Question Bank

Unit 4

Question Bank

1. Define communication
Communication is the transfer of information and understanding from one person to
another person. It is a way of reaching others with facts, ideas, thoughts and values.
2. Name all levels of communication
1)Extra-personal
2) Intra-personal
3) Inter-personal
4) Organizational
5) Mass Communication

3. what is barrier to communication?

 Perfect communication takes place when the receiver understands the message exactly in
the way the sender intends. Quite often miscommunication arises due to one barrier or the
other. Barrier or problems can arise at any stage of the communication.
4. Name all types of barrier of communication
TYPES OF BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
1. Intrapersonal Barrier 2. Interpersonal Barrier 3. Organizational Barrier

5. Give some tips for effective communication

a. Create an open communication environment.
b. Always keep the receiver in mind
c. Avoid having too many transfer stations
d. Be aware of diversity in culture, language etc.
e. Use appropriate non-verbal cues. Select the most suitable medium.
f. Utilise feedback.
g. Be specific.

6. Name all Intrapersonal Barrier to communication

Wrong Assumption
Varied Perception
Selective Perception
Differing Background
Wrong Inference
Categorical Thinking
Closed Mindset
7. Name all Interpersonal Barrier to communication
Limited Vocabulary-
Communication Selectivity/ Filtering
Poor Listening Skills
Cultural Variations
Emotional Outburst
Incongruity between Verbal and Non Verbal Messages
Noise

8. Name all Organizational Barrier to communication

Too many transfer stations
Fear of superiors
Negative tendencies
Use of inappropriate media
Information overload

9. Draw cycle of communication

USE OF
CHANNE RE DE U
L TO CE C N
TRANS PT O DE
ENCODING
THOUGHT

MIT IO DI RS
MESSAG N N TA
E G N
DI
N
G

SENDER RECEIVER

FEEDBACK

10. How important is response or feedback in the process of communication

Response/ Feedback
 Response is the last stage in the communication process. It is the action or reaction of the
receiver to the message. Response is the key to communication. It helps the sender know
that that message was received and understood.

11. On the basis of business activities communication is divided on how many parts?
 On the basis of business activities communication is divided into two types in an
organization. They are

1. Internal-operational
2. External-operational

12. Name elements of internal and external flow of communication

 Internal-operational is divided into four types:-
1. Downward Flow – From higher authority to lower
2. Upward Flow- From lower to higher
3. Horizontal/ Lateral Flow – At the same level
4. Diagonal Flow – Between different departments

External-operational – Work related communication with people outside the business

or organization. In order to create impression, a good formal external communication
becomes indispensable.
13. Briefly define grapevine
GRAPEVINE:- An informal channel of communication. It can flow vertically,
horizontally, diagonally. Grapevine exists in all organizations and nearly five out of six
messages are carried this way rather than formal methods of communication. This form
of communication is very rapid.
14. Write few importance or merits of grapevine

Importance of grapevine:-

Emotional relief
Harmony & Cohesiveness in the organisation
Supplement to other channels
A fast channel
Provides feedback

15. Define merit and demerits of grapevine

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
In general Grapevine is – If information from grapevine is blindly
accepted –

1) Reveal some degree of error.

1) Not expensive.
2) Harmful incase it is baseless or
2) Rapid.
imaginary.
3) Multidirectional.
3) Incomplete information, which may
4) A measure of public opinion.
lead to misunderstanding.
5) If carefully cultivated, is capable of
4) Not reliable, as nobody takes the
resolving conflicts.
responsibility for it.
6) Promotes unity and solidarity.
5) At times, cause damage to the
7) Serves as an outlet for anxieties,
organization because of its excessive
worries, frustration, etc.
swiftness.
8) Voluntary and unforced

16. What is the importance of technical communication

Technical communication is necessary because it can provide a more efficient working
environment. If a worker is set a task that they are unfamiliar with, which also has a
deadline, they do not want to spend hours trying to find the relevant information to learn
how to use it.
17. How technology enable communication

On the one hand, technology affects communication by making it easier, quicker, and more
efficient. It allows you to track conversations and therefore provide better customer service.
Tech also makes it easier to gather customer insights and improve the entire customer
experience.

