MGT269 – BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION
AN INTRODUCTION
 COMMUNICATION

• Communication : Giving, receiving or

exchanging information, opinions or ideas by
writing, speech or visual means, so that the
message communicated is completely
understood by the recipient (s).

• Business Communication : Communication

that occurs within an organization in the form of
verbal or non-verbal, formal or informal in order
to communicate effectively either internally or
externally.
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• The key to effective communication is ensuring
that your message is
• Understood,
• Stimulating the recipient to take appropriate
action,
• Affecting the way the recipient thinks in
some way.
• Effective communication helps to
• Integrate all the managerial functions of
management. Eg: Mktg & Sales.
• Link people together in order to achieve a
common goal @ purpose.
• Give effect to changes & influence actions
between the internal environment & the external
environment.
BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION

Quicker problem solving

Stronger decision making

Upturn in productivity

Clearer and Steadier work flow

Stronger business relationships

Convincing and clearer promotional/corporate materials

Enhance professional image

Improved stakeholder response

COMMUNICATION IN
CHANGING WORKPLACE
 Advancing Technology
 Global Communication
 The Information Age
 Team-based business environments
PURPOSE of BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
 Establish and build goodwill.
 To persuade.
 To obtain and share information.
 To establish personal effectiveness.
 To build self-esteem.
 RECEIVE
SENDER

F
ENCODE E
E
D
B
CHANNEL
A
C
K
DECODE

RECEIVER
TRANSMIT
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 RECEIVE
SENDER

The sender has an idea

F
ENCODE E
• The sender is the source E
that initiates the D
communication due to B
CHANNEL
the need, desire to A
communicate or a C
K
purpose for
DECODE communicating is either
formal or informal.

RECEIVER
TRANSMIT
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 RECEIVE
SENDER

Encode
F
ENCODE • The sender transforms the idea into a E
message, a process called encoding, E
which depends on the message’s form D
such as B
CHANNEL • Words, facial expression and A
gestures. C
• Length. K
DECODE • Organization.
• Tone and style.

RECEIVER
TRANSMIT
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 RECEIVE
SENDER

Channel
F
ENCODE E
• The sender transmits the message through
a communication channel (verbal or non- E
verbal, spoken or written) and a medium D
(letter, memo, report, telephone, e-mail or B
CHANNEL face-to-face interaction). The channel
A
chosen depends on the message, the
location of the receiver, speed (urgent or C
non-urgent) and the formality of the K
situation.
DECODE

RECEIVER
TRANSMIT
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 RECEIVE
SENDER

The receiver gets the

F
ENCODE message E
E
• The receiver interprets the D
message, a process called B
CHANNEL
decoding. If the receiver A
interprets correctly, the person C
will react in the desired way. K
DECODE

RECEIVER
TRANSMIT
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 RECEIVE
SENDER

The receiver reacts and F

ENCODE sends feedback to the E
sender. E
D
B
CHANNEL • It is a key elements to A
ascertain whether the C
receiver understand your K
DECODE intentions and responds
correctly.

RECEIVER
TRANSMIT NOISE
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
 Intrapersonal
Communication • Communicating with oneself.

Dyadic/Interpersonal
Communication • Communication between 2 people.

• Communication between people

Small Group involved in a group where coalitions can
Communication form.

Public • Communication by 1 or more people to a

Communication large group of people.

• Communication transmitted to large,

Mass wide-spread audiences via technology.
Communication

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

WRITTEN
ORAL CHANNELS CHANNELS

ELECTRONIC
CHANNELS

Given the choices, when do you choose to use oral, written or electronic
channels?
CHOOSING THE CHANNEL OF
COMMUNICATION
SAFETY &
COST CONFIDENTIALITY
SECURITY

INFLUENCE URGENCY DISTANCE

TIME OF DAY RESOURCES WRITTEN RECORD

RECIPIENT
 VERBAL FORMAL INTERNAL

NON-
VERBAL INFORMAL EXTERNAL

Basic FORMS of Communication

 NON-VERBAL
VERBAL

Written & oral Most basic form of

communication. communication.
• Usage of words arranged • Communicating without
in some meaningful speaking.
patterns. • Interpersonal process of
• Oral communication sending and receiving
provide speedier message, without using
exchange with immediate written or spoken
feedback, giving a feeling language.
of importance.

