CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Unit:1 INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Communication basics – Business Communication – Components – Types –

Formal communication network – Work team communication – Variables –
Goal – Conflict resolution – Non-verbal communication – Cross cultural
communication – Business meetings – Business Etiquette.

Unit:2 UNDERSTANDING CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Understanding Corporate Communication – Employee Communication

– Managing Government Relations – Writing for Media and Media
Relations.

Unit:3 CORPORATE COMMUNICATION IN BRAND PROMOTION

Corporate Communication in Brand Promotion – Financial Communication –

Crises Communication.

Unit:4 REPORT WRITING

Report writing: Characterising & business reports – Types and forms &
reports – Project proposals – Collection of data – Tables constitution –
Charts – Writing the report – Documenting the sources – Proof reading.

Unit:5 BUSINESS PRESENTATION

Business Presentation: Written and oral presentation – Work – Team

presentation – Delivering the business presentation visual aids – Slides –
Electronic presentation – Hand- outs – Delivering the presentation – Career
planning – Preparing Resume – Job applications – Preparation for a job
interview – Employment interviews – Follow-up.
 Unit:1 INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

Communication basics – Business Communication – Components –

Types – Formal communication network – Work team communication
– Variables – Goal – Conflict resolution – Non-verbal communication –
Cross cultural communication – Business meetings – Business
Etiquette.

DEFINITIONS OF COMMUNICATION

1. “Communication is the transfer of information from the sender to the

receiver with the information being understood by the receiver.” ___Harold
Koontz and Heinz Weihrich.

2. “Communication is the sum of all things one person does when he wants
to create understanding in the mind of another. It involves systematic and
continuous process of telling, listening and understanding. ”___Louis Allen.

3. “Communication is transfer of information from one person to another,

whether or not it elicits confidence. But the information transferred must be
understandable to the receiver. ” __G .G. Brown.

4. “Communication is the intercourse by words, letters or messages” __Fred

G. Meyer.

MEANING

The word communication has been derived from the Latin word
“communis” which means common, which consequently implies that it is
common understanding. It is defined in many ways. Generally, it is
understood as a process of exchange of ideas, views, facts, feelings, etc.
Basically it is the process of exchange of information between two or more
persons to reach common understanding.
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNITION

The elements of communication are as follows:

1. Sender: Sender is a person who conveys his thoughts or ideas to the

receiver. The sender represents source of communication.

2. Message: It is the content of ideas, feelings, suggestions, order, etc to be

communicated.

3. Encoding: It is the process of converting the message into

communication symbols such as words, pictures and gestures.

4. Media: It is the path through which an encoded message is transmitted to

the receiver. The channel may be in written form, face to face, phone call,
interest, etc.

5. Decoding: It is the process of converting encoded symbols of the sender.

6. Receiver: The person who receives communication of the sender.

7. Feedback: It includes all those actions of receiver indicating that he has

received and understood the message of the sender.

8. Noise: Noise is an obstruction or hindrance to communication. This

hindrance may be caused to sender, message or receiver. Some examples of
noise are:- * Ambiguous symbols that lead to faulty encoding;

 An inattentive receiver;

 Gestures that may distort the message;

 Prejudices obstructing the understanding of the message.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF COMMUNICATION

Why do we communicate at all? In general terms they are as follows:

1. We communicate to persuade: It means that we want someone to do

something and this desire of ours is communicated. The mother patting the
child to stop crying, the advertiser displaying a model in a new T- Shirt and
the politician haranguing his audience to vote for him are all having the
same objective of persuading, while communicating it differently.

2. We communicate in order to give or provide information: The science

teacher demonstrating an experiment, the bank announcing a reduction in
interest rates and the finance minister, presenting the budget are all
communicating to provide information.

3. We communicate seeking information: A Passer by asking you the way to

the post-office, the student asking the teacher for some clarification or the
investigating policeman making discreet enquiries are all seeking
information by using this communication skill.

4. We communicate to express our emotions like courage or fear, joy or

sorrow, satisfaction or disappointment with appropriate gestures and words.
Some people have unlimited skill to mote, (I,e. to display excessive emotion)
to suit the occasion. Our politicians are capable of emoting well, which by
itself is a communication skill.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Though all communication objectives can be classified as shown above,

business communication has specific objectives. They are:

1. Information related communication: Information on a product, service or

activity of an organization to the people concerned, and information about
the product, service or activity from the people concerned to the organization
come under this category.