18. Name few channel of communication

 Face-to-face conversations.
 Videoconferencing.
 Audio conferencing.
 Emails.
 Written letters and memos.
 Chats and messaging.
 Blogs.
 Formal written documents.

19. Give few examples of communication technology

The best examples of communication technology include blogs, websites, live video, social
media technologies, and email communication

20. How technology enable communication

Use of digital networks– ''Phones and printers are all digitized, not like before when
communication was hindered by telephone lines. During bad weather, most the lines would go
off. Now with satellite and broadband transmissions, you can communicate with anyone at work
or off work via their mobile phones.

1. Explain level of communication

Extrapersonal communication
Communication between human beings and non-human entity is known as
extrapersonal communication. For example, when your pet dog comes to you
wagging its tail as soon as you return home from work, it is an example of extra-
personal communication. i.e. communication between pets (dogs, monkeys, parrot)
and their masters.
Intrapersonal communication
 This takes place within the body of the individual; we know that the brain is linked to all
parts of the body by an electrochemical system. For example, when you begin to feel hot,
the information is sent to the brain and you may decide to turn on the cooler, responding
to instructions sent from the brain to the hand.
 This kind of communication pertains to thinking, which is the basis of information
processing. Without such internal dialogue, you can not proceed to the further levels of
communication – interpersonal, organizational and mass communication.
 In fact while we are communicating with the other party internal dialogue with oneself
continues concurrently – planning, weighing, considering, and processing information.
 At times you motivate yourself or consciously resolve to complete a certain task.
 Self motivation, self determination and the like take place at the intrapersonal level

Interpersonal communication
 Communication at this level refers to the sharing of information among people, people
are in close physical proximity to each other and feedback is immediate as it is direct
interaction. This form of communication is advantageous because direct and immediate
feed back is possible. If a doubt occurs, it can be instantly clarified.
 Interaction among friends and interaction with sales executives are examples of
interpersonal communication.

Mass Communication
 It refers to the communication involving large number of people as audience. As the
messages are meant for large audience the approach is impersonal, also it is persuasive in
nature than any other form of communication.
 For this type of communication we require a mediator – such as journals, books,
television and newspaper which mediate such communications.
 Mass communication is of two types
 Oral
 Written

Organizational Communication
 Communication which takes place within and outside an organization at different
hierarchical levels is known as organizational communication.
 It is extremely necessary for the sustenance of any organization.
 Since a large number of employees are involved in different activities, the need to
communicate becomes greater in an organization.

2. Explain organizational communication in detail

Communication which takes place within and outside an organization at different
hierarchical levels is known as organizational communication.
It is extremely necessary for the sustenance of any organization.
Since a large number of employees are involved in different activities, the need to
communicate becomes greater in an organization.
With a proper networking system, communication in an organization is possible even
without direct contact between employees. It can be further divided in to –
 a) Internal Operational:
All communication that occurs in conducting work within an organization is
classified as internal operational.
 b) External operational:
The work related communication that an organization does with people outside the
organization or other organization is called external operational.
 c) Personal:
All communication in an organization that occurs without purpose as far as business
is concerned is called personal communication.

3. Define characteristics of mass communication

A)Large Reach:
 Mass media communications reach audience scattered over a wide geographical area.
b) Impersonal:
  This type of communication is largely impersonal as the participants are unknown to each
other, as it is meant for large audience.
c) Persuasive:
 Mass communication is persuasive in nature than any other form of communication.
 d) Presence of a Gatekeeper
Mass communication needs additional persons, institutions or organizations to convey
the message from sender to receiver and these additional people are known as
gatekeeper. This gatekeeper could be a person or an organized group of persons
active in transferring or sending information from the source to the target audience
through mass medium. For example in a newspaper the editor decides which news
makes it to the hands of the reader. The editor therefore is a gatekeeper; in the mass
communication process.

4. Define Intrapersonal Barrier to communication

Wrong Assumption
Varied Perception
Selective Perception
Differing Background
Wrong Inference
Categorical Thinking
Closed Mindset

INTRA-PERSONAL BARRIER:

Individuals are unique because of their idiosyncrasies. This is mainly because of differences in
experience, education, value and personality. Each of us interprets the same information in
different ways as our thinking varies.

