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Business
Communications
Prepared by
Dr Reji Johnson
Learning Objectives
Understand the process of communication.
Eliminate barriers that distort the meaning
of information.
Analyze the basic patterns of Business
communication.
Develop the skills of organizing and running
effective meetings.
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Learning Objectives
.
 Master electronic forms of communication
such as e-mail and know when to use them.
 Work with an organization’s informal
communication.
 Improve assertive communication,
presentation, nonverbal, and listening skills.
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Significance Business communication?
 Business communication is the specific
process through which information moves
and is exchanged throughout an
organization.
 Information flows:
– Through formal and informal structures.
– Downward, upward, and laterally.
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The Process of Communication
(continued)
 Two forms of information are sent and
received in communication:
Facts – bits of information that can be
objectively measured or described.
Feelings – an individual’s emotional
responses to decisions made or actions taken
by other people.
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The Basic Communication Process
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The Communication Process
(cont’d)
 Encoding
– Translating internal thought patterns into a
language or code the intended receiver of the
message will likely understand and/or pay
attention to.
• Choice of words, gestures, or other symbols for
encoding depends on the nature of the message.
– Technical or non technical
– Emotional or factual
– Visual or auditory
• Cultural diversity can create encoding challenges.
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The Communication Process
(cont’d)
 Selecting a Medium
– Face-to-face
–
–
–
–
–
–
conversations
Telephone calls
E-mails
Memorandums
Letters
Computer reports
Photographs
– Bulletin boards
– Meetings
– Business publications
– News releases
– Press conferences
– Advertising
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The Communication Process
(cont’d)
 Media Selection in Cross-Cultural Settings
– Moving between low- and high-context
cultures can create appropriate media selection
problems.
• In low-context cultures, the verbal content of the
message is more important than the medium
through which it is delivered.
• In high-context cultures, the context (setting) in
which the message is delivered is more important
than the literal words of the message.
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A Contingency Approach
(Lengel and Daft)
 Media richness
– A given medium’s capacity to convey
information and promote learning.
– Characteristics of rich mediums
– Provide simultaneous multiple information cues.
– Facilitate immediate feedback.
– Have a personal focus.
– Characteristics of lean mediums
– Convey limited information (few cues).
– Provide no immediate feedback.
– Are impersonal.
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The Communication Process
(cont’d)
 Decoding
– Successful decoding depends on the receiver
having
• a willingness to receive the message.
• knowledge of the language and terminology used
in the message.
• an understanding of the sender’s purpose and
background situation.
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The Communication Process
(cont’d)
 Feedback
– The choice factors for the form to provide
feedback are the same factors governing the
encoding process.
– Feedback affects the form and content of
follow-up communication.
– Effective feedback is timely, relevant, and
personal.
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The Communication Process
(cont’d)
 Noise
– Noise: any interference with the normal flow
of communication.
– Understanding decreases as noise increases.
– Dealing with noise
• Make messages more understandable.
• Minimize and neutralize sources of interference.
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Constructive Feedback
 Focus your feedback on specific
behaviors that were successful or
that were unsuccessful.
 Keep personality traits out of your
feedback by focusing on what rather
than who.
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Constructive Feedback
 Investigate whether the employee
had control over the results before
giving feedback about unsuccessful
behaviors.
 Feedback should be given as soon as
possible.
 Ensure privacy when giving
feedback about negative behaviors.
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Business communication?
 Channel richness.
– The capacity of a communication channel to convey
information effectively.
– Richest channels — face-to-face communication.
– Moderately rich channels — telephone, electronic chat
rooms, E-mail, written memos, and letters.
– Leanest channels — posted notices and bulletins.
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Business communication?
 Formal and informal communication
channels.
– Formal channels follow the chain of command
established by the hierarchy of authority.
– Informal channels do not adhere to the
hierarchy of authority.
• The grapevine is an informal channel through
which rumors and unofficial information pass.
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Patterns of Business
Communications
Downward Communication
Upward Communication
Horizontal Communication
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Business communication?
 Downward communication.
– The flow of information follows the chain of
command from top to bottom.
– Downward communication informs lower level
personnel about the higher level managers’:
• Strategies.
• Objectives.
• Instructions.
• Policies.
• Feedback.
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Business communication?
 Upward communication.
– The flow of information from lower to higher levels of
the organization.
