Communication

COMMUNICATION

ommunication may have different meaning to different people in different context.

Sometimes communication refers to a process and sometimes by the term

communication we mean some human acts. It is a two way process. A single

person cannot constitute communication.

CThe dictionary meaning of communication is “The exchange of thoughts, ideas, message,

knowledge, etc. by the way of speech, action or behavior.

CHARACERSTICS OF COMMUNICATION

Following are the important characteristics of communication.

Communication is the fundamental and vital process to all the managerial actions.

Imparting ideas and making oneself understood by others.

It is a two way process which includes sending of message and receiving the reply of that

message. A single person alone cannot constitute communication.

Communication is continuous and never ending process. It is an ever present activity and

no work can be done without communication

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication consists the following elements.

1. SENDER

He can also be called as the Communicator. The person who intends to transmit

information is known as the sender.

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2. MESSAGE

The contents of communication such as orders, information, message, knowledge,

labels, symbols, etc are the message of communication. The message is the most

important part of communication. Thus the message of communication should be clear.

3. COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

Communication channels refer to the media through which the message of

communication is passed on from the sender of message to the receiver of the message. It

serves as a link between the sender and the receiver. The communication channel may be

Formal or Informal. It may even be oral or written.

4. RECEIVER

The person who receives the information or the person to whom the information is

meant is called the receiver.

5. FEEDBACK

It the response what the receiver of the message gives to the sender of the message.

MODES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication takes place through various modes. Following are the modes of communication.

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1. Verbal Communication

2. Non verbal Communication

VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Verbal communication is a type of communication where in the message,

information; etc is passed on to other person by the way of words. Words may be spoken

or written. In verbal communication the sender shares his/her thoughts with the help of

words. In an organization employees communicate with each other or with their

senior/junior verbally in the form of dialogues, speech, presentations, etc to name a few.

The tone of the speaker, the pitch of the speaker plays a very crucial role in verbal

communication. The speaker has to be loud and clear and the content what has to be

communicated should be properly defined. Unorganized thoughts only lead to confusion

and misunderstanding among people. Thus due care has to be taken while having a verbal

communication.

Verbal Communication is further divided into the following.

1. Oral Communication

2. Written Communication

3. Visual Communication

4. Audio Visual Communication

ORAL COMMUNICATION

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Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals

conversing with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches,

presentations, discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally

recommended when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction

is required. Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences, interviews, etc.) is

significant so as to build a rapport and trust.

Merits of Oral Communication

1. There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is

interpersonal.

2. There is no rigidity in oral communication .It allows for changes very easily and hence it

is flexible.

3. The feedback in case of oral communication is very spontaneous. Thus it allows for quick

decisions without any delay.

4. Oral communication is not only time saving but saves upon efforts and money also.

5. Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts , disputes etc can

put to an end by talking over them .

6. Oral communication is essential for team work and group energy.

7. Oral communication promotes moral among the employees of an organization

8. Oral communication is best used to transfer the private and confidential matters.

Demerits of Oral Communication

1. Relying on oral communication is not sufficient

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2. Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are very

informal and unorganized in nature.

3. Oral communication is time saving only if they are short and to the point, but in case of

speech and seminars and many other occasions they turn out to be unproductive.

4. It may be dangerous to use oral communication because it may happen that the

information is not properly communicated.

5. It requires great attenuation on the part of receiver.

6. Oral communication has no legal record. This is the biggest drawback of oral

communication.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Written communication has great significance in today’s business world. It is an innovative

activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy

promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is

more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their

organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of

sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous,

writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate.

Merits of Written Communication

1. Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for

running of an organization.

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2. It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is

required.

3. Written communication is more precise and explicit.

4. Effective written communication develops and enhances an organization’s image.

5. It provides ready records and references.

6. Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records.

Demerits of Written Communication

1. Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery

and the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.

2. Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to

clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.

3. Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The

encoding and sending of message takes time.

4. Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and

vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organization’s

reputation.

5. Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

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Visual Communication is a quarterly, peer-reviewed academic journal publishing top

research in visual studies. It welcomes contributions from scholars in anthropology, sociology,

history and scientific research. Articles cover still and moving images; graphic design and

typography; visual phenomena such as fashion, professional vision, posture and interaction; the

built and landscaped environment; and the role of the visual in relation to language, music, sound

and action.

