COMMUNICATION, PURPOSES AND NATURE

SEVERINO M. JOCSON, JR., PHD, DPA

Professor

DEFINITION
Communication is the process of transmitting information from one person to another. It is the act of
sharing of ideas, facts, opinions, thoughts, messages or emotions to other people, in and out the
organisation, with the use of the channel to create mutual understanding and confidence.

It is not tied to words, i.e. whether an individual speaks or not, the message is automatically conveyed to
the other party. Besides words, communication can take place through symbols, letters, actions,
expressions, etc.

DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICATION IN COMMUNICATION / GENERAL

1. Communication is transfer of information from one person to another, whether or not it elicits
confidence. But the information transferred must be understandable to the receiver – G.G. Brown.

2.Communication is the intercourse by words, letters or messages”- Fred G. Meyer.

We can now proceed to define communication from what we have seen above. To define means to
give the precise and exact meaning of a word. The exact meaning of the word communicate is ‘to
share’ or ‘to participate’. The dictionaries say that communication is the transmission of a message or
information by speaking or writing. Another dictionary declares that communication is giving or
exchanging information, signals, messages by talk or gestures or writing. Yet another definition says
that communication is social intercourse. Communication is all this and much more. A good definition
should not only give the precise meaning but also throw light on the scope of the word / expression.
Communication is giving, receiving or exchanging ideas, information, signals or messages through
appropriate media, enabling individuals or groups to persuade, to seek information, to give
information or to express emotions.

This broad definition includes body-language, skills of speaking and writing. It outlines the objectives
of communication. It emphasizes listening as an important aspect of communication.

ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication is a two way process, wherein interchange of message connects the sender and
receiver, towards an agreed direction, consisting seven elements:

1. Sender: Otherwise known as a source, it is the person who has something to pass on, to another
individual.

2. Encoding: The sender of the message, selects appropriate words or non-verbal techniques to
convert the idea into the message, which is called as encoding.

3. Message: Message implies something that the sender wants to communicate, to the receiver.
Without a message, no communication is possible.

4. Medium: Medium alludes to the channel or mode, through which message is communicated to
the receiver, i.e. it can be sent by way of electronic word processing system, graphic, symbol,
etc.

5. Receiver: The one to whom the message is directed, is called receiver. He/she notices and
conveys some meaning to the message.

6. Decoding: The act of interpreting message by the receiver, is termed as decoding. The receiver’s
outlook, experience, and attitude play a vital role in decoding message.

7. Feedback: The process of communication can never be completed, if the response of the
receiver is missing. It enables the communicator of a message to know whether the message has
been received and interpreted in the same manner as directed.

All the seven elements of communication has a great role to play in the entire process, as there can be
some deformation between the intended message and the received one.

FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

 Formal Communication: Alternatively known as official communication, it passes through

predefined channels which all the members of the organisation are bound to follow. In every
organisation, a corporate ladder is established, through which communication flows, which can
be:

o Downward: Superior to subordinate

o Upward: Subordinate to superior

 o Horizontal: Between employees of the same level, but different areas of responsibility
(department).

o Diagonal: Between employees of different levels and department.

 Informal Communication: The form of communication which grows spontaneously out of

personal or social needs, among members of the organization, called as grapevine or informal
communication. It is a secondary network of information in an organisation, which can be:

o Single strand chain

o Gossip chain

o Probability chain

o Cluster chain

Informal communication is the fastest form of communication, that rapidly transmits information to
various members of the organisation. Further, the response of the members can also be obtained
quickly.

MODES OF COMMUNICATION

 Verbal Communication: Communication, in which words (spoken or written) are used to

transmit information is called verbal communication. It can be done in two ways:

o Oral communication: E.g. Face to face conversation, telephonic conversation, lectures,

speeches, conferences, etc.

o Written communication: E.g. Letters, emails, newsletters, SMS, etc.

 Non-verbal Communication: The communication between parties in which words are not used
as a means for interchanging message, i.e. except words, other means are used like sounds,
symbols, actions and expressions. Communication takes place non-verbally through:

o Body language, E.g. Gestures, postures, body movements, etc.

o Paralanguage, E.g. Pitch variation, tone, speaking speed, word stress, etc.(JUNCTURE-
where to pause on what saying)
 o Sign language E.g. Hand movement, facial expressions, etc.

o Time language E.g. time used to communicate our message.

o Space language, E.g. Space maintained between the parties to communication, during
the conversation.

