PURPOSE OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

1. For instruction The instructive function unvarying and

importantly deals with the commanding nature. It is more or less of directive nature.

Under this, the communicator transmits with necessary directives and guidance to the next level, so as to enable them to accomplish his particular tasks. In this, instructions basically flow from top to the lower level.

2. For integration:

It is consolidated function under which integration of activities is endeavored.

The integration function of communication mainly involves to bring about inter-relationship among the various functions of the business organization.

It helps in the unification of different management functions.

3. For information The purposes or function of

communication in an organization is to inform the individual or group about the particular task or company policies and procedures etc.

Top management informs policies to the lower level through the middle level.

In turn, the lower level informs the top level the reaction through the middle level.

Information can flow vertically, horizontally and diagonally across the organization. Becoming informed or inform others is the main purpose of communication.

4. For evaluation Examination of activities to form an

idea or judgement of the worth of task is achieved through communication.

Communication is a tool to appraise the individual or team, their contribution to the organization.

Evaluating one’s own inputs or other’s outputs or some ideological scheme demands an adequate and effective communication process.

5. For direction:

Communication is necessary to issue directions by the top management or manager to the lower level. Employee can perform better when he is directed by his senior.

Directing others may be communicated either orally or in writing. An order may be common order, request order or implied order.

6. For influencing

A complete communication process is necessary in influencing others or being influenced.

The individual having potential to influence others can easily persuade others.

It implies the provision of feedback which tells the effect of communication.

7. For teaching:

The importance of personal safety on the job has been greatly recognized. A complete communication process is required to teach and educate workers about personal safety on the jobs.

This communication helps the workers to avert accidents, risk etc. and avoid cost, procedures etc.

8. For image building:

A business enterprise cannot isolate from the rest of the society.

There is interrelationship and interdependence between the society and an enterprise operating in the society.

Goodwill and confidence are necessarily created among the public.

It can be done by the communication with the different media, which has to project the image of the firm in the society.

Through an effective external communication system, an enterprise has to inform the society about its goals, activities, progress and social responsibility.

9. For employees orientation: When a new employee enter into

the organization at that time he or she will be unknown to the organization programs, policies, culture etc.

Communication helps to make people acquainted with the co-employees, superior and with the policies, objectives, rules and regulations of the organization.

10. For decision-making

Effective decision-making is possible when required and adequate information is supplied to the decision-maker. Effective communication helps the process of decisionmaking.

In general, everyone in the organization has to provide with necessary information so as to enable to discharge tasks effectively and efficiently.

Internal and External Communication

Internal Day-to-day exchange among

employees External

Flows between an organisation and the entities with which it interacts

Business Communication is Transactional

Give-and-take relationship between sender and

receiver in order to establish a common understanding

The role of organisational communication in modern organisation is vital to its growth and prosperity. It is through the process of observation and understanding how people communicate with each other through words, symbols and behaviors that we are able to improve the daily activities in organisations. May it be in work settings or others, an understanding of how individuals behave, why they behave as they do and how human interaction can be improved are essentials for organisational success.

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE WHAT IS EFFECTIVE ORGANISATIONAL ORGANISATIONAL COMMUNICATION?COMMUNICATION?

Require addressing a host of situational & historical factors.

Does not remain constant – varies by company/industry, people involvement, culture, etc.

What work in one organisation does not mean it will work on another.

Pattern of interaction – due to change as the world progress changes in jargon, technology and nature of the industry.

Organization + communication = synergistic communication effect

It is a chain reaction as a result of organization and its involvement.

CHARACTERICTICS OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS Communicators

simultaneously send and receive

Communication is a process

Communication is irreversible

There are seven essential elements to successful business communication: 1. Structure 2. Clarity 3. Consistency 4. Medium 5. Relevancy 6. Primacy 7. Psychological Rule of 7±2

1. Structure

How you structure your communication is fundamental to how easily it is absorbed and understood by your audience/customer.

Every good communication should have these three structural elements: an opening, a body, and a close.

2. Clarity

Be clear about the messaqe you want to deliver, as giving a confused message to your audience only ends up with them being confused and your message being ignored.

3. Consistency As well as consistency amongst multiple

messages, be aware that inconsistency within your message can be just as deadly to audience comprehension.

At the risk of sounding like the Grouchy Grammarian, please make sure that your tenses remain the same, that your viewpoint doesn't wander between the 1st and 3rd person and back again (unless you deliberately want to create a linguistic or story-telling effect — be careful with this!) and that your overall 'theme' or message doesn't change.

4. Medium

Choosing the right medium or media is obviously critical

with the greatest accuracy with the largest likelihood of

audience comprehension at the lowest fiscal cost at the lowest time cost

5. Relevancy The psychological reality is that sometime the

audiences are felt bored with your messages. Which means that if you force them to attend to your

message you will actually turn them against you and be even less likely to receive their attention in the future.

If your business communication needs to touch on several areas that might not be of interest to your entire audience, let them know of alternative resources that more fully address each of these additional areas.

You can do this by, for example, providing them with an easily-remembered and written link to a webpage where a greater depth of information can be stored.

6. Primacy/Recency Psychologists call the effect of remembering the

first few items presented as a 'Primacy Effect'. Similarly, they call the effect of remembering the last few items presented to you as a 'Recency Effect'.

