Madhukar, R.K. 2009. Business Communication. 6th edition. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House.

Extras: Tipuri de comunicare. Metode de comunicare

The nature of communication in business is quite diverse. In large organizations, the flow of
communication is both internal and external and encompasses numerous stakeholders. Such
communications could be personal or professional, formal or informal, written or oral, upward or
downward or lateral or one-way or interactive. Communication involves the act of sharing ideas,
opinions, thoughts, strategies, findings, concepts, attitudes, perceptions, perspectives and a wide
array of communication needs. It could be individual-to-individual, individual-to-group or even
group-to-group communication. The method of business communication could again take varied
forms written or verbal or non-verbal. Letters and memos, reports and notices, speeches and
presentations, signals and gestures and a host of such means are used in business communication.
Depending on the nature of communication, its transmission takes place The nature of
communication depends on the nature of business Technology powers business communication
through e-mail, fax, courier, telephone, teleconferencing, video conferencing and even films and
other audio visual aids. Given th is diver sity, a good commun icator should have a clear
understanding of the alternative types and methods of communication and the circumstances under
which each one of them or a combination of them can be used. The communicator should also
master the technical aspects of different methods of communication so that breakdowns and barriers
are eliminated. Meetings, seminars, workshops, discussions, presentations, negotiations, strategy
sessions and such other interactive fora translate into substantial man hours involving executives,
managers, specialists, guests and customers. Hence every effort should be made to ensure that
smooth flow of communication is facilitated through proper planning and organization. The nature
and expanse of communication would depend on the nature of business and its reach across various
stakeholders. In real-life situations, the needs and complexity of communication are quite diverse,
depending on the type of industry, number of employees, geographical spread of the organization,
level of sophistication and technology adoption, hierarchical structures, cross-cultural dimensions
and such other relevant factors. Business communication is about sending and receiving messages
and sharing information. Information is the key input for decision making and action taking. People
in business organizations need to constantly gather information and take business-related decisions.
Owners need to know about business growth and profitability. Managers need to know about
market trends and organizational strengths. Employees need to know about production schedules.
Customers need to know about product features. Almost everyone in business irrespective of his/her
functional or geographical or hierarchical position needs to communicate. And those who can
communicate effectively stand to gain, achieve better results and win over others. Unlike what it
used to be in the olden days, communication in modern day business organizations relies heavily on
technology. The advent of mobiles, computers, networking systems, teleconferencing and video
conferencing tools, fax machines and power point sets have added a new dimension to the world of
communication. As businesses grow, expand and reach out, they need to rely more and more on
such instruments and people well versed in operating such machines. Technology powers business
communication. A good communicator, therefore, needs to not only master the varied business
communication skills, but also needs to develop adequate knowledge of technology and its use in
business communication.

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION. Communication takes place through various methods and

channels. The three main methods of communication are oral or verbal communication, written
comm unication and the non-verbal communication. Oral communication takes place by way of
talks, conversation, dialogue, speech, discussion and meetings. Written communication is carried
out through letters, circulars, memos, reports, brochures and books. Non-verbal communication
takes place through body language. Language constitutes the vehicle on which both oral and written
communication travel. Apart from these three main methods of communication, there are others like
the visual, audio-visual and electronic. Silence is also accepted as a method of communication.
Each of these methods has its own merits, demerits, channels and aids.
Oral communication is both structured and unstructured. Oral communication is an instantaneous
two-way process. Oral communication refers to the spoken word. It takes the form of sounds and
words. Starting out as a struggle by the early man, oral communication has had a long journey. It
has developed across different regions, cultures, countries and continents. The development of
numerous languages across the world has empowered oral communication. Oral communication
plays a vital role in everyday life, both for individuals and organizations. It is, indeed, the most
commonly used method of communication both at the social level and at the organizational level.
Everyone makes copious use of oral communication in their transactions and interactions. For the
individual, talking and speaking provide a very dependable means of communication within the
family and in social groups. Oral communication is also extensively and gainfully used within
organizations and business entities as well. Oral communication is also referred to as verbal
communication. It takes place between individuals with the help of words. Oral communication
takes place in many ways casual and serious, formal and informal, structured and unstructured.
Oral communication encompasses conver-sation, monologue, dialogue, talk, speech and chat. Some
of these are pre-meditated and some are not. Formal speeches are pre-planned and well structured,
whereas informal ones are unstructured and often loosely worded. Direct person-to-person
communication plays a very useful role in any organization, essentially in work situations, where
there are employeremployee, super ior -subor d in ate an d ser vice pr ovider -customer interactions.
