
Don’t try to overload yourself by trying to get everything done at once or you
may feel overwhelmed. Breaking the task down over time helps alleviate
some of the pressure.
3. Take breaks. If you’ve been staring at a blank page for more than 15
minutes, take a breather and come back to it. Whether it’s getting up to walk
around or moving on to another task for the time being, taking a step back
from the task at hand is more often than not the best thing to do.
5. Guidelines to overcome barriers to communication
Answers:
To overcome the communication barriers are essential to ensure
effective communication. Although it is not possible to eliminate all the barri-
ers, they can be minimized to a great extent. The following guidelines are
offered in this regard:
1. Clear organizational policy: Organization should have adequate, clear
and explicit communication policies. Such policies will reduce confusion
and promote the flow of communication.
2. Provision for feedback: In order to make communicate effective,
mangers should actively seek feedback from subordinates. Feedback
reduces the chance of misunderstanding and disparity between the
messages sends and received.
3. Reorganization: In order to create a favourable communication climate,
complex organization structure should be reorganized. Reorganization
may involve reducing authority layers and establishing clear authority
and responsibility relationship.
4. Management development: For improving communication skills, man-
agement development is necessary. This development is possible
through delegation of authority, decentralization, arranging seminars
and workshops, providing training on computers and other electronic
means of communication.
5. Orientation: Orientation refers to introducing the newly appointed em-
ployees with the company mission, goals, policies, rules and regula-
tions, procedures etc. this can greatly enhance the effectiveness of
communication in the organization.
6. Promoting informal relationship: Informal relationship can play a vital
role in promoting communication. Hence, management should use in-
formal communication channel along with the formal channels.
 7. Selecting proper media: Effectiveness of communication largely de-
pends on appropriateness of media. Therefore, media should be select-
ing considering some factors such as importance of message, commu-
nication environment, knowledge of the receiver etc.
8. Communication training: To make the employees efficient communic-
ator, organizations can arrange various training programs for them.
9. Reducing information overload: Communication system becomes de-
fective if more information flows at a time than is necessity. To resolve
this problem, only necessary information should be conveyed.
Moreover, separate messages should be communicated after certain
intervals.
10.Communication audit: According to Howard H. Greenbaum, one way to
improve communication in organization is to conduct a communication
audit. Communication audit means examining and evaluating commu-
nication networks, communication functions and communication prin-
ciple. If communication audit is undertaken after certain intervals,
communication will obviously improve.

