Business Communication
Semester I – Notes
Unit 1: Theory of Communication
Chapter I
Concept of Communication
The English word ‘communication’ has been derived from the Latin word, ‘Communicare’ which means
to impart or participate or to transmit. The word ‘Communicare’ is deriv...
Chapter I
Concept of Communication
The English word ‘communication’ has been derived from the Latin word, ‘Communicare’ which means
to impart or participate or to transmit. The word ‘Communicare’ is derived from the root ‘Communis’
which means to make common or to share.
Communication is 1) the activity or process of sharing or exchanging ideas, feelings, information,
experience between two or more persons; 2) an act or instance of transmitting; 3) the information
actually communicated by some means.
Definitions of communication:
1) The Oxford English Dictionary defines communication as “the action of conveying or exchanging
information and ideas.”
2) Peter Little defines communication as “the process by which information is transmitted between
individuals and or organizations so that an understanding response results.”
3) Allen Lui (Louis) defines communication as “ Communication is the sum of all the things one person
does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another. It is a bridge of meaning. It
involves a systematic process of telling, listening, understanding and responding.”
4) Keith Davis defines communication as “Communication is the transfer of information and
understanding from one person to another.”
Business Communication:
William G. Scott defines business communication as “Administrative communication is a process which
involves the transmission and accurate replication of ideas ensured by feedback for the purpose of
eliciting actions which will accomplish organizational goals.”
The last definition covers 4 aspects of administrative communication, as follows:
1) The sender’s ability to transmit his own ideas accurately.
2) The receiver’s mental ability to get the same idea as were transmitted i.e. accurate replication.
3) The feedback or the receiver’s response.
4) Eliciting action which will help to achieve the goals.
The process of communication involves a series of stages:
1) An idea arises in the mind of the sender, which he wants to share.
2) The sender encodes the idea in the form of a ‘message’.
3) The sender chooses some medium / channel to put across the message.
4) The receiver receives the message.
,5) The receiver decodes – absorbs, understands, interprets the message.
6) The receiver sends feedback or his response.
The components or elements of the communication process are as follows:
1) The sender or the communicator
2) The message
3) Encoding
4) The medium / channel
5) The receiver
6) Decoding
7) Feedback
Importance of feedback in the process of communication-
Effective feedback, both positive and negative, is very helpful. Feedback is valuable information that will
be used to make important decisions.
After getting the meaning of the message‘, the receiver provides feedback‘ which he =encodes‘ in the
form of a response/reaction/reply to the message. Feedback plays an important part in the
communication process, because it is desired and expected by both the sender‘ and the receiver‘. The
sender‘ wants to know whether and how his =message‘ has been received, and the =receiver‘, either
consciously or unconsciously, usually provides a sign indicating that he has received the message.
It should be noted that feedback may be positive or negative. Positive feedback indicates to the sender
the fact that his message has been received, understood, and accepted; and that he can proceed to the
next point. Negative feedback tells the sender that his message has not been properly understood. It,
therefore, functions as a corrective, as it makes the =sender‘ realize the defects or flaws in his manner
of encoding. He will, therefore, have to encode the same message in a different way, so as to enable the
=receiver‘ to understand it.
Feedback may be immediate or delayed. In the case of interpersonal communication it is quick, as the
sender is able to observe the response/reaction (e.g. a smile, nod, frown etc.) when he is conveying the
message. He can also guess whether the =receiver‘ agrees or disagrees with him.
However, in the case of a letter, feedback may be delayed as the =receiver‘ will take time to reply.
Sometimes, feedback is obtained indirectly, by observing the subsequent change of behaviour on the
part of the =receiver‘.
Feedback is very important in business. It is important for the businessperson to know whether his/her
clients and customers are satisfied with the products and services, or whether s/he needs to make
changes. Feedback from employees is also necessary to improve the performance of an organization.
,The diagrammatical representation of the communication process can be shown as follows:
Sender Channel / Medium Receiver
How to achieve effective communication:
1) Communicate for a purpose
2) Compose message with care
3) Study the receiver
4) Select appropriate medium
5) Provide feedback
6) Act promptly on receiving feedback.
Students are suppose to prepare notes on their own.
Emergence of communication as a key concept in the corporate and global world.
Impact of technology enabled communication : Types – Internet, Blogs, E-mail, Moodle, Social
media (Facebook, twitter and Whatsapp advantages and disadvantages)
, Chapter II
Channels and Objectives of Communication
Formal Communication
Downward communication:
Needed For:
1) To get the work done.
2) To prepare the workforce for challenges
3) To tackle misinformation & suspicion arising out of it
4) To create a feeling of pride & confidence in the workforce I order to motivate it and to
boost its morale.
5) To transmit work ethics & the organization‘s culture.
Advantage Disadvantage
Discipline Lack of vision & arbitrary decision making can
prove detrimental and harmful to the
organization
Implementation of orders happen Balance in sharing information is important so
efficiently is indicious use of discretion
Tasks & positions can be well defined Delay implementation of decisions
Clarity in the minds of employees about Oral communication leads to information loss,
their responsibility, avoids confusion distraction & lack of accountability
It helps in uniting different level of Absence of feedback mechanistic can lead to
authority & brings in team spirit frustration, lack of trust in authority & feel
exploited
Upward communication:
Needed for:
1) To forward employee-feedback
2) To report on official matters
3) To give voice on the difficulties, grievances, complaints, dissatisfaction, work related
demands of employees
4) To invite suggestion, creativity & participation in problem solving
5) To create a sense of belonging through participation
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