Basic FORMS of Communication

TYPES of NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
Facial expression & eye behavior.

Gestures & postures.

Vocal characteristics.

Personal appearance.

Touching behavior.

Use of time & space

 INFORMAL
FORMAL

Aligned with the official Grapevine

structure of an • No set hierarchy path
organization. and no rigid structure
• Defined by the official • Contains mix of
chain of command. business and personal
• Covers wide distances messages of facts,
as organization develop opinions and
& info travels over assumptions
different paths.

Basic FORMS of Communication

Types of Grapevine
Types of Grapevine
Types of Grapevine
Types of Grapevine
 EXTERNAL
INTERNAL
Exchange of information Exchange of information
and ideas within the and ideas with external
organization. parties or outsiders.
Occurs in formal & informal Includes customers,
channels. suppliers, friends,
Info flows upward, competitors, government
downward, & horizontally. officials, investors &
community representatives.
Formal external
communication – Marketing
& PR
Informal external
communication –casual
meetings @ conversation.

Basic SETTING of Communication

 INTERNAL EXTERNAL
FORMAL Planned Communication Planned Communication
Among Insiders With Outsiders

INFORMAL Casual Communication Casual Communication

Among Employees With Outsiders

Basic FORMS of Communication

 • Communication that • Communication that flows
flows from executives employees to executives.
to employees.
• Help executives to monitor
• Conveys executive employees’ performances &
decisions & orders. ideas.

• Provide information • Provide insight to problems,

that helps employees opportunities, trends,
to do their job. grievances and
performance.

• Information allows
executives to solve problems
and make intelligent
decisions.

Downward Upward

THE FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

 • Communication that • Four types of
flows between grapevine:
departments. • Single strand
• Gossip
• Information sharing, • Probability
solving complex • Clusters
problems and
coordinating tasks.

Horizontal Grapevine

THE FLOW OF COMMUNICATION

 Non-verbal signals
• Different signals may mean
differently in other places.

Language
• May cause misunderstanding, or
may not be understood at all
• Jargons, slangs & accents among
key factors

Listening
• A skill that is lacking in many
people

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 Pre-judgment
• Hear what we want to hear
based on what we already know
• Jumping into conclusion

Relationship & trust

• If relationships between people
are not good, communication
may fail to be effective or may
break down altogether

Emotional responses
• Communication cannot succeed
if a person is highly emotional
about the topic concerned

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 Information overload
• Managers and organizations can
experience information overload
when the amount of data that
can be processed is exceeded

Gender differences
• Can result in breakdowns and
lead to distorted communication
and misunderstandings between
men and women

Cross-cultural diversity
• Individuals from different
cultures may encode and decode
their messages differently

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 Take
communication
courses to improve
communication
skills.

Learn about your • Learn about receiver’s bias, education, age,

audience/receiver. social status, style & point of view.

• Focus on & care about your audience.

• Always make your message meaningful to your
Adopt an audience- audience.
centered approach. • Learn all you can about your audience.
• Use common sense and imagination to project
yourself into the audience’s position.

HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS

 Encourage an open
communication • Modify the number of
climate – less organization levels.
communication chain.

Facilitate feedback. • Use survey & memo.

• Give accurate info.

Commit to ethical
communication. • Do not plagiarize, misquote,
misrepresent numbers.

HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS

 Adjust tools of
communication • FB, twitter, WA: Teenagers
according to • Email: Professionals
audience/receiver.

• Limit the numbers of messages to be

communicated.
Create lean, • Develop & connect ideas to the best way
efficient messages. possible.
• Choose proper/correct channel &
medium.

HOW TO OVERCOME BARRIERS