Business Communication: Its Basic

Concept and Characteristics

 Definition of Business
Communication

• The function of a language is to deliver

clear and fluid thoughts. There are always
reasons for speaking. Communication is
the core in every organizatio, be it in
school, clubs, organizations and
companies.
 Organizational Communication
A system of communication must be put in
place for an organization to be successful.
Establishing patterns of communication or
communication protocol must be clear and
individuals in the organization must be
equipped with necessary oral and written
communication skills.
• Communication channels in the
organization can be internal and external.
From the word internal, communication is
happening within the people at all levels in
an organization while external
communication happens between people
withoin the organization and outside of it.
This includes transactions of the company
to its clients, inverstors, or suppliers.
 Two Types of Organizational
Com. Structure or Networks
• 1. Formal Communication, it flows within
different positions in the institution and it
usually follows the same lines and patterns
of an organizational chart. This makes use
of different approaches
– a. downward communication
– b. upward commnication
– c. horizontal communication
– d. crooswise communication
• Downward Communication: flows from
top management down to the rank and file
employees and could contain important
memos or takss.
• Upward Communication: moves from
bototm-up where subordinates
communicate to supervisors about
feedback on rules or issues related to their
jobs.
• Horizontal Communication: circulates on
the same level but from different
departments or units that facilitates tasks
through proper coordination.
• Crosswise Communication: runs from an
employee from one department to another
employee of a different level in another
department or unit.
• 2. Informal Communication: comes from
unofficial channels of message flow
(‘grapevine” messages). This occurs due to
dissatisfaction of some employees,
supervisors playing favorites, unfavorable
company rules and some even resort to
gossip.
• However, if used properly, informal
communication can strengthen workplace
relationships. It is also considered as an
important communication channel since it
is widespread. Any information, even if it
is not officially sanctioned by the
organization, can extensively reach anyone
quickly even it it is discouraged by the
management.
• GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
DEFINITION, TYPES, IMPORTANCE
• What is grapevine communication?