Communication is the spine of the organization that without it no organisation can survive and operate
effectively, towards attaining its goals. It is the primary means, by which organisational members work
together. Further, it ties all the members of an organisation in a single thread and let them respond to
and influence each other.

Verbal Communication

Definition: The Verbal Communication is a type of oral communication wherein the message is

transmitted through the spoken words. Here the sender gives words to his feelings, thoughts, ideas and
opinions and expresses them in the form of speeches, discussions, presentations, and conversations.

The effectiveness of the verbal communication depends on the tone of the speaker, clarity of speech,
volume, speed, body language and the quality of words used in the conversation. In the case of the
verbal communication, the feedback is immediate since there are a simultaneous transmission and
receipt of the message by the sender and receiver respectively.

The sender must keep his speech tone high and clearly audible to all and must design the subject matter
keeping the target audience in mind. The sender should always cross check with the receiver to ensure
that the message is understood in absolutely the same way as it was intended. Such communication is
more prone to errors as sometimes the words are not sufficient to express the feelings and emotions of
a person.

The success of the verbal communication depends not only on the speaking ability of an individual but
also on the listening skills. How effectively an individual listens to the subject matter decides the
effectiveness of the communication. The verbal communication is applicable in both the formal and
informal kind of situations.

9 Types Of Nonverbal Communication

Scientific research on nonverbal communication and behavior began with the 1872 publication of
Charles Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. Since that time, abundant
research has been conducted regarding types, effects, and expressions of unspoken communication and
behavior. While these signals are often so subtle that we are not consciously aware of them, research
has identified several different nine types of nonverbal communication.

1. Facial Expressions
Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication. 1 Consider how
much information can be conveyed with a smile or a frown. The look on a person's face is often the first
thing we see, even before we hear what they have to say.

While nonverbal communication and behavior can vary dramatically between cultures, the facial
expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar throughout the world.

2. Gestures

Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning without words. 2
Common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numeric amounts. Other
gestures are arbitrary and related to culture.

In courtroom settings, lawyers have been known to utilize different nonverbal signals to attempt to sway
juror opinions. An attorney might glance at his watch to suggest that the opposing lawyer's argument is
tedious or might even roll his eyes at the testimony offered by a witness in an attempt to undermine his
or her credibility.

These nonverbal signals are seen as being so powerful and influential that some judges even place limits
on what type of nonverbal behaviors are allowed in the courtroom.

2. Paralinguistics

Paralinguistics refers to vocal communication that is separate from actual language. 3 This includes
factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch.

Consider the powerful effect that tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. When said in a
strong tone of voice, listeners might interpret approval and enthusiasm. The same words said in a
hesitant tone of voice might convey disapproval and a lack of interest.

Consider all the different ways that simply changing your tone of voice might change the meaning of a
sentence. A friend might ask you how you are doing, and you might respond with the standard "I'm
fine," but how you actually say those words might reveal a tremendous amount of how you are really
feeling.

A cold tone of voice might suggest that you are actually not fine, but you don't wish to discuss it. A
bright, happy tone of voice will reveal that you are actually doing quite well. A somber, downcast tone
would indicate that you are the opposite of fine and that perhaps your friend should inquire further.

3. Body Language and Posture

Posture and movement can also convey a great deal of information. 4 Research on body language has
grown significantly since the 1970s, but popular media have focused on the over-interpretation of
defensive postures, arm-crossing, and leg-crossing, especially after publishing Julius Fast's book Body
Language.

While these nonverbal behaviors can indicate feelings and attitudes, research suggests that body
language is far more subtle and less definitive than previously believed.

4. Proxemics (Distance of both person without telling they are at war)

People often refer to their need for "personal space," which is also an important type of nonverbal
communication.5 The amount of distance we need and the amount of space we perceive as belonging to
us is influenced by a number of factors including social norms, cultural expectations, situational factors,
personality characteristics, and level of familiarity.

The amount of personal space needed when having a casual conversation with another person usually
varies between 18 inches to four feet. On the other hand, the personal distance needed when speaking
to a crowd of people is around 10 to 12 feet.

5. Eye Gaze (

The eyes play an important role in nonverbal communication and such things as looking, staring and
blinking are important nonverbal behaviors. When people encounter people or things that they like, the
rate of blinking increases and pupils dilate. Looking at another person can indicate a range of
emotions including hostility, interest, and attraction.