– Upward communication informs higher level
personnel about lower level workers’:
• Problems.
• Results.
• Suggestions.
• Questions.
• Needs.
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Business communication?
 Lateral communication.
– The flow of information across persons or
work units at the same hierarchical level.
– Lateral communication enables persons and
work units to coordinate:
•
•
•
•
Problems.
Needs.
Advice.
Feedback.
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Business communication?
 Lateral communication — cont.
– Very important in high performance
organizations.
• Serving external customers.
• Serving internal customers.
– Business ecology.
• The study of how building design may influence
communication and productivity by improving
lateral communication.
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Business communication?
 Types of communication networks.
– Decentralized communication network.
– Centralized communication network.
– Restricted communication network.
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Business communication?
 Decentralized communication network.
– All group members communicate directly and
share information with one another.
– Sometimes called an all-channel or star
network.
– Involve interacting groups.
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Business communication?
 Centralized communication network.
– Information flows to a central person and is
redistributed.
– Sometimes called a wheel or chain network.
– Involve coacting groups.
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Business communication?
 Restricted communication network.
– Limited and possibly biased communication
due to polarized subgroups contesting each
other’s positions and maintaining sometimes
antagonistic relationships.
– Involve counteracting groups.
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The Importance of
Communications
 Effective communications help individuals
to understand and pursue Business
objectives.
 Business communications cover every
management function.
 Business culture depends on
communications.
 Communications improve both Business
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and individual performance.
Dynamics of Business
Communication
 Communication Strategies
– Spray & Pray
• Impersonal and one-way communications
(lectures).
– Tell & Sell
• A restricted set of messages with explanations for
their importance and relevance.
– Underscore & Explore
• Information and issues that are keys to Business
success are discussed and explained.
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Dynamics of Business
Communication (cont’d)
 Communication Strategies (cont’d)
– Identify & Reply
• Responding to employee concerns about prior
Business communications.
– Withhold & Uphold
• Telling employees only what they need to know
when you think they need to know it.
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Dynamics of Business
Communication (cont’d)
 Seeking a Middle-Ground
(Communication Strategy)
– Avoid Spray & Pray and Withhold & Uphold.
– Use Tell & Sell and Identify & Reply
sparingly.
– Use Underscore & Explore as much as
possible.
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Dynamics of Business
Communication (cont’d)
 Merging Communication Strategies and
Media Richness
– Managers need to select the richest medium
possible when employing Tell & Sell, Identify
& Reply, and Underscore & Explore
strategies.
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Dynamics of Business
Communication (cont’d)
 The Grapevine
– The unofficial and informal communication system in an organization
 Managerial Attitudes Toward the Grapevine
– Managers have predominately negative feelings about the grapevine.
– The grapevine is more prevalent at lower-levels of the managerial
hierarchy.
– The grapevine appears to be more influential in larger organizations.
Also called the grapevine – informal communication that takes place at
the workplace.
 can be about promotions and other personnel decisions
 can be about company events (new products, downsizing)
 must be managed so that negative rumors do not hurt morale
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Dynamics of Business
Communication (cont’d)
 Coping with the Grapevine
– Managers can keep abreast of grapevine
communications by regularly conversing with
known gatekeepers.
– The grapevine cannot be extinguished;
attempts to stifle the grapevine as likely to
stimulate it instead.
– Monitoring and officially correcting grapevine
information is perhaps the best strategy for
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coping with the grapevine.
Nonverbal Communication
 Body Language
– Nonverbal communication based on facial
expressions, posture, and appearance.
 Types of Body Language
– Facial
– Gestural
– Postural
 Receiving Nonverbal Communication
– Awareness of nonverbal cues can give insight
into deep-seated emotions.
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Nonverbal Communication
(cont’d)
 Giving Nonverbal Feedback
– Nonverbal feedback from authority figures
significantly affects employee behavior.
• Smiles, positive head nods, and eye contact
• Frowns, head shaking, and avoiding eye contact
– Positive feedback builds good interpersonal
relations
– Sensitivity and cross-cultural training can
reduce nonverbal errors when working with
individuals from other cultures.
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What are the essentials of
interpersonal communication?
 Two important branches of nonverbal
communication.
– Kinesics.
• The study of gestures and body postures.
– Proxemics.
• The study of the way space is utilized.