2. Persuasion related communication: Persuasion is related to the

promotional activity of a company, It is employed to promote sales and
service. Persuasion related communication calls for tact and an
understanding on the part of the communicator.

3. Motivation related communication: A company has to motivate its

workforce to turnout better work, and its customers to buy its products and
service. Motivation can be done only by understanding the mindset of the
receiver. Business organizations have to continuously resort to motivation to
succeed in their business aims.

Meaning and Definition of Corporate Communication:

Philip Kitchen and Don Schultzin “Raising the Corporate Umbrella”

(2001, p.106) defines, ‘‘Corporate communication at its simplest is primarily
a mechanism for developing and managing a set of relationships with public
or stakeholders who could affect the overall performances. These
relationships must be viewed in a long term strategic fashion.” Thus,
according to the above definition, corporate communication is used to build
the among its audiences to enhance its overall performances.

As per Median Online image, an organization who works in the area of

corporate communications globally corporate defines that, “Corporate
communication is the strategic initiative taken by a organization to
communicate the corporate brand and its core messages to a spectrum of
growing audiences in a globalized market environment. At its core, corporate
communication is very simple, the way a corporate communicates.” Further,
it identifies that as a strategic initiative, corporate communication helps a
brand/firm to create their identity, build the brand and manage its
reputation. It goes beyond the traditional method of communication and
harnesses the potential of the print, audio and devisal vital media for the
company’s reputation. It uses advertising, public relations, community
relations, corporate literature, exhibitions, event management, research,
sponsorship management, traditional media and IMC (integrated marketing
communication) to place organization, products, and services the global
marketplace.

SCOPE OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATION

1. Create an identity :

2. Build a brand

3. Manage the reputation

4. Develop a communication model

5. Good Business Communication

6. Good Communicators Generally Do Good Work

7. Controlling Communications Flow

8. Cross Cultural Communication

9. Keep It Simple

Create an identity :

The success of many companies in India like Reliance industries,

Tata, Kirloskar group of companies portray that all these companies s have
created their identity as an organization which is for their people. In the
current scenario, where every day, the function of corporate are complex
and not vivid, finding an audience for their products, services or companies
determine the growth o f an organization. Therefore, a company gives
preference to use the tools of communications wisely and timely. The
corporate communicator/public affairs manager/public relation
officers/media liaison officer/media advisor, and corporate communication
manager, they all ensure that their corporate connects build an audience
group for the growth of an organization.

Build a brand: corporate in their day to day affairs interacts with two kinds
of audiences, internal and external. The internal audience who may be in
form of shareholders, stakeholders or employee of the company carry the
pride of association with an organization wherein the external audience are
crucial for the future growth of a brand. To balance both the audiences,
corporate communication practitioner need to follow the simple approach in
mind.

Manage the reputation : Nowadays, the media intervention is very high.

The rumor spreads and impacts on organization’s reputation, therefore the
corporate communicate practitioner manage the task of building the
organization reputation and keep its prestige intact.

Develop a communication model: No organization will make a progress in

their isolation approach. It is crucial to communicate with their people on a
timely basis. An effective communication model will help an organization to
build a strategy which will be beneficial for them in a long run.

Good Business Communication Good communication means the intended

message you send is received by your audience without any distort ions in
meaning. This definition applies to not only personal communication among
friends or relatives, but to business situations where you may be
communicating with co-worker one on one or in a meeting with several or
more people. The key here is clarity.

Good Communicators Generally Do Good Work

Good business communication helps get the job done well, on time and on
budget. The boss or team member who can communicate objectives,
reasoning and step and coherent manner contribute wise tasks in a concise
s more to a company's success than one who does not. These
communicators are highly valued in today's complex and competitive
business world, and are often earmarked for promotion and increased
responsibility.

Controlling Communications Flow Today there are many more ways to

communicate than there were just a few years ago and access to
communication devices is almost universal in most businesses.
Communication is also almost instantaneous. The ease with which you can
use a laptop, cell phone or other dev ice to communicate with coworkers,
clients and others has made doing business easier. But, it can have
drawbacks. To ensure your business is using modern communication
effectively make sure you have ways to archive information for later access.
For example, a salesperson needs to archive email messages from and to
clients so that exact job specs are readily available and jobs are handled
properly.

