Administrative and business communication

CHAPTER TWO

Media of Communication

Introduction
Medium (singular form of media) is the method used to deliver a message. As a business
communicator, you can often choose whether to put your message in writing as a letter or memo.
You can deliver it by hand or send it via regular mail or use delivery services like fax or electronic
mail. Or you can communicate it orally, either over the phone or in person. You might also opt for
non-verbal form of communication.

Whether you are a leader or a participant in a certain discussion or decision, you will use both
written and oral means of communication. Frequently a position paper or a request for action will be
written, and then followed by an oral discussion of the proposal. Persuasion of either the leader or
the listener is a central purpose in these media.

In numerous business meetings a written problem-solution organization is presented as background,

and then followed by oral discussion that may lead to a decision. That decision is then further
supported and defended orally against opposition by others. In this chapter, you will get introduced
to various media of communication: oral, written, and non-verbal. The detailed discussion on these
media will be presented in the next consecutive chapters.

2.1 The Basic Forms (Media) Of Communication

Communication occurs in many forms. You can pick up the phone and have a conversation with your
supervisor or leave him e-mail message if he is not available. In turn, he can respond to your message
in the form of his choice. The form in which a message is communicated changes constantly. The two
basic forms of communication are non-verbal communication and verbal communication. The most
basic form of communication is non-verbal communication.

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2.2 Non Verbal Communication

Non verbal communication is all intentional and unintentional messages that are neither written nor
spoken. All the cues, gestures, facial expressions, spatial relationships, and attitude toward time that
enable people to communicate without words. Anthropologists theorize that long before human
beings used words to talk things over, our ancestors communicated with one another by using their
bodies. They gritted their teeth to show anger; they smiled and touched one another to indicate
affection. Although we have come a long way since those primitive times, we still use non-verbal cues
to express superiority, dependence, dislike, respect, love and other feelings.

Non verbal communication differs from verbal communication in fundamental ways. For one thing, it
is less structured, so it is more difficult to study. Even experts do not really know how people learn
non-verbal behavior. No one teaches a baby to cry or smile, yet these forms of self – expression are
almost universal. Other types of nonverbal communication, such as the meaning of colours and
certain gestures, vary from culture to culture.

Non verbal communication also differs from verbal communication in terms of intent and
spontaneity. When you use verbal communication, you plan your words. You have a conscious
purpose; you think about the message, if only for a moment. However, when you communicate
nonverbally, you sometimes do so unconsciously.

2.3 Types Of Non Verbal Communication

Under our definition of communication, the types of non verbal communication are almost limitless.
However, in this part of our discussion, we will cover only those types of non verbal communication
those are most applicable to business communication:

 Facial expressions and eye contact

 Other body movements and gestures

 Clothing and personal appearance

 Distance and personal space

 Physical environment

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 Time

Facial expressions and eye contact

The eyes and face are especially helpful means of communicating nonverbally. They can express
hidden emotions – anger, annoyance, confusion, enthusiasm, fear, hatred, joy, love, interest, sorrow,
surprise, uncertainty and others. They can also contradict verbal statements.

Direct eye contact (but not staring) is usually desirable when two people converse face to face. The
people whose eyes droop or shift away from the listener is thought to be shy or perhaps dishonest
and untrustworthy. But we must be careful not to over generalize.

Although the eyes and the face are usually a reliable source of meaning, people sometimes
manipulate their expressions to stimulate an emotion they do not feel or to mask their true feelings.

Other Body Movements and Gestures

Movements and gestures of other parts of the body are more closely tied to culture than facial
expressions and eye contact. Therefore, it is extremely misleading to isolate single body movements
(such as crossing the legs) and give it a precise meaning. You should keep in mind, however, that
your body movements and gestures may be given specific meaning by others regardless of your
intentions. For example, poor posture during an interview may be interpreted as disrespect, lack of
enthusiasm, or indicative of poor work habits. The way a person stands may indicate self confidence,
status, friendliness, and mood and so on. Even weak or overly strong hand shakes will be given some
significance by many people.

Skilled communicators also make sure that their body movements and gestures do not contradict
their verbal messages. Stress may cause us to send non-verbal indicators that contradict the
confident message we are trying to convey. Such stress indicators include rubbing the eyes, pulling
on the cheeks, rubbing the back of the neck, or rubbing the forehead. Suppose you were a customer
trying to negotiate a price reduction on a certain item. Any non-verbal stress indicators employed by

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the salesperson would probably indicate to you that the salesperson was weakening, and you would
renew your efforts to reduce the price.

As a business or professional person, you can improve your communication techniques by

monitoring your conscious and unconscious body movements and gestures. Ask colleagues and
family for feedback, and review a video tape of yourself (taped during a meeting, interview, or oral
presentation).

Clothing and personal Appearance

Clothing and personal appearance also communicate non verbal messages. Your appearance and
clothing help others determine your status, credibility and persuasiveness. Clothing, jewellery,
hairstyles, cosmetics, fingernails, neatness, stature are parts of personal appearance. They can
convey impressions regarding occupation, age, sex, nationality, social and economic level, job status,
and good or poor judgment, depending on circumstances. If your goal is to make a good impression,
adopt the style of the people you want to impress.