1. Feedback and upward communication:

Feedback helps to reduce misunderstandings. The in-
formation is transferred more accurately when the receiver is given the op-
portunity to ask for clarifications and answers to any questions about the
message.
Two-way communication, even though more time consuming,
avoids distrust and leads to trust and openness which builds a healthy rela-
tionship between the sender and the receiver and contributes to effective
communication. Upward communication is strengthened by keeping an open-
door policy and providing opportunities for workers to give suggestions which
should be taken seriously by the management by acknowledging them and
taking appropriate action.
2. Improve listening skills:
According to Stuart Chase, “listening is the other half of
talking,” and is very important part of the communication process. Listening is
an active mental process and goes beyond simply hearing. Good listening
habits lead to better understanding and good relationships with each other.
Listening is a recognition that the receiver has responsibility in the communic-
ation process. Some of the guidelines for effective listening are:
a) Listening requires full attention to the speaker. Do not let your mind
wander or be preoccupied with something else, otherwise you would not be
able to grasp the meaning of the message in its entirety.
b) The language used tone of the voice and emotions should receive proper
attention. Listen for feelings in the message content and respond positively to
these feelings.
c) Ask questions to clarify any points that you do not understand clearly and
reflect back to the speaker your understanding of what has been said.
d) Make sure that there are no outside interruptions and interference during
the course of conversation.
e) Do not judge the importance of the message due to your previous dealings
and experiences with the sender or due to your perceptions about him, posit-
ive or negative.
f) Do not jump to conclusions before the message is over and is clearly un-
derstood.
g) Summarize and restate the message after it is over to doubly make sure
about the content and the intent of the message.
3) Develop writing skills:
Clearly written messages can help avoid semantic and percep-
tion barriers. A well written communication eliminates the possibility of misun-
derstanding and misinterpretation. When writing messages, it would be wise
to adopt the K.I.S.S. principle which means “Keep It Short and Simple, thus
making the meaning as clear as possible so that it accomplishes the desired
purpose. Some helpful hints in written communication are suggested by
Robert Degise as follows:
a) Keep words simple:
This will reduce your thoughts to essentials and the message
will be easier to understand by the receiver. The message will be lost if the
words are complex and do not lend to clear single meaning.
b) Do not be bogged down by rules of composition:
While the rules of grammar and composition must be respec-
ted, they should not take priority over the ultimate purpose of the communic-
ation.
c) Write concisely. Use as few words as possible:
Do not be brief at the cost of completeness, but express your
thoughts, opinions and ideas in the fewest number of words possible.
d) Be specific:
Vagueness destroys accuracy which leads to misunderstanding
of the meaning of the intent of the message. Accordingly, be specific and to
the point.
4) Avoid credibility gaps:
Communication is a continuous process and the goal of com-
munication is complete and accurate understanding of the message as well as
the creation of trust among all members of the organization. Accordingly,
management must be sincere and should earn the trust of the subordinates.
Management should not only be sensitive to the needs and feelings of work-
ers but also its promises should be supported by actions.
The word of management should be as good as a bond.
Only then would an atmosphere of congeniality accrue, which would enhance
the communication process. According to studies conducted by J. Luft, open-
ness and an atmosphere of trust builds healthy relationships and closes cred-
ibility gaps, thus contributing to communication effectiveness and enhance-
ment.
COMMON BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
Even though communication is one of the important factors
that contribute to an efficient management, very often, communication is
faulty because of certain barriers to communication. The barriers to
communication are discussed below:
Badly Expressed Message:
The communication system will be poor and ineffective, if the
objectives of the message are vague and not clear or if the message omits essential
information or contains Ideas, which lack coherence.

Use of Technical Language:

Poor system of communication may also be due to the use
of technical jargons for communicating the message.
Filtering: Distance between the sender and the receiver of the message
may also contribute to the pour system of communication. As a message
has to pass through several persons at several points in the communication
channel, there is bound to be some alteration or filtration of messages.
Unclassified Assumptions: Unclassified assumptions underlie practically
all the messages. On account of this, the receiver may have assump-
tion (regarding the message) which are different from the assumptions
of the communicator “this may result in incorrect action or lack of action
on the part of the receiver of the communication.

Faulty Organization:
The nature of organization system also has some effect on the
effectiveness of communication. If the chain of command is too long and the
span of control is poor and defective, the communication system will be
ineffective.
Distortion: Persons in the communication channel deliberately distort
communications. This can assume two different forms:
(i) withhold communication.
(ii) confuse or distort communication.
The officer while communicating the message received by
him from his superior may withhold some part of the information, which he
feels, need not be conveyed to his subordinates. Similarly, in the case of
upward communication, the officer omits unpleasant information, which
he has received from his subordinates and conveys to his superior only
that part of the information, which is not unpleasant. Inadequate
communication delays the action and affects the efficiency of the parties
Poor Retention: it is said that generally employees retain only 50% of the
information communicated. Hence, poor retention of information by the
employees is another bottleneck of effective communication.
Principles of effective communication or guidelines to overcome barriers to
communications

The principles for making communication effective are as follows:

1. Simple language:
The language used to communicate the message should be simple and easily
understandable
2.Proper Medium of Communication:
Different media are available for passing of communication. The communic-
ator should select the right medium by considering the factors
such as the nature of matters to be communicated, distance between
the sender and the receiver of the message, urgency of the
communication, etc.
3.Ambiguity:
The communicator should be clear in his mind about the objective of
his communication. The message should be clear without any ambiguity.
Cordial Atmosphere and Right Climate in the Organization: Organization
structure of the unit consisting physical setting and human setting must
 facilitate the process of communication. When a boss is talking to his
subordinate, the atmosphere must be peaceful so that the communication is
effective.
Adequacy of Information:
Communication must be adequate and complete in all re-
spects in order to make it: effective. The communication should be precise.
Both over-communication and inadequacy should be avoided.
Training to the Communicators: for increasing the effectiveness of
communication, there is also a need for giving proper training to the
communicators to develop their communication skill.

