BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION
UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

NEHA MUNGAL
 INTRODUCTION

• Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place,

person or group to another. Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a
message and a recipient.
• This process requires a vast range of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal
processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analysing, and evaluating.

• Communication is fundamental to all working relationships; inadequate

communication causes more controversy in business and industry than any other
factor.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNICATION
• Communication is crucial in everyday life, including in the workplace.
Whether you give a slight head nod in agreement or present information
to a large group, communication is necessary when building relationships,
sharing ideas, delegating responsibilities, managing a team and much
more.
• Learning and developing good communication skills can help you succeed
in your career, make you a competitive job candidate and build your
network. While it takes time and practice, communication and interpersonal
skills are certainly able to be both increased and refined.
 THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
DEFINITION OF THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
• Communication is a two-way process where information (a message) is sent
from one person (the sender) through a channel (medium) to another (the
receiver), who reacts by giving feedback (a response).
• Communication is only successful, when the receiver understands the
message that the sender intended to convey.
• Miscommunication results when the process is not followed. The process of
communication is successful when both the sender and the receiver
understand the process and how to make it work.
 ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
• Sender: is the person who wishes to communicate the message.
• Message: is the information that the sender wishes to convey (ask, say, instruct,
comment, reply, or share).
• Code: is what the sender uses to convey the message e.g. a specific language.
• Encoding: is how the message is communicated e.g. verbally, written or visually.
• Decoding: is the interpretation of the message performed by the receiver.
• Medium or channel of communication: is the method or transmission used to
convey/deliver the message e.g. face-to-face, telephone, letter, e-mail, video etc.
• Receiver or Recipient: is the person to who is getting or receiving the message.
• Feedback: is the interaction as a result of the message, when the receiver might have
feedback or a response for the sender.
• Noise: refers to physical and psychological barriers.
 THE NOISE
• Anything that happens resulting in the recipient receiving a different
message than the one the sender intended is called noise. There are four
types of noise:

• Psychological Noise: This type of noise comes from within us, for example,
our preconceived stereotypes, our biases, our beliefs, and our assumptions.
• Physical Noise: This is any type of noise that distracts us, for example, loud
colleagues talking around you or listening to music.
• Environmental Noise: This type of noise comes from the environment around
us, for example, passing traffic.
• Semantic Noise: This type of noise is created by the sender, for example,
using technical language or verbose language. Semantic noise usually
happens because the sender has failed to target their message or channel
to the needs of the receiver.
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
DEFINITION: Communication is the exchange of information between two or more people
who convey intended meanings through a shared system of rules, such as the English
language.
Communication channels are the means through which people in an organisation
communicate. Thought must be given to what channels are used to complete various tasks,
because using an inappropriate channel for a task or interaction can lead to negative
consequences. Complex messages require richer channels of communication that facilitate
interaction to ensure clarity.
Communication can happen in a variety of ways, organised into four broad categories:
• Verbal: includes face-to-face, presentations, telephone, television, radio, YouTube and
other media.
• Non-verbal: includes body language, facial expressions, eye contact, personal
appearance, and smell, amongst others.
• Written: includes email, letters, newspapers, magazines, books, the internet, Facebook,
and WhatsApp, amongst others.
• Visual: includes drawings, graphs, and charts, amongst others.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING A
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION
A few common factors to consider when selecting a channel of
communication:
• Need for interpretation
• Speed of establishing contact
• Time required for feedback
• Cost
• Amount of information conveyed
• Need for permanent record
• Control over message
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATIONS
• INFORMAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Within a formal working environment, there always exists an informal communication
network. The strict hierarchical web of communication cannot function efficiently on its
own and hence there exists a communication channel outside of this web. While this type
of communication channel may disrupt the chain of command, a good manager needs to
find the fine balance between the formal and informal communication channel.

• UNOFFICIAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

Sometimes communication that takes place within an organisation is interpersonal. While
minutes of a meeting may be a topic of discussion among employees, sports, politics and
TV shows also share the floor.
This communication channel in an organisation is its 'grapevine.' It is through the
grapevine that rumours circulate. Also those engaging in grapevine discussions often
form groups, which translate into friendships outside of the organisation. Information
circulating in the grapevine is exaggerated and may cause unnecessary alarm to
employees.
• FORMAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
This communication channel transmits information such as the goals, policies and
procedures of an organisation. Messages in this type of communication channel
follow a chain of command. This means information flows from a manager to his
subordinates and they in turn pass on the information to the next level of staff.
Information can flow formally in 4 directions: downward, upward, horizontally, and
diagonally. In more established and traditional organisations, communication flows
in a vertical - downward and upward - direction. In informal firms, such as tech
start-ups, information tends to flow horizontally and diagonally.
• EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION FLOWS
External communication focuses on audiences outside of the organisation. Senior
management - with the help of specialised departments such as public relations or
legal - almost always controls communications that relate to the public image or
may affect its financial situation. When communicating outside the organisation
(regardless of the level), it is important for employees to behave professionally
and not to make commitments outside of their scope of authority.
 THE MODELS OF
COMMUNICATION
1. LINEAR MODELS: EXPLAIN ONE DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION
PROCESSES.
A sender encodes a message via a channel and the message is decoded
by the receiver. It is straight-line communication found typically in mass
communication; think television, radio, newspapers etc. According to this
model, there is no means for immediate feedback.
2.INTERACTIVE MODELS: BEST FOR EXPLAINING IMPERSONAL TWO-WAY
COMMUNICATION PROCESSES.
This Model takes the Linear Model and doubles it with a quick flip of the return
message. It now allows for a feedback element because after a message is encoded
and sent to the decoding receiver, the roles then reverse and the receiver encodes
and sends a response to the original sender who has now turned receiver. It sounds
more confusing than it is. Envision an exchange of text messages whereby your friend
sends you a message and you respond to it. The same thing happens during a
telephone call, or even an email exchange. A message is sent and received, then the
roles reverse.
3. Transactional Models: explain direct personal communication
processes where two-way feedback is immediate.
This model depicts face-to-face interaction, or “trans-action” as a dynamic
and changeable process. In the Transactional Model, receiver and sender
can play the same roles simultaneously, as sometimes happens, as messages
can be sent back and forth simultaneously. It appears chaotic and
ineffective, but sometimes communication is just that.
 BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
WITHIN THE WORKPLACE
• INABILITY TO LISTEN TO OTHERS
• LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST

• WORKPLACE CONFLICTS
• CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND LANGUAGE
• INSTRUCTIONAL BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION

• LACK OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• LACK OF THE SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE
• NOISY DISTRACTIONS

• NO FEEDBACK
• GATEKEEPING
• PERCEPTUAL BARRIERS
 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION ETHICS
AND ETIQUETTE
• WHAT IS ETHICAL COMMUNICATION?
Ethical communication is predicated upon certain business values, such as being truthful,
concise, and responsible with one’s words and the resulting actions. Thus, ethical
communication defines a framework or set of acceptable communication principles that
align with an enterprise’s overarching code of conduct or code of ethics. Ethics act as
your moral compass of what is right and wrong.
FUNDAMENTALS OF ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Openness and Transparency
Truthfulness and honesty are the core principles of ethical communication. This means
that speaking 99 percent of the truth in a matter - while leaving out one percent of the
facts - is not ethical communication, as omitting any detail (intentionally) changes the
way that a listener will perceive an event. Thus, being 100 percent open and
transparent, and hiding nothing, is key for all business relationships - whether within a
business between its members, or with business and their partners, or even customers - to
succeed in the short-term and long-term.
 CONSIDERATION FOR ANY POTENTIAL
ROADBLOCKS
When communicating with another party, truly ethical communication entails considering
any potential factor that may influence how the recipient understands - or receives - the
information being communicated. The examples that follow indicate where roadblocks
may occur and where the communicator needs to take steps to reduce any potential
instances of miscommunication.

• Language

Use ethical communication dictates that speakers utilize the language that listeners
understand. It would make little sense to present a business presentation in English to a
non-English speaking Chinese audience.

• Jargon

When speaking to non-industry individuals, it is ethical to speak with simple, easy-to-

understand words, while avoiding the use of heavy jargon, resulting in portions of the
presentation/communication being incomprehensible to a portion of the audience.
• Language Fluency
Ethical communication considers the level of fluency as well as the language
spoken by listeners so that recipients of the communication (whether it be spoken
or written) can fully understand what is being communicated.

• Accessibility to Technology
In this information and digital age, some take accessibility to advanced
technology for granted. For instance, while smartphones are readily available,
and translation apps are abundant, not everyone is able to access such
applications or platforms. If a business wanted to present certain pieces of
information to an audience while expecting the audience to translate it into their
native language via an application, there may be confusion. Thus, the ability to
access certain technology - and the know-how on how to use certain applications
- may be a roadblock when it comes to ethically communicating to a particular
audience.
 PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL
COMMUNICATION
• Be truthful and honest
• Practise active listening

• Speak non-judgmentally
• Speak from your own experience
• Consider the receiver’s preferred communication channel

• Strive to understand
• Avoid a negative tone
• Do not interrupt others

• Respect privacy and confidentiality

• Accept responsibility
 ETHICAL COMMUNICATION ETIQUETTE IN AN
ORGANISATION

• Choosing the right place/time: Speaking about a particular topic in a

business often requires choosing the most pertinent and appropriate time
and place for the message to be most effective. This requires knowing the
recipients and having tact, along with utilizing strategy and planning.
• Knowing one’s Audience: Certain audiences may prefer different verbiage
or jargon or may prefer one communication channel over another. Being an
effective communicator means knowing your audience so you can
communicate in the way that he/she/they will understand the best.
 CONCLUSION

This chapter explored the basics and importance of communication in the

workplace. We focused on the Communication Process and the different types of
‘noise’ that occur within it. We explored the channels of communication available,
as well as the various models of communication. We then looked that the
characteristics of effective communication and the barriers of effective
communication, as well as methods to eliminate or overcome these barriers.
THE END