Download What is communication?

Business studies
Communication in business
What is communication? Why
do we communicate?

Communication is when a message is transferred
from someone to someone else

Communication (spending or receiving information)
represents 80% of our waking time

Without communication our lives would be
cataclysmic
Communication and
understanding
•
A good definition for effective communication is to
share meaning and understanding between the
people sending the message and the people
receiving the message.
•
Key element: “understanding”
•
Have you had a communication problem or failure to
communicate?
•
Was it because of a lack of understanding?
Some key words

Message

Transmitter/Sender

Medium of communication

Receiver

Feedback
The communication process:
the communication loop
Main steps of the
communication process





Information
Send the message
Receive the message
Understand the message
Confirm the message has arrived and been
understood
One-way and two-way
communication

One-way communication: when the receiver
of a message has no chance to reply or
respond to the message
Activity 1

A volunteer describes a diagram to the rest of
the class. Volunteer must keep his/her back
toward the rest of the class.

Other students listen to the description and
draw the diagram.
Discussion 1

How many of us got confused and just ‘quit’
listening? Why?

Why was the one-way communication so
difficult to follow?

Two-way communication: when there is a
reply or a response from the receiver
Activity 2

A volunteer describes a diagram to the rest of
the class. Volunteer must keep his/her back
toward the rest of the class.

Other students listen to the description and
can ask questions.
Discussion 2

Was the two-way communication more
effective than the one-way communication?
Why?

Why was the one-way communication so
difficult to follow?
Internal/external
communication

•

•
Internal communication:
Between people who work in the SAME
organisation
External communication:
Between people who DO NOT work in the
same organisation
Different ways of communicating:
the medium/media of
communication

Verbal/oral forms

Written forms

Visual forms

Body language
Which one is the best?
Which one is the most appropriate
Verbal/oral communication
=> Example: face-to-face, phone, meeting,
classroom, video conference
 Efficient
 Opportunity to provide immediate feedback
 Body language can help to a better
understanding
BUT
•
•
Not appropriate when a record is needed
Takes longer than written communication if
feedback is long/time-consuming
Written communication

Letters

Reports

Notices

Faxes

Emails (internet/intranet)
Written communication
Advantages:



‘Hard’ evidence of the message that can be
used later
Appropriate for complicated messages
Message can be sent to many receivers
(copy/paste)
Example of written
communication
(From Bernard Merialdo)
Written communication

Disadvantages:
•
Language used can be difficult for some
receivers to understand
Not so easy to check that the message was
well received
No opportunity for body language
•
•
Visual communication

Films, videos, PowerPoint presentations,
charts and diagrams (ex: organisational chart)
Advantages: attractive, people may pay more
attention, can support a written message
Example of visual
communication
Visual communication
Disadvantages: charts and graphs may be
difficult to be understood
Formal/Informal
communication
1.
Formal communication: channels of
communication set up and recognized by an
organisation
2.
Informal communication: messages going
through informal channels of communication
(ex: I heard that…, we discussed that during
lunch time, etc.)
Activity
1.
2.
3.
4.
Find examples of informal/external
communication
Find examples of informal/internal
communication
Find examples of formal/internal
communication
Find examples of formal/external
communication
Barriers to communication

Have you ever been talking to someone and
they misunderstand what you were saying?
Why do you think that happens?
Barriers to communication:
internal and external

Internal barriers: fatigue, poor listening skills, lack
of interest in the message, fear, mistrust, past
experiences, problems at home, lack of emotions,
etc.

External barriers: noise, e-mail not working, bad
phone connection, too many technical words for the
audience, etc.
=> How to overpass these barriers?
Barriers to communication

Barriers can happen at anytime in the
communication process
Communication nets

“The ways in which members of a group
communicate with each other.”
=> Who communicates with you?
Chain network: activity
As a class you are going to form
grapevines and spread rumors about
people. You will spread rumors from
person to person in your line and when
you reach the end of the line, the last
person will spread the rumor to the
teacher.
Then we shall assess the accuracy of
the message.
Communication nets

Wheel network:
Activity

Match the most appropriate communication nets to
each management style:
Chain network
Democratic
Wheel network
Autocratic
Connected network
Paternalistic
Laissez-faire
Activity
 On
the diagram, identify which
areas are chain/wheel/connected
networks.
Activity

Answer the following questions
Activity
 What
is meant by communication?
Activity
 What
is meant by communication?
Activity
 Outline
the four features
necessary for communication to
be effective.
Activity
 Explain
the difference between
one-way and two-way
communication.
Activity
 Explain
the difference between
internal and external
communication.
Activity
 List
three media that can be used
for written communication.
Activity

Which method of communication
would you use if you wanted to:
•
Give an instruction to a large number of people
Explain a detailed plan for a few other people
Obtain a very quick reply to your message to another
member of staff
Inform all staff about health and safety regulations
Tell an applicant for a job what the conditions of
payment are
•
•
•
•
Activity
 Draw
two examples of
communication nets- and state
one advantage of each.
Activity
 Define
barriers of communication