People also utilize eye gaze as a means to determine if someone is being honest. 6 Normal, steady eye
contact is often taken as a sign that a person is telling the truth and is trustworthy. Shifty eyes and an
inability to maintain eye contact, on the other hand, is frequently seen as an indicator that someone is
lying or being deceptive.

6. Haptics

Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. There has been a substantial
amount of research on the importance of touch in infancy and early childhood.

Harry Harlow's classic monkey study demonstrated how deprived touch and contact impedes
development. Baby monkeys raised by wire mothers experienced permanent deficits in behavior and
social interaction. Touch can be used to communicate affection, familiarity, sympathy, and
other emotions.

In her book Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters, author Julia Wood writes that touch is
also often used as a way to communicate both status and power. 7

Researchers have found that high-status individuals tend to invade other people's personal space with
greater frequency and intensity than lower-status individuals. Sex differences also play a role in how
people utilize touch to communicate meaning.

Women tend to use touch to convey care, concern, and nurturance. Men, on the other hand, are more
likely to use touch to assert power or control over others.

7. Appearance

Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a
means of nonverbal communication. 8 Research on color psychology has demonstrated that different
colors can evoke different moods. Appearance can also alter physiological reactions, judgments, and
interpretations.
Just think of all the subtle judgments you quickly make about someone based on his or her appearance.
These first impressions are important, which is why experts suggest that job seekers dress appropriately
for interviews with potential employers.

Researchers have found that appearance can play a role in how people are perceived and even how
much they earn. One 1996 study found that attorneys who were rated as more attractive than their
peers earned nearly 15 percent more than those ranked as less attractive.

Culture is an important influence on how appearances are judged. While thinness tends to be valued in
Western cultures, some African cultures relate full-figured bodies to better health, wealth, and social
status.

8. Artifacts

Objects and images are also tools that can be used to communicate nonverbally. On an online forum, for
example, you might select an avatar to represent your identity online and to communicate information
about who you are and the things you like.

People often spend a great deal of time developing a particular image and surrounding themselves with
objects designed to convey information about the things that are important to them.

Uniforms, for example, can be used to transmit a tremendous amount of information about a person. A
soldier will don fatigues, a police officer will wear a uniform, and a doctor will wear a white lab coat. At a
mere glance, these outfits tell people what a person does for a living.

A Word From Verywell

Nonverbal communication plays an important role in how we convey meaning and information to
others, as well as how we interpret the actions of those around us.

The important thing to remember when looking at such nonverbal behaviors is to consider the actions in
groups. What a person actually says along with his or her expressions, appearance, and tone of voice
might tell you a great deal about what that person is really trying to say.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS
Definition: The Communication is a two-way process wherein the message in the form of ideas,
thoughts, feelings, opinions is transmitted between two or more persons with the intent of creating
a shared understanding.

Simply, an act of conveying intended information and understanding from one person to another is
called as communication. The term communication is derived from the Latin word “Communis” which
means to share. Effective communication is when the message conveyed by the sender is understood by
the receiver in exactly the same way as it was intended.
Communication Process

The communication is a dynamic process that begins with the conceptualizing of ideas by the sender
who then transmits the message through a channel to the receiver, who in turn gives the feedback in
the form of some message or signal within the given time frame. Thus, there are Seven major elements
of communication process:

1. Sender: The sender or the communicator is the person who initiates the conversation and has
conceptualized the idea that he intends to convey it to others.

2. Encoding: The sender begins with the encoding process wherein he uses certain words or non-
verbal methods such as symbols, signs, body gestures, etc. to translate the information into a
message. The sender’s knowledge, skills, perception, background, competencies, etc. has a great
impact on the success of the message.

3. Message: Once the encoding is finished, the sender gets the message that he intends to convey.
The message can be written, oral, symbolic or non-verbal such as body gestures, silence, sighs,
sounds, etc. or any other signal that triggers the response of a receiver.

4. Communication Channel: The Sender chooses the medium through which he wants to convey
his message to the recipient. It must be selected carefully in order to make the message
effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. The choice of medium depends on the
interpersonal relationships between the sender and the receiver and also on the urgency of the
 message being sent. Oral, virtual, written, sound, gesture, etc. are some of the commonly used
communication mediums.

5. Receiver: The receiver is the person for whom the message is intended or targeted. He tries to
comprehend it in the best possible manner such that the communication objective is attained.
The degree to which the receiver decodes the message depends on his knowledge of the subject
matter, experience, trust and relationship with the sender.