WRONG ASSUMPTIONS- Many barriers stem from wrong assumptions. For example- your
friend writes you a letter that he is reaching delhi by such train. By writing this he presumes that
you will receive him at the station and make him stay at your house while you assume that he is
coming to meet some of his relatives & will naturally stay there. Here different assumptions have
caused barrier in communication.

SELECTIVE PERCEPTION- Selective perception means that the receivers selectively see and
hear depending upon their needs, motivation, background experience and other personal
characteristics. While decoding the message they project their own interest and expectation in the
process of communication further leading to a particular kind of feedback.

DIFFERING BACKGROUND- People vary in terms of their education, culture, language,

environment, age, sex, financial status etc. Our background plays significant role in how we
interpret the message. A computer company representative would not make much sense to a
group of doctors if in his presentation goes into details.

WRONG INFERENCES Communication quite often breaks down or becomes an embarrassing

affair if we keep acting an assumption without caring to seek clarification. For example—a
customer writes to us that he/ she would be visiting our office on a particular day without caring
to write/ telephone that he/ she would like to be picked up assuming that we will do that as a
routine, it would be regarded as a case of incomplete communication. It may lead to loss of
goodwill.

CLOSED MIND- The expression ‘closed mind’ refers to thinking tendency of the people that
they know everything about the issue and therefore refuse to accept any further information on
that topic. People who feel that they know it all are called pansophists.

HOW TO OVERCOME –

 Don’t be judgmental about the speaker

 Be empathetic. Try to understand others.
 Do not assume anything.
 Stick to the subject
 Listen and accept others.

5. Define interpersonal barriers

INTER-PERSONAL BARRIERS:

Intrapersonal barriers stem from an individual’s attitudes or habits whereas Inter-personal

barriers occur due to inappropriate transaction of words between two or more people.

LIMITED VOCABULARY- During your speech, if you are at loss of words, your
communication will be very ineffective and you will leave a very poor impression on your
audience. If you have a varied and substantial vocabulary, you can create an indelible impression
on your listeners.

COMMUNICATION SELECTIVITY/ FILTERING - When Receiver pay attention only to a

part of the message, sender is not at fault. Communication selectivity may act as a barrier in
written forms of communication as well. When you read a story, if you read only certain parts
and omit others, you are posing this barrier.

POOR LISTENING SKILLS - Misunderstanding and conflicts can be mitigated if people listen
to the message with full attention. In order to become a good listener we have to learn to rise
above our egos, keep our eyes and ears open and empathize with others.

CULTURAL VARIATIONS – As businesses are crossing national boundaries to compete on a

global scale, the outlook of the global and domestic workforce has changed drastically. To
compete successfully one must overcome the communication inadequacies arising due to
different language and culture.

EMOTIONAL OUTBURST – A moderate level of emotional involvement intensifies

communication. However, excessive emotional involvement can be an obstacle in the
communication process. Its important to maintain one’s composure in all kinds of
communication.

INCONGRUITY BETWEEN VERBAL AND NON VERBAL MESSAGES - The stark

difference between the verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication might leave a listener
confused and puzzled. A communicator should acclimatize himself to the communication
environment, think from the angle of the listener and then communicate.

NOISE - Noise can be defined as any unplanned interference in the communication environment,
which causes hindrance in the transmission of message. Noise occurs primarily at the
transmission level which distorts interpretation or the decoding part of the communication
process. Noise can be classified as channel and semantic.
HOW TO OVERCOME –

 Know your audience before you communicate with them. Their needs, perceptions and
expectations.
 Try to experience the world from a receiver’s perspective.
 Be precise and to the point.
 Appreciate and understand cultural differences.
 Obtain feedback, analyze it and respond.

6. Define Organizational barrier

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS:
Rigid, hierarchical structure usually restricts the flow of communication. This is
because there are numerous transfer points and each of these points has the potential
to distort, delay or lose the message. To obviate this, there should be a direct contact
between sender and receiver with minimum transfer stations.