Cross Cultural Communication In today's global economy, businesses

cannot ignore the importance of cross ral communication. Businesses are
finding that it is in their best interest to learn about national, cultural and
ethnic groups they need to communicate with to grow their businesses.
Knowledge of language nuances and local customs are important to that gr
can cause a lost sale or a delayed project.

Keep It Simple

Good business communication is simple and easily understood, a rule often

overlooked by managers and team members. This is especially important
when preparing a document, speech or presentation that is a game changer
for the company. Simple and concise language wins over language that is
obtuse and hard to understand.
HOW DOES CORPORATE COMMUNICATION WORK?

There are many ways to use corporate communication to work for your
organization, here are some ways the communication team focuses on
building up a strong corporate communication program.

Brand Awareness (Corporate Identity): Building up a company’s

reputation establishes them as household or workplace identities and
captures the audience’s attention. Branding defines who a company is, what
they do, their products and what that means to the public. It’s the task of
corporate communication teams to create favourable messaging around the
brand and lead it’s reputation, not only internally but externally as well.

Brand Credibility (Corporate Reputation): Identity is what sets the

organization apart from others and also comes back to the reputation.
Brand credibility is based on the trustworthiness and expertise that a
company promises based on the usage of their product. Corporate
communication departments curate the image to stand for what is
important to the corporations function.

Brand Talent: Companies are only as successful as the people who work
there!

Employee Engagement: Internal engagement from the top down is vital in

any organization’s success. Employee’s are brand ambassadors who lead the
way in external communication with their social reach. Providing employees
with the right tools and content to share is vital and can often have a direct
impact on a company’s financial growth.

Employee Productivity: The more productive your people are, the higher
your revenue generated and the lower the cost.
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Businesses use many different corporate communication tools to

distribute information and gain the attention of stakeholders. The list of
tools is growing every day. Some of the commonly used ones are:

1. Social Media

It isn’t an exaggeration to say social media has completely changed

how corporations interact with customers. Online communities such as
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn dominate today as
corporate communication tools.

Social media allows an organization to quickly distribute information to a

wide audience at little cost. This is a great tool for organizations to use
because it can create awareness about their products and services and help
them maintain relationships with stakeholders. If a business wants to
inform the public about important products or services they offer, then they
can simply post it on their social media accounts. Text, video and live
sessions are all possible.

2. Brochures

A classic amongst corporate communication tools, these can be used

to share information of all kinds, whether it is products, services or policies.

3. Newsletters

These can inform stakeholders about products and promotions. They

can be used to collect feedback, too. These might be sent in paper form, but
most often they go out through email nowadays.

4. Website

The organization may use its website to provide information about its
products and services, management and policies, and also upcoming events.
5. Video

Videos can be used as a corporate communication tool to introduce

stakeholders to the company and its values. Not just on social media, but
also outside of it. Webcasts allow a combination of text, graphics, audio and
video that can connect people to the same channel at different times and
locations. Or webinars could be hosted by industry bodies or for consumers.
Documentaries can feature novel initiatives and projects.

6. News Releases

These go out to the media and help send out communication in a clear
and concise way. They often contain essential information about new
products or services along with management quotes.

Corporate communication tools help organizations build and maintain

relationships with their key stakeholders. By using effective strategies, such
as advertising and public relations, organizations can reach their ideal
target audiences. Corporate communication strategy supports companies in
their efforts to meet their objectives

BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION:

1. Sematic barriers

2. Psychological barriers

3. Physical barriers

4. Organisational barriers

5. Personal barriers

6. Cultural barriers

7. Technological barriers
 1. Sematic barriers

Semantic barriers, then, are obstacles in communication that distort the

meaning of a message being sent. Miscommunications can arise due to
different situations that form the semantic barrier between the sender and
the receiver. These situations, to name a few, may be language, education,
or cultural differences.

2. Psychological barrier

A psychological barrier is a person’s state of mind that can limit their

ability to make the right decisions. Psychological barriers also affect the
human capacity to communicate with others with a logical state of mind.
Psychological barriers are also known as emotional barriers.
TYPES (METHODS) OF COMMUNICATION

1. Formal Communication

2. Informal Communication

1. FORMAL COMMUNICATION

The communication in which the flow of information is already defined

is termed as Formal Communication. The communication follows a
hierarchical chain of command which is established by the organization
itself. In general, this type of communication is used exclusively in the
workplace, and the employees are bound to follow it while performing their
duties.
The formal communication is of four types:

 Upward or Bottom-up: The communication in which the flow of

information goes from subordinate to superior authority.

