Introduction to Business Communication

Communication is a process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. It is
process of sending, receiving and interpreting messages. Communication is transmission of ideas, thoughts,
emotions and skills between individual/group/organization.

Business communication is defined as the sharing information between organization and its people
both in external and internal environment such that the organizational goals are met with least errors and
improving organizational practices.

Need of Business Communication

1. To carry the basic functions of management,

That are, planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling effectively
2. To manage constant flow of information.
It can flow vertically, horizontally and diagonally. Lot of business success depends upon how well these
channels of communication work.
3. To direct and control the people in the organization.
Organizations are very large with lot of procedures, formal and informal communication. Also verbal and
non-verbal communication takes place. It involves number of people at various levels of hierarchy in an
organization. Greater the number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization.
Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided through effective
business communication.
4. To communicate the rules, regulations and policies of an organization to people within and outside the
organization.
5. To build good will of an organization.

Objectives of Communication

1. To Inform – The first and foremost objective of any communication is to inform. In today’s world,
information is power. Communication brings power through information. People within the organization have
to be kept informed about the organizational goals, objectives, procedures, processes, systems, plans,
priorities and strategies.

2. To Educate – Another objective of communication in an organization is to educate i.e. to

spread/share/distribute knowledge and develop skills and attitude among the people working in the
organization. There is also need to familiarize them with the systems, procedures and processes.

3. To Train – Communication is the integral part of any training program. Business organizations need to
train people to achieve proficiency in specific skill. They have to provide working knowledge and attitudinal
inputs through training programs to employees at various hierarchical levels. Training session involves
teaching, instruction, demonstration, practice and discussion.

4. To Motivate – People in any organization have to be motivated to pursue goals and achieve higher
level of performance. Communication provides the means to keep motivational level high. Talks, lectures,
films, meetings, workshops are among the means to motivate people.

5. To Integrate – Large business organizations have different business units, Departments and territorial
divisions. Each of them pursues different goals, sub goals and target sections. Communication provides the
means for an integrated approach in pursuing organizations goals.

6. To Relate – Good business relationships are a must for any business organization. These
relationships are both internal and external. They may be among and/or between employees, supervisory
staff, top management, customers, suppliers, press and other media. It demonstrates that they are a sharing
and caring organization.
 7. To Promote – Promotional efforts are a must for any organization to fully achieve its objectives.
Promotion relates to various activities such as advertising, publicity, public relation and communication.
Promotion is done for customer information, customer education, customer communication and customer
retention.

8. To Entertain -- Every business is not necessarily a serious business. Even serious businesses are
not serious all the time. Whatever may be the nature of business, there is a time for entertainment.
Communication facilitates entertainment. It facilitates social bonding and brings in lighter moments that help
in releasing tension and getting rid of negative feelings.

9. To facilitate decision making – Decision making constitutes an important function for any business
organization. Such decision making is spread across all the areas – personnel, marketing, account,
production and maintenance. Day in and day out, people in organizations are keep taking decisions at
various hierarchical levels. People at higher levels in the organization command respect depending upon
their decision making abilities.

Communication Process

The communication process is a dynamic framework that describes how a message travels between a
sender and receiver using various communication channels. Its goal is to ensure the receiver decodes the
message correctly and can provide feedback with ease and speed. This is especially important for larger
organizations that need to notify people in different areas and time zones about an event, problem change.

Here are seven essential components that make up the communication process:

1. Sender: - The person who conceptualized the idea and wants it delivered to the recipient.
2. Encoding: - The way the information is described or translated into a message.
3. Message: - The idea, fact or opinion that the sender wants to communicate.
4. Channel: - The method of delivering the message.
5. Receiver: - The target audience of the message.
6. Decoding: - The interpretation of the message.
7. Feedback: - The response or action a receiver takes after decoding a message.
 Types of Communication
1. Verbal Communication
The most common form of communication is the spoken word. It can be used to convey
information, ask questions or request a response from others. Verbal communication includes all
forms of speech, such as talking, shouting, whispering, singing, chanting, and reading aloud.

2. Non-verbal Communication
There are many other ways that people communicate with each other without using words. Non-
verbal communication includes nodding, shaking hands, pointing, eye contact, smiling, frowning,
touching, leaning forward, standing up straight, sitting down, crossing arms, etc. These gestures help
us understand what another person means when they speak. We also use non-verbal cues to
express ourselves to others. For example, if someone smiles at me while I'm speaking to him, he
might be expressing interest in what I have to say. Or if he leans back in his chair, it tells me that he
doesn't want to hear what I am saying.