TOO MANY TRANSFER STATIONS -When messages pass on from one person to
another in a series of transmission they are likely to become less and less accurate.
The message gets distorted at each level because of poor listening or lack of
concentration.

FEAR OF SUPERIORS - In rigidly structured organization, fear or awe of the

superiors prevents sub-ordinates from speaking frankly. To avoid speaking directly to
their boss, some employees may either shun all communication with their superiors or
they may present all the information that they have. Sometimes out of fear employees
do not communicate available information. It may result in sending partial
information. Fear of full disclosure or non-disclosure misleads a superior.

NEGATIVE TENDENCIES – Many organizations create work groups. But

sometimes, a communication barrier can exist due to a conflict of ideas between the
members and non-members of a group.

USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MEDIA - Some of the common media used in

organizations are graphs, charts, telephones, fax machines, computer presentations, e-
mails, slides, teleconferencing and video-conferencing. While choosing the media
you should therefore keep in mind the advantages, disadvantages and potential
barriers to communication.
 INFORMATION OVERLOAD - One of the major problems faced by organization
today is the availability of huge amount of data which the receiver is unable to
handle. Receiver should receive only that amount of facts and figures at one time that
he/she can absorb. Major points should be highlighted, leaving out all irrelevant
things. This kind of reducing can reduce the problem of information overload to a
great extent.

HOW TO OVERCOME –

• Avoid information overload.

• Be open, frank and positive. Informality is useful.
• Obtain feedback, analyze it and respond.
• Repetition of a message through multiple channels helps to remove barriers

7. Define process of communication

USE OF
CHANNE RE DE U
L TO CE C N
TRANS PT O DE
ENCODING
THOUGHT

MIT IO DI RS
MESSAG N N TA
E G N
DI
N
G

SENDER RECEIVER

FEEDBACK

As we know, communication is a dynamic interactive process. It consists of five steps, that

is:

1) Ideation

2) Encoding
3) Transmission

4) Decoding

5) Feed back / Response

1) Ideation:

 Process of communication begins with ideation which refers to the formation of idea or
selection of message. It consist of 'what ‘ communication and is concerned with the
content the specific message to be presented . The scope of ideation is generally
determined by the sender’s :

1. Knowledge

2. Experience

3. Abilities

4. Purpose of communication

5. Context of the communicative situation

Messages generally have two kinds of content

 Logical – Such messages consist of factual information.

 Emotional – Such messages consist of feelings and emotions.

Encoding

It is the second step in communication. It is the process of changing the information into
some form of logical and coded message. It involves –

a) Selecting a language

 Selecting the right language is essential for effective coding, verbal messages need a
common language code, which can be easily decoded by the receiver.

b) Selecting a medium of communication

 It involves making the right choice out of many available options. There are three basic
options for sending interpersonal messages i.e. speaking, writing and non-verbal signs &
symbols (body movements, facial expressions, touching patterns, speech mannerisms).

Transmission

 It refers to the flow of message over the chosen channel. It involves choosing the
  Proper time (When to communicate)

 Proper place (Where to communicate)

 Proper way (How to communicate)

 Channels of transmission can be internet, fax, telephone, courier service, Television, etc.

Decoding

 Decoding is the process of converting a message into thoughts. It is important to note that
it is the message that is transferred, as meaning can not be transferred from one person to
another. The receiver has to assign meaning to a message in order to understand it. The
process of decoding involves interpretation and analysis of a message. Decoding involves
reading and understanding of the written communication and listening and understanding
of the oral communication.

Response/ Feedback

 Response is the last stage in the communication process. It is the action or reaction of the
receiver to the message. Response is the key to communication. It helps the sender know
that that message was received and understood.

8. Difference between verbal and non-verbal communication

Some differences listed by Bovee, Thill and Schatzman –

Verbal Communication Non-verbal Communication

1) It is very structured. 1) It is less structured and so its more

difficult to study. No books on non-verbal
communication can teach how to master
the vocabulary of gestures, expression, etc.

2) Verbal communication is not that 2) Non-verbal communication is comes

spontaneous. spontaneously. Ex- we do not plan to cry
when we are angry or blush when we are
ashamed. It comes naturally

3) Verbal message may deceive. 3) Non-verbal cues establish the speaker’s

honesty. Action speaks louder than words.