6. Decoding: Here, the receiver interprets the sender’s message and tries to understand it in the
best possible manner. An effective communication occurs only if the receiver understands the
message in exactly the same way as it was intended by the sender.

7. Feedback: The Feedback is the final step of the process that ensures the receiver has received
the message and interpreted it correctly as it was intended by the sender. It increases the
effectiveness of the communication as it permits the sender to know the efficacy of his message.
The response of the receiver can be verbal or non-verbal.

Note: The Noise shows the barriers in communications. There are chances when the message sent by
the sender is not received by the recipient.

7 C’S OF COMMUNICATION

Definition: The 7 C’s of Communication is a checklist that helps to improve the professional

communication skills and increases the chance that the message will be understood in exactly the same
way as it was intended.

To have effective communication, one should keep the following 7 C’s of communication in mind:
 1. Clear: The message should be clear and easily understandable to the recipient. The purpose of
the communication should be clear to sender then only the receiver will be sure about it. The
message should emphasize on a single goal at a time and shall not cover several ideas in a single
sentence.

2. Correct: The message should be correct, i.e. a correct language should be used, and the sender
must ensure that there is no grammatical and spelling mistakes. Also, the message should be
exact and well-timed. The correct messages have a greater impact on the receiver and at the
same time, the morale of the sender increases with the accurate message.

3. Complete: The message should be complete, i.e. it must include all the relevant information as
required by the intended audience. The complete information gives answers to all the questions
of the receivers and helps in better decision-making by the recipient.

4. Concrete: The communication should be concrete, which means the message should be clear
and particularly such that no room for misinterpretation is left. All the facts and figures should
be clearly mentioned in a message so as to substantiate to whatever the sender is saying.

5. Concise: The message should be precise and to the point. The sender should avoid the lengthy
sentences and try to convey the subject matter in the least possible words. The short and brief
message is more comprehensive and helps in retaining the receiver’s attention.

6. Consideration: The sender must take into consideration the receiver’s opinions, knowledge,
mindset, background, etc. in order to have an effective communication. In order to
communicate, the sender must relate to the target recipient and be involved.

7. Courteous: It implies that the sender must take into consideration both the feelings and
viewpoints of the receiver such that the message is positive and focused at the audience. The
message should not be biased and must include the terms that show respect for the recipient.

Note: This checklist applies to both the written and oral communication.

SEMANTIC BARRIERS
Definition: The Semantic Barriers refers to the misunderstanding between the sender and receiver
arising due to the different meanings of words, and other symbols used in the communication.

The semantic barriers usually arise when the information is not in the simple language and contains
those words or symbols that have multiple meanings. Following are the main language barriers:

1. Bad Expression: The message is not formulated properly and the language used is so difficult
that it could be misinterpreted by the recipient. The message is said to be badly expressed if the
wrong words are chosen, the sentences are not sequenced properly, and there is a frequent
repetition of words or sentences. The badly expressed messages consume a lot of time as it
requires corrections and clarifications and also the impact of the message gets reduced.

2. Symbols, or Words with Different Meanings: There are several words that carry different
meanings and often, people get confused with these words and interpret these differently due
 to the difference in their educational and social backgrounds. Such as, the word “Crane” has
different meaning as shown in the sentences below:

o The bird sanctuary is full of cranes.

o The builder used a crane to lift heavy steel rods.

o The girl has to crane her neck to watch the movie.

3. Faulty Translation: Sometimes, the sender translates the message as per his level of
understanding irrespective of the recipient’s comprehension level. For example, a manager
collected information from his superiors and subordinates and translated the same information
to all his employees, according to the understanding level of the superiors, and this led to the
misinterpretation of the message. Thus, it is required to mold the message according to the
understanding levels of the employees to have an intended response.

4. Unclarified Assumptions: Sometimes the sender creates assumptions about certain things

which he feels the receiver must be knowing about it and focus only on the subject matter. But
in the case of a special message, if the assumptions are vague and unknown to the receiver then
the communication might get adversely affected.

5. Denotations and Connotations: The denotation means the literal meaning of the word, it just
shows the name of the object and does not imply any negative or positive qualities. The
detonation barriers arise due to the sender and receiver using a different definition and
meaning of the word used in the message. Such as word crane is used in the context of bird
species but it is interpreted as a vehicle that lifts the objects.