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Steps you can take to make
meetings more productive







Ask yourself if it’s important even to schedule a
meeting.
Schedule the meeting for an appropriate place.
Create an agenda for the meeting and distribute it
ahead of time.
Establish rules for participation.
Follow the agenda’s time limits for each topic.
Leave some open time for topics not on the agenda.
End the meeting with a plan of action.
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Assertive Communication Skills
 Assertive communication skills—communicate in ways that meet
one’s own needs while at the same time respecting the needs and
rights of others
 Several less effective styles people tend to use because they are
indirect or not mindful of needs:
 Passive communication – an individual does not let others know
directly what he or she wants or needs.
 Aggressive communication – a forceful approach that expresses
dominance or anger.
 Passive-aggressive communication – avoids giving direct
responses but rather tries to “get even” with others.
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Presentation Skills
Basic guidelines
– Prepare objectives
– Organize the presentation
– Structure the presentation
– Tailor the presentation
– Establish credibility
– Speak in a responsive and conversational style
– Use visual aids
– Practice presentation skills
– Restate key ideas
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Nonverbal Communication
Skills
 Nonverbal communication is sending and decoding
messages with emotional content.
 Dimensions of nonverbal communication:
 Body movements and gestures, Body
position
 Eye contact
 Touch
 Facial expressions
 Physical distance
 Tone of voice Nonverbal
McGraw-Hill
communication.
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Listening Skills
 Help create understanding between both
parties
 Are an active rather than passive
activity
 Use of nonverbal indicators, like eye
contact, tone of voice, or touch
 Are an invaluable skill for managers
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McGraw-Hill
© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Guidelines for Active Listening
 Do create a supportive
atmosphere.
 Do listen for feelings as
well as words.
 Do note cues.
 Do occasionally test for
understanding.
 Do demonstrate
acceptance and
understanding.
 Do ask exploratory,
 Don’t try to change the
other’s views.
 Don’t solve the problem for
the speaker.
 Don’t give advice.
 Don’t pass judgment.
 Don’t explain or interpret
others’ behavior.
 Don’t give false
reassurances.
 Don’t attack if the speaker is
hostile.
 Don’t ask “why” the
feelings.
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Applications of Management
Perspectives—For the Manager
 Use your listening skills when dealing
with an employee who has an issue that
is emotional in nature.
 Try to understand the issue from the
employee’s perspective.
 If it is necessary to give negative
feedback, make sure that the behavior
being criticized is one the employee is
able to control.
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Applications of Management
Perspectives—For Managing Teams
 If you are part of a virtual team it is
important to schedule periodic faceto-face meetings in order to build
team spirit and trust.
 Without trust, there can be
misunderstandings and teams are
likely to be short-lived.
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McGraw-Hill
© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Applications of Management
Perspectives—For Individuals
 Look for ways to practice presentation
skills by speaking to different
audiences.
 Find ways to enhance your credibility
so that people want to listen to what
you have to say.
 Act with integrity around other
employees.
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What forces influence communication
in the high performance workplace?
 The explosion of new communication
technologies is one of the greatest
contemporary challenges.
 Effective communication skills are
essential for career success.
 Everyone must stay current on information
technologies and Business communication
issues.
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What forces influence communication
in the high performance workplace?
 Advances in information technologies enable
organizations to:
– Distribute information much faster.
– Make more information available.
– Allow broader and more immediate access to
information.
– Encourage participation in the sharing and use of
information.
– Integrate systems and functions, and use information
to link with the environment.
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What forces influence communication
in the high performance workplace?
 Potential disadvantages of electronic
communications.
– Technologies are impersonal.
– Nonverbal communication is removed from
situation.
– Can unduly influence the emotional aspects of
communication.
– Information overload.
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What forces influence communication
in the high performance workplace?
 Complex social context.
– Mean and women are socialized into different
communication styles.
• Women are socialized to be more sensitive to
interpersonal relationships in communication.
• Men are socialized to be competitive, aggressive,
and individualistic, which may cause
communication problems.
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What forces influence communication
in the high performance workplace?
 Complex social context — cont.
– Privacy of employee communications and
electronic eavesdropping
• Progressive organizations are developing internal
privacy policies.
• Is gaining the attention of some legislators.
– Political correctness of communications in the
workplace.
• Eliminates communication overtones of intolerance
and insensitivity.
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