Business Communication

Questions:

1 What is communication? Explain the process with suitable diagram.

2 Discuss the factors a manager should consider while adopting multicultural communications?
3 Differentiate between formal and informal communication?
4 “Listening is an art and cannot be acquired”. Do you agree or disagree with the statement. Support
your answer.
5 How is technology responsible for changing communication in the workplace?
or
Identify some of the obstacles in effective communication?

Answer of Question no-1: -

1. Communication - Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two

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

1. Sender or communicator – Sender is an employee with ideas, intentions, information, and a

purpose for communicating. He is the source or initiator of the communication. He has
something with a meaning to communicate. Communication begins when a sender identifies the
need to send a message based on certain reasons.
2.Message – The sender encodes meaning into a message that can be transmitted. The message
represents the meaning, the source is trying to convey.
3.Encoding – The function of encoding is to provide a form in which ideas and purpose can be
expressed as a message. The result of the encoding process is the message. Encoding involves
translating the sender’s intent or ideas into a systematic set of symbols or gestures.
4. Channel or medium – A medium serves as the means of communication whereas a channel
refers to the means of transmission of a message between the sender and the receiver.
A medium, which is an abstraction, can be oral, written, or non-verbal. Channel, on the other
hand, is concrete and could be a letter, a report, a book, a memorandum, fax, an email, the
television, the telephone, etc.
A sender conveys his/her message to the receiver by some medium (oral, written, or non-verbal)
over some channel (electronic means or printed Media)
5. Receiver – The receiver is the individual whose senses perceive the sender’s message. There
may be one or many receivers. If the message does not reach the receiver, communication is
not completed.
 6. Decoding – Decoding is the process by which the receiver interprets the message and
translates it into meaningful information. Decoding is a two-step process – (a) the receiver must
first perceive the message, and (b) the receiver must then interpret it. The decoding process is
very much affected by some factors such as the receiver’s need, status, experience, situational
factors, etc.
7. Communication noise – In communication, noise can be thought of as those factors that
disturb or distort the intended message. Noise may occur in each of the elements of
communication. “Noise” hinders communication.
It includes the following factors:
(a) Factors that hinder the development of clear thought.
(b) Faulty encoding due to ambiguous symbols.
(c) Defects in the channel.
(d) Inattentive reception.
(e) Faulty decoding due to prejudices, wrong understanding, personal outlook, the wrong
meaning of words and symbols.
Noise can result in miscommunication. Hence the important point is to realize all these
possibilities of noise and to minimize them.
8. Feedback – A feedback provides a link or channel for the communicator to know the
receiver’s response and to determine whether the message has been received and has
produced the intended change.
Feedback may come in many ways. In face-to-face communication, feedback comes through the
facial expressions of the receiver. Some indirect means of feedback are such factors as declines
in productivity, poor quality of production, lack of coordination, absenteeism, etc. Feedback may
cause the sender to modify his future communication.

Answer of Question -2

Factors a manager should consider while adopting multicultural communications are :-

1. Overcome Language and Cultural Barriers: - When working in a multicultural
team, one of the most common challenges is handling language barriers between
employees. If each team member speaks a different language, you’ll want to find a common
language you can all use so every member can communicate with ease.

Once you’ve selected your preferred language of choice, break down any remaining
language obstacles. Here are four useful tips:

 Encourage your team to learn a few key sentences (or phrases) in each language.

 Normalize that asking someone to repeat themselves is fine. Your team members
shouldn’t feel embarrassed doing so, especially when working remotely. If
employees have heavy accents, others might have to ask to hear the same sentence
twice, and both parties should feel comfortable with this.
 Choose the language that the majority feels comfortable with. This should be the
language used in all meetings and formal events.

 If some of your coworkers aren’t fluent in a specific language, avoid using that
language in the workplace.

2. Consider Different Cultural Communication Styles

Every culture nurtures its own communication style, like speaking patterns and
nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication includes everything beyond
words — gestures, facial expressions, and body language. It’s crucial to understand
diverse communication styles between cultures and speak to your colleagues
according to these rules.

3. Plan Projects Around Different Time Zones

This tip applies to you only if you’re managing the virtual multicultural team.
Supervising a virtual team can be difficult because you’re not at the same place or
time zone as your colleagues.