Merits of Visual Communication

1. Visual Communication is less boring. With the help of various pictures we can catch

public attention at a great extent.

2. Visual communication is able to emphasize references that you can touch on in the

speech but stay constant on the visual

3. Depending on the person presenting it can be a good tool to adjust tempo which is good

for long speeches with the help of visual communication.

Demerits of Visual Communication

1. Sometimes it may so happen that the visuals might be distracting the audience from what

we are trying to convey to the receiver.

2. At times it may even happen that the speaker relies too much on the visuals and doesn't

present the material as well as they could.

AUDIO VISUAL COMMUNICATION

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It is a powerful medium of communication which is a combination of sound and sight. It

may also use some written words. Audio visual communication is proved the most powerful,

useful and suitable for mass communication and mass publicity. Very large business concerns

very often make use of audio visual communication technique to educate their workers as well as

popularize their products.

Merits of Audio Visual Communication

1. Audio Visual Communication helps in mass communication and hence reduces cost and

time investment

2. Audio visual communication is a very attractive mode of communication.

3. The message conveyed by this type of communication can be understood by all kinds of

individual from kids to adults, from educated to uneducated.

Demerits of Audio Visual Communication

1. Many a times it so happens that the intended message is not convayed properly

2. Audio visual communication is completely ineffective if it is not short and precise.

3. Audio visual communication involves high technology.

NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Well nonverbal communication is as important as verbal communication because

there is a famous proverb saying that " Actions Speak Louder than words", so your gestures ,

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postures , eye contact....each play a major role Imagine yourself in a situation, where you

can’t speak but have to communicate urgent information to the other person or for that

matter, you are sitting in an important meeting and you want to express your displeasure or

pleasure to your colleague without uttering even a word. Here non verbal mode of

communication comes into picture. Facial expressions, gestures, hand and hair movements,

body postures all constitute non verbal communication. Any communication made between

two people without words and simply through facial movements, gestures or hand

movements is called as non verbal communication. In other words, it is a speechless

communication where content is not put into words but simply expressed through

expressions If one has a headache, one would put his hand on his forehead to communicate

his discomfort - a form of non verbal communication. Non verbal communications are vital

in offices.

Nonverbal communication includes the following things.

1. Facial expression

2. Gestures

3. Movements

4. Eye contact

5. Nodding the head

6. Physical appearances

Merits of Nonverbal Communication

1. You can communicate with someone who is hard of hearing of deaf.

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2. You can communicate at place where you are supposed to maintain silence.

3. You can communicate something which you don't want others to hear or listen to.

4. You can communicate if you are far away from a person. The person can see but not hear

you.

5. Non-verbal communication makes conversation short and brief.

6. You can save on time and use it as a tool to communicate with people who don't

understand your language.

Demerits of Nonverbal Communication

1. You cannot have long conversation in case of nonverbal communication

2. In nonverbal communication we cannot discuss the particulars of your message

3. Nonverbal communication is difficult to understand and requires a lot of repetitions.

4. Nonverbal communication cannot be used as a public tool for communication.

5. Nonverbal communication is less influential and cannot be used everywhere.

6. Not everybody prefers to communicate through non-verbal communication.

7. Nonverbal communication cannot create an impression upon people/listeners.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication has various types. Some of the types of communication are listed as follows

Formal Communication

Informal Communication

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FORMAL COMMUNICATION

A type of verbal presentation or document intended to share information and which

conforms to established professional rules, standards and processes and avoids using slang

terminology. The main types of formal communication within a business are (1) downward

where information moves from higher management to subordinate employees, (2) upward

where information moves from employees to management and (3) horizontal where

information is shared between peers.

INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

Informal communication is a casual form of information sharing typically used in

personal conversations with friends or family members. Within a business environment,

informal communication is sometimes called the grapevine and might be observed occurring

in conversations, electronic mails, text messages and phone calls between

socializing employees.

BARRIERS IN COMMUNICATION

Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes

it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if

and only if the messages sent by the sender are interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If

any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due

to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must

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locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affects the

flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication

from the sender to the receiver, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for

managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized

below.

1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual

interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are

significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A

same event may be taken differently by different individuals

2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is

essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be

misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.

3. Attention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay

attention to one “NO PARKING” sign, but if such sign is put all over the city, he no

longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective

communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate

explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to

disappointment of subordinate.

4. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified

time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines,

the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e.,

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not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective

communication.

THE FOUR C’S OF COMMUNICATION

Good communication plays a very important role in this global world. Thus what we

communicate, how we communicate and the way we communicate is very important. For an

effective communication the following four c’s are to be strictly followed. The four c’s are

1. Comprehensive: Communication be verbal or nonverbal should always be short and

conscious. Too lengthy communication should be preferably avoided.

2. Credible: To make an impact, the message which we are sending and the way we are

sending should be credible. An important message should always be backed with data

and research gathered from a reliable source

3. Connect: A communication which lacks credibility may still work if it is able to

connect with its audience. It is the most important C of communication.

4. Clarity: It is another important C of effective communication. The communication

must be clear so that they require message is passed on from the sender to the

receiver.

BUSINESS LETTERS

Writing business letters is usually an elementary skill, but one that is easily forgotten

without practice. Unless it's something done with frequency, such as part of a particular job,

proper business letter form should be reviewed to prevent embarrassment. Certainly, those

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who receive business letters are used to seeing them and will notice a letter that deviates from

the rules. The act of following these accepted rules and expectations--which indicates that

you are a responsible person who can be counted upon to know the rules of civil business

discourse--lends meaning to a properly constructed business letter.

Business letters are used for a wide variety of purposes, from requesting information to

requesting a job. Business letters can be used for correspondence between businesses, such

as, say, with relation to a potential or existing contract. They can also be used for official

communication between employees of the same business. Letters can be sent to lodge a

complaint, acknowledge a service, place an order, request information, or reply to a previous

letter.

ELEMENTS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

HEADING: Most companies use letterhead--stationery with the company’s logo, name,

address and other contact and identifying information. If the company does not have

letterhead, the company’s full name and address should be typed at the top of the page.

DATE: Letters should always include a date. You enter dates two to six lines below the

heading, depending on the length of the letter. Use the full month name spelled out, then

the day, followed by a comma, and then the four-digit year, for example, December 4,

2012

REFERENCE: Include a reference line to identify a file or case number, invoice number

or any other internal identifying information, if your company requires one. Some

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companies have specific reference codes that they place either in a reference line below

the date, or at the very bottom of the letter.

ADDRESSEE: Your letter should include the name of the addresses with their title (Ms.

J. Jones, Dr. Charlene Price), followed by her company name and full address, including

the postal code.

SUBJECT: Adding a subject line makes it easier for the reader to quickly understand the

situation. Normally the subject sentence follows the word “Subject:” or “Re:”

(regarding). Place the subject after the addressee’s address and before the greeting.

SALUTATION: The salutation is your greeting. Most salutations begin with “Dear”

followed by either the recipient’s first name, or title and last name. Endeavor to address

all letters to an actual person. However, if you don’t know the person’s name, use Dear

Madam/Sir, or the job title, such as Dear Accounting Manager.

BODY: The opening paragraph should always state why you are writing. Then, in a

simple and straightforward manner, explain the situation, the solution, the suggestion or

whatever other message you need to get across to the recipient. Be as brief as possible

since long complicated messages often distract readers. Start a new paragraph whenever

you begin a new subject.

CLOSE: Always use a complimentary close. It is a short, polite closing followed by a

comma. When the letter is impersonal, use “Yours truly.” If the letter is to someone

above you in rank, use “Respectfully yours.” If you have a personal connection to the

addressee, use “Sincerely” or “Sincerely yours.” 

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SIGNATURE: Four spaces below the close, type your full or business name. In the

space in-between, you will hand write your signature in ink. Use black or dark blue ink

for your signature.

ENCLOSURES: They refer to the additional material added to the letters. For e.g.

resume bio data etc.

POSTSCRIPT: To add information not necessarily related to the letter, like a personal

note, include a postscript (P.S.) at the bottom. As far as possiable it must be avoided.

FORMS OF BUSINESS LETTERS

1. Blocked Style

2. Semi Blocked Style

3. Modified Blocked Style

BLOCKED STYLE

In the classic block style of business letters, all elements of the letter are flush with the left

margin. If you are writing this form of letter, you will not use any indentations.