Distance and personal Space

The informal distance rules for conversing in various situations differ from culture to culture, family
to family, and person to person. When others violate an individual’s personal space requirements,
that person becomes uncomfortable and will move to correct the distance. Many people are
completely unaware of their personal distance requirements because, as we mentioned earlier, such
requirements usually fall into the informal level of culture. For example, in Ethiopia some of us
unknowingly or knowingly hug a person we don’t know with out worrying about his or her distance
requirement.

Knowledge of distance requirements of individuals is important to your business or professional

success. Although there may be times when you wish to deliberately ignore the unwritten rules of
appropriate distances (for example, to demonstrate power or status), generally you will want to
improve communication by making sure every one feels comfortable.

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Physical Environment

Dear learner, have you ever noticed how some rooms and offices seem friendly and inviting, while
other rooms (or buildings) seem cold and unfriendly? Do you feel comfortable talking to your boss in
his or her office? If you don’t, you may simply be reacting to the fact that the office is the boss’s
territory, which gives the boss the upper hand.

Your negative reaction, however, may be caused by the room it self. Physical environments not only
reveal to visitors characteristics of the owner of the territory, but also actually affect how a person
communicates.

Psychologists state that each person reacts emotionally to the environment with “approach”
(positive) or “avoidance” (negative) behaviours. Various researches have found that when
participants perform tasks in “ugly” rooms, they experience “monotony, fatigue, headache,
discontent, sleep, irritability, and hostility”. However, when performing tasks in “attractive” rooms,
participants experience “feelings of pleasure, comfort, enjoyment, energy and desire to continue the
activity.”

You may notice that in some factories and business firms, lower status employees may work in small,
crowded, unattractive areas. Thoughtful managers can help improve morale and efficiency when they
perceive employee attitudes, toward surroundings and follow suggestions for improving appearance.

Time

Time is another non verbal communication factor in the business world. If you have an appointment
to discuss a production problem with a supervisor, do you arrive thirty minutes late? What non
verbal messages would this behaviour communicate to you? Your interpretation of time depends on
your cultural and regional background, on the situation and on the other people involved. Whether
it is acceptable to arrive late for an appointment often depends on whether you are meeting with
someone of equal rank, some one more important, or some one less important. Also, any one who is
consistently late for appointments or in completing work assignments is often deemed
inconsiderable or even undependable.

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2.4 Oral Communication Media

Although you can express many things nonverbally, there are limits to what you can communicate
without the help of language. If you want to discuss past events, idea, or abstractions, you need
symbols that stand for your thoughts. Verbal Communication consists of words arranged in
meaningful patterns. Verbal communication can further be divided into two categories oral
communication and written communication. Here, under this topic, we will discuss oral
communication.

Primary oral communication media include face – to – face conversation (the richest medium),
telephone calls, speeches, presentations and meetings. Your choice between a face –to – face
conversation and a telephone or video conference call would depend on audience location, message
importance, and your need for the sort of nonverbal feedback, the only body language can reveal.

The chief advantage of oral communication is the opportunity it provides for immediate feed back.
This is the medium to use when you want the audience to ask questions and make comments or
when you are trying to reach a group decision. It is also the best channel if there is an emotional
component to your message and you want to read the audience’s body language or hear the tone of
their response.

2.5 Written Communication Media

Written messages also take many forms. They might be informal like the notes you use to jog your
own memories or formal like elaborate reports you submit to your supervisor. Regardless of the
form, written messages have one advantage. They let you plan and control the message.

A written format is appropriate when the information is complex, when a permanent record is
needed for future reference, when the audience is large and geographically dispersed, and when
immediate interaction with the audience is either unimportant or undesirable.

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Although many types of written communication are specialized, the most common are letters,
memos, and reports. Most letters and memos are relatively brief documents, generally one to two
pages. Memos are the work horses of business communication, used for the routine, day – to – day
exchange of information within the organization. You often use memo to designate responsibility,
communicate the same material to many people, communicate policy and procedure, confirm oral
agreements or decisions, and place specific information on record. In contrast, letters frequently go
to outsiders, and they perform an important public relations function in addition to conveying a
particular message.

Letters and memos are organized according to their purpose; the relationship between writer and
reader dictates their style and tone.

Reports and proposals are factual, objective documents that may be distributed to either insiders or
outsiders, depending on their purpose and subject. Reports are generally longer and more formal
than letters and memos, and they have more components. Generally, written communication
increases the sender’s control but eliminates the possibility of immediate feedback

Table 1: Media of Communication

When choosing among the following channels and media consider the urgency,
formality, complexity, confidentially, emotional content and cost of sending your
message as well as your audience’s expectations and your need for a permanent
record.

An Oral Channel is Best When A Written Channel is Best

 You want immediate feedback When

from the audience  You don’t need immediate

 Your message is relatively feed back

simple and easy to accept  You do need a permanent

 You don’t need a permanent verifiable record

record  Your message is detailed, is

 You can assemble the audience complex and requires careful

conveniently & economically planning

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 You want to encourage  You are trying to reach an

interaction to solve a problem audience that is large &
or reach a decision geographically dispersed

 You want to minimize the

chances for distortion that
occur when a message is
passed orally from person to
person
Oral Media include

 Face – to – face conversation,

Written Media include
speeches, meetings
 Letters, memos, reports,
 Telephone and voicemail
proposals
 Audiotape and video tape
 Electronic mail
 Teleconference and video
 Regular and special mail
conference
 Faxes

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