4. Allow Prep Time Whenever Your Team Needs It

Most of us can smoothly and eloquently express our thoughts when speaking our
native language, but, this isn’t always the case when speaking in foreign languages.
Some team members might feel uneasy in a meeting where the established speaking
is not native to them. They may feel restrained in these situations, causing a
communication barrier.

5. Be Open to All Cultures and Their Differences

The best way to show your colleagues that you respect and appreciate them is by
being open to the traditions and values of all cultures. This means avoiding promoting
 or embracing only one culture in the workplace. For instance, during the holiday
season, it’s important to vary your decorations so all cultures are included. This way,
your multicultural team will know you respect and embrace whatever they celebrate
during the holidays.

6. Organize a Cross-Cultural Training

To improve workplace happiness and morale, organize cross-cultural training. The

purpose of this training is to overcome cultural challenges at the office. That way,
people will get to know each other and educate themselves about various cultural
beliefs.

7. Avoid Stereotypes

There’s a fine line between being aware of culture differences and stereotyping.
When you paint groups of people with a broad brush, such as thinking that all people
from a certain region behave a certain way, you’ve likely crossed it.

Answer to Question no-3

Differentiate between formal and informal communication: -

Formal Communication Informal Communication

Official and structured Casual and spontaneous

Follows prescribed channels and protocols Has no predefined channels or protocols

Relies on everyday language and colloquial
Uses professional language and tone
expressions
Goal-oriented and task-focused Relationship-oriented and socially driven

Typically written or documented Primarily oral or nonverbal

Conveys official information, policies, or Facilitates social bonding, sharing of personal
decisions experiences, etc.
Occurs in formal settings such as meetings or Occurs in informal settings like coffee breaks or
reports social gatherings
Doesn't require formal approval or
Often requires approval or authorization
authorization
More rigid and hierarchical Flexible and egalitarian
Examples: casual conversations, chats, social
Examples: formal emails, reports, presentations
media interactions
Key Differences between Formal Communication and Informal Communication

1. Formal communication is official, structured, and deliberate, whereas informal communication

is casual, spontaneous, and unofficial.
2. Formal communication follows prescribed channels and protocols, while informal
communication has no predefined channels or protocols.
3. Formal communication uses professional language and tone, while informal communication
relies on everyday language and colloquial expressions.
4. Formal communication is goal-oriented and task-focused, while informal communication is
relationship-oriented and socially driven.
5. Formal communication is typically written or documented, whereas informal communication is
primarily oral or nonverbal.
6. Formal communication conveys official information, policies, or decisions, while informal
communication facilitates social bonding and sharing personal experiences.
7. Formal communication occurs in formal settings such as meetings or reports, while informal
communication occurs in informal settings like coffee breaks or social gatherings.
8. Formal communication often requires approval or authorization before dissemination, while
informal communication doesn't require formal approval or authorization.
9. Formal communication tends to be more rigid and hierarchical in nature, while informal
communication is more flexible and egalitarian.
10. Examples of formal communication include formal emails, reports, and presentations, while
examples of informal communication include casual conversations, chats, and social media
interactions.

Answer to Question no-4

Listening is an art and cannot be acquired”. I agree with the statement.

 Listening is an art. To be well performed, it requires more than just letting sound waves enter
passively into ears. Good listening is an alive process demanding alert and active participation.
 If listening is an art, then it requires knowledge and effort. It is in essence a mental skill that can
be developed primarily through training and practice.
 If we are to learn to know how to listen well, we must proceed as we would in learning any
other art such as music, painting, architecture or acting. That is, if we are to become good
listeners, we must first attempt to inquire about all the basic essentials of productive listening,
and second, we must do a great deal of practicing until we can master its workings.
 The art of listening is not something we can acquire through "do-it-yourself" short-cuts. It
requires constant practicing and thinking. The good listener, as Nichols and Stevens so aptly put
it, "listens between the lines. He constantly applies his spare thinking to what is being said."!
The good listener, while he is attentive to what is being said, is also aware of the total facts at
hand, with both their verbal connotations and their nonverbal implications.