Co-operation of Personnel:
One more condition to he fulfilled in order to make
communication effective is the co-operation from the organization personnel.
Hence, the business concern should make effort to secure co-operation for the
organization personnel.
Follow-up Action:
There should be follow-up action to know whether the receiver of the
message has understood it correctly and what action he has taken on the
basis of this communication Effective Listening:
The sender of the message must listen to receiver’s words attentively so
that the receiver of the message also listens to the sender at the same time.
Consistency in Communication:
Communication which is consistent can be more effective than when
it is varied
Timeliness:
Communication is a means to an end. It must serve a purpose. It
must reach the receiver at the right time. A message which fails to reach the
receiver at the right time turns out to be useless
CLASSIFICATION
 Communication can be classified:
1. On the basis of the means of communication.
2. On the basis of relationships.
3. On the basis of direction of the flow of communication whether inward
or outward, downward or upward, etc.

1. On the Basis of Means Used

(i) When the message is conveyed by written words, it is called written
communication. (ii) When the message is conveyed by word of mouth then it
is called oral communication.
(i) Written communication:
It may be in the form of a letter or circular, a bulletin, an office
memo etc. The advantages of written communications are:
(a) They can be retained as legal records to be used when dispute
arises and for making any further reference.
(b) They are exact.
(c) They have widest possible coverage.
(d) The personal presence of neither the sender nor the receiver of
message at a certain place or at different places at the same time is
necessary.
Disadvantages are:
(a) They are expensive as it involves the use of stationery.
(b) The language used may not be proper. It may not convey the
information correctly or it may hurt the feelings of the receiver.
(c) Written communication takes time in reaching the receiver and it may
prove costly.
(ii) Oral Communications:
It is in the form of spoken word. It may be face to face or through
telephone, or some other mechanical device. Some of the advantages of oral
communication are:
 (a) It is the ideal form, when we want to convey some
confidential matters. (b) There is a warm personal talk
between the sender and receiver
(c) It facilitates the speedy interchange of ideas, between the sender and
receiver.
Drawbacks:
(a) Certain types of information require further lengthy supplementary
explanation to convince a receiver. In such case oral
communication is at a disadvantage as it will be costly.
2. On the Basis of Relationship
On the basis of relationship, there can be:
i) Formal Communication, and
ii) Information Communication.
(i) Formal Communication: Formal communication is a part of the
organizational structure. Formal channels are usually created by the
setting up of formal system of authority and responsibility and explicit
delegation of duties. This formal structure, which is hierarchical, imposes
direction on information flow. Communication is of formal nature and
generally in written form. For example, information about the scheduled
meetings, conference, etc. may be communicated.
(ii) Informal Communication: Informal communication may also be used for
transmission of a message. The informal communication is a network of
casual inter-personal contacts, which occur all day long on the job. These
are spontaneous channels through which communication passes. Generally,
the informal communication is not a part of the organisation structure.
6. Classification of communication
Answers: Communication is the exchange of information, news, ideas,
feelings and views between persons. In the process of communication,
information flows form sender to receiver. Organizations are mainly
concerned with two types of communication. These are internal
communication and external communication. Internally, communication
occurs horizontally and vertically. Moreover, these communications may
occur formally and informally. The following diagram shows the various
types of communication:
 Communication based on parties involved: Communication is mainly
two types on the basis of parties involved in the communication process.
These are internal communication and external communication.
Internal communication:
Internal communication refers to the flow of information to the internal
participants of an organization. It happens only within the organization. The
main purpose of this communication is to ensure smooth functioning of or-
ganizational activities. Internal communication may be of two types: Vertical
communication and horizontal communication.
Vertical communication: 
When information flows between superiors and subordinate of an or-
ganization, it is known as vertical communication. Vertical communication can
be of three types: Downward communication, upward communication and di-
agonal communication.
Downward Communication:
Downward communication occurs when information flows form su-
periors to subordinates. Through downward communication, superiors send
organizational goals, policies, job assignments, orders, instructions etc to their
subordinates.
Upward Communication:
Upward communication occurs when information flows form sub-
ordinates to superiors. Through upward communication, subordinates convey
their responses, reactions and performance feedback to their superiors.
Diagonal or cross communication:
Diagonal communication occurs when information flows
between persons at different levels who have no direct reporting relation-
ships. Diagonal communication is used to speed information flow, to improve
understanding and to coordinate efforts for the achievement of organizational
goals.
Horizontal communication:
 When information flows among persons holding the same position
or rank in the organization, it is called horizontal communication.

