Lecture 1

Foundations of Business Communication

BM5036 Business Communication

Sanjeeva Perera
Visiting Lecture
 Introduction to Business
Communication

The word communication originates from

Latin word “communis”, which means
“common”
And the word business stands for any
economic activity which is undertaken with
a view to earn profit and the
communication undertaken in the process of
this activity is termed as “business
communication”
 Definition of Communication
Communication is a complex process often
involving reading, writing, speaking and listening. It
may be verbal and non-verbal (or a mixture of
both), and it uses a variety of media (language,
mass media, digital technology, etc.).

Broadly speaking, communication is a transfer and

reconstruction of information. More specifically,
we may define communication as the transmission
and reception of ideas, feelings and attitudes –
verbal and non-verbal – that produce a response.
 Communication Theory

There are two major theories of communication:

Behavioral & mathematical.

 Communication Theory
The Behavioral Theory covers both verbal and non-verbal
communication. First set forth by Dr. Jurgen Ruesch, a psychiatrist,
it postulates that communication is based on social situations in
which individuals find themselves. Our participation in
communication with others must conform to established
behavioral patterns involving
• social situations (culture, social class, time & place, etc.)
• roles (sex, professional, religious, etc.)
• status (authority, respect, social/class standing, i.e. in the caste
system in Sri Lanka)
• rules (protocol, ethics, or code of behavior)
• clues in non-verbal communication (gestures, touch, voice
inflections, rate of delivery, etc.)
 Communication Theory
This theory identifies communication networks such as

• intrapersonal, i.e., communication with oneself,

• interpersonal, i.e., communication between individuals,

• group interaction, such as between clans, or organizations, and

• cultural, i.e., between distinct cultures, such as Islamic and

Christian, or African, Anglo-Saxon and Spanish, etc. in America.

 Communication Theory

The Mathematical Theory is largely based on the work of Claude

Shannon & Warren Weaver who were not social scientists but
engineers working for Bell Telephone Labs in the United States.
Their goal was to ensure the maximum efficiency of telephone
cables and radio waves. They developed a model of
communication, which was intended to assist in developing a
mathematical theory of communication. Shannon and Weaver‟s
work proved valuable for communication engineers in dealing
with such issues as the capacity of various communication
channels in „bytes per second‟. It contributed to computer
science, and in making „information‟ „measurable‟ it gave birth to
the mathematical study of „information theory‟.
 Communication Theory

Their original model consisted of five elements:

• An information source, which produces a message;

• A transmitter, which encodes the message into signals;

• A channel, to which signals are adapted for transmission;

• A receiver, which „decodes‟ (reconstructs) the message from

the signal;

• A destination, where the message arrives.

A sixth element, noise, is a dysfunctional factor : any interference

Communication Process Model
 Communication Process Barriers

• Differences in _________
education level,
experience, and culture
• Physical issues, such as _____or
noise room
temperature
• Mental distractions, such as developing a
listening
response instead of ________
Communication Channels
Flow of Information
Within an Organization
Communication Systems

• Reflects rules and procedures

Formal • Created by management to
system control individual and group
behavior

• Emerges as people interact

Informal within a formal system to
system create a satisfying
environment
 Dispelling Myths
about the Grapevine (Gossip)

• Grapevine is ___
no _____
more or ____
less
accurate than other communication
channels

• Message distribution is __________

networked
rather than linear in nature
 Discussion
• Why do communication breakdowns occur
– between individuals?
– in organizations?
• What can you do to prevent or minimize
communication breakdowns?
Levels of Communication

Continued
Levels of Communication (cont.)
Strategic Forces Influencing
Business Communication
Four Dimensions of
Business Behavior
Diversity Challenges

International

Intercultural

Intergenerational

Gender
 Impacts of Technology

• Aids in collecting and organizing data

• Helps craft clearer and more effective messages
• Overcomes distance and time issues
• Complicates interpersonal relationship
development
• Raises legal and ethical issues
 Team Environment
Leads to Synergy