First of all, the practice of an art requires discipline. It is essential, according to Fromm,
  That discipline should not be practiced like a rule imposed on oneself from the outside, but that
it becomes an expression of one's own will; that it is felt as pleasant, and that one slowly
accustoms oneself to a kind of behavior which one would eventually miss, if one stopped
practicing it."2 In desiring to be good listeners, it is imperative that we "be in the mood" to want
to listen and at the same time consider some of its more challenging aspects.
 We might even set aside certain times of our daily life for serious listening, in contrast to the
vast amount of superficial listening that goes on when we chit-chat about the weather, talk
about social doings or ramble on during a coffee break.
 Concentration is a second prerequisite of good listening. So many of us in our Western Culture
have difficulty in concentrating. We take a peculiar pride in doing many things at once, such as
watching television, reading a book, talking, smoking, eating and drinking.
 This lack of concentration is also prevalent among us because of our fear of being alone with
ourselves. To sit still, to be silent and to concentrate on something specific for any length of time
is impossible for most people. They become nervous and fidgety and, to allay their anxieties, run
to almost any form of hectic or compulsive activity.
 In order to concentrate fully when listening, we should be patient with ourselves. This for
modem man IS as difficult as discipline and concentration. In this age of speed reinforced by the
use of the airplane, telephone, radio and television, modem man is trained to think that he loses
time should he pause to concentrate. He feels compelled to listen to only those facts which he
can quickly digest and keep at his finger tips with as little effort or concentration as possible. To
linger on and reflect about a certain situation or fact goes against his idealized concept of
himself as "a man of action."
 In learning concentration, it is most important that we remove distractions in the path of our
listening. We can then be alone with our innermost feelings and thoughts and can give to
ourselves and our surroundings the fullest of our interest and attention. With deep
concentration we can keep our ears fully opened to all aural stimuli and, at the same time, be
curious and alert enough to tune in to our proper wave lengths. We can then listen without too
much confusion, apprehension or mental interference

Answer to Question no-5

Identify some of the obstacles/Barriers in effective communication?

The barrier of communication is such a part that you have to keep in mind during every
communication. Even after taking care of every other detail during the conversation, some
misunderstandings remain during communication. Therefore, we must keep in mind some
communication barriers to eliminate misunderstandings.
Barriers during communication can be of many types such as linguistic barriers, physical barriers,
Personal barriers, Gender barriers, Emotional barriers, Language Barriers, Status Barriers, Cultural
Barriers, Organizational Barriers, Semantic Barriers, and Inattention Barriers and many more
barriers.
1. Physical Barriers: It is also caused by barrier distance. Suppose that the person sending the
message is far away from the recipient. And communication is happening between the two. The
barrier arises due to him not being heard clearly because of far distance.
2. Personal Barriers: The personal factors of both sender and receiver may exert influence on
effective communication. These factors include life experiences, emotions, attitudes, behavior that
hinders the ability of a person to communicate.

3. Gender barriers: Gender barrier is also a type of barrier, such as male and female in an
organization, people of both genders work. Societal stereotypes, assumed gender roles, and
interpersonal differences can contribute to a communication gap between the gender and there is a
rift between people due to gender. For Example: Women are focused on relationships and men are
focused on tasks.

4. Emotional Barriers: The emotional barrier changes according to our mood. Emotional barriers
are due to mental limitations created by one’s own self. Emotional Barriers are the mental walls that
keep you from openly communicating your thoughts and feeling to others.

5. Language Barriers: Language barriers are the most common communication barriers which cause
misunderstandings and misinterpretations between people ..... Not using the words that other person

Understands makes the communication ineffective and prevents message from being conveyed.
6. Status Barriers: People often have difficulty navigating status differences when trying to inform
or persuade others. To many, social status is an indicator of credibility and legitimacy, and this
effects how seriously others take what one communicates. Status differences can create a bias against
those with the perceived lower status.

7. Cultural Barriers: Past experiences, perception, and cultural background greatly affect the way
people talk and behave. Culture plays an important role in shaping the style of communication.

8. Organizational Barriers: Inside the organization, there are many things inside which a
communication barrier is created. Just like the policy of the organization, about the rule and
regulation of the organization, about the status, the facility, there are many other things which cause a
lot of barriers.
9. Semantic Barriers: Semantic barriers to communication are the symbolic obstacles that distort the
sent message in some other way than intended, making the message difficult to understand. The
meaning of words, signs and symbols might be different from one person to another and the same
word might have hundreds of meanings.
10. Inattention barriers: Sometime the persons do not pay adequate attention to the message. They
do not listen, the spoken words attentively. The communication has no impact on those who are
unwilling to listen. Inattention arises due to lack of interest, over stimulation and time pressure.