 Downward or Top-down: The communication in which the flow of

information goes from superior to subordinate.

 Horizontal or Lateral: The communication between two employees of

different departments working at the same level.

 Crosswise or Diagonal: The communication between the employees of two

different departments working at different levels.

1.1. DOWNWARD FLOW:

Communication from superior to subordinates an corresponds to chain of

command

Reason for downward communication:

 Specific task directives

 Job reasoning

 Procedures and practices

 Feedback

 Programming of goals

Distortion of downward communication:

a) Reliance upon written diffusion methods

b) Message overload

c) Timing

d) Filtering

Improving downward communication:

a) They must specify an objective for communication

b) They should make sure that the content of their communication contains
qualities like accuracy, specificity and no hidden meanings
c) They should employ the best communication technique or get the
message across to the receiver

1.2. UPWARD FLOW:

Low level employees are expected to provide upward communication about

their performance and problems

Problems in upward flow:

1. Traditional way of manager commanding subordinates may prevent

manager from accepting the upward flow

2. Filtering of information may also takes place at higher level and lower
level

3. Fear existing in lower level over their boss

4. Time constraints

existing on manager hearing voice of subordinates at time

Improving upward communication:

 Open door policy on welcoming employees to manager’s office

 Suggestion systems are formal programmes that encourage individual

employees to recommend work improvement

 Participation in informal, casual recreational events

 Employee letters supply the final communication

1.3. Horizontal or Lateral communication:

Also called horizontal communication lateral flow takes place between peers.
It is needed to achieve cooperation among members and between work
groups. Lateral flow provides emotional and social support to individuals.

Purpose:

 Task coordination

 Problem solving

 Information sharing

 Conflict resolution
Problems in horizontal communication:

 Weaken the organizational structure

 Department do not generally like to share information with other

departments because of rivalry.

 Too much of job specialization results in each department becoming an

island by itself having little in common to share with other department.

 Management may not have encouraged frequent horizontal

communication

1.4 Diagonal communication:

Takes place between a manager and members of other work groups. A

manager needs this kind of communication to interact with employees in
others managers’ jurisdiction regarding his or her particular function-that is
functional authority. The diagonal communication network usually does not
appear on the organizational chart, but a number of such networks are
found in large organization.

Advantages of formal communication:

 Effective

 Provides close contact between members of the organization

 Control over the sub-ordinates and fixing in their responsibility.

 Flow of essential information in an orderly manner.

Disadvantages of formal communication

Stiff, Slow and Rigid

 Channels of communication are not perfect.

 Organizational distance, screening at various points and narrow route are

the three bottlenecks in the flow of communication.

2. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION

The communication which does not follow any pre-defined channel for the
transmission of information is known as informal communication. This type
of communication moves freely in all directions, and thus, it is very quick
and rapid. In any organization, this type of communication is very natural
as people interact with each other about their professional life, personal life,
and other matter.
Example: Sharing of feelings, casual discussion, gossips, etc.

The informal communication is of four types:

 Single Strand Chain: The communication in which one person tell

something to another, who again says something to some other person and
the process goes on.

Cluster Chain: The communication in which one person tells something to

some of its most trusted people, and then they tells them to their
trustworthy friends and the communication continues.

Probability Chain: The communication happens when a person randomly

chooses some persons to pass on the information which is of little interest
but not important.
Gossip Chain: The communication starts when a person tells something to a
group of people, and then they pass on the information to some more people
and in this way the information is passed on to everyone.
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Business communication is communication that is intended to help a

business achieve a fundamental goal, through information sharing between
employees as well as people outside the company. It includes the process of
creating, sharing, listening, and understanding messages between different
groups of people through written and verbal formats. The way that people
communicate and operate within a business is very vital to how successful
the company will be in the business world. Business communication occurs
internally, employee-to-employee, or externally, business-to-business or
business-to-consumer. This internal and external communication can
happen through verbal or non-verbal communication methods. Often these
internal and external forms of communication come with barriers, which
can prevent the receiver from understanding the information sent by the
sender.

OVERVIEW

Business communication is closely related to professional

communication and technical communication. It encompasses topics such
as marketing, brand management, customer relations, consumer behaviour,
advertising, public relations, corporate communication, community
engagement, reputation management, interpersonal communication,
employee engagement, internal communication, and event management.
Communication in general is valued even more in international business
communications to allow for the understanding of cultures and the overall
morale of the operation.