• Makes workers happier by causing them to feel

they are shaping their jobs
• Increases efficiency by eliminating
management layers
• Enables a company to
draw on talents of
entire workforce
Focusing on Interpersonal and
Group Communication
 Behavioral Theories
Impact Communication

Maslow’s
Stroking Johari Window
Hierarchy of Needs

Hersey and
McGregor’s Blanchard’s
Theory X and Y Situational
Leadership Model
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

SELF-
ACTUALIZATION
Personal growth,
realization of potential
ESTEEM NEEDS
Titles, status symbols,
promotions, banquests
SOCIAL NEEDS
Formal and informal
work groups or teams
SECURITY NEEDS
Seniority plans, union, health insurance,
employee assistance plans, severance pay, pension

BASIC NEEDS
Food, water, shelter, Pay
 Stroking

Stroking is a transactional analysis term for identifying

the way others give recognition to a person. It can be in
the form of a pat on the back from the supervisor, a
congratulatory message, or being listened to. Receiving
strokes is essential to a person’s mental and emotional
well-being. By staying aware of this fact, managers can
greatly improve communication and people’s attitudes
toward their work.
 Johari Window

The Johari Window visual provides a means to show

how trust leading to self-disclosure helps enlarge the
free or open area and, in turn, decreases the size of the
blind and hidden areas. Self-disclosure leads to further
trust and to a higher level of interpersonal “sharing.”
 McGregor’s Theory X and Y

a. Managers who practice Theory Y help satisfy

workers’ social and ego needs. By satisfying these
needs, people gain in personal maturity, which helps
lead to trust in management.
b. In contrast, managers who practice Theory X tend
to assume that workers are concerned only with
satisfying lower-level physiological and security safety
needs so these managers fail to assist in people’s efforts
to satisfy higher-level needs.
 Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational
Leadership Model

Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model

emphasizes using different management styles based on
the situation and who the participants are. The directive
behavior they describe occurs when a supervisor gives
detailed rules and instructions to an employee and then
monitors him or her closely. The supportive behavior
they describe occurs when leaders listen, communicate,
recognize, and encourage rather than dictating.
 Discussion
• Describe an effective leader.
• How is communication important
to effective leadership?
 Nonverbal Communication
Adds Meaning

• Not expressed in words but

Metacommunication
accompanies a verbal message

• All types of body movements

Visual (gestures, eye contact, and facial
expressions)

Vocal • Tone, projection, and emphasis

Understanding Nonverbal Messages

• Cannot be avoided
_______
• Vary between people
______ and cultures
contradictory or
• May be ____________
unintentional, beneficial
_________or harmful
• May be __________
intentional and receive more
attention than the verbal message
Discussion
What type of listening are
you engaged in at this time?
1. Casual listening
2. Listening for information
3. Intensive listening

4. Empathetic listening
(Person's feelings)
 Effective Listeners . . .

• Minimize distractions
• Get in touch with the speaker
• Show active involvement; do not interrupt
• Ask reflective questions
• Send probing prompts to the speaker
• Use lag time wisely
Characteristics of Effective Groups

Common Role Longevity

goals perception (a long life)

Group
Size Status
norms

Leadership

Group norms : Unspoken and often unwritten set of informal rules that govern
individual behaviors in a group
Stages of Team Development
Stages of Team Development
 FSNPA
F- Forming (initial stage of the group)
S- Storming (development stage conflicts and
confrontation)
N – Norming (members cooperation and
collaboration, “we” feeling)
P- Performing ( group fully function to
accomplishing tasks)
A – Adjourning (this represent end of the group)
 Suggestions for Effective Meetings

• Limit meeting ______and

length _________
frequency
• Make ___________
satisfactory arrangements
• Distribute _______
agenda in advance
• Encourage ___________
participation
• Maintain _____
order
• Manage _______and
conflict seek consensus
• Prepare thorough _______
minutes
Thanks