Whereas the implied meaning of the word is called connotation that arouses personal reactions and
qualitative judgments. The connotation barriers arise when the people use words that hold different
meanings in different abstract situations, contexts, feelings, etc. For example, the word beautiful and
confidence has a positive connotation, but can have any of the meaning depending on the context in
which it is used.

6. Technical jargons: Often people working in the technical groups such as engineers, production
managers, IT managers, etc. use the technical jargons in their communication which is quite
difficult for the layman to understand. Thus, the use of technical jargons in communication can
act as a barrier.

Thus, semantic barriers lead to misunderstanding of the information and the objective of
communication, i.e. for which it was intended, gets disrupted

PERSONAL BARRIERS
Definition: The Personal Barriers relate to the factors that are personal to the sender and receiver and
act as a hindrance in the communication process.  These factors include the life experiences, emotions,
attitudes, behavior that hinders the ability of a person to communicate.

The most common personal barriers are:

1. Lack of Listening Skills: The efficiency of communication process gets disturbed when the
receiver listens only with ears but do not apply his mind. Often, the receiver listens what he
wants to listen and give no attention to other aspects of the information, thereby acting as a
hindrance to the effective communication.

2. Selective Attention: This problem arises when the person is impatient and put his objective
above all. He gives ears to only that part of the information which is helpful for him and fulfills
his objective and ignores all the other aspects.

3. Lack of knowledge: Also, the communication process suffers if the sender and receiver have less
knowledge about the subject matter.
 4. Lack of vocabulary: Often, the communication problem arises when the sender uses some
words which are difficult for the receiver to comprehend correctly.

In the organizational context, both the superiors and the subordinates have their personal barriers that
impede them to communicate effectively. These barriers are:

Barriers Related to the Superiors in the organization

1. Less faith in subordinates: Often, the superiors have a lack of confidence in the subordinates
and, therefore, doubt on their capacity to provide relevant information. They deliberately ignore
the suggestions and recommendations from the subordinates and discourages them to further
communicate. This lowers the morale of the employees and hinders the communication
process.

2. Fear of challenge of Authority: There is a fear in the minds of the superiors that if they will not
perform in line with their authority, they will be demoted to the lower levels. And, thus in order
to maintain their level they intentionally hide their weaknesses by not communicating their
ideas to others.

Barriers related to the subordinates in the organization

1. Lack of Incentives: Often, the subordinates give their suggestions and recommendations with an
objective to earn incentives. The incentives are given to the subordinates to motivate them to
give suggestions and to acknowledge their suggestions as important for the success of the
organization. If there is a lack of incentives, then the subordinate is not likely to communicate
and hence the communication process gets adversely affected.
 2. Unwillingness to communicate with the Superiors: Often the subordinates do not communicate
with their superiors with an intention to conceal the information which is of a negative nature
and can have an adverse effect. If the subordinate is required to inform his superior then, he
modifies the information in such a way that it does not have a negative impact. Thus, by not
providing the information in its actual form, the communication process is tempered.

Thus, there are several personal factors, varying from person to person, influences the communication
to a great extent and might obstruct the purpose for which the communication was intended.

PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS
Definition: The Psychological or Emotional Barriers refers to the psychological state i.e. Opinions,
attitudes, status consciousness, emotions, etc. of a person that deeply affects the ability to
communicate.

The communication largely depends on the mental condition of a person, if the person is not mentally or
emotionally sound, then he cannot communicate effectively either as a sender or a receiver.

The main kinds of Psychological or Emotional Barriers are:

1. Lack of Attention: When the person is pre-occupied by some other things and do not listen
carefully what the other person is speaking, then arises the psychological barrier in the
communication. When the person does not listen to others, then he won’t be able to
comprehend the message as it was intended and will not be able to give proper feedback.

2. Premature Evaluation: Many people have a tendency to jump to the conclusions directly and
form judgments without considering all the aspects of information. This is generally done by the
people who are impatient and resort to a selective listening. This premature evaluation of the
information acts as a barrier to the effective communication and lowers the morale of the
sender.

3. Poor Retention: The retention refers to the capacity of a brain to retain or store things in the
memory. The brain does not store all the information came across but in fact, retain only those
 which deems to be helpful in the future. Therefore, much of the information gets lost during the
retention process, and this acts as a barrier to the effective communication.