Oral communication is a speedy two-way process. The message conveyed through oral
communication is instantaneous. The messages can travel back and forth without any loss of time. It
is possible for the receiver of the message to respond immediately to the sender making the process
highly interactive. The message between the sender and the Spoken words carry weight Oral
communication supplements non-verbal communication Spoken word cannot be erased receiver can
go back and forth, with role reversals taking place, till the objective is achieved. There are many
businesses and groups where spoken word carries considerable weight. There are businesses where,
for various reasons, not much is documented or reduced to black and white. The verbal contracts are
taken as seriously as the written ones and are faithfully fulfilled. A promise made is a promise kept.
Likewise, in organizational situations, oral instructions, appeals and messages are seldom
disregarded. Oral communication, besides being interactive, can also be quite persuasive. Another
noteworthy merit of oral communication is that it can be supplemented and complemented by non-
verbal communication for greater impact. When a speaker speaks, the message is conveyed not only
through the spoken words, but also by body movements and actions. When a person is talking or
speaking or counselling, the warmth or otherwise of the persons feelings is also expressed through
the body language. It is, however, worth noting that if this language is not used consciously to
reinforce the verbal messages, it may lead to confusion and even contradiction. Notwithstanding its
several merits, oral communication gets constrained by various physical factors. It works well in
small groups at counters, in classrooms, in meetings and conferences, in counselling and
persuasive sessions. A major drawback of oral communication is that it cannot be erased. There is a
sense of finality concerning the spoken word. Any word uttered by the speaker travels swiftly and
reaches the target. Any slip of the tongue can create an embarrassment and an unintended hurt. The
moment a wrong or unintended word is delivered, the damage is done. Effective speakers are
acutely conscious of this factor. More so, when they make extempore speeches. Recognizing this
limitation, while resorting to any form of oral communication, one should learn to make a careful
choice of words. Until the fine art of speaking with restraint is developed, it would be desirable to
make the speeches and interventions, structured and well thought out rather than spontaneous and
extempore. Whenever the oral communication is intended to achieve an important objective, extra
care should be taken with the choice of words. In personal as well as organizational communication,
several channels or tools are regularly used. These include the telephone, the cell phone, the
microphone, the radio, the amplifier and the loudspeaker. To the extent they are well chosen and
well maintained, they facilitate smooth and effective flow of communication. If care is lacking
while using them, they may prove to be a hindrance rather than an aid.
Oral Communication Merits-Demerits. It can be readily used It is instantaneous It is persuasive It is
cost effective It facilitates effective person-to-person exchange It works very well in small groups It
can be supplemented by non-verbal messages It is not very effective when the target group is spread
out It is constrained by language, accent and vocabulary It is also constrained by noise and other
physical barriers It is not normally recorded or documented It does not permit repeated reference It
cannot be erased It is often dependent on memory.
Written Communication. The pen is mightier than the sword. Written communication is well
structured. Written communication creates a record and can be preserved. Written communication is
another powerful method of communication. History is replete with instances where a piece of
writing was involved in events of great significance in love, war, peace, unions and betrayals. The
power of writing is eloquently expressed in the saying the pen is mightier than the sword. The
author of this book is also communicating with the readers through this piece of writing. After
experimenting with writing on sand, stone and leaves, man invented paper, pen, books and printing.
Newspapers and journals developed as the media of mass communication. Written communication
has come to acquire great significance in the lives of individuals as well as business organizations.
It reaches across vast geographic areas and targets readers around the world. The reach of written
communication is limited to the literate world. However, with the literary levels steadily rising
across the world, written communication can accomplish much more today than it could in the past.