Business communication focuses primarily on achieving goals/aims

and, in the case of a public company or organization, increasing the
dividends of shareholders.

Types

INTERNAL

Business-to-employee communication, also known as workplace

communication, is the exchange of information within an organization. The
purpose of some communications is to develop trust, and/or to increase
productivity.

This type of business communication includes the flow of information from

one level of the business hierarchy to another. Communication that flows
from the top of the hierarchy to the bottom ("top-down communication") has
been shown to decrease the stress levels of employees if it provides
clarification and reassurance to the worker. The amount of information
shared in this way is often dependent on a "need to know" basis. This
communication may take the form of memos and other internal documents.
Although a certain level of top-down communication is helpful, too much
communication can be seen by the employee as micromanagement. Upward
communication is any communication within the business that is passed
through the business hierarchy from the bottom upwards. Suggestion
boxes, which allow low-level workers to communicate with management
anonymously, are one example of upward communication. Horizontal
communication occurs between individuals who are on the same level in the
business hierarchy.

EXTRNAL

Business-to-business communication is sharing information between

different other companies, often done to benefit both parties. Business
communication can help the company achieve its fundamental goals by
informing, persuading, and building good relations with other companies to
reach mutual goals.

Business-to-consumer communication, also known as direct-to-consumer,

is when a company directly communicates with its consumers about
product details or company information. The opposite is when a consumer
leaves reviews on a product (or service), which may identify how the
company could improve its product.

WORK TEAM COMMUNICATION

Work team communication is the process of exchanging information, both

verbal and non-verbal, within an organization. Work team communication is
also called work place communication. An organization may consist of
employees from different parts of the society. In order to unite the activities
of all employees, communication is crucial. Communicating necessary
information to the entire workforce becomes necessary. Effective workplace
communication ensures that all the organizational objectives are achieved.

Effective communication is the key to success in modern organizations.

Inside the company, it strengthens confidence of the employees in the vision
and mission of the organization, it connects employees to the reality of that
business, it fuels the company's development, it eases the changes
necessary for progress and it also helps to change employees’ behaviour.
Outside, the company image, the discovery of new business opportunities
and the relationship with society depend largely on how well designed and
conducted this on-going process of communication is. A company or
organization that communicates effectively –both outside and inside records
higher profits than "introverted" companies or institutions or with a poor or
non-existent communication strategy. The Employees of the companies who
can communicate feel connected to the progress of business and understand
how their actions can support that business. New employees quickly
connect to the culture of that company and can cope better with the
changes that management may require in certain situations.

Importance of work place communication

• Management functions are not operational in the absence of

communication. Communication is, therefore, crucial for the existence and
success of the organization, being also the first responsibility of the
manager;

• Communication establishes and maintains relationships between

employees, giving them “the information needed to guide and assess their
own work in relation to the others, with the requirements of the organization
as a Whole and its environment”

• by the accomplished feed–back, communication reveals the

possibilities of improving individual performance;

• being the basis of the motivation process, communication enables

identification, knowledge and proper use of various categories of needs and
incentives to guide employees’ behavior towards performance and rewards;it
contributes to the establishment of fair and effective relationships, of
understanding and mutual acceptance between bosses and subordinates,
colleagues, people inside and outside the organization.
Factors influencing Work place Communication

Experts have described four factors that influence the effectiveness of

communication at work place:

• The formal channels of communication,

• The organization’s authority structure,

• Job specialization and

• Information ownership.

Formal Channels of communication: A formal channel of communication

is a means of communication that is endorsed and probably controlled by
managers. Formal channels of communication influence communication
effectiveness in two ways. First, the formal channels cover an ever widening
distance as organizations develop and grow. For example, effective
communication is usually far more difficult to achieve in a large retail
organization with widely dispersed branches than in a small department
store. Second, the formal channels of communication can inhibit the free
flow of information between organizational levels. An assembly line worker,
for example, will often communicate problems to a supervisor rather than to
the plant manager. While this accepted restriction in the channels of
communication has its advantage such as keeping higher level managers
from getting bogged down in information, it also has its disadvantages such
as sometimes keeping higher level managers from receiving information they
should have received