4. Loss by Transmission: The loss by transmission means, whenever the information exchanges

hand its credibility reduces. It is most often observed in the case of an oral communication
where people handle information carelessly and transmits the information which has lost some
of its truth. Thus, the improper and lack of information being transmitted to others acts as a
hindrance in the communication process.

5. Distrust: To have an effective communication, it is must that both the communicators (sender
and receiver) trust each other. In case there is a lack of trust between both the parties, then
they will tend to derive negative meaning out of the message and often ignore what has been
communicated. If the receiver has no trust, then he will not listen to whatever is being said by
the sender, and this will result in a meaningless communication.

6. Emotions: The communication is greatly influenced by the emotions of a person. If a person is

not in a good temperament, then he would not listen properly to whatever is said and might say
things offending the sender. Several other emotions such as anger, nervousness, confusion,
restlessness, etc. affects the communication process.

Thus, every human being has a unique mind which is composed of varied emotions, beliefs, perceptions,
opinions, and thoughts that facilitate different forms of communication.

ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS
Definition: The Organizational Barriers refers to the hindrances in the flow of information among the
employees that might result in a commercial failure of an organization.

The major Organizational Barriers are listed below:

 1. Organizational Rules and Policies: Often, organizations have the rule with respect to what
message, medium, and mode of communication should be selected. And due to the stringent
rules, the employees escape themselves from sending any message.

Similarly, the organizational policy defines the relationship between the employees and the way they
shall communicate with each other maintaining their levels of position in the organization. Such as, if the
company policy is that all the communication should be done in writing, then even for a small message
the medium used should be written. This leads to delay in the transmission of the message and hence
the decision making gets delayed.

2. Status or Hierarchical Positions in the Organization: In every organization, the employees are
divided into several categories on the basis of their levels of the organization. The people
occupying the upper echelons of the hierarchy are superior to the ones occupying the lower
levels, and thus, the communication among them would be formal. This formal communication
may often act as a barrier to the effective communication. Such as the lower level employee
might be reluctant in sending a message to his superior because of a fear in his mind of sending
the faulty or wrong message.

3. Organizational Facilities: The organizational facilities mean the telephone, stationery,

translator, etc., which is being provided to employees to facilitate the communication. When
these facilities are adequately offered to the employees, then the communication is said to be
timely, accurate and according to the need. Whereas, in the absence of such facilities, the
communication may get adversely affected.

4. Complex Organizational Structure: The communication gets affected if there are a greater

number of management levels in the organization. With more levels, the communication gets
delayed and might change before reaching the intended receiver.
Thus, communication is the key factor in the success of any firm, and the communication is said to be
effective when the employees interact with each other in such a way that it results in the overall
improvement of the self as well as the organization.

PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

Communication isn’t about the way the message is transmitted. It’s isn’t even about the message itself.
Communication is about understanding, and how it is mutually transmitted between a sender and a
receiver. That said, if there is no such mutual understanding, then communication isn’t happening.

The importance of communication in business cannot be overstated and, as such, it needs to be

effective for the business to run smoothly. In fact, communication is an essential aspect of the
management of a business. The basic functions of a manager cannot be done if there is no effective
communication between the manager and the employees.

The kind of communication that happens in business is known as business communication, and it
involves the flow of information back and forth between the higher-ups and the lower-downs, as well as
side to side. What that means, basically, is that information will flow down ranks within a company as
well as across them. Managers need to communicate with supervisors who need to communicate with
their teams. Colleagues need to communicate with each other. All of this needs to happen seamlessly or
else havoc and chaos will reign in the business.

Organizations are growing larger and larger by the day, with some of the largest in the world having
hundreds of thousands of employees. With the growing size of an organization, the number of
hierarchies to be observed, as well as the complexity of the organizational structure only increases. In
the process, the job of managing the organization becomes harder and harder.

In a large organization, perhaps even more so than in a small one, effective business communication is
necessary to direct the day to day activities of the organization. It makes it possible to get immediate
feedback and to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise.

Communication isn’t supposed to just happen within the organization, either. It should also happen
without it. The organization should be able to communicate with the society around it to make the
society run in a better way that benefits all of the parties involved. For any team, organization, or society
to grow, communication gaps should be filled in before they grow too big.