Grapevine communication is informal

workplace dialogue in its purest form: it is
characterized by conversations between
employees and superiors that do not follow
any prescribed structure or rule-based
system.
How does grapevine communication occur in
an organization?
• Grapevine communication occurs through face-to-face
conversations, email, text messages, chats. This type of
communication spreads rapidly and likely touches each
person throughout the organization. The social and
personal interactions of employees determine the
frequency and reach of grapevine communication. It is an
inevitable byproduct of workplace communications.
Human beings have a desire to communicate with one
another, and this will not always come in a form that is
approved by senior management. Grapevine
communication is so complicated that various categories
define it.
 What are the 4 types of grapevine
communication?
• There is a Single-strain chain where information
travels straight from person A to person D. The
Gossip Chain sees one person spread the news to
as many people as they can, while the
Probability Chain disperses information
randomly and in turn, others do the same. Lastly,
the Cluster Chain reveals one person telling a
selected group of people who also spread the
news to another cluster. These are all various
ways that company information can informally
travel throughout the organization.
 The importance of grapevine
communication
• To understand the significance of grapevine communication,
leaders need to know why it happens in the first place. In the
workplace, things can change at a moment’s notice. New
procedures, new hires, layoffs, the implementation of new
software are all things that workers have to think about daily.
As a result, employees have a desire to know about
happenings that could impact their work day in a way that is
not filtered through the messaging of senior management.
Combine this with the fact that humans have an inherent
desire to communicate with others and promote a sense of
belonging, and you have the makings of a highly active
grapevine. While this type of communication is informal, it
is still vital for leaders to understand the impact it has on the
work environment.
It is essential for leaders not to underestimate
the reach of grapevine communication.
• In an organization where formal communication is poor,
informal discussions can complement whatever is
lacking. These systems can also reveal the source of
misinformation and the spread of harmful rumors. It can
be a temperature check for management to see if workers
are satisfied, which can provide some insight into
potential turnovers. Grapevine communication can reveal
a lot about an organization: how much workers trust
senior management, an increase in conflict, workplace
satisfaction, and informal groups who have power in
gaining and spreading information. Grapevine
communication is natural, but leaders have to decide how
much it is benefitting or hurting the company.
 What are some examples of grapevine
communication?
• An example of grapevine communication
is when an employee hears a rumor about a
change in company policy from another
employee, and then spreads the rumor to
other employees.
Is grapevine communication formal
in nature?
• Grapevine communication is often considered
unreliable, as it can be difficult to determine the
accuracy of the information received. However,
grapevine communication can also be a valuable
tool for organizations, as it can help employees to
stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends.
Despite its informal nature, grapevine
communication can still be used in an organized
and formal way, especially when organizations
encourage sharing of feedback and ideas amongst
employees.
 Why is grapevine communication
considered unreliable?
• Grapevine communication often relies on
personal interpretations, and the message
can easily be distorted as it passes from
one person to the next. This makes it
unreliable as a source of information, and
organizations should be careful not to rely
too heavily on grapevine communication
when communicating important
information.
 5 CHALLENGES OF GRAPEVINE
COMMUNICATION
1. The Risk of Distortion
• — Messages can drastically change
depending on who is giving the
information.
• — Formal channels are not in place so
employees can say what they want without
fear of identification or correction.
• — This could harm the work environment
if the messages are inflammatory.
2. An Increase in Misunderstandings
• — If workers are confused about a message
that has traveled through the grapevine there
is no one to talk to for confirmation.
• — People likely want to keep their
involvement in the movement of information
secret, and some messages might not even be
permitted to travel outside of specific groups.
• — Therefore, workers do not have anyone to
approach if they have misunderstood a
grapevine message.
3. No Indication of Where It Started
• — If the damaging information is spread
throughout the organization, there is not an
easy way to find out who is releasing the
information.
• — Employees who know may be reluctant
to get involved, and morale can suffer if
management has to interrogate various
employees privately.
4. Increasing the Divide Between Senior
Management and Employees
• — If employees are always the last to
know about significant developments, and
information that should be released to all
workers has to be spread informally, it can
diminish trust and increase the divide
between senior management and the
employees who work under them.
• — Workers may feel that they have to do
this to stay up-to-date on issues that
concern them.
5. Channeling Grapevine Communication for
Positive Outcomes
• — Since this information is not in direct control
of senior management, it is difficult to find ways
to influence grapevine communications.
• — Workers may feel that administration is
interfering too closely in how they communicate
offline.
• — Also, management will never have the
resources to analyze and scrutinize every piece of
dialogue. Therefore, controlling any aspect of
grapevine communication may seem impossible.
 5 SOLUTIONS: HOW CAN LEADERS BETTER
UTILIZE GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION?
1. Understand That the Grapevine Is Here to
Stay
— The first step in managing the grapevine is
understanding that it is not something that can be
abolished entirely.
— Some managers may think they can completely
eradicate informal communications, and as a result,
they can come across as controlling and stifling.
— Managers need to know that grapevine
communication is not going away, and they would
do better to try to work together with employees.
2. Recognize Where Informal
Communications Are Likely Happening
• — Is there always a group at the water
cooler?
• — Is the breakroom a common meeting
group for whispered messages?
• Taking notice of where these conversations
are taking place will help leaders to
understand who some of the major players
are and why they are happening.
3. Develop More Natural Systems for
Workers to Communicate
• — Leaders can show that they are open to
employees communicating with each other by
giving them more mediums to talk such as
collaboration tools, intranets, and lunch
socials.
• — This will confirm that management is not
against workers communicating and
collaborating with one another.
• — It will also create opportunities for
management also to be involved in
communications to increase employee trust.
4. Preempt Times of Uncertainty
• — It makes perfect sense that in times of
uncertainty workers would begin to send more
messages through the grapevine.
• — Managers can get ahead of this by including as
much information as they can through formal
means: emails, memos, and company-wide
meetings.
• — Employees do not like to be left in the dark.
• — If management has come across a situation they
are not sure about; they should be open about the
fact that they do not know.
• — This will ease worries and decrease the need to
spread potential misinformation.
5. Create an Open-Door Policy
• — Leaders can indirectly let employees know that
they are always welcome to come to the source.
• — If senior leaders have open door policies where
employees can stop by to ask questions, then they
might not feel the need to get information
elsewhere.
• — For this to work, leaders have to be transparent.
• — Leaders should let employees know the
boundaries of what they can and cannot answer and
the reasons why.
• — If it is sensitive information at the time, leaders
can tell employees why they cannot explain it at that
time and inform them of when they might be able
to.
 GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
PURPOSE, BENEFITS,
DISADVANTAGES
• The purpose of grapevine communication is to allow
employees to share their thoughts and concerns with
each other: grapevine communication allows
employees to easily stay up to date on changes within
the workplace, and it can also help build relationships
between employees by providing them with a
platform to share their ideas and exchange stories. It
also serves as an avenue for employees to provide
feedback on organizational policies and practices,
allowing organizations to improve their operations.
Grapevine communication can be both beneficial and
detrimental.
What are the disadvantages of grapevine
communication?
• Grapevine communication can encourage rumors
and inaccuracies to spread, leading to
misinterpretations and misunderstandings. This
type of communication can lead to feelings of
distrust and alienation between colleagues, as
some conversations may be excluded from the
grapevine, leaving some employees feeling left
out or excluded. If not managed properly,
grapevine communication can have a negative
effect on workplace morale and performance.
 Disadvantages of grapevine
communication:

• Can lead to inaccurate or incomplete

information being shared.
• Can lead to gossip and rumors spreading
throughout the organization, which can be
damaging to its reputation and morale.
• Can create an environment of mistrust and
suspicion among employees if not
managed properly.
• Can lead to conflict between employees.
 What are the benefits of grapevine
communication?
• Grapevine communication can be used to quickly
spread news throughout an organization. This
type of communication is also beneficial because
it allows employees to share their perspectives,
ideas, and feelings which can lead to improved
collaboration and understanding between
employees, as well as an overall increase in
morale. Grapevine communication can be used to
quickly identify any issues or problems that may
be present in the workplace. It is cost-effective
and does not require significant resources or
technology to implement.
 Advantages of grapevine
communication:
• Quicker than other forms of
communication.
• Allows employees to build relationships
which can improve collaboration,
teamwork and morale.
• Allows for sharing of ideas and opinions
which can be a source of ideas for
improving organization’s processes and
policies.
 How can leaders benefit from
grapevine communication?
• Quickly disseminate information to a large
audience.
• Gain feedback from all levels of
employees (e.g. receive feedback on
current policies and initiatives).
• Stay informed of employee sentiment on
important topics.
• Identify potential issues before they
become larger problems.
 GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION
BEST PRACTICES
• Set Boundaries for Informal
Communications
• While leaders may not be able to control
what is said, they can let workers know what
the boundaries are. Any language that could
be seen as harassment, racially charged or
inflammatory should be off limits. Leaders
should then hold true to this by establishing
a zero-tolerance rule where this type of
dialogue is not protected.
Explain How the Organization
Communicates
• Surprisingly, some employees may not
have any idea about how they can expect
to hear from senior management. This can
create uncertainty if employees are waiting
to hear feedback or if workers are waiting
for a decision from senior management.
Leaders should be clear if the
communication will be given face-to-face,
by email, or in another medium.
Do Not Sit on a Rumor
• If there is a rumor going around the
company that is not inflammatory, but is
untrue, act quickly to dispel the
information. The more time something
travels, the more apt employees are to
believe it and respond to it.
Create an Information Dissemination Plan
• While all leaders would like to stop
misinformation at the source, this is not
always possible. Therefore, leaders should
work with the marketing department and PR
teams to put together an information
dissemination plan that can be used in the
event of an emergency or to address a serious
rumor that has gotten too large and has found
its way outside of the organization. There
should be an outline to address what the story
is, its importance to the organization, and
discuss how it is true or false.
Test the Waters
• Leaders should share their own
information to get immediate feedback
from workers concerning a new procedure,
policy, or division. Management should
have a plan to explain the rumor as not to
diminish employee trust.
 How can grapevine
communication be reduced?
• Encourage employees to come to the leadership
with questions and concerns.
• Promote frequent communication between
management and staff.
• Utilize surveys and focus groups to gain
feedback from employees on any changes or
plans.
• Make sure that all employees understand the
company’s policies and procedures, so that there
is no room for misunderstanding or
misinterpretation of information.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of any
changes or updates in the organization, as
soon as possible after they occur, through
official channels such as newsletters,
emails, and official meetings.
• Provide clear channels of communication
between all members of the organization,
including managers and direct reports.
• Encourage honest discussion and open
dialogue between different departments in
order to resolve any issues or concerns.
 To manage grapevine communication
effectively, organizations must ensure
that:
• Employees have opportunities for open
and honest dialogues with upper
management. It is important to set clear
and consistent expectations with
employees and create a culture where
people feel comfortable voicing their
concerns in a respectful way.
• Employees always have access to accurate
information from official sources.
Managers should be aware of any topics
that might be sensitive to employees and
should strive to provide timely updates
about changes and decisions.
• Employees should be trained and
encouraged to practice critical thinking
when making decisions.
 How to improve grapevine
communication:
• Increase transparency by ensuring all
employees have access to the same
information.
• Utilize technology to facilitate
communication between departments, as
well as between managers and employees.
• Develop predefined channels with clear
and consistent messages for all
communication. This will help ensure that
everyone is on the same page.
• Make sure that communication is two-way.
Encourage feedback from employees and make
sure their ideas are taken seriously.
• Establish procedures for employees to share their
ideas and experiences with one another
(including cross-departmentally) to facilitate
better collaboration and understanding.
• Strive to create an atmosphere of open dialogue
and trust, where ideas flow freely and everyone
feels comfortable asking upper management or
colleagues to clarify any information.
• Establish a procedure to regularly gather
feedback on how communication can be
improved.
• https://status.net/articles/grapevine-
communication/