Authority Structure: The organization’s authority structure has a similar

influence on communications effectiveness. Status and power differences in
the organization help determine who will communicate comfortably with
whom. The content and accuracy of the communication will also be affected
by authority differences. For example, conversation between a company
president and a clerical worker may well be characterized by somewhat
strained politeness and formally.
Job specialization: Job specialization usually facilitates communication
within differentiated groups. Members of the same work group are likely it
share the same jargon, time horizons, goals, tasks, and personal styles.
Communications between highly differentiated groups, is likely to be
inhibited

Information Ownership: The term information ownership means that

individuals possess unique information and knowledge about their jobs. For
example, a dark room employee may have found a particularly efficient way
to develop photo prints. A department head may have a particularly effective
way of handling conflict among employees. And a salesperson may know
who the key decision makers are in his or her major account. Such
information is a form of power for the individuals who possess it. They are
able to function more effectively than their peers. Many individuals with
such skills and knowledge are unwilling to share this information with
others. As a result, completely open communication within the organization
does not take place.
Cross cultural communication –

Culture:

Culture is the belief, arts, customs etc, of people living in a particular

society, group, place or time. However in an organisation it is referred as the
way of thinking, behaving or working that exists in a place or organisation.
Culture of two localities may be similar but they can never be the same.
They have subtle variations which can be noticed in their contents and
forms. Of these contents and forms only ten percentage are visible to us.
E.g. taste, dressing, language etc. The other ninety percent remain invisible
includes the cultural values, attitudes etc.

Cross-cultural communication:

Cross-cultural communication is defined as the field of study that looks at

how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate in similar and
different ways among themselves and how they endeavour to communicate
across cultures. Under the scope of an organisation it is the process of
exchanging, negotiating and mediating one’s cultural differences through
language, non-verbal gestures and space relationships. Cross-cultural
communication is also termed as inter-cultural communication.

History:

When companies began to expand due to the improvisation in technologies

and new innovations, companies began to go global. They started carrying
out business world-wide with the help of the internet. This gradually led to
globalization. Due to globalization the need to set up branch offices at
various locations all over the globe became a necessity. This required skilled
labour and experienced employees to relocate and work at different cultures
from theirs. Thus theses people carried their culture to such new locations
and at the same time also got accustomed to learning the cultures already
prevailing at the place, leading to cultural adaptation.
Context to cross-cultural communication:

• High context culture:

Here the communication among the employees is based on the mutual trust.
They consider that inter-personal skills are very essential in an
organisational environment. Thus the success of the team is considered to
be their main objective rather than an individual’s accomplishments. This
context of communication is followed in Middle East Asia and Africa.

• Low context culture:

Here the decisions are more based on facts and proofs. They expect their
employees to be very direct and individualistic. At times issues regarding
trust and faith may arise here. This context oc communication is followed in
North America and Western Europe.

Types of cross-cultural communication:

I. Non-verbal communication

• Eye contact

Maintaining eye contact in a business talk is very important. It indicates the

speakers confidence and knowledge of the topic. However owing to the
various cultural differences the concept of eye contact can be viewed under
different lights. i.e. in the U.S eye contact is considered to be a very good
thing. It depicts honesty and straightforwardness. Unlikely in the Middle
East Nations it is considered as a sign of disrespect and aggressiveness.

• Gestures

Conveying the message through body language.

-emblems refer to sign language e.g. thumbs up.

-illustrators is mimicking what we intend to speak. e.g. holding up certain

number of fingers to mention a certain amount of time.
-regulators act as a way of conveying meaning through gestures. E.g. O.K
symbol means the same in the U.S and U.K. but in Japan it means money,
in Russia it means zero etc.

-adaptors are very subtle gestures. E.g. yawning while bored, clenching fist
in anger.

II. Oral and written communication

It is necessary to learn the particular language to speak or write the same.

Learning a new language my seem tedious but once learnt it gives the ease
to communicate without and barriers. But yet there is the problem of
Paralanguage (i.e.) how a language is conveyed. When the speaker makes
subtle changes in the pronunciation by way of altering the emphasis or the
volume of the letters then there will arise problems in communication.

Factors affecting communication in cross-cultural communication.

• Language

- gross translation problems

- subtle distinctions from language and language

- culturally based variations among speakers of the same

language

• Environment and technology

• Social organization and history

• Conceptions of authority

• Non-verbal communication

Challenges of cross-cultural communication

• Culture and political correctness

• Cultural perceptions
• International customer expectations

• Taming foreign language

Improvisation techniques:

• Explore cultures and communication

• Avoid slang and idioms

• Mae use of clear agendas

• Translators can be used

• Clear doubts regarding accenting and intonation