Writing skills and word-power of the communicator come into play in making the written
communication forceful and effective. Written communication is, more often than not, well
structured. The words are carefully chosen to suit the message and the context. Be it a letter, a
circular, a memo, a brochure or a report, the subject matter is carefully presented keeping in view
the receptivity of the reader. This is how it ought to be. Progressive organizations make conscious
efforts to ensure that people across the organization acquire well-developed writing skills. It is
possible and necessary to collect all relevant facts and figures beforehand so that the
communication is properly structured. Written communication invariably creates a record that can
be preserved over time. Letters, memos, contracts, agreements, documents and reports often carry
time value and need to be stored and preserved. As a result, it becomes possible to access them for
reference or study. Most businesses rely more on records and written documents rather than verbal
contracts and oral commitments. Documentation of knowledge and experience facilitates
institutionalization of individual wisdom. Written communication permits erasure, subs titution and
revision Written communication is comparatively less int eract ive Written communication, unlike
oral communication, can be erased. The words can be substituted and thoughts can be rearranged
before the letter or the piece of writing is finalized and dispatched. In business organizations, people
often prepare drafts and revise them till a satisfactory final version emerges, especially when
sensitive and important messages are to be conveyed. Moreover, if circumstances so warrant, the
letter or circular or report can be stopped in transit at any time before it is read by the target. Unlike
oral communication, written communication takes time to reach the target. In the past, when postal
delays were quite common, considerable time elapsed between the dispatch of the written message
and its receipt by the target. The invention of telephone, telex, fax, e-mail and courier has, however,
reduced the time involved in message transmission. Nevertheless, they have to be viewed in terms
of availability, reach and cost. Further, compared to oral communication, written communication is
less interactive. It may be necessary to resort to repetitions and clarifications so that the intended
message is properly understood by the reader. In written communication too, several tools and aids
are regularly used. These include telex, fax, mail, e-mail, courier, telegram, print and photocopier.
Care should be taken to ensure that all such aids and gadgets are properly selected and well
maintained so that they act as facilitators and not as a hindrance.
Written Communication Merits-Demerits. It has an extremely wide reach It creates a record and is
easily documented It can be erased and rewritten It is amenable to a high level of planning and
structuring It facilitates repeated reference It depends less on memory since facts and figures can be
mobilized beforehand It takes time to reach its target It is less interactive It depends on word power
It takes more time to get feedback It depends on the messenger and the mode of transmission It is
constrained by language, handwriting and efficiency of the tools used.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Apart from the different methods and channels of communication, one can also look at various
types of communication. Communication can be categorized into different types depending upon
the level at which it takes place, the direction it takes or by its very nature. Some of the commonly
referred to types of communication are: 1. Personal and business communication 2. Internal and
external communication 3. Upward and downward communication 4. Formal and informal
communication 5. Mass communication 6. Global communication 7. Lateral communication 8.
Interactive communication 9. Social communication 10. Grapevine
Personal Communication. Personal communication concerns communication that takes place
between any two individuals, be it in a family, group, community or even an organization. It takes
place in an individual capacity and is characterized by informality. There is an element of privacy in
all such communications. It can take the form of personal letters, personal telephone calls,
conversations, one-to-one meetings or e-mail messages. It is private in nature and there is nothing
official about it. Private and confidential conversation between two individuals is also referred to as
tte-a-tte.
Business Communication. Business communication takes place to further the goals of a business.
It takes place among business entities, in markets and market places, within organizations and
between various groups of employees, owners and employees, buyers and sellers, service providers
and customers, sales persons and prospects and also between people within the organization and
press persons. All such communication impacts business. Done with care, such communication can
promote business interests. Otherwise, it will portray the organization in poor light and may
adversely affect the business interest. It helps the person concerned in moving up in the
organizational hierarchy. Communication is the vehicle on which the business moves. The ability of
the communicator to communicate effectively verbally, non-verbally and in writing is a
prerequisite for organizational and business-related success. This book is all about this exciting
subject which is dealt with in detail in the following chapters.
Internal Communication. Internal communication takes place within the organization or group
among people within, among different groups of employees and between employers and employees.
It could be oral or written, visual or audio-visual, formal or informal and upward or downward.
Internal communication serves to inform, instruct, educate, develop, motivate, persuade, entertain,
direct, control and caution people in the organization. When a personal letter is written at an official
address, besides writing the name of the addressee, the envelope is superscribed private or
confidential to convey the nature of communication. Knowledge, skills, goal orientation, sharing
of corporate concerns, review and monitoring, performance appraisal, counselling and training are
among the issues that internal communication addresses.
External Communication. Unlike internal communication, external communication flows
outward. It addresses people outside the organization, like the prospective customers, competitor s,
public, press, media and the government. Extern al communication can take place in various ways
and through different channels. Letters, notices, brochures, demonstrations, telephone calls,
business meetings, press releases, press conferences, audio-visual presentations, publicity films,
product launch events and advertisements are all examples of external communication. It is
important to note that the external agency or person targeted through such communication quite
often forms an image or impression based on such communication and it is, therefore, very
necessary that adequate care is taken in making it clear, intelligible and appealing.
