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INTRODUCTION
TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
1.1 Key concepts
1.2 Role and importance of business communication
1.3 Process of communication
1.4 Types of communication
1.5 Ethics in business communication

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COMMUNICATION

YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE GREAT

IDEAS IN THE WORLD &
IF YOU CAN’T COMMUNICATE,
NOBODY WILL HEAR THEM

- Kara Blackburn

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1.1 KEY CONCEPTS

1. Communication
COMMUNICATION

2. Business Communication

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COMMUNICATION
▪ Derived from the latin word
“communis”, meaning to SHARE
▪ Communication is the exchange of
thoughts, messages, or information
by speech, visuals, signals, writing,
or behavior
▪ It is the transmission of an idea or
feeling so that the sender & receiver
share the same understanding

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COMMUNICATION

“Communication is a process
involving the selection,
production & transmission of
signs in such a way as to help a
receiver perceive a meaning
similar to that in the mind of the
communicator”
-
Fortheringham
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COMMUNICATION
▪ “Communication is the process of
transferring information &
meaning between senders and
receivers” (Thill & Boveé, 2015)
▪ Transmitted meaning (accepted)
▪ Negotiated meaning (discussing –
situation)
▪ Re-created meaning (negative or
positive reaction)
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Business communication is the
sharing of information between
people within an organization
that is performed for the
commercial benefit of the
organization

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1.2 IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

INDIVIDUAL • Understand the mission, goals, values and

LEVEL procedures of the organization.
• Clearing up ambiguity in the what’s, how’s and
why’s
• Sense of “making a difference”
GROUP • Creating common culture permits employees to
LEVEL act with empowerment
• Reducing day to day conflict
ORGANIZATIONAL • Coordinating organizational resources
LEVEL • Sense of belonging and commitment
• Direct impact on effort and efficiency

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IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

▪ Communication is life & life is communication

▪ Communication is the lifeblood
▪ Your success in career is based on your ability
to do well in written and oral communication.
This ability to communicate effectively is a
valuable asset for you

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 BENEFITS OF COMMUNICATION
2. Enhance morale & relations 3. Effective leadership
1. Managerial Efficiency
- Emphasizes the employee’s - Two-way communication
participation in management helps in effective
- Managerial task can only be
- Build the employees morale communication
performed well when
& cordial industrial relations - Leadership can be obtained
communication system is
between management & from proper system of
effective
employees communication

4. Mutual trust & confidence 6. Staffing

5. Better decision
- - Communicates to concerned - When the information is correctly
Effective communication
communicated in time, this helps
helps to reduce department, organization and
in the function of selection,
misunderstanding & develop persons make decisions placement, socialization,
mutual trust promptly promotion & transfer

7. Better managerial concern

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1.3 COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Feedback

Medi
Sender Receiver
um
Mess Meanin
Ideas Encode Decode
age g

Noise

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COMMUNICATION PROCESS

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1.4 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

▪ One way >< two way communication

▪ Verbal >< Non-verbal
▪ Formal >< Informal

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ONE WAY >< TWO WAY COMMUNICATION
One way communication
Sender send information to receiver, not vice versa
Absence of Listening to speeches, radio, watch films, TV,
reading book
feedback from No clarification, hard to understand sometimes
receiver
Two way communication
Include feedback from receivers
Easy to understand

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VERBAL >< NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

VERBAL NON-VERBAL
▪ Involves the use of symbol ▪ Transmission of meaning
that geneally have universal other than oral or written
meaning words
▪ Oral communication (the ▪ Can be through: facial
message is transmitted in expression, body posture, eye
spoken form) contact…
▪ Witten communication
(information is exchanged in
the written or printed form)

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FORMAL >< INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
FORMAL INFORMAL
▪ The process of exchanging ▪ The process of spontaneous
information by following the exchange of information
prescribed or official rules
▪ Relatively less structure &
▪ Communication is structured on
spontaneous
the basis of hierarchy, authority,
accountability ▪ Inter-personal
▪ Upward communication (from communication
subordinate to superiors) ▪ Grapevine (rumors)
▪ Downward communication ▪ Rumor
(from superiors to subordinates) ▪ Social media
▪ Horizontal – among colleagues
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FORMAL >< INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
FORMAL >< INFORMAL

FORMAL INFORMAL
▪ Complex & though ▪ Slang or figure of speech
▪ Long scentance ▪ Personal and emotional tone
▪ Full words ▪ Speak directly to recievers
▪ No contractions
▪ No Abbreviations
▪ Objetive

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1.5 ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

▪ Ethics are the accepted

principles of conduct that
govern behavior within a society
▪ Ethical principles define the
boundary between right and
wrong

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ETHIC >< UNETHICAL COMMUNICATION

ETHICAL UNETHICAL
▪ Plagiarism
▪ True in every sense ▪ Omitting essential
▪ includes all relevant information
information ▪ Selective misquoting
▪ not deceptive in any way ▪ Misrepresenting data
▪ Failing to respect privacy or
information security needs
▪ Coercing people to give
positive online reviews

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RECOGNIZING ETHICAL ISSUES
ETHICAL DILEMMA ETHICAL LAPSE
An ethical dilemma involves
choosing among alternatives that An ethical lapse is a clearly unethical
aren’t clear-cut choice

▪ Various Stakeholders ▪ Business Pressures

▪ Competing Interest ▪ Produce Results
▪ Difficult Tradeoffs ▪ Justify Decisions

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 BE ETHICAL IN COMMUNICATION
▪ Ethical individuals
▪ Ethical company leadership
▪ The appropriate policies and structures
▪ General Ethics Guidelines - Ask the following questions
▪ Have you defined the situation?
▪ Why are you communicating?
▪ What impact will your message have?
▪ What good or harm will be achieved?
▪ Will your assumptions change?
▪ Are you comfortable with the decision?
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QUESTIONS
CLASS WORKS
▪ * Group think* Think of some
habits, which might cost you
your job?

▪ Think of your recent ethical

dilemma? What is your choice?
▪ Think of your recent ethical
lapse?

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