Sample:

1 1/2 inch margin

Company Logo or Letterhead

<- 1 1/4

inch

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6-10 spaces

margin ->

March 15, 2001

2-4 spaces

Mr. John Smith, Director of Operations

ABC Group

Some Street Drive

Some town, VA 12345

2 spaces

Dear Mr. Smith :

2 spaces

Thank you for your inquiry about Full-Block format for letters. What follows is a

quick summary of the format and the conventions it uses.

Full block format is considered the most formal of the three styles. In full block

format or style, every line is left justified. The dateline is placed two to six line spaces

below the last line of the heading or letterhead. The inside address placement varies

depending upon the length of the letter. A common spacing is four line spaces below

the date line. The salutation is placed two lines below the attention line (if an attention

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line is provided). The first line of the body is placed two lines below an attention line

or two to four lines below the last inside address line. When using full block,

paragraphs are single spaced, with a double space between paragraphs.

While there are no set rules governing format use, full block is generally used for (1)

requests or inquiries, (2) claims, (3) announcements, (4) records of agreement, (5)

transmittal of other technical documents, and (6) job applications. Most other types of

letters use semi-block or simplified format. This page illustrates the spacing and

layout of full block format.

2 spaces

Sincerely yours ,

4 spaces

Dr. Sheila Carter

English Instructor

2 spaces

SCT/

2 spaces

Enclosure

1 1/2 inch margin

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SEMI BLOCKED FORMAT

When using the semi block format, indent to the middle of the page to type the return address

and the date. The inside letter and the greeting both remain left-justified. When you type the

body of the letter, indent five spaces before starting the first paragraph. At the end of the first

paragraph, double-space and indent five spaces before typing the second paragraph. Follow this

pattern throughout the body of the letter. Indent to the middle page before typing your closing,

signature line, and any information about enclosures.

Sample:

Ishika Porwal

69/B Yashwant Vihar

Nanawadi Belgaum

590009

9538609427

December 4, 2012

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Marketing Director 

Demon Publications 

2201 South Maple Street 

Salt Lake City, UT 84797 

Dear Sir/Madam

I would like to order ten (10) copies of the book, Touchy Situations: A Conversation Text for

ESL Students. I recently came across this book at a local teachers' conference and was very

impressed by its format and contents. Could you please send the books by express mail? I need

them for class next Monday. Also, would you mind sending your latest catalog or brochure?

Thank you for your prompt attention. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards

Trent Chang

MODIFIED BLOCKED FORMAT

In the modified block form, indent to the center of the page before typing your return address

and the date. The inside addresses, greeting, and body of the letter are all left-justified. Indent to

the middle of the page again for your closing, signature line, and notice of enclosures.

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Sample:

Ishika Porwal

69/B Yashwant Vihar

Nanawadi Belgaum

590009

9538609427

December 4, 2012

Marketing Director 

Demon Publications 

2201 South Maple Street 

Salt Lake City, UT 84797 

Dear Sir/Madam

I would like to order ten (10) copies of the book, Touchy Situations: A Conversation Text for

ESL Students. I recently came across this book at a local teachers' conference and was very

impressed by its format and contents. Could you please send the books by express mail? I need

them for class next Monday. Also, would you mind sending your latest catalog or brochure?

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Thank you for your prompt attention. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely

Ishika Porwal

KIND OF BUSINESS LETTERS

Business letters are written for various purposes. Therefore there are many kinds of business

letters as there are various purposes for writing business letters. Following are few types of

business letters. They are:

Letter of Intent:

A letter of intent spells out in detail the circumstances under which an agreement between the

writer and the reader would be made. It is not a contract; it merely states the intent to enter an

agreement.

Sales Letter

Written to persuade the recipient to buy a product or service, sales letters are usually a part of

a direct-mail marketing campaign and often are accompanied by packets, brochures, illustrations

and/or catalogs.

Information Request Letter

In an information request letter, the writer requests information and explains why he needs it

and/or how it will be used.

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Information Response Letter

An information response letter is written in response to a request. Its purpose is to answer

questions or provide requested information. It also may promote the business's products or

services.

Customer Claim Response Letter

In a customer claim response letter, the writer attempts to rectify the complaint spelled out in

the customer's claim letter. It should regain the recipient's confidence in the business and

promote it.

Order Request Letter

An order request is a letter in which a purchase is authorized. It lists the items being ordered

vertically and typically includes the quantity, order number, description and unit price of each

item.

Submitted By:

Ishika Porwal

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