4) Verbal communication is central to 4) Non-verbal communication is central to

official/ formal relationships. interpersonal relations because non-verbal
cuesare generally important in emotional
communication.

5) ------ 5) Non-verbal signals are generally used to

support the oral verbal communication.

9. What is the difference between upward and downward communication

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. Organizational publications, circulars, letter to
employees, group meetings etc are all examples of downward communication. 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.

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.

 To tell how well they have understood the downward communication.
 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. Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc all help in
improving upward communication.

10. What is the difference between diagonal and horizontal flow of communication

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.

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 an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform
their task.

11. Define grapevine along with advantages and dis advantages of grapevine

GRAPEVINE:- An informal channel of communication. It can flow vertically, horizontally,

diagonally. Grapevine exists in all organizations and nearly five out of six messages are carried
this way rather than formal methods of communication. This form of communication is very
rapid.

Features include:-
  Keeps subordinates informed about important organizational matters.
 Gives administrators insight about subordinates attitudes.
 Provides subordinates a relief valve to vent emotions.
 Provides a test of subordinates feelings about a new procedure or Policy without making
formal commitments.
 Helps build moral by passing positive comments regarding the organisation.
 Rumor is the one item that gives the grapevine its bad reputation.

Types of grapevine:-

• Single strand: flows like a chain

• Gossip :one person tells everybody else
• Probability(random) :information may move from anybody to anybody
• Cluster : moves through selected groups.

Importance of grapevine:-

• Emotional relief
• Harmony & Cohesiveness in the organisation
• Supplement to other channels
• A fast channel
• Provides feedback

Demits of grapevine:-

• Distortion of information
• May transmit incomplete information
• Travels with destructive swiftness

Advantages and Disadvantages of Grapevine

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
In general Grapevine is – If information from grapevine is blindly
accepted –

6) Reveal some degree of error.

9) Not expensive.
7) Harmful incase it is baseless or
10) Rapid.
imaginary.
11) Multidirectional.
8) Incomplete information, which may
12) A measure of public opinion.
lead to misunderstanding.
13) If carefully cultivated, is capable of
9) Not reliable, as nobody takes the
resolving conflicts.
responsibility for it.
14) Promotes unity and solidarity.
10) At times, cause damage to the
15) Serves as an outlet for anxieties,
organization because of its excessive
worries, frustration, etc.
swiftness.
16) Voluntary and unforced

12. Types of grapevine

Single Strand Chain

Single Strand Chains are those which follow single chain transmission.

Single Strand Chain

For example, A tells to B, who tells it to C & so on. The longer the strand, the more is the
distortion and filtering effects. For example, if any employee is at the verge to be declared as the
new team leader, then this message travels in a single chain.

Gossip Chain
Gossip chains are those in which Group of people gather up to discuss matters of mutual interest.
These chains are generally considered to be slow in passing the information.

Gossip Chain

For example, a message of ‘not-on-job’ is passed through this type of chain.

Probability Chain

Probability Chain is an informational network where each of the individual randomly tells others
the same message. The source of information for each of the person hearing the message is
different.

Probability Chain
Cluster Chain

Cluster chain is an informational network where someone first tells the message to the selected
individuals and those selected individuals pass the same information to other selected individuals
and the process continue in the same way.

Cluster Chain

Most of the informal communication follows this chain. Here the pivotal or the center person
passes the information to the other persons who pass the information to the other selected
persons

13. What is the significance of technical communication?

According to Wikipedia, technical communication is a means to convey scientific, engineering,

and technique or other technical information.

However you define it, its main goal is to create easily accessible information for a particular
group of people.

Technical communication professionals use various techniques to get to know their audience
and, when possible, test content on the target audience. For example, if company employees
don't properly complete a task, such as tallying up and recording how many sales they took in
that day, a technical communicator would intervene. The communicator would review the
existing instructions for the task, interview employees to identify errors of misconception,
interview those who know how to do the task, write revised instructions that instructs workers in
the correct procedures, and test the new material on the employees.