3. Written Communication
The written word has been an important means of communication since ancient times. Written
communication includes letters, e-mails, faxes, memos, reports, and other written messages. Written
messages include text on paper and computer screens. Writing allows us to store large amounts of
information quickly and easily.

4. Visual Communication
Another way that we communicate with each other is through pictures or images. Visual
communication includes photographs, paintings, diagrams, charts, maps, graphs, drawings,
sketches, animations, and videos.

Communicative Competence:

Communicative competence refers to the ability to effectively communicate and interact with others in
variety of contexts, taking into account social, cultural and linguistic factors. It encompasses the knowledge,
skills and attitude necessary to convey and interpret messages accurately.

Types of Communicative competence:-

1. Linguistic competence: - Linguistic competence refers to the ability to use language effectively,
accurately and appropriately in various contexts. It encompasses the knowledge of language
structures, vocabulary, pronunciations and communication strategies. The term linguistic
competence refers to the unconscious knowledge of grammar that allows a speaker to use and
understand a language. Also known as grammatical competence

Components affecting Linguistic Competence

 Lexical Competence that is vocabulary

 Language Proficiency
 Grammatical Competence that is syntax and morphology
 Phonological Competence that is pronunciations
 Pragmatic Competence that is Communication strategies
 Sociolinguistic Competence that is language variation, cultural awareness
 Orthography that is spelling and writing

2. Sociolinguistic Competence:- Sociolinguistic competence includes knowing what setting to be

formal in and what setting to be appropriate for informal language. This also includes ways of
expressing politeness, such as saying "thank you" when someone holds the door open, and how
to address people appropriately, such as calling a teacher Mr. or Ms.
 Sociolinguistic competence refers to the ability to understand and effectively use language in diverse
social contexts, considering factors such as culture, power dynamics, identity and social norms.

Factors affecting Sociolinguistic competence

 Geographical location
 Occupation
 Gender
 Our parents/career
 Age
 Socioeconomic status – class and education level
 Ethnicity
 Social norms and conventions
 Register/tone
 Politeness/Pragmatic
 Nonverbal communication

3. Discourse Competence: - Discourse competence is the ability to understand and produce

cohesive and coherent text in various genres and social contexts. It involves the ability to
organize and connect thoughts, ideas, use appropriate language conventions, and adapt
communications to different audiences and situations. Discourse competence is the crucial
components of effective communication as it enables individuals to convey their messages
clearly and effectively. Discourse competence asks: How are words, phrases and sentences put
together to create conversations, speeches, email messages, newspaper articles.

Components of Discourse Competence:-

 Cohesion – The use of lexical and grammatical devices to connect ideas within a text such as
pronounce, conjunctions and adverbs.
 Coherence – Organization of ideas in a text to create a logical and meaningful flow. This includes
establishing a clear topic, developing a supporting details and using appropriate transitions between
ideas.
 Genre awareness – Understanding the conventions and structures of different genres such as
academic essays, news articles, emails and informal conversations.
 Pragmatic competence – The ability to use language appropriately in different social context, taking
into account factors such as relationship between the speaker or writer and audience, the purpose of
the communication and setting.
 Strategic competence – The ability to use language effectively to achieve once communicative goals
such as using questioning techniques to gather information or using persuasive language to
convince an audience.

4. Strategic Competence: - Strategic competence refers to one's ability to maintain

communication when breakdowns occur or to improve communication effectiveness. Example
strategies include paraphrasing using known incorrect structures, circumlocution by describing
objects or actions, and transferring words from one's native language. Other strategies are
asking for help, using gestures, pausing fillers, avoiding topics, and abandoning messages when
lacking proficiency to continue.

Examples of Strategic Competence:-

 Paraphrasing – The learner use approximation in the form of structure or vocabulary
structure which they know is incorrect but will get the message across.
 Circumlocution – The learner define/describe the object or its purpose in action
 Transfer – using native language for translating word.
 Opening and closing a conversation
 Keeping a conversation going
 Expressing feelings and attitude
 Asking for help
 Topic avoidance
 Pause filter like um, you know, lets see