Since individuals differ in which Effect is the most dominant for them, it is best to 'cover your bases' and make an effort to have both a powerful and memorable opening and a powerful close.

A powerful opening can be anything that captures the audience's attention:

a quote, a joke, a loud noise, a preposterous statement.

7. The Psychological Rule of 7±2 (seven plus or minus two)

Psychologists have long known that the human brain has a finite capacity to hold information in short-term or 'working' memory.

The brain is also structured to retain information in 'clusters' or groups of items. These clusters average, across the whole of mankind, at seven items, plus or minus two.

If you want your key points to be remembered even five minutes later, it is essential that you limit your business communication to between just five and nine key points.

Internal Communication Patterns

Vertical

Horizontal

Network

Formal Communication

Is business related May be written or oral Is planned by the organisation Flows in all directions Is essential for effective operation of the business

Informal Communication

Referred to as “the Grapevine” May be either business or personal Is not planned by the organisation Flows in all directions Develops and maintains positive human

relationships

THE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN ORGANISATIONS Formal Channels – follow an organization’s

hierarchy of command. Official information among workers typically flows

through formal channels in three directions : Downward Upward Horizontal

THE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN ORGANISATIONS

Continued…

Downward Flow – Information flowing downward generally moves from decision makers,including the CEO and managers,through the chain of command to workers. The information includes job plans, policies and procedures.

THE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN ORGANISATIONSContinued…

Problems: Lack of Awareness Insufficient or Unclear Message Message Overload Bad Timing Distortion

Upward Flow – Occurs when messages flow from subordinates to superiors. Information flowing upwards provides feedback from non management employees to management.

Problem with Upward Communication : Risk Distortion Status Differential


Benefits: It gives feedback on how accurately downward

messages have been received It indicates how well management decisions are

being received It can increase acceptance of management

decisions It can prevent new problems and diagnose old ones

THE FLOW OF INFORMATION IN ORGANISATIONS

Horizontal Flow – Laterals channels transmit information horizontally among workers at the same level. Enable individuals to coordinate tasks, share information, solve problems, resolve conflict and build rapport.

Obstacles : poor communication skills, prejudice, ego involvement and protecting one’s interest.


Informal Channels – the transmission of information through non-official channels within the organisation

The Grapevine – an informal communication network that supplement official channels

OFFICEPOLITICS

Office Politics

The competitive environment that exists

within the corporate culture

Communication Process Model

The You-Viewpoint

The sender gives primary consideration to the receiver’s point of view when composing and sending messages.

Analysing the Receiver

Knowledge

Interests

Attitudes

Emotional Reaction

Communication Barriers

Any factors that interfere with the success of the communication process

1. Poor structure to the communication It doesn't matter whether that

audience is an audience of one or one million, good structure is essential if a communication is to be 'heard' amongst the advertising and marketing 'noise' of today's business environment.

2. Weak delivery

Several businessman who are extremely confident in the public's gaze, very happy to be in front of an audience.

But because their presentations and communications lack a suitable structure, they 'lose' their audience within minutes, the audience becoming increasingly confused and eventually frustrated by not being able to understand clearly and easily what on earth these businessmen are on about.

3. The use of the wrong medium When considering which medium to use for which type of message you wish to

communicate, it is wise to analyze the following: What is the fixed cost of production? Are there ad agency fees, broadcast or

print fees that must be paid, irrespective of the number or volume of items produced?

What are the variable costs -- such as cds, dvds, audio cassettes, printing costs?

How long will it take to write, edit and produce your communication in your chosen medium?

What percentage of your target audience are likely to have access to your chosesn medium at the time you choose to publish/play/present it?

What percentage of your target audience will be likely to pay attention to your chosen medium?

Is your message a complex one? Would your message be more easily and readily comprehended through auditory, tactile or visual (e.g reading or images) modalities?

How quickly do you need your audience to comprehend and take action on your message?

4. A mixed message

It is very hard for an audience -- whether an audience of 1 or 1 million -- to understand your communication if you unnecessarily obfuscate.

If you deliberately, or otherwise, confuse them. A HUGE barrier to business communication is the ability of 'business-speak' to confuse and alienate its audience.

It does this in two ways: 1. By using terms and phrases that are 'jargon', the

meaning of which are possibly recognized but probably not fully understood

2. By trying to 'save time/paper' by rolling several different communication messages into one.

5. The wrong audience

Topics is not equal to the type of audiences

Bad attention Chatting around during presentation.

6. A distracting environment your voice not being strong enough

too many others talking in the room at the same time

police and ambulance sirens outside the venue

too many phone calls coming in to their office while they're trying to read your memo

interruptions while they try to read your report

incoming emails keep popping up while they are reading your web-based communication

their minds are full of other pressing matters

they are supposed to be somewhere else at that moment

their mobile phone keeps ringing, or vibrating if they've set it to 'silent' instead of switching it off

their internet connection is slow

their internet connection keeps dropping out

there are too many interesting people to look at while they are on the bus trying, in vain, to concentrate on your report (which is what is happening to me as I sit here on a bus trying to write this -- there is a 'domestic' happening between a married couple and it makes for fascinating, if voyeuristic, watching!)

the room's air-conditioning is not working and the room is hot and stuffy

the room's heating is not working and the room is cold and clammy