Technical communicators make information more useable and accessible to those who need that
information, and in doing so, they advance the goals of the companies or organizations that
employ them.

According to the Society for Technical Communication (STC), the following is a partial list of
the different jobs within technical communication:

 Technical Writers & Editors

 Indexers
 Information Architects
 Instructional Designers
 Technical Illustrators
 Globalization & Localization Specialists
 Usability & Human Factors Professionals
 Visual Designers
 Web Designers & Developers
 Teachers & Researchers of Technical Communication
 Trainers and E-Learning Developers

In a nutshell of what is the significance of technical communication:

It is a user-centered approach in providing the right information, in the right way, at the right
time to make someone’s life easier and more productive.

14.Explain any ten characteristics of good technical communicator

1. Patient. Not hurry in getting the desired outcome.

2. Calm. Don't involve negative emotions in communication.
3. Empathetic. Understand the possible struggles or concerns the other
communicator has.
4. Willing to listen to the other person. Not eager to express. Listening is the key
to communication.
5. Tolerant. Accept the other communicator's feelings and words even if you think
they're not totally correct and have space to improve.
6. Analyze and understand the reasons behind the other communicator's behavior.
This will help us be more effective in communication and reach our goal.
7. Be clear about our aim of communication, so we know if it's a reasonable one
or just chirping.
8. Know when to pause and adjust strategies. If the other communicator is not in
the state of listening, find another time or calm the other person down by
cleaning his anxiety or insecurity.
 9. Don't give up communication overall. Sometimes one conversation doesn't
work. But if we don't try again, nothing will be changed. If we try, the
possibility of things getting better is >0.
10. Think about what we can do better in effective communication and improve
overtime.

15. What Are the Positive & Negative Effects of Using Technology to Communicate?

In today's global economy, getting on the technology bandwagon is unavoidable to a

certain degree. Even so, you don't need to stop every traditional communications
strategy that's valuable to your business just because email and texting are so
convenient. Examine the positive and negative effects of technology on
communication, as it pertains to your business goals.

Advantage: Speed and Efficiency

Being able to reach customers, co-workers and vendors quickly helps improve the efficiency of
any business operation. Mobile technology makes it easy to get or to keep contact information in
a mobile device. You can reach out with questions or updates from anywhere. For example, a
manager in the field trying to determine why an order hasn't arrived can quickly contact his
office, supplier and delivery courier within a few minutes from the offsite location.

Disadvantage: Lack of Relationship Building

Technology has reduced the amount of face-to-face interaction or the number of actual telephone
conversations that people have. It is much easier to send a quick text rather than to engage in a
phone call. Although this efficiency is certainly a benefit, there is value to the chit-chat that's
now becoming lost. Relationships are built when a business knows its customer and discovers
opportunities to serve them more effectively through personal interactions.

Advantage: Communication Log

Technology has made it easy to keep extended communication logs. Emails and texts are easily
tracked to confirm what was discussed in previous correspondence. Even phone conversations
can be recorded and logged in digital formats through customer retention management software.
Whether to quickly review what was discussed or to keep a legal record of correspondence,
technology has made logging communications much easier.

Disadvantage: Informal Communication

Traditional written correspondence such as letters via postal mail is usually more professional in
format and tone, while email and texting can show a lower standard of professionalism. This can
become a problem if clients feel that the informal nature is a reflection of actual capability.
Professionalism suggests whether a company is capable of doing the job it was hired for.
Informal communications may tarnish a company's reputation.

For example, if an employee addresses a customer in an email, "Hey Linda," this simple informal
salutation may be perceived as too casual or perhaps even unprofessional by some. If the body of
the email uses slang or improper grammar, the reader might delete the email before finishing it.
It's important to know your clients or customers on a fairly casual basis before you jump right in
with a first-name salutation, and to always keep your level of business communications
professional.

Advantage: Mobile Workers

Technology has transformed the workforce into a mobile workforce. This means that people can
work from home or from anywhere in the world, and can collaborate with team members via cell
phones, internet resources or video conferencing. This creates employees who are more
productive and happier, and who have greater flexibility in work hours and their location. Mobile
workers can access all relevant forms, information and company materials in exactly in the same
way as in-office employees.