Linear model of

business
communication
 CONCEPT
• The first formal model within information theory was
Shannon’s model of communication, developed in the
1940s, which laid out a linear schema of production,
transmission, channel, receiver, and destination.
• According to this model, information is ‘sent’ by one person
and subsequently ‘received’ and ‘processed’ by another.
• In this framework, communication is not seen as a
problem; once the information has been sent out it will
automatically be processed at the other end.
• Although widely discredited in the academic literature
today, the basic schema of the linear model (sender-
message-channel-recipient) still provides the implicit
underpinning of many communication initiatives
Linear model of business
communication
 Process :
• The information source selects a desired message out of a set of possible
messages.
• The transmitter changes the message into a signal that is sent over the
communication channel to the receiver.
• The receiver is a sort of inverse transmitter, changing the transmitted signal
back into a message, and interpreting this message.
• This message is then sent to the destination. The destination may be another
receiver (i.e., the message is passed on to someone else), or the message may
rest with the initial receiver, and the transmission is achieved.
• In the process of transmitting a message, certain information that was not
intended by the information source is unavoidably added to the signal (or
message). This "noise" can be internal (i.e., coming from the receiver's own
knowledge, attitudes, or beliefs) or external (i.e., coming from other sources).
Such internal or external "noise" can either strengthen the intended effect of a
message (if the information confirms the message), or weaken the intended
effect (if the information in the "noise" contradicts the original message).
 UTILITARIAN VALUES IN
COMMUNICATION
• The linear model , or a variation on it, is the most common communication
model used in low-level communication text and has been a significant
development in the field of business communication.

• Within a decade a host of other disciplines—many in the behavioral

sciences—adapted it to countless interpersonal situations, often distorting it
or making exaggerated claims for its use. Therefore, this communication
model has been taken as an approximation of the process of human
communication
• This model has provided an influential yet counter-intuitive definition of
communication.
• In business, reputation and credibility need to be built
up in order to get clients’ trust and confidence. Having
a sense of professionalism will bring a lot to the
business, especially in a long term relationship with
employees and clients.
• Business communication encompasses not only
communicating with external contacts but also with
employees within the organization. This will aid the
business in being well-organized and every matter
whether it is a problem, an inquiry or a sales letter will
be attended to properly and promptly.