Upward Communication. Large organizations have different hierarchical levels or tiers. Banks,
finance companies, insurance businesses, railways and such other people-oriented organizations
have typically a three-tier or a four-tier structure. The process of communication to be complete and
effective should encompass all these levels and tiers. Upward communication is one which moves
upward, i.e., from the bottom to top levels in the hierarchy. Any communication that moves from
employees to supervisors, supervisors to managers, managers to executives and regional manager to
general manager may be categorized as upward communication. Similarly, communication from
branches to regional offices, regional offices to zonal offices, zonal offices to th e head office is
referred to as upward communication. Employee suggestions, market reports, performance reports,
feedback on new products and requests for facilities or instructions are all examples of upward
communication in the organizational context.
Downward Communication. Downward communication moves from top to the bottom, i.e., from
the CEO downwards. It travels through senior executives to junior-level functionaries, from the
controlling office to the branch, from the head of the division to the head of the unit. Corporate
goals, business priorities, motivational letters, work-related instructions, newsletters, letters from
the CEO/General Manager s desk are all typical examples of downward communication. There
may be some communication which would move both upward and downward. A typical example of
this is performance budgeting, which is a two-way process. It is a top-to-bottom as well as bottom-
to-top exercise.
Formal Communication. To ensure communication on an ongoing basis, organizations develop
formal systems. Staff meetings, union-management meetings, branch managers conferences,
periodical sales review meetings and customer meets are examples of forums that facilitate formal
communication. Formal communication generally follows a well-defined hierarchical pattern and
periodicity. Memos, circulars, instructions, guidelines, clarifications, agreements and reports are
some of the channels that facilitate the flow of formal communication in business organizations.
Informal Communication. This type of communication takes place in an unstructured manner and
outside the formal fora. There is an element of spontaneity in this communication. Informal
communication works well in smaller, loosely knit organizations. It is used more often in situations
where there are no rigid hierarchical tiers. While formal structure of communication is a must in
large organizations, it is the informality that helps sustain goal orientation in small well-knit units.
Informal communication takes place through chats, conversations and informal talks and the like.
Lateral Communication. Lateral communication generally takes place in an organization and is
neither upward nor downward. It proceeds in a horizontal manner and takes place among equals and
at peer level. It may also be descr ibed as peer-level communication. Any communication that takes
place, orally or in writing, from one branch head to the other, from one division head to the other,
from one group head to the other, may be described as lateral communication. An important point
worth noting in any such lateral communication is that there is not much difference in terms of the
hierarchical levels or positions of the sender and the receiver.
Interactive Communication. Interactive communication is essentially a two-way process. It takes
place th r oug h mee ti n g s, con fer en ces, telecon fer en cin g, mu lt im ed ia pr esen tations, gr
oup discussion s and oth er such active two-way exchanges. Interactive communication is most
appropriate when the message or subject is to be presented at length, e.g., in practical sessions, case
study discussions and strategy formulation. When many speakers are involved, there may be a need
for a moderator who will facilitate effective flow of communication from different speakers.
Mass Communication. Mass communication is distinctive in view of its scale. Essentially, it
addresses a large mass of people. Public speaking, newspapers, magazines and journals, radio,
television and dotcoms are channels of mass communication. Mass communication has developed
into a specialized area of study. Each of these areas or channels calls for distinct skills. By its very
nature, mass communication addresses a vast, well spread-out and heterogeneous group of people
and, as such, special efforts will have to be made to sustain their interest and achieve the desired
response. At the government level too, there is often a separate ministry or department of mass
communication to deal with this functional area. Main branches of study relating to mass
communication are public relations, advertising and publicity, journalism and digital media.
Grapevine Communication. Grapevine is a kind of informal communication that prevails in
organizations and businesses. The source of such communication may not be clear. It spreads by
way of gossip and rumours. It travels through informal networks and quite often travels faster than
the formal messages. Sometimes, it gets more powerful and becomes more receptive than the
formal communication. The prevalence of this type of communication in an organization has to be
recognized and accepted. A skilled communicator can derive benefits from such a communication
as well. It may not always be possible to control the grapevine, but, nevertheless, an able
communicator knows how to influence it. Like any other type of communication, this one too has
its merits and demerits.