When it comes to business communication, it is all about goals. In that sense, it is goal-oriented. When
you communicate, you should do so with a certain goal in mind. For example, if the company has a set
of rules, regulations, and policies, then it should seek to communicate them to the employees of the
organization so they know what is expected of them. If you want your business to uphold certain values
and principles as it relates to the customer and to the society at large, then you should find an effective
way to communicate these values and principles to your employees so they know how to talk to their
customers the next time they interact with them. If you don’t know what the goal of your
communication is, then you are not communicating anything. We call that noise.
Business communication also happens across channels. We have come a long way as the human race in
terms of the channels we use to communicate with each other. With the development of language,
much of communication was oral, with humans passing knowledge and information to other humans
through the mouth. Sometimes we would use actions, whether through body language or through the
use of other methods, such as smoke signals. However, most of communication was restricted to oral
communication. With the invention of writing, we had yet another channel of communication, which
turned out to be a little more permanent than speech. Information could now be recorded for posterity
and knowledge could be passed down from father to son without the loss of accuracy.

Of course, we have come a long way since and have developed many other channels along the way,
each proving to have major advantages over its predecessors. In business, in particular, there has been a
kind of rapid evolution in terms of the channels of communication we use. We started out with just
paperwork and calls on landline telephones. Now we have our smartphones, email, video calls, social
media, satellite communications, specialist teamwork software and so on. We are even starting to
explore the use of technologies like virtual and augmented reality as communication channels. The
future is bright, needless to say.

It is no secret that communication is growing at a rapid rate. So rapid, in fact, that we are at the danger
of forgetting just why communication is so important in business. What, exactly, is the purpose of
communication in business?

THE PURPOSE OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Business communication is important to managers as it helps them carry out their basic functions within
the organization. They should have all the information pertaining to the specific tasks as well as the
entire organization and must then seek to communicate this information to the employees of the
organization. They should seek to communicate their goals to their subordinates in order to make sure
every member of the organization is working to achieve the goals of the organization.

A great part of the time spent by a manager in an organization is devoted to communication. Whether
that communication is face to face or using some other channel, it takes up a healthy chunk out of the
manager’s day.

The purpose of business communication can be summarized into a few main functions:

Motivation

Managers need to communicate to employees the tasks they need to carry out, the timelines of these
tasks, and the manner in which the tasks should be carried out. However, communication isn’t just
about allowing them to do this. It is also about allowing them to do it in a way that motivates the
employees to work harder and better. A good communicator knows how to lace their message with just
the right amount of motivation to make the receiver genuinely want to accept the message.
The Sharing of Information

Communication represents the cogs in the wheels of an organization that allow information to flow from
one place to another. In order for decisions to be made more effectively within the organization, there
should first be a smooth flow of information. That way, the major decision-makers know that the
decisions they are making have taken all of the facts into consideration and are up to date.

Socialization

Business isn’t all about work. Sometimes it is also about play and getting people to open up and simmer
down. Communication helps with the socialization aspect of business as well. It is a normal part of
human nature that we will always want to open up and communicate when we are in the presence of
other individuals. Whether it is regular banter between employees or socialization for the purpose of
networking at business parties, communication makes it possible for business people to talk to each
other casually in social settings and is involved in creating goodwill in business communication.

Control

One of the key functions of a manager is control. Typically, a manager will want to control the behaviors
and actions of the employees within an organization. However, these employees are not robots, and
they cannot be controlled or be coerced to do anything. That is where communication comes in. To get
your employees to do anything, you have to communicate what you want to your employees.

Communication Brings Business Alive

While you’re thinking about the bottom line for your business, think as well about communication. You
may find that communication is the crucial factor in deciding the future of your business. As long as it is
effective, everything else will work out well.

DETERMINING THE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE FOR WRITING

An author’s purpose can be to entertain, to inform, or to persuade. Sometimes an author
can have more than one purpose.
Purposes to Communicate
1. Entertain
An author can entertain by:
• Making something funny
• Using words that paint a picture in our mind
• Adding suspense to the writing
• Including lots of feelings
• Including fantasy
• Making the characters seem real
• Adding some surprises
2. Inform An author can inform by:
• Teaching us something new about a topic
• Including interesting details
• Including numbers, dates, and examples
• Giving us a lot of details about one thing
• Giving us different kinds of information
• Writing the information as an article, story or a poem
• Including pictures or other graphics to help us understand
the information.
3. Persuade
An author can persuade by:
• Giving us information that makes something seem really
important right now!
• Giving us convincing facts and details
• Getting someone famous to agree with him or her
• Giving us information about only one side of the story
• Making the other side of the story sound like a bad idea
• Using power words like amazing, free, new, you, instantly