External communication:
When an organization communicates with external or outside
parties, it is called external communication. External parties include custom-
ers, suppliers, investors, bankers, insurance companies, government agen-
cies, local communities etc. the main purpose of external communication is to
exchange information with the outside parties.
Communication based on formality:
Communication can be classified on the basis of the formality into two types:
formal communication and informal communication.
Formal communication: 
When communication occurs by following the prescribed rules
and procedures of the organization, it is called formal communication. Formal
communication is governed by the established chain of command.
Informal communication: 
When communication does not follow any prescribed rule or pro-
cedure, it is called informal communication. The basis of informal communica-
tion is spontaneous relationship among the participants. Informal communica-
tion is sometimes more powerful and more effective that formal commutation.
Other types of communication:
There are two other useful types of communication. These are as
follows:
Personal communication:
When people exchange information related to their personal
lives or personal affairs, it is called personal communication. Every person en-
gages himself or herself in personal communication. Personal communication
occurs among the parties within the organization and outside the organiza-
tion.
Mass communication:
Mass communication is a process of transmitting messages to a large
number of scattered audiences. Through mass communication, information
can be transmitted quickly to a large number of people who generally stay far
away from the sources of information. Mass communication is done through
radio, television, newspaper, magazine, leaflets etc.
Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication
Communication can be divided between verbal and non-verbal
communication. Verbal communication is communication using speech that is
understood by all parties to the communication. In other words, it's talking.
Keep in mind that we're talking about speech, not the written word. Written
communication falls under its own category.
Non-verbal communication is a bit more complicated. It is sending a message
without using words to convey meaning. Non-verbal communication can in-
clude many different elements. Let's look at some:

 Vocal cues, referred to as paralinguistic, is a form of non-verbal com-

munication that includes such things as pitch, inflection, tone, volume,
speed of the speech, quality, non-word sounds, pronunciation, enunci-
ation and even silence.
 Body movement and gestures are also part of non-verbal communica-
tion. For example, leaning forward may mean interest, while crossing
arms is often viewed as a defensive posture.
 Facial expressions are a common form of non-verbal communication.
Examples of facial expressions include smiling, crying and grimacing.
 Space can also act as a form of non-verbal communication. Space in-
cludes the concept of territoriality and personal space. Territoriality is
about making sure others know your territory. A fence is an example of
territoriality. Personal space, on the other hand, is a three-dimensional
 space surrounding you that you don't want people to cross. If they
come too close, you get uncomfortable.
 Touch is often considered as positive and reinforcing, such as patting
someone on the back for a job well done.
 Clothing and artefacts can also send a message, including status, con-
formity or rebellion. Think about a doctor. Do they really need to wear
a lab coat during all examinations? Not really, but it's a cue to their
status. Artefacts include such things as hairstyles, jewellery, cosmetics,
watches, shoes, tattoos and body piercing.

Formal & Informal Communication

Companies need to be able to communicate effectively. This is es-
pecially true of large companies where personal interaction may not be prac-
tical. This is where formal communication comes into play.
Formal communication involves utilizing the formal communication
channels of an organization. Formal communication can move vertically in an
organization. Information is collected and flows up to the top levels of man-
agement for review and decision making, while orders flow down from the
top to the place where it will be implemented. For example, employees may
be given a presentation from the human resources department on new
policies and procedures.